Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for December 27, 2017

Dad wishes he had gotten a flamethrower for Christmas.

Time for Dad to try out that new “Work From Home” program.

You are in deep doo doo again Calvin.

The snow plows do that to us. I wonder if Calvin is driving.

Don’t worry Dad. You can drive over it. What can possibly go wrong with that?

Gee dad, you can go to Florida till July.

Different priorities

Uh, kid? You do realize that most forts need a gate, right?

And then dad joined the game when he caused an avalanche.

Dad, you should check the other night. Now take a sledgehammer to break down the barrier.

Just douse it in gasoline and throw a match on it. FOOM! Fort gone faster than the Branch Davidian compound!

When we were kids after snowfalls we would engage in a friendly game of snow wars with the kids who lived down the block. Each group would savagely attack each other’s snow forts. First with a fuselage of snowballs and finally an en masse assault to trample the opponent’s fort to smithereens. Then there was a truce while each group rebuilt their forts. Late one day when the sun was going down and we had just finished rebuilding our fort for tomorrow’s snow wars we decided to spray it down. After several coatings we retired for the night. The next morning we applied an additional coat of snow to disguise the ice. We were up first and of course we trampled their fort with aplomb. Retreating to our fortification we awaited their counter attack (he he he!). Deadly salvos of snowballs were then followed by a mad rush. They leapt feet first and bounced off the walls of our fort landing on their keisters. Victory was ours!!!!

AIs Dad picking up the pick axe to chip his way out … or only for the handle?

Right out of your way I would think, Dad.

xxx

Look for him at Nancy and Oonas place a few days ago?

This reminds me of a friend whose three kids were under four years old, her husband was out of town on a business trip with his flight home delayed again and again, while meantime we got 75" of snow in two weeks, including a fresh new batch overnight. Another friend woke up his three teenage boys, shoveled out their own car, and then drove over to her house so she could get out and get some face time with adults (not to mention grocery shopping.) She was on a cul-de-sac and the snowplows had pushed it all outwards from the center of the loop: meaning she had a two-story-high wall of compacted snow and ice across the foot of her driveway. They shoveled and worked till they had her free. And that to me has been the ultimate story of kindness to try to live up to the spirit of ever since.