Second Clue

In the first picture in the background behind the kitten there appears to be some crumpled paper. If you enter the photo into a basic photo editor and zoom in a bit you will see that the paper is in fact a calendar, albeit upside down.

Turn the photo upside down and zoom in more and you will see some interesting stuff.

The month and year of the calendar is not showing. All we know is that the 24th is somewhere in the middle of the week and the last day of the month is the 30th and on the day of the week immediately before the 24th. Not much. Fortunately this calendar also includes how many days this date is from the beginning and the end of the year. The 24th is 329/37. Doing a little math this 24th can only reside in the month of November and if you check you will see that last November 24th fell on a Wednesday and the 30th was on a Tuesday.

Wednesday, November 24th 2004 - that's the day before Thanksgiving! No wonder there is a flurry of markings on these dates. Knowing that Thanksgiving is approaching helps to decipher the slightly blurry markings. We see the words "No School for". So instantly we know that this calendar resides in the home of someone who has school kids. That could include college I suppose but most likely it's grade school. That alone would indicate the kitten is in the home of Greg and Denise, Paul and Faith or Dan and Jo.

Speaking of Dan and Jo, notice how many times those names appear. "Jo - Da", "Jo - sch", "Jo eve conferences" and in pencil is a blurry marking where the proximity to Thanksgiving helps to recognize as the words, "Dan 5-6 Pick up turkey."

We cannot conclude from this that the kitten is at Dan and Jo's but it does improve the likelihood. There is no reason these markings couldn't be on somebody elses calendar. But if, for example, these words were on Paul and Faith's calendar I think we would have to conclude that Paul and Faith have a disturbing obsession with the comings and going of Dan and Jo.

We will refrain from speculation on why an almost year old calendar is crumpled up on the floor since that would get us into a discussion of which family member is the messiest.

On Vacation In Duluth

Greg, perhaps you could share with us the circumstances surrounding this picture...?

Greg, Are you going...

Greg,

Are you going to the Lakeville Fire Department's Fire Prevention Open House this year? I notice it's coming up on Wednesday this year...

Also, someone left a plastic handle that appears to connect with a tupperware container and a pink clothespin at the family reunion. Would either of these be yours by any chance?

GrandmaJean, what should I do...

GrandmaJean,

What should I do with this cookie sheet?

I've got your cookie sheet from the family reunion. At least I assume it's yours. It is the cookie sheet that Mark had the salmon on.

Also, someone left a plastic handle that appears to connect with a tupperware container and a pink clothespin at the family reunion. Would either of these be yours by any chance?

Trying a new tack...

Dear frequent blog team contributors,

I wonder what would happen if someone were to address the infrequent team members by name. Perhaps they would respond to a blog directed specifically to them...

Hi Greg! How are you doing?

Hi GrandmaJean! What's up?

FIRST CLUE

Okay I will begin with the most obvious clue and work my way through to the more esoteric. In the upper right hand corner of the second picture is a shiny yellow bag. Anyone who frequents grocery stores or gas stations would eventually recognize it as a Mortens Salt Pellets bag.
The only known use for Mortens Salt Pellets is the softening of water. So we can immediately remove Steve from the list since he HAS NO WATER!!!
We can then go on to make the conjecture that people living in established suburbs have city water and are less likely to need water softening and can therefore remove Jean and Buzz and Greg and Denise.
We are left with people living on the edge. Dean and Kurt have well water but they also have a Real Basement. Notice that this bag of Mortens Salt Pellets is resting on carpeting while Dean and Kurt's basement is slab concrete and crammed with farm stuff.
I also think we can safely remove Paul and Faith from the list since they live in the middle of nowhere and for all we know they melt icicles for water. (Not to mention that Paul is the one who guessed the clues.)
So that leaves Mark and Lois Ann who have no basement and may or may not have well water and Dan and Jo who have a partially finished basement and definitely have well water. Ergo. . .nothing definite but the cat might be at Mark and Lois Ann's or even more likely at Dan and Jo's.

I Can't Believe It!

Rats! Rats! Rats!
I posted the three pictures of our new cat this morning (see below) with the exquisite feeling that I would let you all dangle clueless and ignorant for a few days and then I would magnaminousouly begin to reveal to all of you the extremely esoteric clues that no one would have been expected to get.
Much to my dismay, little brother Paul issues a response within hours that blasts me out of the water. Before this post I would have grudgingly conceded that Paul is the Puzzlemaster of the family. Now I can only bow in utmost humility in the face of the master.
I will assume that the rest of the family has no idea of the spectacular feat that has just been accomplished. Allow me in the next few days to reveal to you the genius that is in our presence!

Crosswordese Word of the Day

DOWN
8) German article
Answer

Home Sweet Home

How Many Clues Can You Find?

One of Dean and Kurt's kittens has gotten a new home. Hidden in these pictures are at least six clues to the new location. Enter your ideas as comments. In a few days I will enter the correct answers as a comment. We are also still looking for a name. Suggestions there are welcome too.

Plant Tour

How to do a new post on the blog

This is for all of the wonderful family members who are waiting on the <---- sidelines and are ready to write. 1. Click on the orange B in the upper left hand corner.

2. Sign in (if you forgot your sign in name or password let me know by email and i will send a new invitation to you).

3. Click on the green cross for a new post.

4. The posting screen comes up and you write down a title if you want, then write something, anything in the big empty box. You'll get better with practice, or at least faster.

5. You can get fancy now and post a picture if you have some stashed away in your computer. (Paul must have a really old computer!!)
a. Find that perfect picture thats hidden in your computer and remember where it is at. Maybe somewhere in My Pictures?
b. Now click on the photo button above the big empty box you are writing in.
c. A pop up screen appears: "Add an image from your computer" Click on the browse button and find your photo that is good enough for who it's for...double click that photo and the address will automagically go in the browse line. Choose a layout (right, left, center). Choose an image size (most of us use medium). Finally click on the blue upload image button at the bottom of the pop up window.

6. Your picture will now appear in the big empty box!

7. Now you can write some more, and even drag the picture around in the big empty box that is probably full by now.

8. Change time and date (this is if you forgot an anniversary or birthday).

9. Finally push the orange publish post button below.

Bed Time

Piano Lessons

Holly's first piano lesson... Speaking of Holly... and Amy... this blog would be an excellent place for them to share about Australia. Perhaps they have the opportunity to post a picture now and then.

Futurist

Termination dust was seen friday afternoon on the mountains while riding up to Anchorage. That predicts winter will come despite global warming. We still have not had freezing in the mornings and we are into October already! Usually we have frost mid September. It has been a nice fall with lots of rain. Once it clears up a few days it will freeze.

On the way home from Anchorage we were listening to a talk radio show to stay awake and it was also very interesting. The guest was Joel Barker who is a 'futurist'. I checked out a couple of his websites. One of them talked about gambling in Minnesota and studied it's outcomes. He uses a process called
implications wheel.

He also had a site sort of like a blog with positive news about recent discoveries, science and
technology things.

Arrival at Mark & Lois's

Portage Glacier

The young Lindman girl in this picture must be in her 30s now. Married? Children?

Half a bubble off!

I've taken the challenge of being the "First" woman to be a blogger! So I've decided to put my wonderful husband's picture in in celebration, he is about a half a bubble off. This is how we spent most of our leisure time this summer, digging a sewer line. Now we're in the process of back filling it.

Gunsight Mtns

They've crossed the border into Alaska...

Sheep Mountain

I'm almost certain this is the same mountain we climbed when some of us went to Alaska in '73(?). What a great experience! We were rewarded at the top with a large group of Dall sheep grazing in a meadow. Do you guys remember that? I had some great pictures. Of course they burned up in the fire... Do any of you have pictures of that day?