Playing with my Childrens' Toys

We're trapped again under snow. I made a preparatory grocery run as the first five or so inches of new snow fell. Our store was almost out of paper towel, cod, kitty litter and Diet Coke (the regular kind, not Zero or Lime or Splenda). I was lucky to find the secret end cap of Diet Coke. This could have been a bad few days.

As it is, we're "stuck" in our house with all our new toys. O woe are we!

In Albuquerque, at the Explora, I found a plasma night light about the size of a standard lightbulb and gave it to the boys for Newton's Day (Isaac Newton was born December 25th. It also flows better than the phrase "Atheist Families Get Presents Day"). Last night, I asked to borrow it for pictures; in the morning, the boys didn't recognize it as their bulb. That's one of the fun things about macros, it's a puzzle or at least a way of turning the visual environment into something surprizing.

Red Glow

 
Another jellyfish tank in the same darkened room. The tank had a red light focused on it. Checking out the stats, this was at 1/40s and 4.5/f with my Canon Rebel XT. Another one that happily surprised me. 

LED Laced Jelly

 
I'm amazed this came out. It's a tiny inch high jellyfish with, what looks like, multi-colored LEDs running along the seams. I took it through the glass and without much in the way of preparation or forethought.

We saw it in the aquarium in Albuquerque. I could watch jellyfish for hours -- as long as they or I am behind glass. 

Rowan's New Hobby

 
Rowan asked how to make a card house. He managed to make a variety of houses and repetitions of this pattern, three at once before he decided to move onto other things. I was impressed.