March 2006

Blip: The Digital Game

Look what I found in my closet! It’s Blip: The Digital Game, by Tomy! 1977! I can’t believe I still have this thing. I LOOOOOOOVED to play this game. It was like an early version of Pong, where a little red LED light would mechanically move back and forth across the playing field and you had to press the right button, 1, 2, or 3, to send it back to the other side. I think, in fact, the entire thing is mechancially operated, not electronic. It does require batteries, and unfortunately one of the contacts seems to have corroded. I wonder if I can get that repaired?? You had to be really fast with the eye-hand coordination on this game; it was by no means easy.

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The spooky tree

Out walking on Saturday, Doc and I discovered a tree we’d never seen before. It’s right on the other side of the creek from us. I’m pretty sure it’s a mesquite tree, although it’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen. The trunk is probably 3 feet in diameter, and it’s incredibly gnarled and twisted. There are big thorns on the lower branches, but none that we could see on the upper ones. The bark is twisted too, and in some parts looks like it was shredded and then glued back haphazardly on to the branches. It’s spooky. It’s beautiful. I went back after dark and took some pictures.

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