Blog hop: Play

Welcome to the Blog Hop. 

I hope you can join in the fun.

In case you are new... or as a reminder:

Each week I post at least one prompt.
Respond as you wish on your blog or in a comment.

Or, just link your blog to mine if you

care to share something else about yourself.

The part I like most is having blog hoppers

complete their blog posts (or comments) 
by asking a question of us.

I am really enjoying answering your questions,

and look forward to seeing other responses, too.

I think it's a great way to have a conversation of sorts!

Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop

by using the Linky Tool below.

Click where indicated, just after it says

"You are next...."

Or...

Leave a comment with your thoughts 
on my blog, down below.

Visit other participating blogs on the list

and respond to their questions in your comments on their pages.

Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 14:

1. Imagine that you are once again 8 years old. You have just received the best present, ever. (Ponies and pets are not included on the gift list!) What is it?

Ok, so based on the release date, I must have received this gift when I was 11 or 12, not 8, but I would say it was one of the coolest gifts I received as a child (besides my pet lovebirds of course). 

One of the first e-book readers ever. via the Buxton Collection (a cool site documenting revolutionary technological devices)

 I have always loved to read, so having a library of books only a dial-up connection away seemed completely amazing to me. I think one of the books I had on it was Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. However, figuring out how to download and buy the books was rather complicated, the selection was limited, and the device had a big battery pack on the back that made it uncomfortable to hold while laying in bed, so I can see why this early model didn't catch on. In recent years, I received a Kindle as a gift, which is even more convenient, but I haven't totally abandoned good old paper books.

2. What kinds of toys do your animals enjoy playing with?

I don't have any pets right now, but until a few months ago, I had a Betta fish named Fausto. He was a well-educated fish who lasted almost all 4 years of my college career, and one summer (when I had way too much free time on my hands) I taught him tricks. Unfortunately the only video I took of him swimming through hoops has long since expired on the FlipCamera site, but I have witnesses and I swear it happened. Fausto was an Olympian.

Very distinctive coloring.

A note Fausto left for my roommate once.

3. I know you have seen some sort of recreational activity on TV, or in real life, that you would just love to try. What is it?

Foxhunting!!! I have dreamed about it since I read Rita Mae Brown's foxhunting murder mystery series (when I was 12 and probably too young for it, but whatever). 

via Rita Mae Brown's author page

The problem is the expense of joining a club and properly attiring myself. Oh yeah, and having a horse that is up to the challenge. And getting myself up to the challenge, though I'm sure I would begin with just capping for one day with the hilltoppers. So for now, this is a long-term goal that I am looking forward to.

 

My question:  What is your favorite game to play with your animals?

I thought of this because my boyfriend was joking that if he ever gets a cat, it's going to like me more than him because he was raised by his mother's bevy of cats and thus would be competition for the cat. He wants attention only when he wants attention, and as a kid he always played "tag" with his cats, AKA chasing them around the house and probably scaring the crap out of them. If you've ever had a couple cats that tear around the house at 3am for no apparent reason, you get the idea.

I used to have a Malamute/Husky mix (he was adorable, but I won't be able to retrieve my pictures of him till Tuesday) that I would make jump courses for on my lawn. I think for me, the most fun is training animals and I see that as a kind of game. My horse in high school was a champ at "Stay," and he would not budge even if I left his stall door wide open.