My wife and I spent a good amount of time this spring building a landscape wall in front of our house. Over the course of one long weekend we had the task of applying this natural stone veneer one piece at a time. She would "butter" the stones with the adhesive mortar and I would stick them on. As I was sitting on the ground looking closely at this stone wall I began to daydream about my old G.I. Joes.
When I was a kid I often found it fun to play with my Joes "on location." In other words, I would find cool places either inside the house or out in the backyard or at the beach that would serve as environments for my epic battles. Something as simple as a beanbag chair would be transformed into a mountain fortress. I remember fondly going up to the Catskill Mountains in New York State to visit my grandpa. He lived in this small trailer on a huge lot. There was a railroad track and a stream not far behind. This place has tons of great spots for G.I. Joe play.
Getting back to the landscape wall . . . I kept thinking about how cool this would have been for a play scene involving our favorite G.I. Joe rock climber: Alpine. Well, since I had the day off today I decided to relive a bit of my childhood. I replaced a few o-rings, grabbed the camera, and let the troops explore.
Alpine finally gets to climb the landscape wall.
Dial-Tone informs me that I need to reboot my modem for better performance.
Clutch decided to change the VAMP’s oil.
Unfortunately, it left an antifreeze puddle. Airtight was on it.
Doc and Lifeline have a disagreement about over the counter medications.
Recondo and Outback doing a little commando reconnaissance in my outback.
Quick Kick and Jinx smell a trap.
Tunnel Rat scolds me for not having a clean filter in my air handler.
Shipwreck, Polly, and Cutter stranded on a chlorine floater.
Snowjob making sure there’s enough ice for daiquiris.
"Dusty loves the desert." Even though he’s from Nevada he’s right at home here in Phoenix.
And finally Tripwire warns us all about a land mine.
Well, its back to being a grown up again. The Joes need to be put back away and I have to go make dinner. Hey, where’s my Roadblock?
nice way to use time off but disapointed the joes did not get ambushed by cobra. nice pictures
The Recondo/Outback pic is my favorite!
You’re a man after my own heart.
Dan!
That is awesome!
But where’s Dusty!!!!!
LOL!
J
Ha – I shot a Dusty and forgot to get him off the camera!!! Hang on…
Great stuff!
During my golden years of playing with Joes (3rd grade-ish), I lived on a couple acres with a small stream that ran through our field and then down the road. I would take my guys out there all the time and play around and in the water. Then, one fateful day, I was on a mission with Clutch (my favorite Joe), and he took a long trip down that stream. I ran along the bank hoping I would find him stuck on a rock, but he was never to be seen again. RIP.
Lost Barbecue in a similar fashion.
Same here with Torpedo in my cousin’s sandbox.
I wonder if Clutch is still out there, floating around years later. It’s that “message in a bottle” sort of feeling.
Very cool and amusing post. Gotta love the Joes.
I hope a hazmat team was standing by to help poor Tripwire!
Hhhaahahah!! Love it – and great photos!
….
Loved the post and pics, Dan. Wonderful captions. You even used most all of my favorite Joes, too!
My parents brought their first home in Woodridge, Illinois when I was fifteen. It was still an underdeveloped area full of trees and wildlife around our back yard. I would set up forest dioramas over the summer and arctic ones after heavy snowfall. Soon after I moved out west, my mom found one lone Joe sitting on a branch, still on guard for any Cobras lurking about. It made her sad because I was so far away at the time.
As a kid, I also used to bring my Joes along to various places. Remember the old “they’ll go anywhere” slogan? I loved that. I took Tripwire with me to the cemetery when visiting my grandpa’s grave. On the day I got Silver Pads Grand Slam, my parents met some old friends who lived on a really tall apartment building in Miami. I remember opening the box right there and having him watch from the balcony.
Sweet memories, guys. Sweet memories.
Those are some great memories, Clutch.
I remember driving from New Jersey to Florida with some relatives. I sat in the big back seat for 2 1/2 days playing with Jinx. She’ll always be a favorite!
Great pics! Looks like it was fun. What type of camera did you use. I’m in the market for a new one, and shooting figures/dioramas is something I’d like to try…
Love It!
Another awesome blog, Dan. Great stuff. Loved it.