We are so blessed to live just down the street (literally) from so much of Husband's family!
This translates into lots of "get-togethers".
(Get-together is just country for "party")
Our house is small, but that doesn't mean we limit our guest list!
People... conversation... and activities spill into every room...
and then if we run out of rooms (or if it's a pretty day),
we just throw up a table in the yard.
If you come to one of our soirees you're likely going to get roped (not literally) into playing either
Chicken Foot... or Washers.
We love both games because men, women, children and livestock of all ages can compete!
(I was just kidding of course about livestock participation. This is strictly a human activity... even though it is named after a barnyard friend... I'll explain that momentarily.)
Chicken Foot
Chicken Foot is a domino game, played with double 9 dominoes.
Yep... that means 9 dots on each end.
When there's a REALLY big group we pull out the double 12's.
(You sometimes need a calculator to count the final score.)
The game is so named because when you play a "double" it must be "covered" with 3 matching dominoes... creating a sort of "chicken foot"... see the toes?
The reason niece has a pouty face is because she's holding the "double blank"... that baby is worth a whopping 50 points (and the goal of the game is to have the LEAST points).
With all those dots she's clearly going in the wrong direction.
When it gets too dark... or the mosquitoes begin snacking on us,
we just move the chicken feet to an inside table!
Trust me... you'll love it. Go buy some double 12's!
Washers
We discovered washers just last summer but apparently the game has been around... well... forever... and even though we're newbies, we're pretty much hooked.
Since the discovery, the men in the family have built numerous and sundry variations of the board.
This game is quite simple.
Each player gets 3 colored washers.
(Yes, actual washers from a hardware store, spray painted different colors in groups of 3)
The matching boards (with 3 holes cut into each) are placed 10 feet apart.
Players then toss their washers toward one board, while touching the other board with a foot.
There are different stances for "the toss"
Some rest one foot on the board (see Husband above)
Some stand completely on the board (see Little Brother)
Whatever your stance...
a washer in the top hole is worth 3 points,
one in the middle hole scores you 2 points,
and a sinker in bottom hole gives you 1 point
The first one to 21 wins!
There are apparently MANY "official" rules for this game, (do a google search)
but the way we figure it... as long as all the players agree, there's no RIGHT way.
Our family has put our own twist on things (shocking).
There are some special "tricks" to which we've assigned special names as follows:
GRANDPA
Three 3's in one toss!
(This is a grandpa because Grandpa Work was the first one to accomplish it)
FARMER's WIFE
Three 2's
(So named because yours truly was the first to hit this combination.)
PINE TREE
Three 1's
CIRCLING THE WAGONS
This is when you leave 3 washers on the board. Booo.
FLAT TIRE
Two 3's and a 2
(You were sooo close to a GRANDPA but flattened out on that last toss)
SNOW MAN
a 1, then a 2, then a 3
(We keep adding to the list of course)
You are welcome to adopt our lingo... or make up your own...
But whatever you do... talk a lot of smack... work on your technique...
practice, practice, practice...
and do some serious rejoicing when you win.
My group certainly does!
Where can you get a Washer board? We've found them at local flea-market-type-spots.
(If you live in Dallas they have them at Trader's Village.)
If you're the handy man (or woman) type you can find instructions on how to build your own on the internet. (Is there anything you CAN'T find on the web?)
WARNING: This activity is addictive. Do not be alarmed or surprised if your enthusiasm is contagious and you end up with more than one "set of boards" and/or corrupt your friends and family with Washer Fever. =)
