Summer 2019, Session VII: Junkyard Invaders -- Recap

The final mystery of the 2019 summer season was held at the Landing YMCA in August. An experienced team of fifteen detectives tackled the mystery with everything they learned from earlier adventures. They were a little suspicious of the raccoon who led them to Jake's Junkyard in Roswell, NM, but this didn't stop them from going.

It's not easy bringing a junkyard to the classroom, but we managed! Old bins full of the most intriguing "junk" kept things fairly contained -- and gave lots of inspiration for the robots we made.

We met some intriguing and pesky aliens. The Skeeters were out in full force this week, both the earthly skeeters and the alien ones. We met another group of aliens as well, the clan of the Tartars, named after a Cream of Tartar can from the junkpile. They were refugees from an alien planet, searching for their mother ship.

I can't say much more about this, since I will definitely repeat this adventure in the future. We went off page partway through the week, bringing Jake's Junkyard Tomte into the story -- but it was so rewarding that I may include that part next time. Thank you, OE -- that was a brilliant addition to the story!

We're going to have to make more junkyard Tomtes, and more junkyard robots, so I'm thinking sequel next February or April. This will give the robots we made this week a real workout, too -- we need to explore what they do!

Kids and staff were busy all week, crafting alien robots from old tin cans, pieces of old folding rulers, silverware handles, and parts from antique oil lanterns. Pipecleaners became the fasteners of choice for arms, and collectively we made about twenty five glass eyes. The results were fabulous--the robots may be viewed on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page by clicking this link.

Photos of the adventure may be viewed here.

Thanks, once again, to Oliver Van Soest for working as my assistant this summer. His robot may be viewed along with the ones I made for the story, by visiting this link on my Ravenscrawl Studio page.

A very special thank you goes to Jeremy Tardif. He cut the old folding rulers into arms, and drilled all of the holes in our tin cans.

Summer 2019, Session VI: The Beekeeper at the Crossroads of Time -- Recap

The sixth session of the summer was our last mystery on the Bowdoin campus. The detectives visited the Pierian Mountains of Greece, to investigate the deaths of the mythical bees there. The mountains are home to one of the springs of the nine muses.

Our team drew on their extensive knowledge of Greek mythology to solve this mystery. We started the week with a "download" of the Greek gods, goddesses, and heroes that the detectives knew--and the list included about 70 names, plus the names of the five rivers in Styx. That was just a start, since many others came up over the course of the week, along with their stories.

This is a particularly tricky adventure to summarize, while maintaining the secrecy needed for the next time I run this mystery. Let's just say these few things:

1)  Our team of detectives was on top of every possible direction the case could go, devising one intricate theory after another for who could be behind the troubles we faced.

2)  There were bees. Lots of bees. The bees we made are adorable, and their flowers are gorgeous. You may view those on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page by clicking this link.

3)  Zeus was ... Zeus. He didn't know much about things as tiny and insignificant as bees, but he sure liked that Pierian honey. We treated him to some aroma therapy.

4)  Why visit one Oracle at Delphi when you can visit four, in four different time periods? So, maybe it wasn't our idea to do that, but it worked out well for us. Four pythias and one omphalos stone helped us understand the crossroads of time more efficiently. Thanks, little bee!

Photos of the adventure are on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page -- here's the link!

Special thanks go to Oliver Van Soest, my assistant for the summer.

Summer 2019, Session V: Goat and Ger Recap

The fifth mystery of the summer involved a trip to Mongolia to investigate the disappearance of a very special goat pulling the Shrine of the First Queen on a cart. Sangarel the Moon Rabbit led the way to the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia, via moon bridge.

The detectives disguised themselves as two shepherds and a herd of goats, to travel into the mountains. Trouble arrived quickly in the form of trolls called Mangathai. The Mangathai were gathering in large numbers for a meeting with their Khan, to celebrate the discovery of a very special treasure.

A gathering that large and that special required the best chefs in the realm, so chefs came from afar to compete for the honor of creating the best stew for the Khan. Goat and human were on the menu, naturally -- surely you saw that coming? It isn't a Dragon's Eye adventure until someone threatens to eat our detectives!

Our wily team outwitted the chefs, leaving them sleeping in the kitchen, while they went in search of the treasure. They found their stolen artifacts. and the Spirit Cat one detective brought revealed more secrets, leading to the Goat, Burke, and the ger.

The poor goat had the bejeebers scared out of him, leading to many jokes about the lost bejeebers. I suspect this will not be the last time that bejeebers are lost, as we started to imagine just what kind of creatures bejeebers might be. I sense an art project coming in the future.

One of the highlights of the week was a showdown between a detective disguised as a troll chef, and a mangathai chef. The competition went well -- our chef was slinging out the disgusting ingredients and frustrating the mangathai chef quite nicely. Until he summoned the Lady of Pestilence to request a poisoned penny. The Lady came and the results were ... disastrous.

Fortunately, the detectives had a back plan called Des Arnaldo. He used his sonic toe crack to stun the trolls, throwing them again the walls. He summoned mutant woodland creatures to nibble on their toes, and took over their limbs and forcing them into a huge food fight. Our team grabbed the treasure and headed out of the trolls' caverns.

They had the goat, the ger (magically transformed into a golem, so the trolls wouldn't know they had the cart and ger), and First Mother ... but the adventure was far from over.

In a grove of trees outside the cavern, the team discovered a black owl with green eyes that had been watching the entrance to the cave. The owl turned out to be one of the nine sons of Erlik Khan, king of the demons. His father had sent him to capture the First Queen, so he was very interested in the goat and ger and the little box the detectives carried.

Our team outwitted this adversary and escaped by using their dragon wings. They turned into full grown adult dragons, thanks to the first detective to ever reach twenty mysteries. They flew deeper into the mountains, until they were safe.

The adventure continued with more blessings and challenges -- a ring summoned the Wind Horse, a Moon Rabbit returned with pocket Tengri for each detective, a Marmot attacked a second time--attempting to shoot the moon with his arrows--and all nine sons of Erlik Khan tried to capture the First Queen with her goat and ger.

I'm happy to report that the detectives defeated every challenge--and yarnball--thrown their way.

Thank you once again to Oliver Van Soest, my assistant, who played many roles this week--Marmot, Mangathai Khan, Son of Spies, Son of Darkness, Son of Evil, Son of Defeat, and Troll Chef.

We had a wonderful week! Photos of the pouches and Tengri we made are on the Facebook page, along with images from the adventure.

Summer 2019, Session IV: "Lizards of Solomon's Mines" Recap

The fourth adventure of the 2019 summer season featured an adventure called "The Lizards of Solomon's Mines." Fifteen detectives ages 9 to 14 took up the mystery, bravely diving into the story.

Madame Drak's lizards, Yasheritsa, led the detectives into the Copper Mountain jar, where it is pennies all the way down to the subterraneous world of lizards. A rollercoaster ride led to the depths of King Solomon's secret gold mine in the mythical land of Ophir. There, the detectives discovered a box made of light hovering over a grid of jewels. A dark fog was oozing from the jar, freezing the miners and the magical shedim working in the mine. Even the lizards were in trouble. They turned into crystallized, jeweled lizards, frozen in time.

A tiny airplane delivered an invitation from a stranger, leading the detectives into the desert in search of a secret entrance into the underworld. The Night Demons chased them, trying to steal the box--and for a brief time, they succeeded--but our team pulled together and escaped with the box of light.

The visit was quite unique. Let's just say that our host was just hanging around the cave, waiting for visitors to entertain him. The detectives amused him quite well--and he sent them to the next person who could assist with their quest.

She was very helpful. She gave the detectives sound advice, protected the box of light from the night demons, and provided many jewels for their journey. How very kind of her. She even told the team who to visit, to find the three missing jewels needed to secure the box. So very helpful.

Our detectives traveled back in time to the 10th century BCE, to meet with Zadok the High Priest from the Tribe of Levi, Hiram the Builder from the Tribe of Dan, and King Solomon from the Tribe of Judah.

What can I say about the ending, without giving away anything to future detectives? Not much. All's well that ends well, and no lizards were harmed in the making of this adventure. I'm happy to report that the crystallized lizards were returned to their normal forms, and they were so grateful to the detectives that they are now offering them their special brand of lizard magic.

Thank you to Marcello Santomenna and Oliver Van Soest, for playing some very entertaining characters! This was Marcello's last week as a CIT, and we will miss him! 

We have three more adventures with Oliver--and he continues to create cartoons and drawings for each mystery. I will post his cartoons after the summer ends -- and will let families know when they are on the website!

Visit the Dragon's Eye Adventures website for photos of the lizards the detectives made, and for images of the adventure.

Summer 2019, Session III: Recap for "Indra's Net"

Fifteen detectives joined forces for the third mystery of the 2019 summer, "Indra's Net." The story drew on Hindu and Buddhist myths from India, featuring the retired Vedic god, Indra, and his net of illusions. The birth of a baby elephant with wings frays the net, and the detectives were called by the dragons -- and by Indra--to investigate.

They flew by Garuda Express toward Swarga, Indra's heavenly palace and realm, but were waylaid by shadow nagas, enemies of the Garuda. Yarn balls and foam Frisbees flew in turns, swift runners were named, and the games were spectacular as the detectives sent the shadow nagas home for healing spells.

The meeting with Indra did not go as expected. His priorities were not the same as the detectives', but he did loan the team some powerful items for their quest. Those came in handy at the end, but not for the reasons Indra intended. Let's just say that the old god of storms had a sudden flash of insight -- and a baby elephant gets to keep its wings!

Photos of the beautiful pouches and stones the detectives made are on the Dragon's Eye Adventures Facebook page. Here is a link. Images of the adventure itself may be found here.

Thank you to Oliver Van Soest and Marcello Santomenna for assisting me this week. This is Oliver's second summer as my assistant, and Marcello is volunteering as a CIT for a few weeks this summer.

Summer 2019, Session II: Recap for "Wayward Tales"

Madame Drak and the dragons sent the detectives to the Asante tribe of Ghana, Africa, for the second mystery of the 2019 summer. When two visitors arrived at the Dragon's Eye Detectives' Agency, the team had to choose which one to follow. This team flew into the heavens to visit Nyami the Sky God. He told them about the empty Treasure Box of Stories, and asked them if they could hunt down the stories and return them so that he and the sky people could enjoy a good tale.

The detectives headed to the village where Anansi the Spider lived, to ask him about the escaped stories. His wife Aso and youngest son, Ntikuma, helped the detectives locate Anansi, who had a tendency to wander when work was about to be done.

Our mystery involved tracking and trailing a series of three deconstructed stories. Anansi's memory was full of holes, so the detectives had to visit the people and animals in Anansi's stories, to interview them. They didn't always see the stories as Anansi did, so getting them to cooperate took some brave and clever work on the detectives' part.

The Facebook page has some wonderful shots of the detectives tracking and trailing Osomo the elephant, riding a dragon through the sky, and sneaking up on a blind bat. Here is a link.

While I can't expose many of the secrets of the tales, I can say that the detective with the triceratops foot has been cured, along with the detective who had the T-rex arm. The furry hand, arm, and shoulder took a little more work to cure, but I assure you that no detectives were left behind as a pile of bones. Good thing we had that dinosaur egg from the first adventure, and that Tomte from last February's adventure, and the fairy dragons ... they saved quite a few people from the lovely lady we met by the river's side.

Our team's kindness turned a start from red to gold -- and now we have a friend in high places, and a whole village of friends in the jungle. Even Anansi was pleased with the detective's parleying skills. He has a whole new story to tell.

As for Nyami, his Box of Stories overflows with the stories the detectives created. If you'd like to see some of their beautiful books and the creatures detectives made in after hours, visit them here.

Summer 2019, Session 1: Recap

We discovered daily rainbows cast
by the sun every afternoon in Searles

The detectives gathered three found pennies for the first Three-Penny Mystery of the summer. Madame Drak brushed off the cobwebs of winter and scrubbed away the muddy vestiges of spring, as she polished her crystal ball for the first dream from the dragons.

A Black Skystone of Doom was heading toward earth, and the dragons foretold of a trip back in time to a place where the dinosaurs roamed. Sure enough, a package arrived from Professor Eon Oscaput, a paleontologist with an extraordinary tale about a magic ring that the dinosaurs had that could turn aside the Black Skystone of Doom.

Our team gathered the largest cabbages they could find an headed off for a visit to Timedigger and his Tin Lizzy time machine that loves riddles. Timedigger sent them back 66 MYA, to the Atrocious Period, a little-known era at the tail end of the Cretaceous Period.

The cabbages came in handy as camouflage for the carnasaurs -- and as friendly offerings for the herbisaurs. Our team had a fabulous week of romping and stomping with the dinosaurs. The pictures are priceless and may be viewed here!

We couldn't save all of the dinosaurs, but we did our part rescuing Mamasaura's dinosaur eggs. They'll hatch once in every adventure, when a detective needs a little dinosaur help with future mysteries!

New Location for the First Six Weeks of Summer -- Searles 314

Dragon’s Eye Adventures is moving to Searles Science Building, Room 314, for the first six sessions of the summer. The building is on Upper Park Row, two doors down from the art museum, and right next to the theater.

Searles is one of my favorite buildings, blending Gothic Revival and 20th century Modern steel and glass. Our space is air conditioned, fully accessible, and slightly larger than our old room. Some detectives will recognize the room--we used it last summer on hot days.

The physics professors have a hallway chess game outside our door. Please keep an eye on this as you arrive. The pieces are more delicate than they look--and an actual game is in progress, so caution children to leave the pieces where they are. We will make our daily moves as a team.

A campus map is on the Current Programs page of the website. Leave extra time, in case there are no parking spaces on Upper Park Row.

Do not drop your child off at the door, if they are under the age of twelve. An adult (or sibling over twelve) must accompany all children under twelve to and from the room.

Summer 2019 Session I: Black Skystone of Doom

Humongasaura Regina
Micron pen and colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

Dragon's Eye Adventures will begin the 2019 summer session with a mystery called "Black Skystone of Doom." The program for ages 7 to 10 will run from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 1 through 5. We will be closed on Thursday, July 4.

This is a beloved adventure, run many times as a favorite among the dinosaur-loving crowd. A meteor threatens to collide with earth, sending our detectives back in time to the Atrocious Period. This little-known era lies at the very end of the Cretaceous Period, when the dinosaurs were threatened with extinction.

Will the detectives find the legendary jewel that turns aside the black skystone of doom, or will Humongasaura Regina (Big Lizard Queen) enjoy a very rare and tasty mammalian snack? Only time will tell ... and that's in short supply this summer!

Our projects include vegan haberdashery in the latest herbivorean style, and fossilized cipher stones.

Summer 2019 Session II: Wayward Tales

Anansi's Box
Micron Pen & Digital Ink
RL McNulty 2019

Session II of the Summer 2019 season will run from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 8 - 12 at Bowdoin College. The adventure will be "Wayward Tales," a mystery for ages 7 to 10.

Our story begins where the Ashanti myth about Anansi's Box ends. Anansi the Spider has stolen a box of stories from Nyami the Sky God. The tales escaped from the box, flying throughout the world.

Now Nyami needs a good story, and there are none to be found in his kingdom in the sky. Nyami hires the detectives to capture some of these wayward tales.

This might seem easy, but the tales have landed in the hands -- or claws -- of some pretty scary creatures. It will take no small amount of courage to sneak in and steal these errant tales--and then the detectives will have to contend with whether or not the tales wish to come home.

We will be making our own treasure boxes full of stories fit for an African Sky God.

Summer 2019 Session III: Indra's Net

Indra's Net
Micron pen, colored pencil & digital ink
RL McNulty 2019

Session III of the Dragon's Eye summer program will feature an adventure for ages 9 to 14. The program will run from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 15 through July19, at Bowdoin College.

Our mystery will be "Indra's Net."

Indra, the Vedic god of storms from ancient India, lives in a palace on Mount Meru, the sacred mountain. Above his abode hangs a shining net of jewels. Each jewel is reflected in each of the other jewels.

When the net begins to fray, the detectives travel into the heavens to investigate, but the storms of time are working against them. Can they save the universe, before the net begins to fall to pieces?

Our projects this week may include elephant cloud amulets and jeweled nets. Elephants will be a theme of the week, in particular the cloud elephants.

Summer 2019 Session IV: The Lizards of Solomon's Mines

Lizards of Solomon's Mine
Micron pen, colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

Session IV of the Dragon's Eye Adventures 2019 summer program will be held from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 22 through 26, at Bowdoin College. This is a program for ages 9 to 14.

The mystery is "The Lizards of Solomon's Mines." It combines Dragon's Eye tales about lizards and the jewels that power our magic, and Jewish legends about King Solomon.

King Solomon was a legendary ruler of ancient Israel, renowned for his wisdom, magic, and wealth. He owned a gold mine called Ophir, the source of much of his wealth. Many have searched for it, but no one has found it--mostly because they failed to ask the lizards.

Now, the lizards need help, and the detectives must investigate the troubles brewing deep inside Solomon's mines. A visit to the king may be in order, as the detectives learn about the trouble connected to Solomon's infamous ring.

Our projects will include lizards and enchanted rings.

Summer 2019 Session V: Goat and Ger

Goat and Ger
Micron pen and colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

"Goat and Ger" is the title of the fifth mystery of the Dragon's Eye Summer 2019 program. This session runs from 9 AM to 4 PM on July 29 through August 2, at Bowdoin College. Detectives ages 9 to 14 are welcome!

The story arises from an earlier adventure called "The Wind Horse," drawing on the history and legends surrounding the descendants of Genghis Khan.

Somewhere in Mongolia is a cart pulled by an old goat. On the back of the cart is a ger, a tent-like shrine to Mother Earth. The existence and location of this shrine are closely guarded secrets. Many deny that the traveling shrine even exists. Yet now, the detectives must find it, to save the shrine from an ancient threat that rises once again.

Our projects will include some kind of rag and bone relic. Yes, rag and bone magic will be a part of this mystery, and a certain Grey Mare may make an appearance.

Summer 2019 Session VI: The Beekeeper at the Crossroads of Time

The Beekeeper
Micron pen, colored pencil, ink
RL McNulty 2019

Session VI runs from 9 AM to 4 PM on Aug 5 - 9, 2019, at Bowdoin College. This program for ages 9 to 14 features the adventure called "The Beekeeper at the Crossroads of Time."

This is a mystery that has been mulling in the background of my mind for many years. I've been collecting books on bees and beekeeping, and searching mythology for the stories that intrigue my sense of curiosity. My research into the Greek myths has led to some fascinating ties between the bees and some of my favorite ancient Greek sites.

The results are this emerging story about a mysterious keeper of bees:

When the center begins to crumble, the detectives travel to ancient Greece in search of the Beekeeper at the Crossroads of Time. Only she can help them prevent the collapse of civilization. It's all about the bees. The bees hold the secrets. Let's hope our heroes speak lingua apes, the language of the bees.

Our projects this week are still under development. I'm pretty sure bees will be the theme. Omphalos stones and honey bee amulets are possibilities--but I always reserve the right to flashes of inspiration!

Summer 2019 Session VII: Junkyard Invaders

Junkyard Invaders
Micron pen and colored pencil
RL McNulty 2019

Session VII of the Summer 2019 Season will be held at the Landing YMCA in Brunswick. This program for ages 7 to 14 features a new mystery called "Junkyard Invaders."

This mystery has been inspired by years of delving through fleamarkets, rag and bone shops, and antique malls searching for the lost discards that speak of hidden lives and treasures of the heart. Combine this with midcentury myths of alien invaders, and a story is born.

Our detectives travel to New Mexico to investigate an alien invasion of a junkyard. They find lots of junk, and the strangest little creatures this side of the Milky Way. Can our team stop the invasion or will earth be overrun by invaders from a galaxy far, far away?

Our projects this week include building our own alien robots from discarded junk. Please bring bits of vintage flotsam and jetsam to this adventure, for constructing 7" to 9" robots. Small bits of brass and tin parts, old spice tins or food cans from the 30s through 50s, small lamp parts, and other items are welcome -- and I will be providing other bits as well!

We'll be pooling our resources, so the whole group can construct amazing little robots that come to life! If any parents, grandparents, older siblings or others wish to help with the construction, Oliver and I would love the help! We'll be building Tuesday through Friday mornings from 9 AM to 10:30 AM.

Here is a link to the Dragon's Eye Facebook album I've made, showing the kind of parts I've been collecting for the alien robots we're going to meet:  Alien Robots In The Making.