In a much earlier journal entry (March 2004, I think) I noted how whenever a man starts working on a motor, suddenly every man within a one-mile radius appears. It’s like they have a sixth sense or perhaps they pick-up the scent of engine oil, but whatever IT is, any man with mechanical ability (or even just wannabe mechanical ability) is drawn to the engine. Recently, I have observed that this strange behaviour is something the male species is born with and it begins to blossom at a very young age. Whenever Rick or Ian is working with tools, Makai becomes enthralled with their activity and makes every effort to help as you can see in the picture on the left.

At the other end of the spectrum comes the male species fascination with (or lack of) creepy crawly worms and the dirt that they reside in. Typically little boys are depicted in cartoons or storybooks as loving the slimy earth burrowing critters and their dirty environment. However, this behaviour is apparently a learned activity, unlike tinkering with tools and not something they are born with. Today while Grandpa was working in the garden he came across an earthworm and he showed it to Makai. Check out the picture on the right. As you can see, the fascination for slimy things is something he will have to work at so that someday he will be able to present it to his mom or hide one in his pocket.

It was certainly an educational day for me!