MOM, Come Look, On the Side of the House!

The kids found an icicle bush.

So they did what any self-respecting kid would do,

and harvested some.

The coolest looking one also doubled as...

A gun.  sigh.  Just about everything around here doubles as a gun.

What are you guys doing? 

This is a perfect example of caught-in-the-act face.
Guns this, ladders that, I tell ya, it's a dangerous world. They ought to make a board game for kids like mine:
"Guns and Ladders"

This was a necessity to reach a really cool icicle they saw way up high.

Incidentally, this is also what little brothers were created for--holding the ladder-- because they'll do it without question. "Come hold the ladder so I can reach that bucket of nails perched on top of that voltage tower overlooking that broken glass that looks like a gun."

"Okay."

Little brothers are good that way.

I hope this is worth it.

Yep.  It was worth it.

And they learned some valuable skills ta' boot--  problem solving, team-work, harvesting, and an eye for icicle art.