One that was just one space from home in a game of Parcheesi tonight at the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake-sponsored Pack 158 Webelos winter

The Cub Scout in second place at Camp Lakota put all of his water buffalo into their winning spots as I was trying to throw a one on the dice.

My son, who had a tiger that had been sent home, got a five to emerge on the playing board.

As I kept throwing numbers other than one, he progressed around the board.

He got to the final row of spaces.

I kept throwing higher numbers.

No ones.

He got the right number on a die and came in second.

Poor little elephant.

Left out in the cold on the very last space.

Dad was a good sport…

more or less.

Somehow this game was more satisfying than the ones us grandkids used to play in Churchill, Maryland, at the home my mother’s parents retired to when they left the family farm near Barkley.

There were no animals in that game box.

Just different colored plastic token.

And, yes, plastic had been invented in the 1940’s.