Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson for September 03, 2022

older brothers sure are a pain in the neck, aren’t they?

OK Alice, now instead of collectin’ rocks, you’re gonna be breakin’ ‘em… (What?, Madeline’s not yellin’ at me.)

It’s now proven—both of these kids can be nasty. Just because Petey doesn’t want anything in life (hardly any food, for instance), doesn’t mean that someone else can’t even have a piece of rock. Otherwise, humans would never have made it through the Stone Age.

C’mon, cut Petey some slack. He needs some form of big brother entertainment. And Alice is pretty much low-hanging fruit!

Gnome is startled, too!

I had no idea they took inventory! Honest! I’ll sneak that agate back after dark if they don’t nab me first.

The gnome is on the verge of panic.

In the where?

…did I see the Garden Gnome’s eyes move?

Did anyone notice the Garden Gnome between the kids?

That’s funny!

Really!

It reminded me of the times when we went hiking and our kids would look for some rocks that had funny or odd shapes. Later when we got home they would paint them to make that picture from their imagination.

I just copied the gravel inventory sheet for years because it cuts into beer time.

Put the gravel around the gnome when you get home, because there’s no place like gnome.

No worries – unless it is the Petrified Forest…

Well, for a microsecond there, Alice had the means to develop a conscience. It’s good to see that she avoided that existential crisis by discovering the technique of shifting blame.

The garden gnome is taking copious notes, Alice. I would be less afraid of inventory than I would of the creepy machinations of garden statuary. Probably best to keep Pollyfill within sight at all times from now on.

As big brothers go, Petey is furthest from a bully. He is simply fulfilling a time honored tradition of razzing younger siblings and keeping them on their toes.

Mom, you may not be able to hear the silent siren of the Gnome Police, but I can assure you, kids are tuned in to that sort of thing. I wonder if their posse still rides pink flamingos?

Yes, gnome, the kids are gnuts.

Petey is having too much fun teasing Alice.

In fact, “is that a siren” recalls a prank played on the buddy giving us a lift by a girl friend and me….

The Gnome knows… but he’s not talking.

A fire truck went by as I was reading the last panel. Life imitates comics???