Beating the heat with library activities

FALLS VILLAGE — The summer activities at the David M. Hunt Library continued last week.

Tuesday, July 30, the Creative Kids Club ventured across Beebe Hill Road from their base at the Congregational Church to look at firefighting apparatus and equipment courtesy of the Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department. The Creative Kids Club, run by the towns Recreation Commission, wrapped up its three-week session on Friday, Aug. 2.

On Thursday, Aug. 1, Paula Rogers led a Mah Jong session with Barbara Weikel and Jean Bronson.

This was fraught with mystery for the uninitiated observer. For starters, the name of the game is spelled in a variety of ways. Example: “Mah Jongg.”

As the game played out, it seemed like a cross between bridge, poker, and dominoes, with just a hint of backgammon.

Rogers said she plays “traditional” Mah Jong. Weikel said she prefers the “National Mah Jongg League” rules.

Bronson said she had played before but didn’t remember much about it.

Rogers and Weikel coached Bronson and each other through a round, which was utterly bewildering to a reporter.

Also exhausting. The reporter had to sit down.

The three picked up the game pieces, called tiles, and moved them around. Sometimes the tiles faced up, sometimes down.

They spoke of exotic things, such as jokers, flowers and dragons.

They consulted cards which showed different hands and point values for each.

And after about 40 minutes, Rogers said, memorably:

“Oops! I won!”