Today’s random object was a toy jet plane. I looked at its wing shape, tried to match it to something real, and finally had to admit it was just “toy.” That was enough reason to dive into the world of jets.

Today’s random object is a floppy eared bunny. Two big circles on the page set the stage for the little rabbit, and before long the conversation turned to how different rabbits and hares really are.

This morning the Random Object Randomogrifier handed me a toy hot air balloon shaped like a soccer ball or rumba shakers.

This morning’s random object was an Asian elephant. The toy is chunky and small-eared, a nod to the real thing that wanders forests from India to Borneo.

This morning’s random object was a little piece of American history in toy form: a bust of Andrew Jackson.

This morning’s random object was a pirate with a peg leg. We’ve done pirates before, but today I steered into costumes, myths, and the way popular culture shaped what we think a pirate looks like.