A bit dark for me, and not a great composition, but a spot that puzzled me. I came across this place whilst walking through a wood in Shropshire in the late afternoon.. It was fenced off with a sign, saying "dangerous", but kids had pulled down the fencing. The walls (what were left), gave no clue as to what the building originally was, and the arch is a strange shape. The chain hanging from the ceiling was a puzzler too. The area was a coal mining area, but there was no evidence of the remains of winding gear or any other stuff I would associate with mining. I also found out later that this spot is close to an old iron works. Oh and to the left of this shot was a pond, natural or man made I don't know.

I'm not actually sure what it is, and graffiti had been sprayed all over it in red paint. The steps inside turned and descended quite steeply to the right. I had no light with me other than the flash on my camera, and the steps looked in bad condition, so I went no further than the entrance. Still not sure what to make of it, but I probably won't go back.

Away for the weekend will catch up on comments later.

have a good weekend all

While waiting for the traffic lights to change, I noticed this figure on the corner. Is he a real person? He wasn't moving at all. Could "he" be just a well-made replica? Too bad I didn't have time to come closer and check.

Fancy a brain puzzler? What do you think this ball is used for? The only initial clues are that the photo was taken in Cornwall and that the object is about the size of an adult fist. As always, both the serious and the not so serious suggestions are welcome!

abriendo caminos, como un rio que camina hacia el mar

Many will recall between November 2021 and January 2022, I worked closely with the Great Central Railway (GCR) Leicestershire, and a 'High Quality' Jigsaw Manufacturer to pilot and produce two 1,000 piece puzzles as forerunners to a 'Brand Series', to help raise further monies towards the railway's ongoing 'Re-unification Project' reconnecting the two halves of the Great Central Railway and joining them to the UK's National Rail Network.

The earlier images showing the project's progress posted in January 2022 and can also be found in my GCR Album.

42 of each design were produced - with now only a few of each remaining - having been sold worldwide!

Based on their considerable success four other designs by other photographers were introduced - including a 500 piece one.

Mine were launched last January at GCR's Winter Steam Gala and the later ones In March. I bought both as Birthday Presents for my wife who is an 'Avid Puzzler'. Thought you might like to see these two Diptychs, taken earlier this year, showing her efforts and the 'Final Pieces of the Puzzles'.

Pardon the pun!

When the round shiny object first appeared in the snow, it was a real Antarctic puzzler. But when Pickles investigates, he finds such a handsome fellow inside! Clearly the mystery object is an instant friend generator.

Smile on Saturday: Mirror or mirror glass

-Glass penguin figure is about 1.5" / 4 cm high.

-Snow is a thin sheet of packing foam.

-The small round mirror is one I've been saving for the right photo!

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons.

It came without tags.

It came without packages, boxes or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

Dinali, Linda, whomever else is reading, here is the only other shot of the little bird we have been trying to identify. As you can see, it really has the shape of a chickadee but none of the members of the flock that was hanging around had any really distinctive marking like that species.

Dinali, I don't mean to disagree with you but this just doesn't look like a species of swallow to me, the wings are too short and the legs are too long.

This one is a puzzler...

UPDATE: I'm pretty sure that this is a bushtit but I have a lot of votes for it being a titmouse. Therefore, I'm leaving this up to the audience for two reasons:

1. I don't really know what it is and could not make a viable argument for one side or the other.

2. I just don't really care. I shoot birds because I like to look at them and their exact species is really not that important to me. Just as Stephen Colbert professes to not see "color" in people, I do not see species in some birds ;-)

I would have a horrible problem with these. I have a thing about stairs without risers!!

What is it - "Another puzzler?": It's the radiator in our main room, taken looking down at it from the top:

www.flickr.com/photos/44506883@N04/46472341585/in/datepos...

Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites. :O)

I suppose that, prior to each trip to the States, I draw up my own personal bingo card of things I'd like to see. You know, a Warbonnet or three, Canadian units way too far south, a heritage unit or two, you get the idea.

An Amtrak train at Barstow? Nah. The city is served by the Southwest Chief, departing daily at 3.45am for Los Angeles, and 9.45pm for Chicago. It tends to be on the dark side at those times, forget the eastbound because it would have to stupidly late to see daylight at Barstow, perhaps with the westbound you may occasionally have a shout, it doesn't take too much Amtrak wackiness for three hours late after all...

So this caught me completely unawares. Amtrak at three in the afternoon is just a bit too leftfield for my brain to cope with.

To be frank, it is actually a bit of a puzzler. I got no idea where this came from, nor where it was going to, I can only guess that it was some sort of stock transfer. I hope it was LA bound via the Cajon Pass, I'm going to be mighty pissed if I find out it was going to Bakersfield because that means it would have turned right at Barstow and gone through Mojave, possibly in daylight. Seeing an Amtrak at Mojave in any light isn't bingo card, it's bucket list.

The westbound Chief is cancelled because of the inclement weather further east, perhaps it was something to do with that? But if this could get through, why not the Chief?

Whatever, the welcome sight of silver 'n blue fills the lens at West Daggett CA on 15 January 2024.

AMTK GE P42DC 158

AMTK GE P42DC 18

AMTK GE P42DC 76

On the Way Home

A rainy day in Stone Harbor, NJ

And today it is so impossibly hot and humid. If you don't feel cooled off yet, please see this shot:

www.flickr.com/photos/anomalous/21476234/

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

And he puzzled and puzzled `till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn`t before:"

--Dr. Seuss

"Let every man shovel out his own snow and the whole city will be passable."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Puzzler

instagram.com/p/le9xyPydr-/

This week's Macro Mondays group theme is New: 22/10/2012.

This week's theme was a bit of a puzzler!

I'd been hoping to buy a new camera, the Nikon D600, for my birthday today, but as the price keeps falling, I'm holding off until it levels out!

So, with that shooting possibility taken from me, I had to think of something else!

Whilst out in the garden last week I, literally, stumbled across dozens and dozens of spider webs that had been covered by a fresh downpour! You can't get much newer than that, I thought!

So this is my entry into this week's theme...

HMM! :)

***

I've been busy putting together an Etsy shop over the past few days, to sell my photo greetings cards! If you'd like to take a look you can find it here!

***

~ FlickrIT ~ Lightbox ~ 500px ~ Google+ ~

He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then Norman thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!

And what happened then? Well, they say that Norman's small heart grew three sizes that day! And then, the true meaning of Christmas came through, and Norman found the strength of 10 Normans--plus two!

I'm off to spend Christmas with my family in Ohio. (Maybe we'll get to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas!)

Happy holidays, everyone! I'll be back in January.

Visit Melissa's Kitties' blog: melissaconnolly.blogspot.com.

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

It came without ribbons.

It came without tags.

It came without packages, boxes or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

¡ All I can give my flickr friends is a little star for Christmas !

Love much!

Meanwhile, at Jerry's apartment...

Jerry: "HEY! What is with the muddy footprints!?"

Kramer: "Yeah... ah, what footprints?"

...laughter...

Jerry: "These footprints! All over the floor!"

Elaine: "Well, Jerry, it's been raining outside."

Jerry: "So we don't have doormats?? Why, yes, we do!"

George: "Your doormat was full."

...laughter...

Jerry: "My doormat was full??"

Kramer: "Yeah, yeah it was full."

Elaine: "Jerry, we tried but it was kind of... yeah, full. Every time we stepped on it, more muddy water came out."

Jerry: "This is grossing me out!!"

...laughter...

Jerry: "But, what's really freaking me out is this! Kramer, I see your disgusting boot prints headed right to the cereal!"

Kramer: "Oh! Well, uh..."

...laughter...

Jerry: "George, Elaine, I see your prints too. But who walked in here barefoot!?"

Elaine: "Oh! That is odd."

Kramer: "Yeah... that's a puzzler..."

...laughter...

George: "They go right into the bedroom."

Jerry: "EVERYBODY OUT! Or, no, I'm leaving and all of you stay and find out who that is!"

Elaine: "Jerry, don't freak out!!"

Jerry: "I'M FREAKIN OUT! Some naked person is in my apartment!"

George: "Naked?? We just know they're barefoot."

Jerry: "That's close enough!"

...laughter...

...applause...

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.

Funko

Mini Moments

Seinfeld - Jerry's Apartment

Jerry

George

Kramer

Elaine

Real Name: Edward Nashton

Current Alias: The Riddler

First Appearance: Detective comics #140

Abilities: He is extremely intelligent and is very cunning. He is not well versed in hand to hand combat, but he uses gimmick weapons and is an expert in engineering and technology. His deductive ability’s are rapid and are now used for his current occupation as a private detective, even known to collaborate with The Batman and other investigative crime fighters.

Attire: He wears a black Hat and vest, with a green suit and pants, along with a purple tie and gloves.

Arkham File: Patient Edward Nashton Aka The Riddler, was a college graduate, Who landed at the GCPD Crime division. He gained information about the GCPD’s corrupt doings overtime and started a campaign to attack the GCPD and blackmail them. The Batman got wind of this and pursued Nashton, but Nashton allowed Batman to temporarily stop him because of his interest in the masked vigilante. He later released the information regardless because, he no longer wanted to attacked the GCPD, but instead outsmart the Batman. He reappeared once more, but this time under his Riddler persona. He wanted to test Batman and set bombs all over Gotham in order to see if Batman intellect was on his level and wore a mask to see if Batman could deduce his true identity. Batman solves every puzzle, but also found hidden clues in each answer that lead him to an abandoned building near Dixon docks that he had been previously owned. Nashton tried to make his escape, but found that the building was surrounded by the GCPD. Nashton was arrested and was sent to Arkham Asylum. In sessions with Nashton we discovered that he stole for fun as a kid and loved to always be right by outsmarting people by cheating. This came with a price though, he was lonely throughout high school and college and was always mocked by his father, who saw him as a wimp. He eventually escaped during a riot and began a campaign to become the smartest and most powerful man in the underworld. He started this by humiliating and selling out Arthur Brown Aka Cluemaster, to make it known that there is only man who outsmarts Batman with clues left at the scene of the crime. He also killed Jessica Duchamp’s Father which caused her to become the Puzzler. Some time after this, he started a crime war with the Joker over who Could kill Batman first. This caused a major spike in crime as all criminals started choosing sides and civilians got caught in the crossfire. Ironically Batman choose to work with the riddler and used Chuck Brown Aka Kite-man as a mole in Riddlers gang. The two stopped the war and all parties dispersed. After this Nashton also discovered one of the League of Assassins Lazarus Pits and started a campaign to outsmart The Batman, even claiming that he knew Batman’s identity at one point. He was later beaten and humiliated by many criminals and eventually started kidnapping Professors and extremely smart individuals to try and beat them at puzzles. He usually failed, but he would still kill them or their family members. He finally tried to outsmart Batman by luring commissioner James Gordon into a virtual reality simulator connected to the brain. Batman went in and rescued the commissioner, and pulled the plug on the machine. They traced the source to Riddler where he was found in a comatose state for not disconnecting his brain before the program was shutdown. Nashton was in a coma for six months, until recently when he awoke with his insanity and obsession of Batman gone. His intellect was still in tact and he became a private investigator. He has been criticized and attacked by his victims and other angry individuals because of his previous crimes when he was insane. A prime example was a case in which a multitude of people who were wronged by Nashton Like Arthur Brown and Jessica Duchamp wanted to ruin his newly built life. They framed him for murder and tried to kill him, but The Batman had been watching Nashton and new of his innocence. The GCPD and Batman saved Nashton before he was killed and was cleared of all charges. Nashton still works as a private investigator to this day and is now legally sane.

There is one question that has been impossible to answer: How many of "us" are there in the world?

First, it has to be decided what "we" are. How often do we dress? How completely? Under what circumstances? What is the motive? IOW, what are the parameters.

Also, most of us do not exhibit ourselves in public. Some of us have been in therapy, so that could possibly be enumerated, but so many of us lead private lives, where very few outsiders know of our existence.

Whatever, it is a very low percentage of the worldwide male population. And, frankly, I feel rather privileged to be part of such an exclusive group,

Real Name: Jessica Duchamp

Current Alias: The Puzzler

First Appearance:

Joker’s Asylum: The Riddler

Batman 1966 TV Series

Abilities: She has a vast knowledge of art and is very smart with puzzles.

Attire: She wears a white puzzle mask with green pants and coat.

Arkham File: Patient 3789546 Jessica Duchamp Aka The Puzzler was an Art Major at Gotham University who is a victim of the reformed mastermind Edward Nashton Aka The Riddler. She was caught in an art robbery when Nashton was memorized by her. He introduced himself and protected her from one of his thugs before The Batman showed up. He escaped while Batman delt with his thugs and bomb and Duchamp was very confused. She told her story in The Gotham Gazette and moved on with her life. Unfortunate Nashton did not move on and started to send her presents and gifts to show his affection. She sent them back and he paid off her student loans in order to win her. She still rejected him and he became obsessed with her to the point of befriending her father and learning about her life. He tried many more times, but she rejected him. Finally he struck a deal with Roman Sionis Aka Black Mask to do a favor for him in exchange for his services involving stock manipulation. Sionis threatened her father and forced Jessica to meet with Nashton, but he rejected her because he was more obsessed with why she would not love him rather than the forced love. His confusion caused him to kill her father and leave with Roman. Jessica became and angry and vengeful and wanted to destroy Nashton for killing her father and harassing her. Two years later she attacked Nashton after he recovered from a coma and became a private detective. She sent him art themed Puzzles and Games to make him aware that she was watching him and attacked him by calling as a client. She knocked him out and brought him to her old home and wanted him to suffer for killing her father. Fortunately for her Batman Showed up and stopped her. She was arrested, but the squad-car she was in was hijacked by a group of criminals like The Answer and Cluemaster who also wanted revenge on Nashton as well. They recruited her and started a Campaign against Nashton by framing him for murder and tarnishing his reputation. The group was later defeated when they kidnapped Nashton after his trial to finish him off. He was working with Batman and the GCPD who tracked the group back to their base and arrested them all. Duchamp is extremely bitter, but she is improving. Nashton himself has actually visited her every once and a while to check up on her, But she usual shouts and curses at him while he just sits their and says nothing.

Seen and noted in passing ...

youtu.be/4k7F57iLUuw

Real Name: Arthur Brown

Current Alias: Clue master

Abilities: He carries pellets on his uniform that contain bombs, gas and other weapons.

Attire: He wears a bullet proof vest with yellow gloves and boots along with orange pants and shirt that also covers his mouth.

BlackGate File: Prisoner 236789 Arthur Brown Aka Cluemaster was a gameshow host that was fired because of poor ratings and became a thief in order to support his family. Brown Started with small jobs and left clues at the scene of the job as a calling card. Batman got involved in the case and deduced Brown’s identity and showed up to his home with the GCPD. Brown was not there though and was in the middle of a robbery. Batman showed up at the scene and stopped Brown, but he escaped. He later got into contact with some people, who were working with The Riddler and were sent by him to offer Brown a partnership. Nashton and Brown wanted access to banking codes and hacked into the mainframe. Batman showed up along with The Spoiler to stop the two. Riddler got away, but he abandoned Brown and planned to use him as the scape goat for the job, calling him a pitiful copy of himself and relished in watching him take the fall. He was captured and sent to BlackGate where he was offered a pardon in exchange for helping with a government operation. Not much is known, but Brown completed the operation, he suffered major physical trauma from an explosion which left him damaged. He didn’t reappear for six months, but when he did he went under the guise of Joe Black. As Black he acted as a champion of the people who led the protest against Batman after the current Robin was killed by Black Mask. Robin ended up being his daughter Stephanie Brown and he was angry with His Daughter’s death at the hands of Is enemy. He was also angry that his daughter’s body disappeared and he blamed Batman for the disappearance with no evidence. Batman eventually discovered that Joe Black was Arthur Brown and revealed his identity to the public. He was outcasted as a criminal and conducted a scheme to kill Batman and did so by inviting all of Batman’s worst enemies to due harm on Gotham. He worked with with small time criminals while he let the more known threats keep Batman off their backs’. During the chaos he invited Batman to the top of the GCPD and electrocuted Batman with a set trap. He revealed that he wanted Batman to feel his pain, but all of Batman’s Allies showed up and they Defeated Brown. He was sent back to BlackGate, but he never made it there. It was discovered that he was captured by The Answer who wanted him to help get revenge on the Riddler. He agreed and they recruited The Puzzler, the three kidnapped the newly reformed investigator after they framed him for murder and proceeded to kill him. Batman and the GCPD were working with Nashton and they sent Brown and others back to BlackGate and Arkham Asylum.

As mentioned on Friday, a number of us Marys are otherwise occupied this week, and hence we may not have a posting every day this week. We thought therefore that we'd give the class some extra work - to keep you occupied for a period :) No better a challenge therefore (hopefully) than a "location unknown" image from the O'Connor Collection. The catalogue entry for this puzzler includes a description: "Facing the camera is a man and child, standing beside a row of barrels laid out on the ground. Beyond the inlet, the sea is visible in the distance". But which inlet? What sea? Who's yer man? What's in them there barrels? Now eyes down on your work until I'm back from the principal's office....

With little more than topology and geology to go on, and using some form of investigative witchcraft, derangedlemur almost immediately identified this as Pulleen Harbour on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork. The sheer speed and near savant nature of this feat left most of us dumbstruck. But not John Spooner, who employed other location driven trickery to spot this image in an Irish Independent news article of 1909. This implies a date of December 1908 to January 1909 (but certainly before Jan 1909). While not fully confirmed, the Independent article (which gives the image credit to "Daniel McMonagle") suggests that the barrels are flotsam from the wreck of the SS Irada. This Gulf Transport Line cargo ship left Texas in November 1908, bound for Liverpool. Carrying a cargo of raw and baled cotton, the Irada hit rocks near Mizen Head, and much of her cargo washed into Pulleen Harbour, near Castletownbere.....

Photographer: Fergus O’Connor (or Daniel McMonagle?)

Collection: Fergus O’Connor Collection

Date: Catalogue range c.1900-1921. Perhaps Dec 1908-Jan 1909 (wreck). Certainly before Jan 1909 (newspaper reprint)

NLI Ref: OCO 166

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

© Photo By Oswaldo Ordóñez. All rights reserved. 2016 Use without permission is illegal.

My Twitter

I completed this the night before last but kept it until today to upload. Whilst Jigsaws were enjoyed by many during last year's Lockdown, I've continued doing them. This is the 13th or 14th that I've completed since Christmas but I can't say that this is my favourite because the design doesn't appeal to me.

This is for Jake Vitlock and Jess. I’m not the best artist, but this is the closest interpretation I can ever get to.

I’ll probably do some DC guys, including me, my cousin, Killer Moth , Zodiac Master and more.

Comments, thoughts and feedback are welcome.

INVITES NOT NECESSARY

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

~Dr. Seuss

My family and I will be away for the holidays to visit our families. I don't know if I will be able to post anything but I will definitely be visiting your photo streams when time allows it. While I'm gone, I hope you take time to read and listen to my wish for you this Christmas. Another country song but the lyrics say it all for me. Below is an excerpt of the beautifully written song - well, to me it is - I hope you think so too.

"More than anything, more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more then you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish."

I hope too, that Christmas will be a time for reflecting that regardless of race and religious beliefs, we are just one big family after all.

May we choose peace, be generous to our brother or sister in need, and love...above all, love.

May we not forget the true reason for this season.

Happy Christmas to all my friends! Thank you for your comments and visits.

The Union Pacific crosses the Viento State Park dirt road to access the Columbia River. Seen here in middle March, spring is not here yet, but it is just around the corner.

Hopefully you recognized that the title is a childhood puzzler. The answer to which is "I T".

ColumbiaGorgePhotos,com

GeorgePurvisPhotography.com

WallGalleryDesigner.com

Lighting puzzler for the day. Where were the lights, what power and what's my best shot?

youtu.be/4k7F57iLUuw

After my Halloween tribute to the cruelest scare in the world, I am again near the colorful parking in LeftHand Canyon where I parked and explored. There is good color here so I kept at it! I did find better color over by the stream and here is another good example in LeftHand Canyon. This was shot up the winding canyon next to LeftHand Stream and fisherman's trail at my left hand. I think that I better keep poking around for more possibilities right here.

Boy does autumn always look rich in back lighting especially with their "cloaking" device activated! The flat lands will be coughing up it's color RSN, real soon now.

I am directly down below my unfinished narrow gauge trek. The grade is up the mountain side, nearly ninety degrees to the left of the frame. The color here beats that up on the Switzerland Trail narrow gauge railroad grade although the grade sneaks across this canyon well above here past the Puzzler, at Bloomerville, near its head . This season's color was bit thready probably because of our dry summer. When is Colorado ever really wet? Beside all that, the road is paved down here even though there is limited traffic along LeftHand Canyon. Still, it beats driving the flood-wrecked Jamestown route. We tried that a month ago and will wait for another year.

Uh Oh! This series shot is yet further along the old Switzerland Trail from Gold Hill Station on the Denver, Boulder & Western RR, from the last cut where it curved back north again. The grade seems to climb somewhat on this tangent north past the ponderosas and stands of aspen. The Trail has some puddles left from the recent snow. For the time being, this section is driveable and shows signs of recent travel. I chose to walk anyway. I parked at a great spot off the Switzerland Trail before the cut around the curve; close enough to backtrack when the snow starts again and I get really chilly. For the time being, the snow seems it is knocking again but my interest is a view up around the curve ahead. These aspen were still colorful because of being on the sheltered side of the hill and down from the divide. Nothing turned orange-red here this year after the recent snow and big blow.

I continued shooting along the Colorado & Northwestern railroad grade toward the Ward Mining District for all the flatland foreigners. The railroad had stops before getting to Ward. Brainerd's Station, Puzzler, Bloomerville, the Big 5 and siding and Camp Francis, a veritable traffic corridor. This looks like a well traveled mountain lane but a little rougher, though less than a one-hundredth percent grade. Imagine the better, higher scenes from the floor of a narrow gauge passenger car... and imagine your hotel stay in Ward where mill trip hammers slammed 24/7?

One of the designers admitted at least one curve above Boulder was too tight for the engines that were on order. They simply changed the curve and label on the surveys ever so slightly. Apparently, the engine design had that much built in. (source, a CU mechanical engineering student of one route designer) That's why the inner drivers were "blind" - without flanges on the consolidation type engines (2-4-0s).

Portions of Switzerland Trail can be driven in skinny high-centered (not necessarily 4WD, it's level) vehicles. Get out and walk for an encompassing experience and a lot of nice shots. Well along the grade from here, it is cut off by the Sawmill road. Find the Switzerland Trail on Google maps - Ward, CO then 2 1/2 miles S-E to here. Zoom in, many segments of the grade are marked on Google maps. Take the camera, a snack and hydration. You need the exercise (the current best way to achieve longevity, not the Amazon Echo), the reason for my excursions. Much is missed from a vehicle; park in a handy spot. On such a trek on the Switzerland Trail, it is impossible to get lost; follow the grade! You'll find a lot of scenes with the Rockies in the backdrop.

It's easy to follow the grade on Google Maps and easier when on the ground. It is pretty darn easy to see the RR grade from this shot. The color was somewhat short of peak but it may not look like it while in the depths. These autumn leaves look like mosaic tile art.

Well I have been threatening but I finally did it. Started a puzzle. I have a number of friends who are puzzlers and they always make the experience sound so rewarding. "Oh I just thought I would put a few pieces in my puzzle while I was waiting." "Our daughter loves doing them. She never does one under 1000 pieces" " I just love going and working on my puzzle after dinner." Or the best one of all............"I love it! I take my coffee downstairs, turn on the fire and settle in to work on my puzzle." It all sounded so idyllic that I decided I wanted in on it too, so I bought me a puzzle. My first shock was opening the box and seeing just how many 550 unmatched pieces really are. Anyway, after a couple cups of coffee and my inhalers I opened the bag and the unmatched pieces went everywhere. So now I had to gather them up and count them. Yep 550 all accounted for. Now to just put it together. What a nightmare. Finally after a couple days of trying I rang up my friend and asked her what to do. " Well" says she, "after I have all the pieces spread out and turned up the right way I usually start with the border." All the pieces spread out!!!! I had been trying to do it by taking one piece out at a time and then routing through the pile looking for another one that looked somewhat similar. So now I have the pieces spread out on every flat surface in the room and sort of sorted, and have managed to match up about 12 of the unmatched pieces. Just doing the math quickly I reckon at the rate I am going I should have this thing finished in 1320 days time. I am so glad I didn't buy the 3200 piece puzzle I had in my hand.

Single JPG exposure - no HDR!

fujixfiles.blogspot.de/2012/07/fuji-x-pro-1-and-architect...

Boy, I'd better turn around at take a quick glance behind, I am again near the colorful parking in LeftHand Canyon where I stopped and explored. Here is another great color shot along LeftHand stream here so I kept at it! The color while aimed east was almost as bright as my backlit shots but that is really hard. This is more color over by LeftHand Stream and here is another good example in LeftHand Canyon. This was shot up the winding canyon next to LeftHand Stream at my right. I think that I better get another move on and keep poking around for more possibilities.

Boy does autumn always look when their "cloaking" device activated! Sometimes it takes more than on trip to find the autumn color. The flat lands will be coughing up it's color after this.

I am directly down below my unfinished narrow gauge trek. The grade is up the mountain side, nearly ninety degrees to the left of the frame. The color here beats that up on the Switzerland Trail narrow gauge railroad grade although the grade sneaks across this canyon well above here past the Puzzler, at Bloomerville, near its head . This season's color was bit thready probably because of our dry summer. When is Colorado ever really wet? Beside all that, the road is paved down here even though there is limited traffic along LeftHand Canyon. Still, it beats driving the flood-wrecked Jamestown route. We tried that a month ago and will wait for another year.

15th March 2019:

Still blowing a howler and is very cold, so I hunted around the apartment and came up with another puzzle for you. It's not inside the washing machine as Graham thought ............

The answer: Anyone who said eggs or custard weren't too far off either really.

It is the top of a Crème aux œufs - vanilla flavoured.

www.flickr.com/photos/44506883@N04/46463488855/in/datepos...

What is it - "Another puzzler?": It's the radiator in our main room, taken looking down at it from the top.

Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites. :O)

www.flickr.com/groups/2019_one_photo_each_day/

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,

Was singing! Without any presents at all!

He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!

It came.

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

'It came without ribbons! It came without tags!

It came without packages, boxes or bags!'

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”

Drum roll please . . . . .

Welcome to Sarah Palin Saturday!

People have been asking me why I don't change the color of Sarah's outfit.

The short answer is: It's a lotta work!

OK, OK, in honor of Save our Planet day (Earth has been around long before us and will be around long after us so this one is a puzzler to me) I had her put on a green suit.

Ain't she gorgeous?

Here is how I did it.

My SmugMug URL:

Joe Grossinger Photography

My hard-hitting, action-packed Photography Blog:

joegrossinger.blogspot.com/

Copyright Notice

(C) 2010 Lila & Joe Grossinger Photography

All Rights Reserved

Thanks for the visit and for your comments and faves. I do appreciate them a lot.

The completed 300-piece jigsaw puzzle, "Old Mill Stream," artwork by Bob Pettes, Manufactured by Ceaco. This one was a joy to do!

Quiz - can you count the people, birds, horses and dogs in the piece?

Season's Greetings and Best Wishes to you all dear friends!

Thank you very much for your generous comments and support on my stream for another year, that has steamed past faster than my shutter can blink! Your wonderful work has been most inspiring in it's creativity, and your presence so very encouraging when I feel uninspired with my own efforts.

As a departure from photography, the above image is a publishing magazine illustration I created several years ago - like photography, the process of creation was always challenging and immensely enjoyable. Here's to 2015! Cheers!