Love a Mystery Photo

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 39 Comments

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the imagination is worth a thousand pictures.” ― J.E.B. Spredemann

Are you ready for another mystery picture? Got your thinking caps on? Ready to laugh because this one is so easy or ready to squint your eyes for a better look because it is anything but easy? Well, whether you said yes or no to any of that, I hope you had fun guessing on the first mystery picture I posted Sunday.

Twenty-seven guesses came in. You were all pretty sure it was some kind of plant. Well, except for Doris and Emily who thought it might be a caterpillar and Jeanne who got even more precise and said woolly worm hair. I never thought about woolly worms having hair, but I guess it could be called that. Don’t think I have a comb small enough though.

Ladies, it’s not a caterpillar or woolly worm, but did you know that in some places they have fall festivals that feature woolly worm races? They say thousands show up. I’d be amazed but then a little country store, Penn’s Store here in Kentucky, has outhouse races. No, not a race to the outhouse, but entrants in the race make outhouse replicas and then carried them in the race. I think there had to be somebody in the outhouse. This year was their 26th year. Sorry, you just missed it since they had the Outhouse Blowout a couple of weekends ago. Don’t believe me? Check out the Penn’s Store website and of course you can find videos on youtube.

But back to the guesses. Connie threw out a wide net with her guess of a plant or weed and I can’t say she was wrong. Two guessed sunflower heads. Two said Venus flytraps. Several guessed chestnuts and buckeyes with sweet gum seed a popular guess. Amy said it looked sort of like a fishhook cactus and Paula thought cactus too while Lillian just guessed thistle. Other guesses were milkweed pods, gooseberry, swan plant seed.

rambutan

kohlrabi

And I learned about some new plants and fruit. Lois said kohlrabi. Never heard of kohlrabi, but looked it up. It was green. Then Ellen said rambutan. Again, I was in the dark. But while she wasn’t right, she was on target. If the mystery picture had been red, it would have been a dead ringer. Both of these are food although you need directions to get to the rambutan fruit. You cannot eat a cocklebur. They are poisonous to both humans and animals if ingested. Not something anybody would want to eat anyway. So thanks to your guesses, I learned something new.

And then three of you were right. Evelyn was right, but I never heard it called a knucklebur. Dorita and Laura called it what I call them – cockleburs. If you’ve ever had a dog with long hair and let the dog run out in the fields, you may have had some unpleasant times trying to work cockleburrs out of their fur. I used to have a cockerspaniel who thought he was a farm dog. He was a cocklebur magnet. Oscar always stayed away from those cockleburs, but his hair is too short to grab them anyway.

Okay, now it’s time to guess again on the new picture up top. This one may be too easy. We’ll see. Easy or hard, if you guess or even just leave a comment saying you don’t know, you’ll get another entry in my giveaway. I’ll pick three winners on October 11, 2017 and those winners will get their choice of one of my books, autographed to them or to someone else if they want to give the book as a gift. You must be at least 18 years old to enter and the contest is void where prohibited. No purchases or actions, other than the comments here on the blog post, are required to enter.

So hope you’ll have fun guessing, and as always, thanks for reading.

 

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Comments 39

  1. Post
    Author

    Peggy, a wound up rope is a very good guess. Not saying it’s right, but you are on the right track, at least.

    Virginia – button or rose decoration – could be?

    Elaine – Santa Claus?? I’m trying to look with your eyes. Not sure I’m seeing what you’re seeing, but I am smiling. Thanks for your guess.

  2. I missed the first picture and no kidding I thought it looked like a cocklebur but wouldn’t have said so ’cause I thought they were brown. You are tricky! This week’s picture looks like a coiled up spring! Also, I would appreciate prayers for my 90-year-old mom. She broke her humerus bone which is anything but funny and had to have surgery and is recovering. I’m with her now and she has a long way to go but she is determined. Thanks for praying for her!

    1. Post
      Author

      So sorry to hear your mom is having to go through the pain and problems of a broken bone. That’s not good at any age, but even more difficult when you’ve added on a few years. I know she appreciates your care and being determined to get better is probably a wonderful attitude that will let her recover. Prayer said.

      Cockleburs are brown once they mature. But first they’re green. I have to be tricky to try to stay ahead of your people with your guesses.

    1. Post
      Author

      Love the way you keep trying to come up with the right answer, Ellen. I’m getting ready to post the rest of the picture so you’ll be able to see if you were on the right track with your guesses.

  3. Ann, It looks like part of a pine cone to me! By the way, I want to head back to “These Healing Hills” and revisit Fran, Aunt Em and Woody. Is there any chance there could be a sequel? I think it has to be one of your best books to date! I loved the education, the entertainment and the realistic, endearing characters!

    1. Post
      Author

      Pine cone has been a popular guess, Sandi. I’m getting ready to post the rest of the picture and see if I can puzzle you guys again.

      I very much appreciate you reading my book and doing a review. I enjoyed writing about Fran and Woody and Granny Em, but right now, although I will return to the Frontier Nursing history for another story in due time, I may not be following up on the same characters. But that would be fun.

  4. Post
    Author

    Hey Lois, fun that you studied the picture and came up with another guess. A stack of cookies. I love it. Maybe I’ll go see if I can find one for a late night snack.

    Connie – your guess is certainly different from everybody else’s and I do like taking pictures of butterflies and moths. So it could be. Or it could not be. 🙂

    Karen G – Amish rug is a great guess. Not saying it’s right, but it is a great guess.

    Thank all of you for playing my mystery photo game. You make it fun to attempt to be mysterious.

  5. Post
    Author

    Lucy – I love your guess of a cow patty. I have to admit I’ve thought about it, so did I do it this time??? Only time will tell.

    Shirley B – It’s good to be different. Shrimp on a plate. Interesting guess.

    Rebecca, your something from outer space guess has me smiling. Now that would really be a mystery. Then for a minute you were there with Shirley right before that muddy water started splashing.

    Emily – a braided rug is a very good guess. Is it a right guess? Well, I’m not saying that it is or it isn’t. That remains to be seen on Sunday night.

    Evelyn – you made the first plant guess. You know me, I do take a lot of pictures of plants so you could be on to something. Those flowering cabbage plants are very pretty, aren’t they?

    Marji – I missed your pine cone guess earlier. That makes four guesses for pine cones. And you’re there hedging your guess with flower petals. Hmm, which one is right? Or are they both wrong? The mystery continues.

    Lois – I did actually once take a picture of a muddy tractor track, but it was just too brown. But maybe I’ll give that a try again someday.

    April – I like your shell guess. A very good guess. Not saying it’s a right guess, but I can see where you’re coming from.

  6. Post
    Author

    I didn’t expect to stump so many of you. Well, maybe all of you because I’m not telling yet what the mystery is. Loving your imaginative guesses though.

    Lisa B – So glad you think the mystery photo game is fun and that you gave a shot at a guess even if you were kind of stumped.

    Lisa R – You did the same with the rug or cloth guess, and of course, any comment gets you an entry into the giveaway. Right or wrong. And each time you guess on a new picture, you get another entry. I’ll post a new picture on Sunday night. I’ve been scoping some out for mystery potential.

    Paula – Good guess. A raffia rose. My hairdresser told me about going to a wedding last week and the bride from an oriental background had cut out 10,000 flowers to decorate the place where they got married. That boggled my mind.

    Karen – that no clue guess still gets you an entry, but if you think of something, come back and give it a try.

    Margaret, Melanie, Laura M – you’re all stumped. So I’m smiling even though I’m a little surprised. I thought maybe this one would be easier for all of you. But then I do know what it is. 🙂

    Becky, Joy and Kathy S – you all are in agreement with the guess that has the most votes so far. Not saying you’re right or wrong. Just saying you guessed. 🙂

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