Saturday, November 22, 2025

Do You Have Good Eyes?

Optical Illusions 

Here are reader responses and my comments on last week’s Elephant And Lamb Legs:

AVH: 4 elephant legs

Absolutely correct! Logic dictates elephants have four legs, even if it appears  in the drawing that the elephant has more than four… which made ITV wonder.

ITV: Do elephants have eight legs? 


On lamb legs:

AVH: 40 lamb legs if you count the ones that can barely be seen 

I see 36 legs, more or less, either attached to still-headless lambs or loose. But AVH’s response is acceptable because the illusion- foto wasn't great.

This was actually part of a 32-item order from a writer who is promoting her upcoming, book, The Christmas Lamb Mystery, about a "lost lamb" with an accompanying lamb toy.


That feeling when you've

finally finished your work...



The premise is that the story will be read by/read to the child. In the morning, the latter will see the lamb outside the door. It is lost no more.


Delivery of lamb goodies to book author Annetta Dellinger. November 16, 2025


*****************************************

For this week, try this optical illusion.

Can you read this at first attempt?

Please email your answer (send to me only).

Comment on responses in the next blog.


Saturday, November 15, 2025

Elephant And Lamb Legs

 Optical Illusions 

Comments on last week's blog, What Do You Read Here?

Thank you, faithful readers. Some people will read, EVIL, but some will see, GOOD. VEV was discerning enough to see both.

VEV: Good is black. Evil is white. Should be the other way around.

ITV saw GOOD plus something else that I didn't expect. She saw COOL, maybe because she's a cool person.

ITV: Looks like GOOD and COOL. 

*********************************************************

Now, for this week's optical illusion.

This has to be one of the most famously mind-boggling illusions that appears in lots of brain teaser books. How many legs can you see in this picture?


Here’s another teaser for you.


How many lamb legs do you see?



Please email your answers (send to me only).

Comment on responses in the next blog.


Friday, November 7, 2025

What Do You Read Here?

Optical Illusions 

Comments on last week's blog Now You See It, Now You Don't:

ITV: Wooden vs. upholstery? Is the yellow chair new? 

Thanks for responding. You’re right. 

That was my old, ten-year-old something Goodwill wooden, rocking chair buy. The spokes that were coming off had been super-glued. The hardwood seat had been softened by throw pillows. Despite all that, my antique rocker had served me well, giving me a reliable spot for viewing a wondrous backyard vista.

But now, time for something new. An upholstered Wayfair buy, using part of my Bubbly Hall craft sale monies. I love its vibrant yellow color and how my Cinnamoroll throw pillow from Five Below and Keroppi, inherited from Frat Boy, keep me company.

Continuing on to this week’s Optical Illusion…

*********************************************

Read not only between the lines, but also what is not written. - Vijay Kedia

What do you read here?

Please email your answer (send to me only).

Comment on responses in the next blog.



Friday, October 31, 2025

Now You See It, Now You Don't

 Optical Illusions

Everyone has two eyes but no one has the same view. - Anonymous

Someone said that life is all about how we see things.

Interesting... and intriguing.

So, I'm thinking, why don't we explore this thought in this series?

For starters, can you spot the difference in these two sets of pictures?


Photo (bottom right): V.E.V. Columbus: October 31, 2025

Please email your answer (send to me only).

 Comment on responses in the next blog.

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Halloween All Things

October To-Do List

 And finally, time to Halloween all things.

Neighbor's Garage Door Decor.
Photo: V.E.V., Columbus, OH: 2025



The dead rise again.

Bats fly.

Terror strikes and screams echo, for tonight, it's Halloween.








Ghosts and goblins come out to play.









It's a night full of frights and a bag full of delights.

Door decor of  skeletons and lit pumpkin. Columbus, Ohio: September 15, 2023











Too cute to spook!

Left: Halloweens Past: First Grandson's Toothy Smile. Right: Guess Who This Is? Honolulu, Hawaii: 2017, 2022

Black cats growl and pumpkins gleam.

Left: First Granddaughter: "Put the treats in the bowl and nobody gets hurt." Honolulu, Hawaii: 2024

Right: Second Granddaughter and friend: "Smell our feet. Gimme some catnip treats or we'll pee on your feet." Columbus, Ohio: 2021




You know what they say...

You're never too old to trick or treat.



We don't need no body! Honolulu, Hawaii: 2023





Dino Trick-or-Treater: "Rawr! I've come for your soul. There is nothing you can... ooh, is that chocolate?"  Columbus, Ohio: 2022


Sticky fingers
Tired feet
One last house
Trick or Treat!

Have a spooktacular Halloween!



Thursday, October 23, 2025

Go Leaf Peeping!

 October To-Do List

I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift. – Dodinsky

How best to do that?

By taking the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad excursion.


The restored vintage railcar is an operating diesel-electric and steam-powered
excursion train between Akron, Ohio and the greater Cleveland area.




The air had a cool crispness to it as we drove toward the old Rockside Road.



But first, lunch.


Chimichangas, “lobster” taco, and to-go churros. Cozumel Mexican Restaurant, Independence, Ohio





A slight shower had started when we arrived at the Rockside depot which was our primary starting point for the trip.

Autumn rain, autumn wind.

Forty degrees outside. There was no gap in the clouds for the light to shine, but we stayed cozy inside.



Latrobe Inn





Time to savor the sight up close and personal.

The view didn't disappoint. Right off the bat, every leaf spoke bliss, fluttering from the autumn tree.





Japanese maples with stunning red, gold, bright green, orange, and yellow foliage dotted the landscape. Photo: V.E.V.




Leftmost: Profuse red, orange, and yellow trumpet-shaped flowers of the Esperanza vine lent a tropical ambience.

Left: Basswood yellow leaves contrasted with black branches.








Attractive bright green leaves and showy pink-purple berries of coralberry bush bordered the landscape.











I would love to live like a river flows,

carried by the surprise of its own unfolding. 

John O’Donohue

 

The Cuyahoga River, whose name is believed to mean crooked river, wove through constantly refreshing and changing scenery.





Then, it all came to an end.

How best  to conclude a trip, but with homestyle comfort food.

Grilled tilapia and trout, apple streusel pie a la mode. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Sunbury

The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.

But now, to our favorite destination at the end of every trip – home.

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Celebrate Aflak's VB End-Of-Season

 October To-Do List

Volleyball is life. Everything else is just details. – Anonymous



Aflak’s Gahanna East Lions Volleyball Team hustled.










Hit.

Never quit.




Together, they stood and made it into the Gold Bracket with a record of 12-3.







Then, made it to end of season. And that’s worth celebrating.

Girls just wanna have fun. Flanagan’s Pub. Blacklick, Ohio: October 21, 2025



Do I want BEER?

a) Yes

b) a 

c) b




Pizza is better eaten with friends.

Congrats, Aflak, on your hard work and dedication!

Thanks for believing in us, Coach!

Teamwork Makes The Dreamwork: 7th Grade Gahanna Lions East Volleyball Team 

Today was good.

Today was fun.

Tomorrow is another one. - Dr. Seuss