Well, we have had 27 entries for Puzzle #1, but not a single one has the right answer, so I am going to continue this contest until noon Central time on Saturday, Feb 8. Also, everyone who has already submitted an entry for Puzzle #1 may submit a second entry between now and Saturday.
As a reminder: these are "PUZZLES" - that means you should put a little effort into researching or deducing the answers for a better chance than simply making a guess (although that can sometimes work).
So, in addition to the hints in the first post, here are some things to consider:
1. While pecan is the predominant tree on my farm and might seem to be the obvious choice, I did mention that there are 30-40 other species of trees and wooden plants on my farm besides pecan. This could either have been an attempt to suggest that it might well be something other than pecan or it might have just been an attempt to throw you off. In this case, it was the former, so pecan is not the answer.
2. I also pointed out that my farm is located in Columbus, TX. While I would love to have a ready source of such woods as Texas Ebony or Wild Olive, they simply are not native to my area and either do not exist there at all (or would certainly be very rare if there are any at all). And if any such trees do exist in the Columbus area, it is doubtful that they would be anywhere near as large as this tree, and I certainly would not have left it lying around very long if I did have such a desirable tree.
So,
Look at the photos very closely and think about them a little - note such things as its condition given the obvious signs of weathering. Do you see any signs of decay, rot, insect damage, or cracking? The extent or absence of such things might be clues. Also, there are some specific characteristics of the wood & bark that might be a clue.
Then there's the fact that I have mentioned my farm and some of its trees in previous posts over the past 7 years. It's just possible that I may have even mentioned this particular tree before - not saying that I did, but did you look for that possibility?
OK - here's your second chance at Puzzle #1:
Your challenge is to identify the felled tree in the attached photos.
Here are the rules:
1. General IAP Contest rules and the General BASH Puzzle rules apply
2. You must send your entry to iap.puzzles@gmail.com
3. One entry per person and one guess per entry. Be sure to put Puzzle #1 in the Subject Line and include your real name and IAP user name in the subject text along with your guess. However, if you have already submitted an entry prior to noon on Feb 5, you may submit one additional entry for Puzzle #1 between now and Feb 8. If you have not yet submitted an entry for Puzzle #1, you only get to submit one entry, not two.
4. Each correct answer will earn 1 point toward the overall Puzzle Prize total
5. Banter is expected and encouraged, but DO NOT post any hints or real guesses in this thread.
6. Scientific name or an unambiguous common name is acceptable
7. This contest will close at noon Central Time on Saturday Feb 8
8. In addition to earning a point toward the grand prizes, each correct entry will also be entered into a drawing for one or more individual puzzle prizes
Good luck, have fun, and let me know if you have any questions
Edgar
As a reminder: these are "PUZZLES" - that means you should put a little effort into researching or deducing the answers for a better chance than simply making a guess (although that can sometimes work).
So, in addition to the hints in the first post, here are some things to consider:
1. While pecan is the predominant tree on my farm and might seem to be the obvious choice, I did mention that there are 30-40 other species of trees and wooden plants on my farm besides pecan. This could either have been an attempt to suggest that it might well be something other than pecan or it might have just been an attempt to throw you off. In this case, it was the former, so pecan is not the answer.
2. I also pointed out that my farm is located in Columbus, TX. While I would love to have a ready source of such woods as Texas Ebony or Wild Olive, they simply are not native to my area and either do not exist there at all (or would certainly be very rare if there are any at all). And if any such trees do exist in the Columbus area, it is doubtful that they would be anywhere near as large as this tree, and I certainly would not have left it lying around very long if I did have such a desirable tree.
So,
Look at the photos very closely and think about them a little - note such things as its condition given the obvious signs of weathering. Do you see any signs of decay, rot, insect damage, or cracking? The extent or absence of such things might be clues. Also, there are some specific characteristics of the wood & bark that might be a clue.
Then there's the fact that I have mentioned my farm and some of its trees in previous posts over the past 7 years. It's just possible that I may have even mentioned this particular tree before - not saying that I did, but did you look for that possibility?
OK - here's your second chance at Puzzle #1:
Your challenge is to identify the felled tree in the attached photos.
Here are the rules:
1. General IAP Contest rules and the General BASH Puzzle rules apply
2. You must send your entry to iap.puzzles@gmail.com
3. One entry per person and one guess per entry. Be sure to put Puzzle #1 in the Subject Line and include your real name and IAP user name in the subject text along with your guess. However, if you have already submitted an entry prior to noon on Feb 5, you may submit one additional entry for Puzzle #1 between now and Feb 8. If you have not yet submitted an entry for Puzzle #1, you only get to submit one entry, not two.
4. Each correct answer will earn 1 point toward the overall Puzzle Prize total
5. Banter is expected and encouraged, but DO NOT post any hints or real guesses in this thread.
6. Scientific name or an unambiguous common name is acceptable
7. This contest will close at noon Central Time on Saturday Feb 8
8. In addition to earning a point toward the grand prizes, each correct entry will also be entered into a drawing for one or more individual puzzle prizes
Good luck, have fun, and let me know if you have any questions
Edgar
