Cosmic Photo Challenge: Focal Point

Dale offers this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge to present photos “that lead the eye to a specific place or object”.

To get this effect I think one needs one or more starting points and then an ending point (which might be the starting point through various intermediate points).

I found four photos that I think do this.

This is a wall with missing plaster. Start anywhere along the broken plaster. The final focus is the top of the broken plaster, at least, as I see the picture.
The initial focus is on the dark open doorway with the sun’s light on the walls of the building. The lines of the railing and buildings finally focus my eyes on the trees to the right in the distance which as living objects contrast with the buildings occupying most of the photo.
The curve of the white lights and the curve of the waves made by the boat keep my eyes moving in a curved fashion across this photo. The final focus is the horizon to the right.
The focus here is circular starting with the sun then the silhouette of the people then the white wall to the left and then back through the buildings at the horizon to the sun again. My focus finally rests on the people. Since these three people are together various stories start coming to my mind about them.

Proverbial Fairy Tale: Wolf! Wolf! – Ladville

Once upon a time there was a tiny town that became recklessly prosperous when it erected a statue to a lad who was eaten by a wolf and then found to be uneaten. The town grew and grew and grew to the point that the authorities of Middleuh Noware decided it was time to put it on the map.

Everyone agreed that the town should be called after the lad, but no one knew the lad’s name. Fortunately, when the lad returned they had the opportunity to ask him just what his name was hoping it would be something catchy like Tom, Dick or Harry. The lad was only too delighted to relay to them that his full name was Gregorio Gregoritos Gregorino Pretentious the Third, but his friends called him simply Daturd.

Given those circumstances, they named the town Ladville and everyone lived happily ever after.

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Denise offers the prompt word “relay” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

Cosmic Photo Challenge: Over the Bridge

Dale offers the prompt “over the bridge” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.

I am not sure if these are all bridges, but there is water, water everywhere.

Here they go!

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I am not sure if this is a bridge or just a protective railing so one doesn’t accidentally fall into the water.
If you have a boat, you would know what to do with this bridge. I am usually stopped at the door.
I’m on a bridge separating two islands. This boat is leaving the Atlantic Ocean and heading for the safer intracoastal waterway.

He Is Risen – He Is Risen Indeed!

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:8-9 KJV
Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee

Proverbial Fairy Tales: Wolf! Wolf! – The Explanation

Once upon a time when the lad returned uneaten questions arose. If the lad wasn’t eaten, how were the town folk going to explain the statue and the truly tall tales they were telling to the tourists?

The town’s scientist came to the rescue explaining that if they only knew science the way he did they would see that when light hit the lad’s chiral polypeptide lipid loving amino acids they’d order the polymerization end to end bringing back together again the lad as if nothing happened. Our beloved scientist patiently lectured the uneducated town folk (since they patiently listened) on how science had proven over and over again that stuff that couldn’t happen happened all the time.

Although the town folk didn’t buy his tale (deep down anyway), they were glad to have something to tell those tourists who wouldn’t shut their mouths when they were told nonsense. Besides – town folk being town folk – once they realized that they were just too stupid to understand, what they couldn’t understand previously suddenly made sense so everyone could go back to living happily ever after again.

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Denise offers the prompt word “order” for this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

March 2026 Limericks

All of these limericks were originally posted to Esther Chilton’s Laughing Along With A Limerick during the month of March 2026.

Kiss Like This

There is bliss when a kiss doesn’t miss
though that snake in the grass loves to hiss.
Though the moon might be round
the fine sun can be found
in that bliss when we kiss just like this.

Prompt word: “hiss” March 2, 2026

It’s a sunset so yellow and bright. When I look to the clouds I see light.

The Joy Of Sprouting

It might sprout if it only went out
of its shell and then looked all about,
saw the sun in the sky
and white clouds flying high.
If it did . . . well, it did. It went out.

Prompt word: “sprout” March 9, 2026 (modified)

The trees do what they do. In an hour or two

Bath Math Path

Since a shower’s as good as a bath
and my heart is more true than my math,
I’ll rejoice and I’ll say
I am blessed everyday day
and not lost – not at all – on this path.

Prompt word: “bath” March 16, 2026 (modified)

will come darkness to wish a good night.

Wonderful Ride

When I ride I can look out and say,
What a wonderful, wonderful day!
If you’re sighing inside,
then come out for a ride.
Do not hide for the Lord leads the way.

Prompt word: “ride” March 23, 2026

Distracting Dog Treats

There once was a treat in a jar
on a shelf way up high very far
from the floor where he could
eat it up and he would
if he could get his nose in the jar.

Prompt word: “treat” March 30, 2026

Cosmic Photo Challenge: A River Runs Through It

Dale offers the prompt “a river runs through it” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.

All of these photos are from many years ago. They show a river running though the Forest Preserve in northeastern Illinois near where we used to live.

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Dam 1 River Trail
Fall leaves
More Fall colors