What on Earth photo contest

I’ve accumulated photos of odd things during my adventure without any concrete plan for them. I figured they’d be useful at some point, though. I mean, have a look at this sign:

That’s odd, sure, but what if I told you it’s mounted to the roof of a bathroom at the Horseshoe Lake trailhead in Mammoth?

How could you walk by without taking a photo?

I’ve encountered a few other things simply too funny, too strange, or too confusing not to photograph. Your job? Use one (or more) of the photos below as inspiration for a short (~100 word) story. What’s going on in the photo? How did the scene come to exist? What’s about to happen next? You decide what angle to take and which photo(s) to use. And yes, you can use the bathroom photos if you must.

I should (fingers crossed) be in Skykomish, WA in about a week, so you have some time to plan your masterpiece. Leave your story in the comments.

Update (13 August, 2021): because the end of my hike came up sooner than I expected, I’ve been able to invite some friends to join the story party. I’ll keep the entries open through Monday (16 August) to give those friends time to enter as well. The Barshi clan will, of course, be recognized for their outstanding and ongoing contributions.

I have actual prizes this time, straight from Feather River Outdoors and The Toy Store in scenic but smoky Quincy, CA! I can send a postcard in addition/instead, but prizes!

As always, bonus points if you make me laugh, and super double bonus points if I haven’t heard from you before!

And here, the grist for your creative mills:

For those who’ve always wondered what pianos taste like, at Uwajimaya in Seattle

For those who’ve always wondered what pianos taste like, at Uwajimaya in Seattle

Outside Tahoe area

Outside Tahoe area

In a Mammoth, CA parking lot

In a Mammoth, CA parking lot

Shouldn’t have turned on the TV in Hemet

Shouldn’t have turned on the TV in Hemet

Emerson, Muir, and Thoreau at Mary’s Library, just shy of the road to the Paradise Valley Cafe

Emerson, Muir, and Thoreau at Mary’s Library, just shy of the road to the Paradise Valley Cafe

I’m cheating with this one—it happened in the pet section of a hardware store a few days before I left Madison. Love you, Naomi!

I’m cheating with this one—it happened in the pet section of a hardware store a few days before I left Madison. Love you, Naomi!

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Goodbye, friends