ABSTRACT THURSDAY - NATURAL SURPRISE

Pareidolia - a psychological phenomenon in which the mind responds to a stimulus, usually an image or a sound, by perceiving a familiar pattern where none exists - common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects.

I usually check a few days before what the various challenges will be, but forgot to check what the Abstract Thursday challenge was until 11.30 last night.  I sat musing about this for several minutes then remembered that a few days ago I had picked up a stone in the garden and thought my friend’s son might like to have it as they were studying rocks at school and I thought it was an interesting one.

When our boys were much younger, they used to collect rocks and stones of all shapes and sizes then we would bring them home and add them to the ever-growing pile, so this one is likely to be one that they collected over 40 years ago.

So at 11.45 last night, I was out in the pitch black garden in my pink robe (you see I don’t only wear it in the mornings!) fumbling around for the stone.  I thought I knew exactly where it was - but everything is so different when it’s dark.  I found it eventually and when I took it indoors and put it on the kitchen worktop, I could see a face. I took a couple of quick pics on my phone and then ran upstairs to show Mr. HCB, who was less than delighted to be disturbed.  He was still reading, so I didn’t wake him up, but I don’t think he could see what I could see.  Ah well, maybe I am the only one in the family who has this "gift of pareidolia".  At least I know that my Blip friend, Lsquare, will appreciate it!

Mr. HCB has just come and looked at the photograph and he says he can see a face, but in a different place from the one I can see - how about you, can you see a face?

"I alone cannot
     change the world,
          but I can cast a stone
across the waters
     to create
          many ripples."
Mother Teresa