Earlier this year I drove by a fire station in the foothills and noticed it had a Little Free Library. Before driving by completely I realized there was a big tub on a bench next to it with something written inside.
Wow… a community puzzle swap! If you happened to read my last blog, you’ll understand I am big into wooden puzzles since the start of COVID. During that time, figuring we’d be on lockdown for a couple years at least, I bought a lot of puzzles. Not just the wooden puzzles featured in that blog, but a few traditional cardboard ones that would be especially challenging. Basically, the best bang for buck financially. One of those was Ravensburger infamous ‘Krypt’ puzzle! 736 pieces of pure black… a cardboard puzzle… one for savages and masochists. That’s why I bought it!
When the flood of puzzles I ordered arrived I started on a wooden puzzle. Almost four years later I haven’t done a single traditional cardboard one. So I figured why not give it to a good home! Except, I wasn’t sure if it was really a good home… consider what was in the bin?
These are pretty … friendly puzzles! You might notice I have already hidden my puzzle in the bin here, like a villain in a Bond movie. Funtime Teddy’s 48 pieces… Puzzlebug 500… Country 750 piece… and yes, there’s the Ravensburger 736 piece Krypt all-black puzzle lurking beneath. I figured I would create a good laugh, likely inspire a few gasps that I would never hear.
Low and behold… a week later…
“And, like that, he’s gone…” Yep! Someone took it pretty quick. Given it is a mountain community, maybe someone also saw the same value I did. Great ratio of time vs money spent! In this case, free to them and $23 for me. I didn’t expect it to get pulled from the bin but here we are! After that I was hoping to find mention of the puzzle on Nextdoor for that area but no joy.
Until next time… crazy mountain person, that I relate to, I hope you enjoy that insanity. In the meantime, I hope Karen Puzzles will lobby to have that specific puzzle show up in the next world championship. Yes, there are actual national and world puzzle championships and she does a great job covering them and making them engaging. No really, she does! Want to throw a wrench into the next one? Get that puzzle in the mix, please…