Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Bird or Squirrel?



W.E. Hill in Puck magazine

You have seen this photo before, I am sure, I have even had it on a post myself.  Do you see an old woman or do you see a young woman?  It just depends on how you look at it, doesn't it?

We just had a light dusting of snow this weekend in Georgia. (Other parts of the east had some heavy snowfall.  In New York City, they only needed one tenth of an inch to break the record for the heaviest amount of snow ever!)  When we went for a long walk at Panola Mountain, Richard took a photo of some of the snow.   If you look at the snow in the middle of the photo, do you see a bird with wings outstretched?  Or is it a squirrel holding a nut with his tail up behind his body? 

So, bird or squirrel?  What do you say?  (I must admit, I saw the bird first, but then...you all know I don't care for squirrels now!)

By the way, the last time I had the old woman/young woman drawing on a post I told you about a book, it was "Crashing Through: The Extraordinary True Story of the Man Who Dared To See" by Robert Kurzon. You really should make a note of this book and read it when you can!

30 comments:

  1. That is just too cool! To find something like that in a natural setting. I saw the bird first too but it takes very little to also see the squirrel.

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    1. Funny thing, Richard didn't see that when he took the photo, but I noticed it first thing when I saw this on the computer! And like you, I saw the bird first.

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  2. The bird (a bit like a swan, I think) was there for me first, too, but the squirrel is very present, too.
    As a kid, I loved (still do!) optical illusions and such things. There were books full of it at the school library where my Mum worked. Browsing these kept me occupied (and quiet!) for hours :-)

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    1. And guess what, Meike, I saw that the drawing of the old woman/young woman was first published in a German magazine!
      Perception was discussed a great deal in that book that I told you about, the one of the man who regained his vision. Our vision is based on more than just sight.

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    1. That is what I saw first also! When I then saw the squirrel, I knew I had to share it here!

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  4. It's a bird! It's definitely not Superman!

    And a young woman...(we are all young woman, still, within). :)

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    1. It's a bird, It's a plane, it's....Superman!
      Man, I loved those old comic books!
      And Lee, I call myself Georgia GIRL so, you know I agree! LOL.

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  5. Bird. :) And young woman - every time I see that, I see the young woman and have to really focus to see the "crone."

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    1. Me too! I have seen that for years, and have to keep looking to see the old crone, as she is called!

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  6. Pictures like that always make me feel that my eyes are playing tricks on me. One minute I see one thing, the next it's the other.

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    1. I also like those photos, you know the ones, where there are many photos put together, but when you back away you can make out a face. I have seen one that shows the face of Jesus (or what we think He looked like anyway.)

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  7. I first saw that old lady/young lady optical illusion when I was a teenager. I was SO taken with it! Still am -- it's a great one.

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    1. I know, it is so cleverly done! And if you read my comment above, you will see that the drawing was from a German magazine!

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  8. I see a young woman. I think the snow looks a bit like a squirrel. LOL Hope you are staying warm..Blessings, xoxo,Susie

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    1. Hey Susie, I THOUGHT you were a bit SQUIRRELY...HAHA!
      I hope you are warm, my friend! xx

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  9. Love the photo... I saw the squirrel first!

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    1. Thanks! I will tell Richard you like his photo!

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  10. Yes, i can see both, alternating back and forth as i always do with the old woman/young woman picture. My brain won't sit still on one or the other!

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    1. Once you see it, your brain keeps going back and forth, our vision is so funny!

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  11. That's a pretty cool picture. Though to be honest I see both a squirrel and a bird. A bird in the middle and a squirrel to the left.

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    1. I once had a photo of a sunset that had a lot of bare trees in front of the setting sun, and people saw all kinds of shapes an d figures in that one! Our eyes search for familiar things, I think.

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    1. Ha! Exactly so, Graham, spoken JUST like a Liverpool lad, John Lennon would be proud of you.

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  13. I now see a squirrel, but to begin with I was looking at the non snowy bit above it and saw a jumping rabbit! Not sure what that says!! xx

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    1. Oh Amy, that is so funny! JUMPING RABBITS! That sounds like a perfect thing to say when you see something that you are in wonderment over....GREAT JUMPING RABBITS, what was that?!!
      See? :-)

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  14. Young woman first...bird first. These things always remind me to look at life like that...sometimes situations need a second glance to see the real picture...or a different perspective before judging.

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    1. Yes, remember the expression, "Let's just look at this a different way". You are so wise, my friend! Hope you are staying warm in your wintry pines! xx

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