The Perfect Puzzle for Anytime

by Elmer Prather, guest blogger

Foreword from Cobble Hill: With the new year of 2020 coming upon us, it's the perfect time for reflection. There really is a time for everything and a season for every activity. We appreciate that so many of you have made the choice to spend your time and your seasons with our Cobble Hill puzzle pieces - 2019 has been an outstanding year for us at Cobble Hill Puzzle Co. because of you.  We wish for you and your neighbours to have a peace that surpasses all understanding for this new decade ahead - from piece to peace! May your life be full of joy and laughter in the year 2020.  It has been our sincerest pleasure to serve you. Please enjoy a peek at one of our new 2020 puzzles and latest blog from our dear friend, Elmer Prather. Thank you!

This is the 25th Cobble Hill puzzle that I have had the pleasure of putting together. It is titled “Timepieces” by Shelley Davies. I have been excited about getting to put it together ever since I first saw it, before it was ever released for sale. I need to have a connection with a puzzle before I spend the time and energy to put it together. The reason that I was so looking forward to putting this one together is because I collect clocks and watches. I have a collection of over 200. Most were purchased at estate sales and antique shops.

A portion of the clock collection displayed in custom built shelves!

 I have this collection in my basement office. I display them on shelving that I built in my work shop. This collection has clocks that make different sounds on the hour and some on the quarter hour. I have them set just a few minutes apart so that I can hear the different clocks as they make their individual sounds.

The rooster clock (top right) is bigger than it appears (see it in the picture above, lower right area)

This puzzle fascinated me because of how all of the items in the puzzle were placed and staged. When I saw the puzzle, I wondered how Shelley Davies determined where to place each watch and clock in the display as well as all of the special effect items she included. This puzzle has so much more than just clocks and watches. It has randomly placed numbers and letters, a calendar with Sunday December 24, children playing, cuckoo clocks, a sundial, a digital clock, several grandfather, one granddaughter clock and several pocket watches. Some of the clocks have Roman numerals while others have numbers. The randomly placed number tabs, in different colors, have Roman numerals while others have just numbers.

"Timepieces" 1000 piece puzzle by Shelley Davies. Assembled by Elmer Prather.

The watches are for both male and female users. Most, if not all, of the clocks and watches have wind up mechanisms. With this many wind up mechanisms, keeping them wound and on time would be a full time operation. I know this because of my collection.

Some of the more unusual and unique clocks in the collection.

I really enjoyed putting this puzzle together. The more I added to it the more it came alive. 

From small to large, there are clocks of all kinds displayed here.

I am very proud of my clock collection and by looking at this puzzle, I can tell that Shelley Davies is really into clocks too.

"Timepieces" 1000 piece puzzle by Shelley Davies. A Truly Original Photo (T.O.P.) puzzle