Customer Freight Charge (red) versus Actual Freight Cost (yellow) |
During the pandemic, we watched libraries adjust as they had to pivot how they provided services in their communities. More than a matter of not being able to check out books, the changes meant no more game nights, no borrowing of puzzles, no storytime, no author readings, and so much more. But libraries are strong and hung on mightily! We are pleased to see our libraries still thriving and serving the people who adore them.
That's why in April, we ran a Nominate Your Library contest inviting people to suggest their local library to win a puzzle prize from Cobble Hill. In Canada, Cochrane Library was the winner and in the United States it was Oil City Library, which had a few submissions from different people. We wanted to celebrate libraries because we know how important they are to the community. During Covid, libraries could no longer leave open puzzles out on tables for guests to complete, but many started providing puzzles for curbside pick-up. Being able to continue borrowing from the library was a blessing to so many, especially those on fixed incomes. When you're a voracious reader or puzzler, it may not be economical to always purchase books or puzzles, so having the library as an additional resource is essential to many households.
With the Nominate Your Library contest, we found out that some libraries offer a lot more! Judith, the winner for Canada, who submitted Cochrane Library in Alberta, told us, "The library assistants at this library are the kindest, friendliest group of people you could meet! As well as books, they have a wonderful "Library Of Things" including garden equipment, power tools and, of course, jigsaw puzzles!" And Emily, who submitted Oil City Library told us that she is, "...so grateful for my library and all of the wonderful resources they provide to our community!"
There are now a dozen new puzzles available for checkout at the Cochrane Public Library. We're still waiting for Oil City Library to make their puzzle picks, but they're excited about adding a new set of puzzles to their offerings!
Just a few of the puzzles that we sent to the library! |
We want to thank all the puzzlers who submitted their library to us! We look forward to running this contest again next year - so we hope that you'll all plan to vote for your library! Here is a list of the submitted libraries - some had multiple submissions from different people, which we loved seeing!
Nominate Your Library Nominees for 2021 |
There are several different dates celebrating libraries, but we're asking you to mark your calendars for National Library Week on April 3-9, 2022. We think the American Library Association does a great job of providing events and resources, so check them out! Canada has a library association too, but we think that Librarianship.ca does a great job of keeping current, so that's our recommendation for library resources. Thanks for supporting your local libraries and bookstores, wherever and whenever possible!
Photo and assembly by Elmer Prather |
Cobble Hill is excited to finally have some accessories added to the line! Just over a year ago we added Sorting Trays and a felt Roll Away Puzzle Mat. We were shocked at the welcomed reception we had to the products and excited to see that the felt mats sold out incredibly fast! Like lightning fast! We have them in stock (as of this moment), but not to worry, the last reorder was increased ten fold to ensure that we don't run out again any time soon!
Here's a look at the felt Roll Away Puzzle Mat. On the felt mat is Common Quilt Blocks, a popular 1000 piece Cobble Hill puzzle that has a finished size of 26.625" x 19.25". You can see that there is plenty of room for your puzzle pieces.
When you're taking a break or want to travel with the puzzle, you can simply roll it up! The tube is a sturdy cardboard that is used to roll up the mat, then use the hook and loop strap to keep the pieces from falling out. These are excellent to have if you have a pet because we know kitties like to swipe your pieces and dogs like to eat them. So, it's a good idea to put the puzzle away if you need to take a break from it!
The other cool accessory that we brought on board are our Sorting Trays. These are incredibly unique to Cobble Hill because our sorters includes small holes in the tray that allow one to sift the puzzle dust. Now granted, we hope there isn't any puzzle dust in your puzzle, especially ours, but the reality is that it happens. Now you can open the bag, plop the pieces into a tray and give it a little shake to sift out any dust. Just be sure to sift over an area that isn't your working space!
Photo of Cobble Hill Sorting Trays & Archie Love Triangle puzzle by Dorothy K |
Included in the box are six sturdy trays. You can obviously sort any brand of puzzle using the trays. They stack on top of each other too, for saving space, if you're just working on one tray at a time. We've been getting great feedback from puzzlers who are using these trays, so we're confident it's a must have accessory if you're a sorter!
Cobble Hill Puzzle Sorting Trays |
The above is a good visual of the holes and what the box looks like. If you give them a try, let us know by sending in your comments to our General Inquiries form!
Last, but not least, we will soon have glue!! When I was a kid there was a PSA with puppets where one character yells, "Glue, I need glue!" Granted it was a PSA about borrowing without asking and the puppet broke a lamp he "borrowed". But we have had SO many puzzlers ask us about glue that I can't help but hear that cry for "glue, I need glue"... Glue will be coming. It was a challenge getting the right mixture, but final approval on the formula has been made. We can't wait to announce it once it arrives to our warehouse!
Cobble Hill Puzzle Glue - not final art |
We hope that you are all still enjoying your puzzle hobby during this pandemic. So many puzzlers have been whipping through puzzles, we thought we'd hear about puzzle burnout by now, but nope! Happily, everyone is still enjoying their puzzles and we're thankful that you choose Cobble Hill.
If you have been enjoying our Sorting Trays and/or Roll Away Puzzle Mat, please share on Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to tag us #CobbleHillPuzzles.
by Elmer Prather, guest blogger
It is hard to believe that I have just finished putting my
43rd Cobble Hill puzzle together. It is a 275 piece puzzle titled Welcome To
The Cabin by Sam Timm. I chose this one because I love old log cabins. My
connection to this puzzle was an old cabin that was built in the early 1900s. A
close friend of mine rented this log cabin to be used as a hunting/fishing
lodge by the members of the hunting and fishing club he had established. The
cabin gave members a place to meet, have meals, plan hunting and fishing trips
and to socialize. It was located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia
on the Chattahoochee River.
Welcome to the Cabin by Sam Timm 1000 pc assembled by Elmer Prather |
There was a small lake between the cabin and the river. The
cabin was built on 40 acres of land abutting the Chattahoochee River. Sitting
on the back porch of the cabin you could see the lake behind the cabin, just as
the puzzle depicts. There was an inlet between the lake and the Chattahoochee
river where the original owners could move their small paddle wheeler boat from
the lake to the river. After many years of use, the boat sank into the lake.
The three room cabin had all of the modern conveniences like
running water, electricity and a bathroom. It was heated by a large rock
fireplace. It was cooled by raising the windows. My friend rented the cabin for
several years. We had to stop using it when the remnants of a hurricane blew
100 year old pine trees across the road making access to the cabin impossible.
Eventually the cabin fell into disrepair and was torn down. The property is now
a Nature preserve.
The cabin in the puzzle reminded me of this cabin. The
picture in the puzzle had many scenes that stood out. Some of them were the old
used pick up truck parked beside the cabin, the light shining down from the
three windows on the side of the cabin. Another scene that caught my eye were
the two ducks flying over the lake in front of the cabin. The ducks reminded me
of the ducks that flew onto and away from the lake behind my friend's cabin. In
the finished puzzle, the blues in the duck's wings really stood out. Whoever
owned the cabin must have been a hunter, like my friend, because there are deer
antlers mounted on the side of the cabin. There is a bird house attached to a
large oak tree beside the lake. The picture depicts a late evening timeframe
since you can see the evening sun reflecting across the lake. There is ample
firewood to heat the cabin stacked by the oak tree.
I did not see a boat in the puzzle but with the cabin being
on a lake with a boat dock, there was probably one located nearby. I imagined
that the cabin had a man and woman living there. The man had probably taken the
boat out and was fishing while his wife prepared dinner in the cozy cabin
kitchen.
The cabin in the puzzle was built with asphalt shingles not
the wooden ones normally found on older cabins. The rocks used to construct the
chimney can be seen above the roof line. They appear to be river rocks. The
rocks that were used to build the chimney probably came from around the lake.
The puzzle had a ribbon across the bottom that read,
“Welcome to the Cabin”. It made a statement that the owners enjoyed spending
time with their friends and neighbors.
It was a pleasure putting it together and seeing it come to
life.
by Elmer Prather, guest blogger
The puzzle pictured below is the 42nd Cobble Hill puzzle I have had the pleasure of putting together. It is a 2000 piece puzzle titled “Rocky Mountain High” by Mark Keathley. This is the third Mark Keathley puzzle I have put together. The other two were titled “Smoky Train” and “Mountain Cascade”.
The reason I chose this one is because I have been to the Rocky Mountains several times and this puzzle reminded me of those great trips. The puzzle depicts part of the snow capped Rocky Mountains, a mother bear and her two cubs, several beautiful Quaking Aspen trees and two small water falls flowing out of the mountain in the background. When I finished putting it together I stepped back to view it and the vivid colors and how they all came together to enhance the overall beauty of the scene truly gave me “A Rocky Mountain High”. The finished puzzle seemed to invite me to step into the scene and smell the fresh mountain air and listen to the rushing water as it flowed through the meadow.
This puzzle reminds me of the mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park which is located approximately 76 miles northwest of Denver International Airport in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The eastern and western slopes of the Continental Divide run directly through the center of the park. The main features of the park include mountains, alpine lakes and a wide variety of wildlife within various climates and environments, from wooded forests to mountain tundra. I think that Mark Keathley has captured all of this in his Rocky Mountain High puzzle.
Most tourists who visit Rocky Mountains National Park will make a side trip to Estes Park. Estes Park is the base camp for Rocky Mountain National Park and only 90 minutes from Denver. Nestled at the east entrance to the park and surrounded by protected land, the mountain village of Estes Park offers travelers the best of outdoor recreation, real wildlife, and hometown hospitality. This town has many old buildings that have been restored and are now home to numerous unique retail shops.
by Elmer Prather, guest blogger
The puzzle pictured below is the 39th Cobble Hill puzzle that I have had the pleasure of putting together. It is titled Twice The Love by Denis Mayer Jr. He named this painting, “Twice the Love” because the mother bear depicted in the puzzle has to give her love to two babies and when you see her, you will sense this gentle love. He noted that you will also sense the fierce power that is so obvious in her size and her claws, for if attacked she will be prepared to defend her cubs to the death. Today the mother will keep the cubs close by; tomorrow she will let them roam further afield as they grow more and more able to fend for themselves. The reason I chose this puzzle was because the bears reminded me of the black bears I have seen in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Twice the Love 1000 piece puzzle assembled by Elmer Prather
There are approximately
1500 black bears in the park. Many of them call the area around Cades Cove
their home. Cades Cove has an eleven mile one way loop road circling the cove
valley. On some of the drives I have taken through Cades Cove, I have seen
bears, wild turkeys, coyotes, deer and other wildlife. Along the loop road
you will pass three churches, a working grist mill, barns, log homes, and many
other faithfully restored 18th and 19th Century
structures.
Black bears love this area because of the vast food sources. They are omnivores and there is an abundant supply of berries and nuts for them to eat. In the fall when the acorns are ripe the bears will climb up into the oak trees and feast on the nuts. Gorging on the acorns ensures their storing enough fat to carry them through their winter hibernation.
Black bears usually have a fear of humans but in Cades Cove they have become acclimated to humans and they usually just continue eating in the fields around the cove as we drive by. Many times when a tourist sees a bear they will stop and take pictures. This causes what is called a “bear jam”, resulting in the Park Rangers being called to get the crowd moving again on the narrow one way road.
Below you will find a picture of a collage of some of the photos I have taken of bears in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Collage of black bears in Cades Cove photographed by Elmer Prather
As I stated earlier, black bears are omnivores and there have been several documented cases of bears attacking humans, however those are rare occasions. During the many times that I have visited Cades Cove I have witnessed several close calls where a tourist has gotten between the mother bear and her cubs. When this happens the mother bear becomes protective and does whatever it takes to ensure that her cubs are safe. Sometimes this includes lunging at the person between her and the cubs. This usually sends a message to the tourist to get back into their car quickly.
Black bears are beautiful, graceful animals that usually mind their own business, which for the female is taking care of their cubs and foraging for food.
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