Puzzle Description:

Bob & Kate take a tour on an elephant, when they came upon the Gandak River at Sonpur. They thought the elephant was thirsty, but it turns out he wanted to take a shower. Guess he didn't like Kate's perfume she picked up in Italy.

#1: Ellen Vollor (evollor) on Dec 21, 2010 [SPOILER]

Nice elephant! Thanks for the puzzle

thanks for entry, Travis... like the elephant

Nice entry Travis!!!

Really nice picture....enjoyed it! It's really good.

Thanks all

i really like this one
very nice creativity

great!

Fantastic puzzle, Travis. It's amazing how much detail you managed to get in this small space. Unique image, and interesting story, and fun solve.

I agree, the elephant is really well done. Nice, clear image, fun solve.

Whoa, awesome picture! I really like this :)

Thank you all so much

Really nice picture and story. Dem elefinks can be very trixy! :o)

Elefinks are democrats?

I especially enjoyed that the spray of water was one of the last things I solved. What a great surprise! Love the picture.

I'm sorry, I have to say this regarding the majority of puzzles that Travis has submitted.

So far, every single one (that I've solved) has had a television border around it. Except for the difference being the size, it's otherwise the same thing every time. It adds nothing to the solving process and rather makes the solving process much more annoying, even lowering the enjoyability of the process. If the television border were removed, the puzzles would not only be better, but there is the potential to use those extra rows and columns to add even more detail (from a contest standpoint), and you might stand a better chance at winning as well.

Some may disagree with me on this, but that is how I see it. I hate opening one of these and knowing automatically to discount several rows and columns to draw a television. It's not enjoyable, and I solve on paper so it's a waste of my marker ink. It's useful if - and only if - you are drawing a television in a room playing something with family gathered around, or even if you are drawing a television show itself (Simpsons anyone?), or as a stretch even a show logo in a frame. Those scenarios are the only times off the top of my head where it's useful. Please stop with the television borders. They're useless as you use them.

sorry cyclone...i like travis' puzzles
but, i might add, i don't like any kind of fences

Cyclone. It is the back of a camara. It fits in with the travel theme. Bob and Kate handed someone their point and shoot digital camara to take a picture of them on an elephant. Get it? I did a photo puzzle back in September #10287

While I do find the camera frame repetative, I (personally) don't find it annoying. Even if I did, if the artist/puzzle creator felt that it is a necessary element in telling their story then I'm going to tolerate them.

Cyclone - I understand and respect you opinion. Perhaps, since the border is so obviously repetative, you could skip solving it?

I thought I saw it used in other areas as well outside of these last few contests. Maybe I'm mistaken, but every puzzle by him shows it; to date, I've seen one that doesn't.

I'll back up the "annoying" comment. One puzzle I solved involved about fifteen (it seems) numbers in a few rows. A puzzle that involved is only complicated by adding a border of this nature to it. When trying to solve the actual puzzle, it's an unintended challenge having to figure out what number is what. I also still argue that the frame, even if this fits the theme, is pointless under the reason of wasting 10 rows and columns and thus eliminating a chance at further detail on the puzzle; in effect, a 40x40 is actually a 30x34 or such.

Martin, I considered your idea of skipping solving it before you suggested it. For the bottom and top, and left side, this would work. The right side can vary slightly with the puzzle size, however, and thus you cannot skip it at the risk of not factoring in black squares correctly in the solution. Further, sometimes that inner border extends further in a black set. Not filling them in on a tougher puzzle may result in me screwing up, too, so I feel compelled to fill it in.

Again, this is just my opinion. I would suggest not doing this border on future puzzles, and borders aside, I am always interested in the content itself. I'm not trying to be discouraging, just suggesting something I think would make his puzzles better and even more fun to solve. That's it. =)

Hey, Travis, I like your camera view puzzles. It only takes a minute to solve the border, then the fun begins. I have made lots of puzzles with rather pointless borders, and some have said they like that, and some have said they don't. Oh well. You can't please everybody. :-)

Cyclone, I hope you don't skip other puzzles by Travis. Here are some of his better ones that do not have borders:
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10691
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10637
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10668
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10596
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10621
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10831
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10847
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10883
http://webpbn.com/index.cgi?id=10968

Cheers Teresa for that. =) I haven't been skipping his border ones either, I've still been wondering what the image inside there is. I should probably do them online tho. I actually messed up this one towards the end and blame myself for misreading the colour; shoulda been blue and will finish it online. =)

LATER EDIT: I think my frustration came from WC#73. Seven puzzles he submitted all with the border, hence my understood frustration as it was my first real encounter of his puzzles (except maybe one or two from #72 or #71). Every puzzle had this feature, so to speak, and I have yet to try any outside of the contest puzzles of his. I will give a try to some as chance permits.

I've now come back to solving this one, and yes, the image is cute. I didn't have the water before. Now I get that it's a camera and it makes more sense. I still have reservations however. =)

Great puzzle, Travis! The elephant spraying the water is funny and original.

thanks sarah...glad you liked it

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