announcing the 9th guess the shadow contest

50% of the beneficiary rewards to this post go in support of #hive-179017

i hope everyone has entered the OCD community boost contest. it's not too late. here's the link:
https://ecency.com/hive-174578/@ocd/ocd-community-boost-contest-8-highlighting-shadow-hunters

normally the total prizes for this contest are 3 HIVE and 300 POINTS provided by our ehived (that's HIVE-speak for esteemed) leader @melinda010100 but this week we have a special additional prize announcement

the venwood prize

...may be given to the venwoodest guess comment. now you may not be familiar with the term "venwood". after all, it has just recently been added to HIVE-speak. it is not some newly discovered species of tree found in a niche in a tropical rainforest. nor is it a newfangled substitute lumber product for the construction industry.

no. no. venwood refers to an ingredient or a quality contained in a post- something extraordinarily fantastical, so incredible that it defies reality to the extent that it impels the reader to break into laughter or at the very least crack a disbelieving smile while shaking one's head. a venwood approach to a mystery is not to attempt to reveal some profound hidden truth, but rather to remove the weight of darkness from the unknown thereby lightening the load for all those fortunate enough to happen upon such a response. by extension it is an approach to life itself.

this new prize may range between 0 and 3 HIVE as long as supplies last. speaking of supply, the HIVE was donated to this contest by a kindhearted contestant. since he is exceedingly shy and modest, he insisted that his identity remains hidden behind the shadows in hopes that nobody could possibly surmise his identity. that would be a heavy burden to bear and defeat the whole purpose of the prize. in summary the prize may be given to the single venwoodest guess reply.

and now the new mystery shadow!

what on earth is making this shadow???

i know how desperate you all are for a nice noisy parade after the long winter so last week the mystery was a little easier than usual to ensure we got one. but that is finished now. this week is a tough one suited to encourage a venwood type approach. however if anybody does manage to solve the mystery i assure you there will be more than just a parade.

i was a little naive on the 7th contest. i was blinded by some smiling girls in flashy saris, thinking they would make good judges. but now i have learned to be more selective. this time i have found some earnest judges who are satisfied with crumbs

as always HIVE and/or POINTS are given for the correct answer and even for more or less incorrect ones. the judges may also recommend nominations to pixresteemer. if you think some ________ (-body else) has beaten you to your guess, there's no need to throw in the sponge, Bob, the point is we're here to have some fun so do join in.

i've also extended the 5 HIVE special offer for anybody who finds my phone!
please call me if you do, you have the number.

this contest still has just one basic rule:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
please live by it at least until midnight April 26th

best of luck to all. did i mention this week's image is no piece of cake. i still can't get over it. they ate the whole thing