"I Won't Spoil The Ending" - January 15, 2021

[Georgeall]

Ashore.

[JimJim]

Ashore! Love my Friday morning alone time. Clever construct.

[Joe Ross]

Ashore, but the site won’t let me submit my answer, so had to email it in. I wonder if they even look at those.

I started emailing in my answer because I was growing skeptical they looked at the form submissions on the site! I often wish they would send an automated confirmation email after you submit so that when I don't win the mug for the umpteenth time I'll know it at least wasn't because my submission didn't go through.

Well, I can confirm that submitting via the website does work, since I managed to win a mug that way last year. From a previous posting on this thread, apparently it works via email as well, so both are okay.

A possible caveat on submitting using using the WSJ online form: As of January 1st, Adobe stopped supporting Adobe Flash. Some browsers now flag Flash as a security risk. WSJ's online form uses Flash, which, IMUnqualifiedO, might have been leading to issues the last couple of months. If you can use the form, then your submission should go through. However, it might be safest to email your entry to crosswordcontest@wsj.com.

[Wendy Walker]

Like a magic 👁 puzzle

What a coincidence: we were just looking at some of those the other night! I'd forgotten the technique for "doing" one, so I found it online: you hold the image up to your nose and then slowly move it away, and sure enough the tiger or message or UFO just pops out. So cool!
Yesterday I was having so much trouble with the meta that yeah, you guessed it: after Peter's comment I tried the same technique. No hidden message.
BTW they are technically known as autostereograms.

[lbray53]

On the beach! I needed to broaden my horizon to find the beach.

[Flananigans]

A second look this morning revealed the solution. Made it ashore. Nice meta!

[WSJosh]

Ashore—now time to pick out a family movie for this evening!

[Scott M]

Ashore is a GReat thing to sAY--only a few rabbit holes! I am GOing straightAWAY to the tiki bar since it is closing in a BIt. I'll have a nice tankaRD of mead, I think.

26232058_10212702023604179_159953556403711604_o.jpg

I was told where to go by a great many of these on our South African safaris in 2019. So grateful we got our act together and went when we did!

[Bird Lives]

Like a magic 👁 puzzle

What a coincidence: we were just looking at some of those the other night! I'd forgotten the technique for "doing" one, so I found it online: you hold the image up to your nose and then slowly move it away, and sure enough the tiger or message or UFO just pops out. So cool!
Yesterday I was having so much trouble with the meta that yeah, you guessed it: after Peter's comment I tried the same technique. No hidden message.
BTW they are technically known as autostereograms.

I couldn't help noticing that one of the "likes" for this post came from Hidden in 3D.

[CopperRiver]

On the beach!

[Bird Lives]

I finally remembered that on my laptop screen, the .puz format doesn't show the ends of long clues, so I was trying to solve this not really paying attention the numbers in parentheses. Once I remembered to look at those, all was revealed.

[Bob cruise director]

On the beach!

Did it require consulting with YoungestCopperRiver?

[rexthree]

on shore!

[Franklin.Bluth]

Ashore. I am always genuinely in AWE of what it takes to construct these metas. As hard as it can be to solve them, the creation process must take five times as long. (Applies to all metas, not specific to this one.)

[Powers2020]

Ashore! That was a really fun one! Today is Dry January hump day! Celebrate!!!

[JaneGummy]

On shore, tho I needed a nudge from Boharr to pull me out of a dead end rabbit hole. Clever puzzle!

[ky-mike]

I solved yesterday while multi-tasking. I didn't realize the greatness of how this came together until glancing at it again this morning.

Well done Matt Gaffney!

[MaineMarge]

Sitting in Isaac’s bar with a hot mulled cider, mulling over the themers.

If you come to visit the garden, you will not be offered Japanese noodles- just the sight of this Japanese tree lilac in full bloom.

It blooms later than the regular lilacs, but it has the same glorious scent filling the air here. Below it to the right are 3 home grown peonies adding theirs to the mix.
Early July photo.

[SeanS]

Looks like I'm hanging with Isaac this week. First time checking in this year so happy new year fellow muggles-- I hope my fellow Pennsylvanians got their pork and sauerkraut on the first.

My younger sister recently started writing for the US version of The Spectator magazine and wrote an article about PA Dutch food traditions (including, of course, Shoo-Fly Pie).

Unfortunately that one isn't published on their site yet but here's the rest of her work so far for anyone who may be interested- she's pretty funny: https://spectator.us/author/mary-kate-skehan/

[LadyBird]

Ashore is a GReat thing to sAY--only a few rabbit holes! I am GOing straightAWAY to the tiki bar since it is closing in a BIt. I'll have a nice tankaRD of mead, I think.

26232058_10212702023604179_159953556403711604_o.jpg

I was told where to go by a great many of these on our South African safaris in 2019. So grateful we got our act together and went when we did!

When you say "I was told where to go"--did you do an independent driving safari? I'm not sure that I would be adventurous enough for that! The only time we could walk about on our own was in camp during daylight hours.

I imagine that you are very glad that you planned your trip for 2019 and not 2020! Alas for us, we SHOULD be boarding our ship in Ushuaia today.