While I'm working to rebuild the missing minute of The Mockingbird Song (brief summary of What Exactly Happened: the main file and its backup were corrupt. I don't know why or how. Fortunately, there was another version saved in Dropbox that I'd forgotten about, and it's complete except for about 63 seconds, which I'm working on now. It's faster than trying to unbreak the other one), here's some news for you! As announced via Twitter and Facebook earlier last week, we finally have a winner for Evelyn's Puzzle. You thought it would never be solved, didn't you? Well, our winner has asked to remain anonymous because the prize--the original sketch of Evelyn and Mrs. Nattingbottom--is going to be a surprise gift for someone special. Congratulations, Winner (and Winner's sweetheart!) But I did promise I would explain all the clues for you once the puzzle was solved, so, here you go: (more...)

Sadly, our potential puzzle winner never responded to the multiple pleas to actually complete his submission. But that means that the rest of you get another stab at the very first piece! So, for the rest of you, here's part 2 of Clue #1, and it's only two words:

domain

suffix

Remember to send your completed puzzle to me when you've found them all!

A few people have already found this piece too, but that's all right. This one is easy. ;-)

Consider everywhere I go.
Look in the past and then you'll know.

Check back next Wednesday for the clue to the fifth piece. And don't forget the rules!

Are you ready for the first clue? We'll start you off easy. How's that?

Find the last of the Micronesians
and tell them my name
Their beloved songs
will tell you the place

Check back next Wednesday, the 25th for the clue to the second piece. And don't forget the rules!

Evelyn likes jigsaw puzzles. She likes them more than anything else she knows! But Evelyn does not like her nanny. She hasn't liked any of her nannies, to tell the truth, but each one she dispatches is promptly replaced by another! Always the optimistic and resourceful tot, Evelyn decided perhaps it was time to find something she could like about her latest nanny, Mrs. Nattingbottom.

So, she made a puzzle out of the woman.

Unfortunately, Evelyn has lost all of the pieces! She needs your help finding and putting Mrs. Nattingbottom back together again. If she can't, Mother and Father will hire yet another nanny, and Evelyn will have to start all over again! Here's what you need to know:

• Mrs. Nattingbottom's six pieces are scattered all over the web. Every Wednesday for six weeks, a new clue will be posted to help you find another piece.
• Save each piece. When you've collected all six, put them together in your photo editing software of choice (or cut them out, tape them together and take a photo if you're an over-achiever) and email the completed puzzle to me using this form.
• The first person to complete and send me the puzzle will win the original signed sketch of Evelyn and Mrs. Nattingbottom. There's only one!

Here's what else you need to know. Listen now; this is important:

• The weekly clue is the only help you get!
• All six of the pieces are out there somewhere, so you don't have to wait for the clues to find them. If someone manages to find them all before all the clues have been posted and sends me the completed puzzle, that person will win if he or she is the first. So, crank up your thinking motors. This is a race.
• The winner will be announced on skary.net, Facebook and Twitter. If you don't see an announcement, the contest is still going.
• DO NOT spoil the answers for anyone else before the contest ends. If you do, say, post any of the answers in a comment somewhere, you will be disqualified. No, you can't even hint.

The first clue will be posted this Wednesday, 11-18-09! So, study the rules, flex your fingers, eat a sandwich, finish your chores, put the kettle on and whatever else you need to do to get ready.

Finished already? Click here to send it.