This is a mural of a train painted on the wall around the corner from a well known restaurant I frequent: Whistlestop Cafe/Irondale Cafe. Not my picture, but I did have one of Nita when her family came to visit me, ever so long ago. It's very rare that you eat there without hearing and seeing trains pass by across the street from the cafe. People with kids and grandkids go across the across the street and sit on the benches just to watch the trains go by. I've done it with my grandson :o)

Is this like those pictures where you have to let your eyes "relax" so the figure shows up in it? Because I can't find the toad! Is it just one leg of the toad? Do I need to lick a toad?

Oh that's a wonderful garden! Dad had a big one at the farm when I was young. I loved going with him to dig up the potatoes. I knew mom would take the little tiny red potatoes, scrub them well, then fry them whole. Omg they are so good that way. But fresh dug potatoes are good any kind of way. And fresh tomatoes! I didn't get to the farm store this weekend for my tomatoes and I will miss them. Yes you should be very proud of that garden.

I was similarly skeptical a few years ago when people were saying that the 17-year cicadas damaged many trees the previous time they were here. I reasoned that since adult cicadas don't eat anything, how could they possibly damage a tree. However when the massive brood emerged, the resulting damage looked exactly like susan_wv's image. As you say, the females do cut slits in twigs and deposits eggs therein. When the eggs hatch, larvae drops to the ground to begin the cycle anew. The key is when the 17-year cicadas emerge, there are lots of them -- as many as 1.5 million per acre. Each female proceeds to lay about 500 eggs choosing branches that are about 1/4 inch in diameter. Consequently in heavily affected areas all of the branches of that size are completely covered with slits to that point that the branch dies.