The idea was to convey an impression of the surface of Mars with its reddish surface, its mountain ridges and perhaps with its canals and seas which one day may have held water.
But, as some of my discerning readers pointed out, it looked like something else.
Quilted Dogs questioned whether it might really be a part of my epidermis.
Which prompted Phil Perisich to remember my comments earlier about my camera's macro photography capabilities.
And Susie said it looked a little like a paper bag.
To those amateur detectives I offer a tip of the hat. But just a tip. Because none of you were exactly correct.
Here's the true subject of that photograph, taken from further back.
It's the blotter pad which rests atop my desk. But with various spillings it has taken on a distinctly Martian appearance and when I figured out how to use my camera's macro capabilities I just couldn't resist a little October Fool's joke.
I guess I should have remembered the famous quote from Abraham Lincoln - "You can fool some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time but you can't fool all the people all the time."
