This puzzle – purchased at an op-shop in Katoomba – depicts Monticello, a historic home in the USA once owned by Thomas Jefferson. 750 pieces is larger than I usually prefer, but the price was right and I felt confident I could complete it in time.

Unlike the circular one from a few days ago I was able to begin with the frame. Look closely and you’ll spy three absent pieces. I believed I was thorough in my searching for them, and by this point I assumed they would never turn up.

So far so good, and it wasn’t very difficult finishing the sections that were largely the same colour.

Pieces are still missing as you can see, and by this point I’d separated out all the blue ones so I was sure those two edge pieces weren’t going to turn up.

The cherry blossom sections were very challenging, especially when the branches were over the green grass. By the point of the above picture I’d spent maybe two hours on the puzzle, but that was probably only a third of the total time it took to complete.

Incidentally I’d never heard of Monticello. Seems like it would be an interesting place to visit!

And here’s the complete puzzle! Look closely and you’ll count seven missing pieces in total, one of which is a bit mysterious:

The piece was there, but the picture had fallen off! The only way I knew where it went without finishing the puzzle was that it was already connected to another piece when I opened the box!

In addition to the seven missing pieces, three others were in a state of disrepair and a few had the picture layer peeling off. This puzzle obviously came from a feral home, and shouldn’t have been sold at the op-shop in the first place.

If you’re keeping track, of the four op-shop puzzles I’ve made over the years only one had all of its pieces. But they’ve all still been fun to assemble 🙂