Each of the questions in the “bull’s-eye” rings, when properly
answered, will cause two unrelated items to pop up around the tree stump:
- “BASAL METABOLISM” is in Funny Face; that movie’s first number is “THINK PINK,” which can have its PI changed to TA to become THINK TANK. Photos: CORN and ARTICLE
- TALL can be placed inside MARIACHI and followed by EF to become MARIA TALLCHIEF, known for BALLET, which can have its fifth letter changed to become BALLOT. Photos: CAR and PEAR
- The synonym for REMOVE is ELIMINATE; eliminate its vowels to get LMNT, then insert E three times to get ELEMENT. Photos: PAN and (Burl) IVES
- The antonym for LOSES is WINS, which can be followed by antonyms LOW and HIGH to get WINSLOW HIGH, which was on BOSTON PUBLIC. Photos: PHO and RING
- ALABAMA’s third most populous city is MOBILE, whose letters appear in nonconsecutive order in SIMONE BILES, who was an athlete in GYMNASTICS. Photos: CAP and CHI
- The Voyager episode “INSIDE MAN” preceded BODY AND SOUL, which was the title of a song that beat “MOVES LIKE JAGGER” at the Grammys, which contains JAG, which starred CATHERINE BELL. Photos: HEELS and KING
- UNIONIZED, after moving the D to the seventh position and then changing the Z to an A, becomes UNIONIDAE, which is the family for a MUSSEL, whose homophone is MUSCLE. Photos: FORT and ANT
- TRAIN’s biggest hit was “HEY, SOUL SISTER” whose lyrics mention the band “MR. MISTER” who had the #1 hit “BROKEN WINGS” which appears in the lyrics of the 1968 Beatles song “BLACKBIRD.” Photos: CAT and BRIDE
- HEALDSBURG, California, has radio station KNOB, which can have the B turned into a 3 to get KNO3, which is the formula for SALTPETER, which can have its third letter changed to an IN to form SAINT PETER. Photos: ABS and BRA
- Hugh DOWNS hosted CONCENTRATION which contains CENTRA, an anagram of TRANCE, the British thriller, which can be replaced with Angry Bird STELLA to form CONSTELLATION. Photos: BOB and STORM
- RENT originally starred TAYE Diggs; TAYE + ABCDE anagrammed forms BETA DECAY. Photos: TEE and HAM
- PACE is a brand of SALSA which can have its middle letter changed to get SAMSA, the hero of The Metamorphosis who becomes an INSECT (according to many translations and SparkNotes). Photos: DISC and (Bill) GATES
- HURL is the beginning of minor planet HURLESS; ESS can be preceded by minor planet SØREN (minus the slash) to get SORENESS. Photos: PILLAR and ARM
- RED OAK VICTORY is a ship at the ROSIE THE RIVETER/WORLD WAR II HOME FRONT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK; changing two vowels in HISTORICAL creates HYSTERICAL. Photos: INK and HORUS
Those answers are each suggestive of a word or phrase that can be spelled
out along the stump, using two of the images plus two letters between
them:
think tank: BRA(IN)STORM
ballot: ABS(EN)TEE
element: PHO(SP)HORUS
Boston Public: CHI (MC)BRIDE
gymnastics: CAR(TW)HEELS
Catherine Bell: ARM(Y W)IVES
muscle: HAM(ST)RING
blackbird: BOB(OL)INK
Saint Peter: PEAR(LY) GATES
constellation: CAP(RI)CORN
beta decay: ANT(IP)ARTICLE
insect: CAT(ER)PILLAR
soreness: DISC(OM)FORT
hysterical: PAN(IC)KING
Using the crossings to determine the placement of the interior letters
(each of which appears in exactly two entries), you get the answer
WINTER OLYMPICS.