Tree Brain Season is rapidly approaching. That's the time of year when we eagerly await the annual hideous growth on the tree in my yard. Think of it as the fungal Great Pumpkin. (Except this one actually shows up and doesn't leave you looking like a jackass in front of Charlie Brown's little sister.)

Mellors from Australia wrote to me with a startling discovery from Tree Brain 2006 that somehow went unnoticed until now...

Steve,

I was looking at one of your last pictures of the brain, and I noticed.. your last brain had a FACE!

I circled the face in the picture for you, just tilt your head slightly to the right and you should see it ;D

I hope it's not too late and irrelevant. I can't wait for new installments of it, only a couple of months to go!!

I can't believe none of us have spotted that until now. This might be the most important face finding since the Face on Mars and the significantly lamer Smiley Face on Mars.

Here's a closer look:

It's important to remain rational and scientific when presented with findings such as this. If you take into account the position of the sun and the camera angle at the time the photo was taken, I think there is only one logical conclusion we can make: the tree brain was trying to reveal the identity of the Tree Brain Bandit. The heartless little lady who stole Tree Brain 2005.

I think we'll all be paying extra attention for such clues when Brain Watch 2007 begins.

(Everything you could possibly want to know about the annual Tree Brain can be found right here. Thanks, Mellors!)