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Where We Left Off:
Gus and Oliver discovered an unlikely pair of critters teaming up for shenanigans and danger.
The Missing Links:
While taking Oliver and Gus on patrol near Fort Winchester, we discovered something quite unusual. We were looking for tracks of wild animals and trespassing cats, but that’s not what we found. There was a coiled rusty, heavy chain barely visible under the grass and next to the border that separates the yard from the woods.
The weight of the chain meant it was used for something heavy duty like trying to pull one tractor out of the mud with another. The way it was seemingly uncovered when we hadn’t been actively digging for it means there’s been so much erosion, not only had years of dirt been washed away, but also that the chain may have slid from the wildflower/weed bed into the grass of the backyard.
Oliver instructed me to pull chain out of the dirt so he and Gus could get a better look at it. The Butler estimated that it was twelve-feet long. There’s a heavy hook at one end. The Grumpy Old Man hadn’t mentioned missing a chain recently so this had probably been buried for quite some time.
Being tidy and in the mood to declutter, The Butler said he was going to throw it away. That is not how The Grumpy Old Man likes to do things. Same for The Cook, but this was definitely not hers. They prefer to sit and ponder on what will be thrown away and when. Unfortunately, The Grumpy Old Man has a habit of hoarding which is why he quickly filled up a hangar suitable for a small aircraft, floor to ceiling with stuff. I have stuff in there too, but it’s in the loft and not in the way of using the space for working on projects. Now only a medium-sized pickup truck and a couple lawn mowers are the only things to go in and out of there.
This is seriously thick chain. It would take a steroid-fueled wrestler with some big-ass bolt cutters to get through it. Luckily, The Butler was there that day to carry the chain over to one of the junk areas so I didn’t have to—especially not while trying to push Oliver through the incredibly bumpy grass which has been destroyed by underground creatures making burrows.
When asked about the chain, The Grumpy Old Man said: “I was going to hook it up to Gus when he’s in his battle cat form and have him pull the tractor out of the mud.”
Was he serious?
Honestly, you never know.
Case Findings:
On a routine patrol, Gus, Oliver, The Butler, and I found a thick chain barely uncovered from dirt and grass. It was right next to Fort Winchester near the Northern Woods. It was not an ancient artifact, but rather a piece of hardware The Grumpy Old Man had left behind and forgot all about.
Case Status: Closed
