posted on Dec, 17 2017 @ 12:50 PM
Yesterday, the wife and I are working outside doing things around the ranch. I had a big 'smoke' of some pork loins going on in one smoker and
about 4 dozen peppers in another (plus a big pot of 16 bean soup and smoked ham shanks going in a dutch oven inside). The wife tended to the cattle
earlier, then we both went out and broke ice in the stock tanks. Then our efforts focused on cleaning up a couple areas, which involved burning some
brush and miscellaneous wood scraps (pallets, etc.). We loaded up a trailer load of stuff for the dump (mostly scrap pallets not suitable for
burning). Got a lot of stuff done, we were busy, busy.
As the afternoon waned it was time to go inside and enjoy the smell of the beans as they finished cooking. For about the past hour prior to that we
had each been doing separate tasks, I was cleaning corrals with the skid steer and the wife was keeping an eye on the burns (which you have to do by
law here). When we came inside to get cleaned up I just casually asked my bride..."So, how's it going?" She had this kind of perplexed
look on her face and said.."Well, it's going okay...IF I could find my wedding band..."
WAIT...WHAT ?????? (the entire world screeches to a halt in my mind!) "I beg your pardon? I don't think I heard you right, did
you say your wedding band is missing????"
"I could swear I saw it on my finger just a little bit ago, but now it's gone. I'm sure it's around here somewhere"
Now, a bit of a backstory here; two years ago we got her the ring of her dreams for our 20th anniversary, and this ring never leaves her finger! (nor
does mine). We had the ring custom made just so it would be low profile and not catch on things (her idea)...and now this ring has suddenly gone
missing! A fortune...missing!
We checked all the easy things first...nothing. Then we started the uglier tasks of dumping out rubbish bags of burned (now soaking wet) debris and
sifting through it, just praying we'd find it. This was the easy part! Nothing. With a sigh, I looked around with a feeling of pure dread...it
could be anywhere on this 2,150 acres. We'd been in corrals, handling stock, moving hay piles, riding four wheelers, tractors, multiple
vehicles...it could be any of those places. My Gawd!!
We looked everywhere. Nothing. I eventually broke out the metal detector and started sweeping a rough grid pattern I'd laid out. Well after dark,
and about zero outside, I'd found about every other metal thing on the property, but not the ring. After dinner, I went out again with a very bright
light hoping I might be able to spot a flash of light of the reflection in the diamonds, but it was snowing now, and the fog had visibility down to
about 60 feet. Before taking my freezing ass back in the house I laid out a detailed grid to start with at daybreak. I'd dig up every square inch
of property if I had to!
My poor bride went to bed heartbroken. Neither of us slept very well either, thinking about the likelihood of what amounted to finding a needle in a
haystack...almost literally.
About 3am this morning I'm stunned awake by something grabbing both my ankles, HARD!, in the bed (in my sleep state I think I'm being eaten by
JAWS)..."huhh..whaaaa?
"I FOUND IT!!!.... I FOUND IT!! I FOUND MY RING!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I FOUND IT!!
I shot up out of bed like a lightning bolt! I was so happy for her (for both of us)!
So where did she find it?
Well, earlier in the day, while cleaning out our office inside the house, she'd come across a box which had some costume jewelry in it at the bottom
which she loved, but had forgotten about. Among the jewelry were several rings. So she picked out the costume jewelry with the intention of putting
away in one of her jewelry boxes. She stuck the rings on several fingers just to transport them while she carried the rest of the stuff in her hands.
Somehow, when she put all the stuff in her jewelry boxes she slid her wedding band off when she took the other rings off her fingers. She'd
remembered this as she laid there awake, and went to look just as a silly little lark (knowing it surely wouldn't be there). Sure enough, there it
was!
Unbelievable! Fantastic, but unbelievable!! My Sunday chore list just went from frustrated to the point of futility to "WOO HOOOOO!!"
Thus the story of the lost ring, and one REALLY close call!