....to expect little boys not to leave their shoes abandoned under a tree.
Two evenings ago my DH and I set off for our usual evening 'health' walk. We had not gone 200 yards when we looked round and saw our Egyptian Mau following us. DH chased her back home and continued to catch me up. Looked round again and there she was, happily trotting to join us. He again chased her home but couldn't catch her to put her indoors. Off he set again when low and behold the two of our cats were following him. He chased them, caught one and popped them indoors. I, meanwhile, carried on walking and under a tree on a nearby green was a pair of brand new Nike trainers size 5.5 - I thought that maybe someone had dropped them so I picked them up and took them home only to let the cat out who promptly follow me again up the road. She jumped under a car and hid. She knew the game by now. I walked past the tree and there sitting under the tree were a pair of black lace ups size 3. I took these and the cat home and continued on our walk.
I clothes pegged a notice on our hedge hoping that some shoeless child would see it and DH popped a notice in the local shop.
Off DH went on his walk last night and on the way back found 5 boys with no shoes on their fee. He asked if they had lost something "Yes two pair of shoes" replied a lovely polite little boy.(the owner of the size 5.5 Nike trainers) So they followed DH home (not unlike the Pied Piper) and took possession of their shoes. Thanking him profusely and saying that they always climb trees in socks.
About and hour later I was walking to my DD to babysit when a small boy (his feet were probably about size 3) rode past me with - wait for it - SOCKS AND NO SHOES ON - I exclaimed I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!!!!! he stopped patrolling the precinct (he was checking the area for Perps - I obviously wasn't one as he didn't make any sign that I was under arrest - I said "Don't tell me you have left your shoes under the tree again???" "umm, yes - we don't like climbing the tree with shoes on" He was about 500 yards from the tree.
My assumption now is that they had left their shoes while going for a bike ride around the area and some silly old biddy ran off with them. Goodness knows what the neighbours thought. No wonder one is sold and the other up for sale (the barking dog family).
Yesterday afternoon I 'rescued' a pedal tractor which had been parked in the road and was looking lonely. I am getting a bit of a reputation.