So, you know how when you’re sick, you can almost always plant yourself on the couch and watch some Law & Order marathon on TNT or USA Network? Those shows almost always start with some bystander/passerby coming across some grisly crime scene. And other than maybe hotel maids, it seems that people out walking their dogs find an inordinate amount of dead people.
And nearly every day since Penny was good enough to be off-leash, we’ve taken our morning hike up the trails of Mt Miramar. Most of the time, we’re looking around to see how good the view is, maybe spotting some bunnies, quail, or owls, while keeping alert for coyotes and our resident bobcat.
Normal day
Well, the other day, it felt like something out of Law & Order. Off to the side of the trail we return on, I spotted something odd in the low sage chaparral. It was a hole. And not just a hole, a rectangular hole maybe ten feet by three feet.
There was nothing obviously wrong about it – other than the fact that it was a rectangular hole in a field – and it was only maybe five or six inches deep. Penny and I investigated but couldn’t find anything that seemed too unusual.
The hole in question
We couldn’t figure out what anyone would be doing there – unless they just wanted to shovel off some topsoil in a remote place – though much of the dirt seems to be amassed on the side. Maybe they wanted some sage brush plantings for their garden?
We’ll keep our eyes on it and see if anything changes with it.
Stevil 
Lol – mysterious. I always think Chicken Little might sniff out a body along the river. She always walks nose down, sniffing away and she digs up all sorts of things. Once I was telling a friend about all the things she’d found – KFC chips, prawns, water crackers, dead birds etc etc and my friend said – where do you walk – The rubbish tip!
You can’t imagine how many times I’ve been thinking of stories that gets its inspiration from us finding something in chaparral. Usually, we just find broken beer bottles and cigarette butts from the kids that go up there and do nefarious teenage things.
Vincent D’Onofrio would get in the hole, sniff around, and then solve the case 40 minutes later using nothing but intuition. Maybe you should try that.
That’s what Penny did.
Detective Sergeant Penny is on the case. Sadly, she got distracted by some rabbit poop.
I’m happy to see Penny took care of investigation!
She sees those trails as her personal domain — every morning it’s a sniff fest to see if anything’s gone amiss.
Don’t I know it? Bobby’s the nosiest of noses and he’s the only Canine-American present! Well, except for coyotes.
You obviously haven’t watched ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’ :)
Mary — I have, but I didn’t think about it until you posted this. Now I’m totally worried!
Waiting for the Flash Fiction on this one.
SS — I get a LOT of story ideas while walking the dog — I just didn’t think one would just quite PRESENT itself like that… ;)
Yes! That’s what I was thinking, too!! Waiting for your short story on this “Opening Scene”!! :)
Steve, you know better than to present photographic evidence of your future crime scene …
Okay, assuming someone dug the hole for the non-nefarious reasons you mention … it’s odd that the hole is not just randomly dug but is a perfect rectangle. Too big for a grave (unless someone found Sasquatch or the Mexican Mafia is planning a mass execution) … how close to the border do you live? Maybe you found the newest tunnel exit.
GOM — i really do wonder if some people were up to something and a ranger/cop came by or something. I mean, why else would you start to excavate a rectangular hole?? The Beloved said that maybe someone wanted to make a garden. That’s what I’m going with.
We’re about 30 miles from the border, so if someone’s made a tunnel THAT long, I’m not going to mess with them!
I’m thinking of that M. Night Shymalan movie, “Signs.” Except the aliens didn’t have time to complete their circle. Mel Gibson probably interrupted them and scared them away.
HG — maybe I should try throwing some water on it (headdesk). Actually, it rained quite a bit this weekend, so it’s already starting to look less precise.
I think a parent was fed up with the kids, and she sent them out to dig a hole to specified dimensions. Hmmm…. not a bad idea, actually.
LOL! If this were Facebook, I would like Lenore’s comment! :)
Have your kids read the book/seen the film “Holes”?? Maybe THAT was what was going on!
Steve, I laughed so much at this post! Love the comparison of Law and Order!! So true!!
J — I guess it’s better to be the discoverer than the discoveree!! :)
“Tis true!