“Remoted – Hybrid” – Day 728 (Monday) – sidewalk mystery

The walk between the garage and the office can sometimes yield tiny treasures, acts of nature, and mysteries. There have been countless and plentiful piles of dog poop. In November, there was the bird being plucked and eaten in the tree by a larger bird of prey as feathers floated down to the bricks. 

John Street Boots in snow,
February 11, 2022.

One Monday morning after a weekend summer music event, there was a silver charm stamped with “Eastham” glistening in the morning sun. There have been several costume jewelry hoop earrings, bracelets, zipper pulls, pendants, and coins. A week ago, a rhinestone crusted “B” was picked up from the sidewalk to be added to the odd assortment of found objects collected over many years. 

The latest mystery is a pair of boots, first noticed at the base of a streetlamp on John Street in January. They are not far from the doorway where the portly homeless guy used to lay on his side on a blanket, asking people for change as they passed by. These hardy boots, have withstood rain, snow, and ice. They have been buried in a couple snowfalls and remerged after the melt. After the past couple days of warmer weather, the boots have emerged once again. This time, instead of being at the lamp post, they are near the base of a tree not far away. 

John Street Boots after a melt,
March 7, 2022.

But why are they even there? There are a couple trash bins on the block, not far from the site of the boots. Did they belong to the homeless guy? Perhaps someone decide to change their footwear in the middle of the block and was too lazy to walk the few steps to toss them in the trash. Maybe they fell out of someone’s bag while loading their stuff into a vehicle parked there, and they are still puzzling over how the boots just vanished. And how did the boots migrate from the lamppost to the tree? I won't say that wondering about some skanky boots keeps me awake at night, but I also can't say it hasn't occupied some thought.

The mystery of the boots is akin to the puzzle of the random boots, sneakers, shoes, and sandals found on highway entrance ramps and along the side of the road. How do those get there? The interesting curiosity is not worthy of The History Channel show Histories Greatest Mysteries. We'll never know.