Recently I arrived in a small mountain town to visit my friend Jean. I had never been to her house but have had her address in my book for years. Jean told me she had an appointment, told me where to find the house key in case she wasn't home. The key was in the planter on the east side of the house. Come on, when I'm surrounded by mountains every side is west to me! I had no intention of going into her house if she wasn't home...geesh!

After a leisurely drive I arrived in Conifer and called to invite Jean to join me for lunch in town. The house phone rang and rang. As promised, she was out.. I ate lunch by myself and was at her house by 1:30 p.m. but still she wasn't home.

To pass the time, I took a walk, taking in the view, stretching my legs, checking out dirt roads and side streams. Back down her road, through the gate, into her yard, on her porc, in in one of the 4 wooden rocking chairs facing the peaks I perched myself, enjoying the beauty of her view. After an hour of peaceful contemplation, I decided to check the planter for the key and didn't find it. Then I went to the front door and looked in another planter, no luck. Then I moved the life size wooden bear ornament on the front porch and sure enough - the house key was there! What was she thinking? I never would have described that wooden bear as a planter!

I entered the house and it was clean and very beautiful but it didn't look like Jean was expecting anyone, so I decided to use my detective skills and make sure it was the right house - though the address was the same as the one in my address book. Out of the house, back to my car (which was parked in the driveway) got my glasses and back inside the house again. There were some photographs here and there but was that Jean and her husband? What was I looking for? Was this her daughter getting married in the photos? I kept looking for some sort of identification that spelled out I was in the right place.

A huge banner hung over the loft upstairs with the name 'Monroe'. What was Jean's maiden name anyhow? I kept looking for more proof that this was Jean's house. I walked through the living room, in the huge bedroom with an amazing view of the mountains, into the kitchen and the dining room. On one chair in the corner of the room was a piece of paper with an email on the top. It was To: Sue Monroe. I WAS in the wrong house!!!

I hurried out of the house, locked it, put the key back under the bear and drove to the middle of town where I was able to get phone connection and called Jean. She was home, waiting patiently for me. My heart was still beating. She had moved 2 years earlier. Didn't she already give me her new address? I could hardly hear her, my heart was still pumping blood into my ears. Oh my god! OH my goodness!

Moral of the story? Keep your house tidy because you just never know when someone might drop in!

Marge (Clueless Detective)

p.s. Due to small town familiarity, I changed the name of the people involved so they don't get too freaked out and hide their key in another place.

Mead to Conifer via Google Earth