Lost, then found

It happened again yesterday.
On Wednesday evening, in the dark, a friend of ours was walking from her house out to her car to retrieve something. As she was walking along the sidewalk she dropped her house keys, but it was dark. The next morning she went out and searched high and low but couldn't find the keys. She called my wife and myself to help in the search as it was possible that they could have dropped in the grass at the edge of the cement walkway. The three of us searched diligently to no avail so we gave up. Then about 15 minutes later as I was going along the same walkway, there they were!! Right on the cement sidewalk edge in the exact 20 foot section we were all searching just minutes ago. It's like they were saying “Sorry to have taken so long in returning, but we had to do a detour”.
So where were the keys while were searching?

I say it happened again because about 2 months ago I was working on a tractor rear wheel and I had placed a lug nut on the tire. I was deeply engrossed with getting lubricating oil into a hard-to-reach location and clumsily, my sleeve knocked it onto the ground. I immediately searched for it amid the dirt and muddy surroundings. No luck! It couldn't have gone very far as it dropped from a height of about 4 feet. The ground was soft but not oozing water, but you could see the impression of tire tracks in the soil. I kept searching, even under the two rear tires as it could have lodged itself there, or so I reasoned. I needed that lug nut as I didn't have another one that particular size, so I called my wife to search with her eagle eyes (she's very good at finding things). No luck, so I went and got a 6 inch bar magnet with a handle and scanned the whole area under the tractor, close to the tires, even out as far as 6 feet from the rear of the tractor. No luck.
So I gave up and was reasoning that maybe I could find a replacement from a friend. So we went inside for lunch. About 20 minutes later I went out to the tractor to get the lubricating oil for another task, and as I looked down behind the rear tire about a foot I saw the lug nut we had been looking for. It was in the exact same area we had been searching in vain, it was not hidden or covered.
So where was it when we were searching?

Cloaking is a phenomenon that is inherent in lost components. It is an auto on and auto off feature that is timed for the moment of greatest disrepair and finalization of plans to do without or spend money. Jim

Leprechauns?

I am convinced that there are gremlins in my shop that do those things.
Richard in NW SC

You will always find something the last place you look. You would be pretty stupid to keep on looking after you have found the
item. So look at the last place first. LOL

When I loose something it is usually termally lost.

I usually find my lost items right away. Right away after their replaced that is.

research poltergeist

Try dropping a similar ite3m from the same spot.

We have a dog that is good in finding things. He hears me drop something and comes and picks it up. Then he gets a treat that I carry in my pocket. You should have seen him the 1st time I dropped 4 welding rods on the cement floor. It took a while to get the 1st one but after a treat he soon had the other 3 also for more treats.

Been there. Thats what a really big magnet is for. If not then the old metal detector trick. Found a wrench two years after I dropped it in the yard not ten feet from the porch step. This is the best time of the year cause all of the grass is way down flat and thin. Start looking for other treasures.

last fall I brought my angle grinder up to the house to do a job
took it back to the garden tractor shop and put it on the work bench
about a month later I had an other job for it at the house so went to go get it
now in addition to the shed I have a tractor shed and my work shop
think I could find it any where
NOPE NOTTA
now this grinder is a dewalt and is bright yellow couldn't find it anywhere
so last sunday I was down in the shop n sheds and what do I see in plain sight
yep bright yellow angle grinder
so were has it been the last 3 months
and I've been in and gotten other tools off the same bench at least 20 times this winter
only needed the blasted thing a dozen times since the fall
at least I had my old BD grinder that sounds like a jet engine redy to blow up and about as load
got me by till I found this one again
I need it tomorrow
wonder if it'll still be there

(quoted from post at 19:42:51 03/04/16) Leprechauns?

Click to expand...

When things didn't go right in the mines the Irish miners always blamed the 'Tommy-Knockers' (gremlins, leprechauns or some such) but for my own losses I just chalk it up to 'CRS'. :shock:

I have a metal detector for such losses.

One good thing about "CRS" --- it kinda negates "TMI"! :roll:

Last Sunday afternoon I cut back my grape vines I wanted to listen to the Atlanta race for some reason my pick up radio reception was terrible. I got my Honda and pulled it around back the radio blasted away . After all was done I reached into my pocket my keys were gone I searched all over for them, played back were I had been no keys were to be found. I put up all my trimming tools and had gave up looking then it hit me my Honda radio was blasting away behind the shop.

Keys were in the Honda ignition switch :lol: The only vehicle key I tote on my key ring is the Honda key so if they are not in my pocket I assume they were lost...

I was walking across the back yard using my pocket knife. I dropped it as I was walking. I did not kick it or anything. Just dropped it straight down. This is in mowed grass. Not very tall. I could not find the knife. I marked the spot and had my son come with his metal detector. He found several coins and nails but no knife. We wasted a couple of hours. That night when I took my work cloths off I found the knife in the side pocket of my carpenter pants. It must have landed in that pocket when I dropped it.

The only reason I wasted time looking for it was that knife was the last one my Grand Father gave me. It is a good Case XX knife. It now is in my gun safe. I only carry CHEAP knifes now. I lose good ones.

Things would magically reappear at various houses belonging to my wifes family., It was blamed on my wifes Dad. He's been gone since 1977. Just last week I was looking for a box of wheel bearings I purchased a couple of years ago. Looked all over, even cleaned some. Went out Sunday and the box with bearings was sitting in plain sight on top of some plastic storage totes.

I was working on carb on a snow thrower last fall, took off the 4" by 6" cover with the ignition switch. after I got carb back on, was gonna put cover back on. Could not find it, called son over to help me look, tore shop apart, no luck. Last week, walked by machine, and there it was sitting on the wheel below the carb, go figure.

The eye brain connection is a little funny sometimes. If I drop something and can't find it right a way, I will drop a duplicate piece if I have it. I will look at it on the ground to give my minds eye an image of what it looks like. This works great on a busy back ground like a gravel driveway. I have found many small items this way.

I also use a bright light placed on the ground/surface/floor so it shines sideways. This gives shadow relief to the object. (works where there is few other small items or grass) Jim

That same phenomenon happens to me all the time:lose it,can't find it,and later find it in plain sight.One time at work years ago,I lost a part-I had laid it down for a moment to help another guy for a moment,and could not find it back.Finally had all the guys in the shop searching,could not find it.Walked around the shop one more time,and there it was,in plain sight! It makes you think someone is screwing with you,but really you have just gone blind! Mark