Socks on a Twig

JJ, Benny and I briskly stride down the trail. Its the main walking, biking, and running trail through the city. Running parallel to major thoroughfares, its a thin strip of forested oasis from the traffic and cars.

Clothing on a branch catches my eye. We stop and I inspect. Its a pair of dark patterned socks.

We attract lost clothing, especially socks. We’ve run into one purple sock and two pairs of black socks on parking strips, a hat on an electrical pole, a sweater on a fence and numerous gloves in the road.

I’m mystified. Who loses socks on a trail? You lose socks in the laundry. Its 40 degrees out, not barefoot weather. You’re not going to voluntarily strip off your socks unless you like your feet really really cold.

Did a jogger splash through a big puddle? For certain, if you’re a jogger in the Pacific Northwest, you will get soaked from head to foot. I have never seen a jogger carrying anything to stow socks in. And these aren’t sport socks.

Little Jimmy is out on his bike with Mom in tow and he joy rides through a large puddle. Mom always has extra socks stowed away because Little Jimmy loves wet feet. The family calls him little Jimmy duck. Little Jimmy hurdles down the trail with his dry socks and Mom chases after him;forgetting the wet socks. This scenario is a possibility, as they could be kid’s socks.

The good Samaritans around here, when they find clothing on the ground, hang it up on the nearest branch, pole or other lofty place. I surmise the thought is if you hang it up high, whoever lost it is more likely to find it. In this case, its not working. The socks are still on the branch a week later, even more soaked as its the rainy season here.

And I’m still mystified.