WHERE DID I PARK THE CAR?

How many times have you asked yourself that question?

In rural Montana the answer might surprise you.

Case in point -  

Sally* is a life-long resident of Lewistown.

Married to a rancher she also runs a business downtown.

Everyday Sally parks her pickup in front of her office on Main Street.

Recently after a busy day she was ready to go home and make supper.

Hmmm... her vehicle was NOT where she had parked it.

The space was EMPTY.

She called her kids.

"Did you come down and get my vehicle?"

"No Mom."

She called her husband.

"By any chance did you borrow the pickup?"

"Are you kidding?!"

Obviously someone had taken it but... WHO?!

Far right - Ed Martin, Sheriff of Fergus County, Montana - Courtesy Montana Memory Project Lewistown Library

Sally called the sheriff and filed a report.
Then she hitched a ride home
with time enough to still fry up some pork chops for supper.

The next morning the Sheriff's office called to report
"We found your vehicle".

A local rancher had called to report a strange pickup on his property.

After "asking around" they figured out how it got there.

courtesy hotrod205.wordpress.com

The day before the rancher's elderly father had driven into town.

Buck* had a cup of coffee with his buddies at the Empire Cafe. 

Upon leaving he could not remember where he parked his pickup.

Buck wandered up and down Main Street until he finally found it.

Sally's pickup that is...

??? How could that happen ????

Howdy city slicker!

You must remember that we're talking about Lewistown, Montana.

Sally couldn't be bothered with digging through her purse to find her keys.

Courtesy of leblogdequan.blogspot.com

So...
rather than 
purse dive - 
Sally just 
leaves her keys 
in the 
pickup ignition.

After all this is Lewistown.

And...
nothing bad 
ever happens in Lewistown - 
RIGHT?

Case closed.

*Please note that names have been changed to protect the innocent (or trustworthy).