Friday Smile - The Castlewood Mystery edition

Sorry for being relax in posting my Friday Smile posts.  I've either been dealing with some fatigue issues or other issues. haha!

I don't have any pictures for today but have a story for you.  My husband didn't find it amusing or even understand why I was freaked out, but his comment was funny.  So I'm going to share the story with you and hopefully you understand why I was freaked and I think you'll enjoy his comment.

The Story:
I was running at Castlewood State Park this past Sunday.  I was running the trails and was roughly 5 miles into the run.  Due to all the snow we had the day before and the fact that the ground wasn't really cold enough for it, it was incredibly muddy.  Most people were smart and didn't run at the park because of this and in those 5 miles I had only seen one other person.  So it was very isolated.

So what happened?  I saw a pair of hiking boots on the trail.  Weird, but ok.  Maybe somebody was hiking and had an extra pair and they fell out of their pack.  However a bit further I saw two water bottles. The caps were off, they were empty, and they were laying off the side of the trail.  This was freaky.  I stopped and took my headphones out and listened.  I didn't hear anything.  I looked around but didn't see anything. I start freaking out.  Why would somebody drop this stuff or just leave it.  Who would leave their shoes and water bottles?  I immediately start thinking that something bad happened.  I try to pick up my pace and go faster but due to the mud I couldn't really go much faster.  Further down the trail I see a pair of gloves on the trail.  Further down I see a vest with a thermal shirt.

When I got down to the road I ran to the ranger station and saw an ambulance but before I got there the ambulance and ranger drove off.  I completed my run and on my way out the park I stopped at the ranger station.

There was a guy and two teenagers at the station talking with the Ranger. I told the ranger that I didn't know if this had anything to do with the ambulance from earlier but I passed a pair of hiking boots, water bottles, and other items on the trail.  Perfect timing. The guy and teenagers were there to find the items.  I don't know exactly what happened, but they said she, so I assume it was the guys wife and the kid's Mom. They mentioned that she must have gotten lost.  It was lucky that I was able to point out where the items were on the map so they could find them.

I have no idea what happened to the lady, didn't feel it was my place to ask.  I'm glad I was able to help though.

So that's my story.  Do you understand why I was freaked out?  Being all alone on the trail and finding that stuff strewn along the trail..not exactly close together either. I was freaked thinking something had happened to the lady and that a murderer or somebody was still out there and would get me next. ha!

I told my Husband this and he just looked at me and said "You read too many mysteries."  Lol!  I actually think that's pretty funny.  As luck would have it I was reading a mystery at the time.  He found it funny that I was freaked..yet continued my run (another 6 miles).  I said that when I saw the ambulance but no police cars, I felt pretty positive that there wasn't a murderer on the loose.

What about you?  Would you have gotten a bit freaked and thought something wasn't right? Or would you have just thought somebody got warm or something and decided to drop their stuff?