Once upon a time, two old folks, who didn't know they were old, adventured out to go fishing at a remote lake. The main road was blocked by a gate because there was construction going on to fix washouts on the windy mountain road. Upon closer inspection, Huzzah! the last link of the line of locks was just a loop of laundry line tying it all together to LOOK like it was actually locked!
These old folks helped themselves to opening the gate and drove through to continue to their destination. They marveled at how amazing it was to have this whole section of the national forest to themselves!
The construction areas were easily navigated and not treacherous, and they successfully made it to the lake and again appreciated the lack of other humans! The woman teased the gentleman, saying how wonderful it was that he booked the whole forest for their date that day!
The gentleman fished, the dog barked and wanted to chase the lure being thrown into the water, and the woman saved a bumblebee from drowning and pointed out a bald eagle. They enjoyed the sun and the springlike weather and took pictures of the delicate wildflowers brave enough to bloom in late February.
They saw one solitary truck. A utility truck from the water district that went to the powerhouse at the end of the reservoir. The driver didn't bother this blissful trio.
At the end of this lovely day they headed for home. No fish were in the cooler, perhaps due to the dog's over exuberance. The fish were also enjoying the uncrowded conditions and happily swam to a place in the lake without a rabid canine to disturb them.
They stopped at the gate and the gentleman got out to open it. Known for his teasing ways, when he looked back at the woman and told her the gate was locked, the woman just laughed and looked at him expectantly. He laughed too, but not in the same way. He told the woman it really was locked this time. Probably the water guy replaced the twine with a lock.
The woman is not scared or angry or even very concerned. She just smiled knowingly at him. They have been in pickles like this quite a few times; the gentleman is resourceful, and a creative problem solver. She knows he will get them home just fine, somehow.
They decided now is a good time to have their late lunch. The gentleman had prepared egg and bacon sandwiches on English muffins that morning and put them on the engine of the Jeep to heat up. They enjoyed their delicious impromptu picnic and shared some bites with the enthusiastic dog.
While they ate, they brainstormed: there was no feasible way to drive around the gate; the gentleman could probably start the big construction excavator and move the gate, but that would cause some serious damage; and he noted that he didn't have bolt cutters (but to add that to the list of things to pack from now on)...
About this time, a pickup drove up on the other side. The couple went over to greet the man. He was friendly. He told them he owned a mining claim which spanned from here to there, pointing from one end of the national forest to as far as they could see in the other direction. The gentleman gave the woman a subtle glance of skepticism, and she returned it. The man assured the couple that if anyone were to give them any trouble, to just tell them they had his permission to be there. He left out the crucial information of his name, however.
The man asked the couple if they had a permit to be on that side of the gate. No they did not. He warned them that they did not want to have the ranger find them as he is not known for being genteel, kind or forgiving. He did not use those words, instead he used one coarse word instead, which got his point across.
The man wished the couple well, and as he was leaving, he reached out to put something in the gentleman's hand. The gentleman was cautious at first thinking the small rocks placed in his hand were drugs, but the man told him they are crystals to bring them good luck!
With renewed urgency for their journey home, and their lucky crystals in hand, the gentleman assigned the woman the job of figuring out the combo on the one lock with that feature in the string of locks holding the gate closed. He assured her that no one ever rolls all the numbers on a combo lock--they only roll one row, making it easier next time they have to open it.
The woman was up for the task and prepared to go about it in a logical manner. First she made a note of the original number: 1703. Then she carefully turned the first row on the right, stopping each time to see if there is any movement, but not really expecting success. She moved onto the the second row, and at 1793 there was a resounding, satisfying, glorious CLICK, and the lock was open!
She relayed the happy news to the gentleman and the dog who were passing the time playing fetch with a stick. They all smiled, including the dog, and loaded up for the ride home.
The couple praised the lucky crystals and the man who showed up. He was added to their list of guardian angels who inexplicably show up just when they need them. They declare that 1793 will always be a lucky number and enjoyed their drive home, heading west into the sunset.
Later, the lucky crystals were put in a small leather pouch, that interestingly, already contained a small piece of jade, and it found a permanent home in the Jeep. The couple agreed that lucky crystals seemed like a smart addition to the supplies kept in the Jeep.
And the two old folks, that didn't know they were old, lived happily ever after.
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