Mystery Game. Rex, Ruth or Ghost?????? ANSWER POSTED.

[MissPrissy]

There are 2 EE's, either living wild or from a neighboring flock, not your chickens, that have taken up at your house and laid the eggs.

 

[krturpie]

Ruth,

I have three questions,

Did you discover Ruth's hidden clutch before or after the you found the two green eggs?

Why did John go out before you had gotten up?

Where was Rex the night prior and where was he when John went out?

 

[ruth]

Quote:
1. I found Ruth's hidden cluth before we found the two green eggs.

2. John always gets up before me - he just never tends to chickens or feeds them or lets them out. Guess he was feeling generous that morning and went out in freezing weather to let them out.

3. Rex stays outside at night so he can chase off any predators that get anywhere close to property - that's his job. He and Lucy sleep in the shed with a heater. The "shed" is joined to the house by brick walkway and overhead roof. It consists of a well room/shed, laundry room and garage - chicken coop adjoins that. The chickens normally hang out in this large protected area when it's raining or when they see me come out because it's where I keep their feed bins stored. They're even starting to leave little footprints on my car - and I thought cat paw prints was bad.

By your questions - I would say you are onto something.

 

[krturpie]

Thanks Ruth.

one other question... if you don't mind.

How long have you and John been living in this house (e.g., < 1 year)?

 

[ruth]

Quote:
One month.

 

[krturpie]

ah. good. wow, you must have had family visit last Christmas right about when you moved in then. and the cleaning women were there before to help prepare the place for you maybe?

anyway, the short duration fits the scenario that comes to mind regarding the eggs. thanks.

one other questions, roughly related to the eggs... but more towards Morris: during the time since the maids, was there any access between the house interior and outside (e.g., open window, doors, chimney...)?

 

[ruth]

Quote:
We moved in Christmas weekend and everyone came here that weekend for Christmas. Was quite hectic - previous owners were moving out, we were moving in, family was arriving. The maids were supposed to be here to clean the house after the previous owners moved out and before we moved in but the previous owners could not get all of their stuff out as they had planned so they were here that Saturday still moving out as we were moving in. The maids came a couple of weeks later. Previous owners did not live here. They held special events here on occasion and would call the cleaning service to come clean the night before. The maids know the house well and would have to come clean up any bats that had gotten in house and died (yes, attic is infested) and deal with "the ghosts". It was very interesting talking to them.

There were many days that doors were left wide open, before it got too cold and while we were still unloading things. There are nine fireplaces - all had open flues.

Green Morris has such a weird first name because it is the custom here to give the mother's maiden name as the son's first name (hence his mother was a Green). His daddy built the place and he was born here. They are all buried outstide. Our grocery store owner's first name is Whetland (Whetland Treppendahl). Why anyone would name their baby boys Green and Whetland is an even bigger mystery.

Hope that helps.

 

[krturpie]

Ok. I think I'll venture a guess. It was Mr. Green in the Parlor with the rope... no, just kidding.

Seriously though, here's my thinking.

I would speculate that a raccoon found a clutch the prior night, within the complex of buildings, and decided to take the food elsewhere to eat (or a mother taking food to offspring, perhaps). It is a known behavior of raccoons, which sometimes includes finding water to wash their meal. As he or she, moved from the clutch they came across Rex's part of the shed. The dog's reaction startled the egg bearing critter, who unintentionally dropped an egg on to Rex's bed, perhaps from the top of the wall and in the haste to get away, leaving it undamaged because the bed was relatively soft. It is even possible that the raccoon was walking across the dog's bed when one or more dogs awoke, but I doubt it. Running in fear for his or her life, the raccoon continues up the walkway but manages to drop another egg on the brick, this time damaging it on the harder surface. This likely happened when the raccoon needed to go from the steps and begin his or her ascent up the side of the house, by the door to get to higher ground and likely the location of the raccoon's nest.

Is that close?

BTW, I wondered why everyone thought that it was Green in particular and not his parents? I am curious about another thing too. Who put the flowers next to Green's grave?

 

[beefy]

The Grocer! The Grocer did it!

the grocer has been stealing your eggs! motive?--he is threatened by your moving into the area and producing your own eggs, afraid that others will find out and you will start a whole backyard chicken egg-producing craze and cost him tons of money. Whats next? growing your own vegetables in a garden?! The grocer snuck into the yard late one night, and gathered a bunch of eggs. and he would have gotten away with it too if it werent for you meddling kids... i mean Rex! yes, he must have happened onto Rex sleeping in his bed and awoken him! Rex startled the grocer, he dropped an egg there in Rex's bed or possibly threw him one to distract him so he could run--Yes! thats it!-- and when he turned to hightail it out of there, in the dark, he didnt see Lucy right at his feet! The grocer, Whetland, Trippenfald!! thus the broken egg...
mystery solved.

 

[krturpie]

Probably Ruth's lengthy answers to my questions above at 2:05 pm (EST) constitute today's clue. But, maybe if I'm really off, she'll give another clue for today.