I answered one last spring. Lady lost a family heirloom engagement ring while gardening. She didn't state in the ad which local city she was in. When I called her, she was very pleasant, sounded young and after a brief chat, it was decided that my wife and I would come out the next day. Then she told me she lived on Main Street in the historic section of Smithfield! Said I could keep anything else I might find! I was stoked and couldn't wait.
Next day my bride and I loaded up the motorcycle with 2 machines (lady said she had a couple kids so I figured I'd "short shaft" one of my land machines and let them help.) We arrived after a scenic 45 minute ride to a huge restored Victorian home in the middle of town, part of which was turned into a gift shop.
Turns out the lady's husband was a very talented chef working at Brutti's Restaurant in Portsmouth. He made all of us a fantastic lunch while I and the lady's 5 year old daughter hunted the unbeleiveably beautiful yard.
About 10 minutes into it, I found the ring. I discretely dropped it in my pocket without saying a word and continued hunting. About 2 minutes later, I dropped the ring in some mulch close to where my "shadow" was hunting. About 2 minutes after that, the little girl let out a shreik, dropped the machine and ran to her Mom with the ring in her hand, dragging my machine by the headphones that had slipped around her little neck! Mom started crying, daughter was screaming and laughing, Dad came out with lunch, and my wife and I spent the rest of the afternoon under the trees in this beautiful landscape with our new friends.
Did I find anything else? A little clad was about it. The yard only had about 4 inches of topsoil, then several inches of gravel, as if it had at one time been mostly driveway. But the day was one we won't forget for awhile. We ride through Smithfield a couple times a year and have stopped to say hello every time. I love CraigsList.
