August 27th, 2021 A GOOD and BAD Day DAY FIVE of Auburn/Fair Haven Trip

 August 27th, 2021

Leslie and I had breakfast in our cottage at Screwy Louie's: cereal and bananas.  We packed up, I turned in the key and got a receipt and we headed out.  We went to the Old Hardware Store Cafe so that we could use their wifi and get geocache information.  I ordered two poached eggs and toast and a Dr. Pepper and Leslie and I each had an egg and some toast. Leslie was disappointed that they did not offer cinnamon buns! We looked for two multi caches that had to do with churches in Fair Haven before we left the village.

Once we got to Fair Haven State Park, I parked in specific spots where Leslie thought she might be able to see a certain bird that she would have liked to see, but she did not have any luck.  Then we went to Fair Haven State Park where we had hoped to find a geocache that had something to do with "the bluff".  However, we could not find a trail or a spot to climb the hill mentioned in the cache info. 

I only took these two pictures while at the park.  

We had a nice picnic lunch and stopped at the administration office and picked up maps, and decided we had enough of the park. 

We looked for a cache not far from Fair Haven, but were unable to find it.  We stopped at a garage sale that was just getting ready to close up, and I purchased a very pretty small clear glass lamp that I think will look nice with a colored bulb in it. Then we headed back towards Auburn.  We stopped so Leslie could get an ice cream cone.  We continued on to her place in Auburn.  I told her that I was really getting worn out from driving, and asked if we could switch cars and drivers and she agreed. When we got to her place, she took her stuff in and I went through my belongings in order to leave some in the car and only take the stuff I absolutely needed for the night into her apartment.  

Somewhere in this time frame, I developed a MAJOR PROBLEM. Leslie came back down and I got into her car and then realized that I did not have the right sunglasses so I got out and went back to my car and made the switch.  I got back into her car and we drove off.  We went to COLD SPRINGS

CEMETERY where I found two geocaches.  Then we decided to go to McDonalds so I could use their wifi and check my email.  I decided to have a burger off of their value menu, and I also had a small root beer.  I don't think Leslie had anything. We then went to BASS PRO where I had planned to purchase some bear spray, but I decided not to when I saw the prices and realized that I would have to fill out a form and go out to the car to get my license. (I had only taken my credit card in).  I did purchase three items, some "bear bells", a bag of caramel swirls, and something else.  

On the way back to Leslie's place I opened my purse and all of a sudden got a funny feeling and I think I KNEW that my keys were NOT in there.  They weren't.  When we parked, I went through the three bags I had with me:  my purse, the large gray bag with my computer and the small black bag that I keep my GPS in.  NO KEYS.  My first thought was that when I went back to my car to get my other sunglasses, I mistakenly set them down and then locked the car with the keys in it.  We searched Leslie's car but had no success.  We went to her apartment and I called AAA.  I went out to wait by the car, for a call from the company called by AAA and Leslie took a flashlight and went back to COLD SPRINGS CEMETERY hoping maybe I dropped the keys there and she might find them.  I do recall that one time while we were there, I realized that my small black geocaching bag was open, so I immediately zipped it up.  But I have never put my keys in that bag.  

A fellow with a flat bed came and was able to get into my car but NO KEYS to be found and the alarm came on and the horn kept honking.

  He said he did not know of any way to stop the beeping.  After he left, I realized that the hazard lights were blinking and I tried to stop them, but couldn't.  Leslie returned and we moved my valuables from my car to hers and did more searching but without success.   

We decided to go back to McDonalds and see if I dropped them there and they may have been turned in.  First, we stopped at the police station and I talked to a cop and explained where my car is parked and that I cannot turn the flashers off.  He said that is the area he cruises and he will keep an eye on the car.    Nobody has turned in any keys at McDonalds.  

When we got back to Leslie's place, I called Peggy and wished her a Happy Birthday before I told her what happened.  I asked if she might OVERNIGHT  one of my Subaru keys to Leslie's place.  She will check with the post office tomorrow about that but she said that she and David can bring the keys to me on Sunday after church, and then help me get the car started because the battery will be dead by then. 

My plans were to leave tomorrow morning (Saturday) for Lockport, but that is not possible now.  Leslie has a "birding" event tomorrow morning and I will just wait it out here at her apartment.  Then in the afternoon, we will go back to Cold Springs Cemetery and look for the keys.  It was starting to get dark when she looked earlier tonight so we could have better luck in the daylight.

I uploaded pictures to my laptop before going to bed.  

It is eleven p.m. and I can see that the emergency flashers are still going, by looking out my window.