A puzzle...

[sam_gordon]

As DW and I sit in the dark after 3 hours with no power...

I happened to look out on our back deck and see a hedge Apple on the bottom of the railing.

The thing is, we don't know how it got there. The nearest tree (and it doesn't have fruit) is 100' away.

The deck is on the second story.

There's some weight to the hedge Apple, probably a pound or two, so I don't think a bird brought it or it was carried in the wind (although we did have 30mph+ gusts).

It was about 5' from the house and the wind has been going from the front to back.

I was gone Sun-Thurs, but don't remember it being there last week.

So how'd it get there?

 

[lanejudy]

Raccoon? Squirrel?

 

[amcnj]

I was going to guess squirrel. But odd that they left it and didn’t take any bites first!

 

[sam_gordon]

I thought squirrel too, but:
1) It's pretty large I would think. About the size of a baseball.
2) Probably 1-2 pounds, so wouldn't that be too heavy
3) It's a second story deck, so would have had to carry it up stairs.

 

[disneychrista]

Neighbor pulling a prank?

 

[kdonnel]

I’m not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens.

 

[sam_gordon]

Neighbor pulling a prank?

Doubtful. Good thought though.

 

[fly girl]

If we were on the Controversial Board I would make up a whole story about a conspiracy theory on how your house has been "marked" (lol) but since we aren't I have to go with @kdonnel and say it is aliens.

 

[Southernmiss]

Either crazy wind gust brought it

Or

A hawk dropped it

 

[Dan Murphy]

So how'd it get there?

it was aliens.

I have to go with @kdonnel and say it is aliens.

Certainly plausible, Sam, if they possibly dropped one on their way back to their ship. Any burn marks or deep impressions in the grass in the yard?

 

[georgina]

I have never heard the term ‘hedge apple’.

 

[disneychrista]

I have never heard the term ‘hedge apple’.

Me either

 

[Tiggerish]

Also known as an osage orange.

 

[marthachick]

Not hedge apples but once I heard what I thought was our dog running up the back steps. It wasn’t her. I looked out and a bunch of fresh looking meat was on the deck. I was home alone so I was freaking out. Went outside and looked up to see a bunch of turkey buzzards flying overhead. It’s not uncommon to see them here. The only thing I could figure out was that one was flying overhead and dropped its latest meal. Freaked me out! So maybe a large bird dropped it.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not hedge apples but once I heard what I thought was our dog running up the back steps. It wasn’t her. I looked out and a bunch of fresh looking meat was on the deck. I was home alone so I was freaking out. Went outside and looked up to see a bunch of turkey buzzards flying overhead. It’s not uncommon to see them here. The only thing I could figure out was that one was flying overhead and dropped its latest meal. Freaked me out! So maybe a large bird dropped it.

I'd think bird too if it was just on the deck itself. For it to land on the bottom rail of the railing seems very "lucky" (can't think of a better word).

 

[soccerdad72]

I've got a major Monty Python and the Holy Grail flashback right now

 

[sarahann77]

we had some large apples that went bad so tossed outside for nature to take them away - thinking the raccoon or opossum would take them. I didn't expect the squirrels to take them at all. My work desk faces the area and watched one of the squirrels take one away. I was shocked.

 

[BrianL]

I've got a major Monty Python and the Holy Grail flashback right now

But...it it an African or a European swallow?

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

If it was a squirrel there would be bite marks.

 

[sam_gordon]

If it was a squirrel there would be bite marks.

Good thought... unfortunately, I already threw it into the grass and the lawn's been mowed. I don't remember seeing any obvious marks though.