Steve is up early, and leaves for work, while it is still dark out.\u00a0 Snow has fallen during the night, and it is melting off as morning breaks.\u00a0 The streets are wet, but not icy, and the roofs and lawns have been gently covered in a light layer of white.\u00a0 For snow country it is a gentle reminder of winter to come, when the road will need plowing, and cars will need to be uncovered, and windshields scrapped of ice before they can be driven, that is the winter right around the corner.\u00a0 This was more of a light flurry compared to that.<\/p>\n
After Morgan left for class, I walked outside in our backyard with the dogs, and was shocked at what I saw over the fence!\u00a0 The foot trails of a person that was here last night.\u00a0 I stood up on a bench, and with my eyes, followed the trail crossing behind the house, then turning and coming right to the outside corner of our room, as if someone came just close enough to reach out and touch the corner of the house, and peer into our Master Bedroom window! \u00a0Then back across the yard, up and over the berm toward the ranch that was behind our house, and twenty feet down, coming back over and heading for the front, right between our next door neighbor, Ken\u2019s house and ours.\u00a0 It was only lacking a sign that said \u201cI was here\u201d.\u00a0 But why were there was no noises last night, no rocks on windows? \u00a0Morgan had said it was a quiet night before she left.<\/p>\n
I called Steve and told him it looked like a very deliberate trail, straight, marching from this point to this point to the next.\u00a0 It was unlike anything I had ever seen out there before. \u00a0Of course the trail taken by the person was clearly recorded in the snow, and since this was the first snow of any consequence this year it was so surprising to see all of the trails. \u00a0I wondered if this was what he did every other night he came.<\/p>\n
Steve wanted me to call the sheriff\u2019s department to report the incident, which I did, and then I called him back.\u00a0 We were talking about how weird this was, as he drove home.\u00a0 He pulled in the drive, and immediately saw the trail up there, crossing the front of our house and our other next door neighbor, Rhonda\u2019s yard before veering out to the street.\u00a0 We avoided walking on the yard and went up and down the street.\u00a0 Then back through the house to see where it began (behind the house and over the berm) and ended.\u00a0 It was obvious; the snowfall had stopped long before it filled the footprints in.\u00a0 Was this a break for us, finally?<\/p>\n
We went back inside and Steve drew a map of our corner of the neighborhood while he was waiting for the deputy, he carefully filled in the path of the footsteps and went to compare his map to what was still outside.\u00a0 He called out that the trail passed right inbetween the sheriff\u2019s two wildlife cameras, so he wanted me to call Detective Glassmire, but I did not get him on the phone and then left him a message. \u00a0The sheriff’s camera must have caught a perfect picture!<\/p>\n
When the sheriff deputy arrived, Steve walked him around the trail, ten feet off to the side, pointing out the starting points, and it was then that they saw another trail, with an obvious section of backtracking.\u00a0 Trying to walk in the same set of footprints twice, but not quite being able to do it.\u00a0 Steve told me how he had looked at the deputy and asked him if he was seeing the same thing he saw.\u00a0 I watched Steve from the back patio a few houses down very slowly walking backward, while looking over his shoulder and down.\u00a0 The deputy nodded to him and agreed with whatever Steve was showing him.<\/p>\n
They came back to our house and the deputy was handing Steve back his \u201cmap\u201d and saying it was a good idea that we had documented the path that the footprints follow, and wondered if we saw anyone last night.\u00a0 Steve tells him no, but that it probably is on video, it will just take a while to locate when it happened.\u00a0 The deputy wants us to definitely check the video cameras and Steve adds that he will photograph whatever we can.\u00a0 It was cold out, and with that the deputy left.<\/p>\n
Morgan has the camera with her, so Steve just uses his phone, and walks around photographing what is left of the prints in the snow.\u00a0 He would really like to go over the cameras with me, but does not have the time right now.\u00a0 I am really busy also, and Steve leaves to go back to work.<\/p>\n
We talk by phone, as he is driving away, about how curiously the trail does not go by Morgan\u2019s window, which every time before this was the center of attention. \u00a0In fact the trail never goes down her side of the house at all, avoids it completely. \u00a0And of course there was no noise last night, if I had not walked outside and seen the trail I would not have even have known that this had happened.\u00a0 At the rate it was melting away it would all be gone by noon. \u00a0This could have been a non event – and gee, if our cameras hadn’t recorded something I guess the sheriff’s would say we didn’t have a stalker…right?<\/p>\n
Look for the little white flashes of light in the upper left corner. \u00a0That is at the top of the berm – looks like someone is texting on their cell phone…maybe saying, “Now what do I do – it’s snowing out. \u00a0Should I still go through with this ‘alibi’ walk around?” \u00a0That is what I believe was happening. \u00a0Then wait till it reaches the 1:04 spot and you will see the ‘female” get caught on camera coming over the berm.<\/p>\n
Video one at approximately 11:51\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n