It was hidden under the log beside the stream. It had been there for as long as Jerry had been alive. He wasn’t sure if anyone besides him and his friends knew of its existence. He knew that anyone could potentially find it, but it was well enough hidden that it seemed unlikely to happen. The fact that it had been there for more than 30 years attested to this. So it was quite a surprise when he found the item was missing.

The light was out on the front porch of the house. This was strange. Judy couldn’t remember a time when she had ever seen it out. She hopped out of her car and walked to the door. It was slightly ajar and she knew this meant something terrible. She gently pushed the door open and hall her fears were realized. “Surprise! Happy Birthday!” everyone shouted.

She sat down with her notebook in her hand, her mind wandering to faraway places. She paused and considered all that had happened. It hadn’t gone as expected. When the day began she thought it was going to be a bad one, but as she sat recalling the day’s events to write them down, she had to admit, it had been a rather marvelous day.