The last time I published a Wordless Wednesday post, two weeks ago, Suzanne from Global HousesitterX2 suggested in the comment section to call this feature “Worth a Word Wednesday”. I’m all for that, since I have a hard time keeping things wordless (and sticking to rules). Thanks, Suz! The theme of this week’s Daily Post photo challenge, which I like to integrate in my WW posts if possible, is “sweet”.
A devastating discovery!
My flip flops pictured above, were sweet to me. They were comfortable, robust, and my go-to footwear wherever and whenever possible. They have been my reliable friends for over two years and had a lot of life left. Then, “this” happened…
Mark and I went to bed in Zesty, being boondocked in the Arizona desert, and left our “shoes” outside as usual. When waking up in the morning, yesterday, three of the four flip flops were gone! A quick search in the area revealed these sad-looking flip flops. We never located Mark’s second shoe.
This is where it happened…
Can you solve this mystery?
(Next week, I’ll share our theory of what we think might have happened.)
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February 14, 2018 at 16:46
Yikes! I’m thinking Sasquatch? Or a desert tortoise who mistook your sandals for lettuce.
February 14, 2018 at 17:04
I love the lettuce theory, Janis. So funny! But, I just learned that tortoises are not color blind, so… they might have passed on these particular flip flops. 🙂
February 14, 2018 at 16:54
Sorry to see the demise of your sweet flip flops, Liesbet. Maybe a desert animal took and ate most of them? Hope your flip flops are easy to replace.
February 14, 2018 at 17:06
“Luckily”, we are heading for colder climes again, Natalie. The ordering of the flip flops will happen when the time is right. 🙂 I do hope to find the same ones again, though. And, Mark as well. His were the black version. So comfy!!
February 14, 2018 at 17:04
Hubs suggests that because they would hold your scent, to a coyote they would smell like meat! Just a thought! ~ Lynn
February 14, 2018 at 17:07
Haha. A bit scary… We did hear coyotes howl last night in a different area of the desert. We thought about that possibility and wondered whether mine smelled better/worse, since Mark only had one taken away.
February 15, 2018 at 15:44
I think it means that yours smelled the most DELICIOUS! ~ Lynn
February 19, 2018 at 07:51
🙂
February 14, 2018 at 17:08
Javelina!
February 15, 2018 at 12:24
Maybe! We haven’t seen any of those in the wild yet and this camping spot was pretty open without a lot of brush, though…
February 14, 2018 at 17:57
Well something had a snack.
February 15, 2018 at 12:25
It sure looks like it… something with very sharp teeth! And, no “residue” to be found afterwards….
February 14, 2018 at 19:43
Critters! I would never leave my shoes outside … scorpions, spiders, snakes, javelinas, mice the list goes on.
February 15, 2018 at 12:26
Not much place to hide in flip flops, but, I think we have learned our lesson! No more shoes (and now, it has to be shoes because we are out of flip flops) outside at night! 🙂
February 15, 2018 at 00:22
Oh dear, I would never leave shoes outside either, it could cause serious indigestion to an unwitting animal! ?? xxx
February 15, 2018 at 12:27
I never thought about it that way… which animal would be interested in fabric and rubber? I guess our feet smell too “good”! 🙂
February 15, 2018 at 02:04
Ack! Perhaps a hungry critter. Those flip flops are cute…I love the color!
February 15, 2018 at 12:27
I hope I manage to replace them one of these weeks, Jill!
February 15, 2018 at 04:39
Coyotes? Didn’t know they liked to chew on plastic and rubber.
February 15, 2018 at 12:28
Maybe they saw the flip flops as a toy and had some fun? Will we ever know for sure? 🙂
February 15, 2018 at 05:10
Clever post idea, Liesbet. My bet is an animal – coyote, dog, something in the area. And that’s because I was hosting a party on my back deck once and one of my St. Bernards carted away a sandal that a friend had kicked off. We found it in a field a few hours later, only a little worse for the wear.
February 15, 2018 at 12:30
You might be right, Karen. Dogs and dog-like creatures like to have their fun. I love the St. Bernard story. We have been leaving these flip flops out for weeks (congregated) at night, in and outside of desert areas, and nothing ever happened. I guess we learned our lesson!
February 15, 2018 at 06:27
The mystery of the ravaged sandals. It wasn’t me. Or was it?
February 15, 2018 at 12:31
Where were you between Monday night 10pm and Tuesday morning 7am, PST? 🙂 Do you like flip flops?
February 15, 2018 at 09:07
Oh, no! I guess the wildlife liked your shoes too 🙁
February 15, 2018 at 12:32
It would have actually been exciting to watch it happen… Nocturnal wildlife eludes us!
February 15, 2018 at 17:18
I’d be so bummed to lose (or have something eat!) my flip-flops. I live in them from about March to September. I’ll be curious to hear what you think happened!
February 19, 2018 at 07:55
We were pretty bummed as well, Lexie. Especially me, since I only had the one pair. They were the most comfy and sturdy we ever had. Mark had another, really old one, still from when we were on the boat. The “good” thing is that it is now too cold to wear flip flops, so I have some time to replace them. I just hope Mark can find the same ones based on his order history, because, of course, I already tossed them (without looking at the brand)… I just blew the photo up. I think it must have said “Columbia”, where it was chewed in half! 🙂
February 15, 2018 at 23:59
Sorry to see your flip flops in this condition. I guess some desert animal ate your flip flops. Anyway go for some new one dear.
February 19, 2018 at 07:57
We are “settled” for a few weeks after this road trip, so now I have an address again to order a new pair! 🙂 Thanks for visiting and commenting, Angela!
February 16, 2018 at 04:02
I am in the Coyote camp as to the ‘who ate the flip-flops’ mystery. I can totally appreciate the sorrow of a lost pair of beloved flip-flops. I have started to become a bit of a hoarder on board Amandla…I now have a duplicate pair of my favorite ‘dress flip flops on board because I will never find these on The Indian Ocean. Once a princess, always a princess. Speaking of beloved things ‘lost’, I think I just found one of yours in Thailand. Photo sent to your in-box. Let me know if it is yours.
February 19, 2018 at 08:01
Those look like incredibly comfy flip flops, Lisa, especially the ones with the purple straps. 🙂 Now that we have an address again, I’ll have to order a pair for myself and for Mark. I only wish it was warm enough to wear them. Back at 5000 ft here in New Mexico!
I still can’t believe you spotted our Irie in Thailand!!! That is so awesome. I hope you see her again, so you can have a chat with the new owners. Seeing that photo of our beloved sailboat created some mixed feelings and wonderful – and not so wonderful – recollections!! Smooth sailing! I hope you get to continue your Indian Ocean crossing soon!
February 16, 2018 at 06:07
Fun mystery. Looking at them doesn’t say “teeth” to me. The cuts are way too even and straight. They look like someone took a pair of scissors to them, but that can’t be possible considering where you are, right? I mean, I think you’re alone–no other people around? Gosh. I can’t wait to hear your theory!
February 19, 2018 at 08:04
You’re right, Kate, there was nobody around. It had been blowing hard during the night, but still, we couldn’t find the flip flops in the expected radius of the camper. I thought for a moment, someone must have stolen my pair, but that didn’t make sense. It must have been an animal with razor-sharp teeth, because the cuts are, indeed, pretty straight.
February 16, 2018 at 14:06
Hi, Liesbet – This is a fabulous ‘Worth a Word Wednesday’ post and photo. I, too, am in ‘Camp Coyote’. It doesn’t look like the soles were damaged. Any chance that the leather strapping is repairable? If so, these shoes could make for a ‘fabulous conversation builder’ when you wear them!
February 19, 2018 at 08:07
I guess you are right, Donna, another story to our name! 🙂 By the time I read your comment, I had already discarded of them. Not much room for useless things in our small camper. But, I don’t think they were repairable. I’ll have to keep an eye out for a new pair. Maybe they are on sale, because it is winter. 🙂 If coyotes played with them, I would expect more damage, to the soles as well.
February 17, 2018 at 03:48
The last pair of sandals I left outside our house ended up looking just like that! Turned out the dogs that live outside had a wonderful time with them, destroyed beyond repair…. So I have to assume that the same happened to yours.. Two years is a pretty long time to have flip flops last.
Peta
February 19, 2018 at 08:11
We certainly were happy with the quality of the flip flops, Peta. We didn’t wear them as much as when living on our boat, when flip flops were the only shoes required to go to shore (unless we went on a hike, or barefoot), but these ones had a relatively long life. Maybe some stray dogs or coyotes played with them (I know how they like to just chew through thin strips and parts of toys), but we think something else happened, based on where we found them.
February 19, 2018 at 12:27
Hi Liesbet! I’m voting for coyotes! They don’t get much to eat out there so yours were probably tasty! 🙂 Sorry about the shoes…that’s going to up your monthly expense! I’ll bet you won’t leave your shoes out again! At least not in the desert. ~Kathy
February 19, 2018 at 16:02
You are so right about the monthly expenses, Kathy. And, we have a really big one coming up for the camper soon as well. I’ll have to spread out our orders, whether it is diesel, camper parts or flip flops! 🙂 And, you are right again about not leaving shoes out. We have camped in the desert before, quite a few times, and never had anyone move our flip flops. There is a first for everything and we learn by trial and error!
February 20, 2018 at 12:28
So bizarre! My first thought was an animal got them, but the cuts are too straight and perfect. Could they have gotten caught on something that cut them?
Sadly, it looks like a person did it on purpose, but if that’s the case, it’s a really odd thing to do.
February 20, 2018 at 14:13
Someone else mentioned it looked more like a clear cut as well, but we seriously doubt that this happened by a person, since we found the flipflops back in the brush. And, one remained missing. I guess we’ll never know! 🙂
February 20, 2018 at 18:23
Oh my Liesbet, and they did look so comfortable. But leaving anything outside at night in the bast desert, wouldn’t surprise me if coyotes had a flip flop feast LOL. 🙂
February 21, 2018 at 13:27
We won’t make that mistake again! See, when I buy decent and expensive stuff, it gets destroyed… 🙁
February 22, 2018 at 06:37
Lmao, when you buy decent stuff you don’t leave it out for wild animals to munch on then it won’t get destroyed, You’re so funny! 🙂
February 23, 2018 at 13:22
I guess I was used to doing so with “crappy” stuff and had to learn my lesson the hard way. 🙂
February 21, 2018 at 09:55
Sorry, I was super hungry and I didn’t want to wake you up. I thought they were made of candy, as it was Valentine’s Day and all.
February 21, 2018 at 13:29
You are too funny, Ryan! They do look tasty with all that purple, right? Hope you are doing well!! And, not being hungry anymore.
February 21, 2018 at 10:33
Wow! When we camped with five children in the desert, we always kept our shoes in a screen house. I guess it’s a good thing we did.
My nephew rode his bike across the country with 6 teens and 4 adults and their water froze in the hydration packs at night. Plus, they discovered that many creatures of the desert come out at night. They were only tenting on the desert floor.
February 21, 2018 at 13:31
That’s a lot of shoes that could go missing, Victoria!! Tenting in that kind of weather is not our thing anymore. Good for your nephew and his entourage, but, brrrrr… When we were sailing down the US East Coast in the fall of 2007 and the water bowls of the dogs froze, we said “Never again!” We held that promise on our boat for eight years, but it is different on land with the house sits!
February 22, 2018 at 07:32
Hey Liesbet, many apologies as I thought I had commented on this fun post. It’s like having a favourite piece of clothing that is no longer usable. Colombia is a good brand and their assortment of shoes and clothing are worth replacing! Hope all is going well for you both!
February 23, 2018 at 13:24
Believe it or not, but Colombia doesn’t sell the purple version anymore. 🙁 I’ve been hunting for another brand that has decent flip flops on sale. It’s Mark’s birthday next week, so I don’t feel bad splurging (for him)…
February 23, 2018 at 08:00
Oh dear. My guess from having seen dogs who loved to chew shoes is either a dog or wild animal had a tasty snack. Why animals would think well worn footwear is a desirable treat is beyone me but that’s my guess.
February 23, 2018 at 15:50
Animals love certain smells. The nastier, the better! Not sure what that tells you about the condition of our footwear, but it sure seemed to be attractive to some thing(s)! 🙂
March 1, 2018 at 13:06
Porcupines can chew through rubber. They would like the sandals because of the salt from your body on them. Do you have porcupines in the desert? Here in northern parts of Canada, I have seen outhouse toilets damaged by porcupines chewing through the wooden platform seats.
Jude
March 1, 2018 at 13:25
Now that is an interesting theory, Jude. Not one I ever thought or heard of. Google tells me they can be found in the Western United States and therefore, probably, in the desert as well. I haven’t seen any yet, but your observation might be valid. The holes we found the damaged flip flops in front of were pretty small, though.
August 10, 2021 at 01:52
Oh wow! This same exact thing just happened to my flip flops and I stumbled on your old thread. Also camping in dry climate. Trying to solve the mystery!
August 10, 2021 at 14:24
How funny you just stumbled across this post about our lost flip flops, Kelly! How did that happen? You finding the post? And, you losing your flip flops!!! How curious. In our case, we think some local rodent residents had fun with them… Did you ever find out what happened to yours?
April 9, 2023 at 20:55
Hi Liesbet! Had the exact same thing happen to two sets of flip flops this morning. Have been scouring the web looking for an theory. The cuts on the straps are perfect almost like someone took a knife of scissors to them and the shoes themselves are untouched. Here is the wild part….we are in Australia. So it has to be some sort of rodent present in both places. Gosh I love the internet for this reason.
April 9, 2023 at 21:47
OMG, Gary! I was going to ask “How on earth did you find this old blog post of mine?” But you explained. My little website must have popped up during your research. Do you think we will ever figure out what happened to our flip flops? Or, don’t you call them thongs down under? 🙂
I love your country (backpacked there for 3.5 months in my twenties in 2000) and hope to return one day. I think they’ll let me back in by now. They banned me for a couple of years back then for overstaying.
I hope you’ll keep following out adventures here!