oddly enough

oddly enough

Ohio man finds canister containing 21-year-old message

IONIA, Mich.

It isn’t quite a message in a bottle, but an Ohio man says he found a 21-year-old message secreted in a camera-film case that had traveled some 40 miles down the Grand River in western Michigan.

Terry Smith tells WILX-TV that he found the case with the messages inside Monday while hunting for mushrooms in Ionia, Mich. According to Smith, the case contained three pieces of paper written by two 12-year-old girls in Lansing in 1994.

“It’s in pretty good condition, really. I mean, it was water-stained, and it was damp when I took it out of the bottle. But, it’s in really good condition for being 21 years old,” Smith said.

Two of the documents show drawings of the girls, while the third is a letter to the finder of the film case.

Leah Sedelmaier, one of the authors of the note, was contacted by Smith and WILX. Although she doesn’t remember putting together the note, she’s said she’s shocked someone found it.

“We used to play in this creek that’s back here in the neighborhood, and we used to make rafts and have races with them. I totally believe we would’ve done something like that,” Sedelmaier said.

Sedelmaier said she since has reconnected with her co-author and childhood friend to try to piece together their memories from that day.

Arkansas veterinarian operates on dog that ate 23 bullets

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark.

An Arkansas veterinarian has kept a dog from going out with a bang after the animal ate 23 live rifle rounds.

Benno, the 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, had surgery recently to remove the .308- caliber ammunition from his stomach, The Baxter Bulletin reported.

Owner Larry Brassfield said Benno has eaten socks, magnets and marbles, but he didn’t expect the animal would bother a bag of bullets by his bed. Brassfield and his wife realized Benno needed medical attention after the pet vomited up four rounds.

Veterinarian Sarah Sexton at All Creatures Animal Hospital removed 17 rounds from Benno’s stomach but left two in his esophagus, which the dog was allowed to discharge on his own.

“This is something they certainly did not cover in school,” Sexton said. “I’ve had dogs eat things before, mostly stuffed toys. Once I had one swallow a hearing aid, but I think this takes the cake.”

Brassfield said he won’t leave ammo lying around anymore but isn’t optimistic that Benno will stick to dog food.

“You can baby-proof a house,” Brassfield said. “But I don’t think it’s possible to Benno-proof a house. Lord knows, we’ve tried and failed.”

Associated Press