The Dismal Hunts

What You Didn't Find This Weekend

By Greg "The Unexpected" Thompson, Senior Wilderness Disappointment Consultant

Last Thursday, as the sun dipped below the horizon, a group of eager treasure seekers—mostly my neighbor Tim, a cat named Whiskers, and yours truly—embarked on what would become a transformational experience in disillusionment.

Armed with nothing but enthusiasm, a slightly rusty shovel, and Tim's dubious "map," we set out on a quest for the mysterious "Golden Acorn," a rumored relic of failed squirrels.

Step one involved a tragic miscalculation of compass direction, resulting in an impromptu detour through Mrs. Jenkins's hedge maze, which she installed last summer for, as she puts it, "security reasons." In our defense, we believed the acorn was north of the garden—apparently, Mrs. Jenkins's territory is a parallel universe of its own.

Defining Moments of Dismal

Ultimately, we returned home rejuvenated with the knowledge that sometimes, hunting is less about finding and more about losing. Unless you're Mrs. Jenkins. In which case, it's about finding and avoiding.