Sunday, October 24, 2021

Lockbox and Helicopter


This may be an all-time record for sleeping late and, hence, posting late. But that's what Sunday morning is for, right?

We've had a busy weekend around here already. I took the dog out for a couple of walks yesterday, including a short outing to the cemetery where we found some autumnal leaves. This is how well-behaved Olga is -- I told her to stay put, and she allowed me to cover her eye with a leaf for a picture. She does trust me, that dog.


I found this mysterious lockbox, set out with some rubbish on the sidewalk. I'm really trying not to bring stuff home, because enough is enough, but I couldn't resist this. I was mostly curious about whether I could get it open (and the answer is no). It doesn't have a key. The paper label says it contained a marriage certificate and an MOT certificate (which is what you get in Britain when your car is inspected). I assume it's probably empty now, but it's surprisingly heavy and I might take it to a locksmith just to see if he can get into it and maybe even give me a key for it.

Or is that insane? I haven't decided.

Anyway, after walking the dog, Dave and I met up at the cinema with our friend Chris to see "Dune." It's a visually spectacular movie and much better than the '80s version, and I think seeing it on a big screen was worth it. I wasn't entirely clear on all the plot points, but fortunately Chris had read Frank Herbert's book three times (and it's a GIGANTIC book, so that's quite an accomplishment). He filled me in afterwards on a few things I didn't understand -- for example, how do those gigantic sand worms survive on a planet that seems otherwise devoid of almost any life? What do they eat? (I won't spoil it for you.)

I tried to read "Dune" as a teenager but it didn't do it for me. I liked light science fiction of the "Star Trek" and Ray Bradbury variety, but I could never get into classic sci-fi by Isaac Asimov or Arthur C. Clarke or Robert Heinlein. Maybe it was just too complicated. I could never do Tolkien either, aside from "The Hobbit."

Anyway, after the movie, we came back here and had pizza and gossiped about work. It was a fun evening and I didn't go to bed until midnight or so, which is why I slept so late.


And I slept soundly, except between 4:30 and 5:15 in the morning, when this thing was hovering over our neighborhood. It's a police helicopter and it was loud. I have no idea what was going on, but they were clearly looking for someone.


I made possibly the worst-quality video ever so you could experience the sound. You won't be able to see much, though, because capturing a flashing object in a dark sky was beyond the capacity of my iPhone. If I ever figure out what that thing was doing up there, I'll let you know.

56 comments:

Frances said...

Yes, those police helicopters are LOUD ! They always seem to come in the night too.
You must definitely get that box opened.....either a locksmith or a safebreaker!
Might have a fortune in it.

Riverside Hermit said...

I *love* the box and I was worried you'd left it behind for a moment there!
I have a very similar looking box bought in Belgium - I do have the key, but it's still a lot of effort to turn & open. In fact, I've got a bit of a 'thing' for oldish locking boxes, picking them up at boot sales etc and can now guess which ones will work with the key/s I already have - they're very seldom actually unique. Perhaps you can find a similar box & key cheaply on ebay or something? Rather goes against your efforts at not bringing stuff home so much, but I usually justify it as "storage"!

Tasker Dunham said...

That won't need an intricate key. It will only be something like a wardrobe key. Try every one you have. Take it to work and ask everyone to bring in all that they have, and I bet you'll find one. We have enough keys for about 12 attempts here. I've no idea what most of them were originally for.

Sarah said...

The box is something I would have brought home too! I hope you get it open. We get helicopters all the time, mostly because we are quite near the A2 I think. Olga is a very good girl posing like that!

Debby said...

Yes. You should get that box open. The curiosity would be the end of me. Cutting torches? And then sell it for scrap.

At the very least you'd get a blog post out of it. Remember Geraldo Rivera and Al Capone's vault? It could be like that.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Those lights! They are like two eyes moving around in the depths of the night and one of them keeps winking. I suspect that they were searching the area for American grey squirrels. There was probably a police marksman on board.

Anonymous said...

I would have brought the box home too. Never mind a locksmith who you would have to pay. I'd like to see a video of you taking to it with a cheap pick axe. You don't have a hammer and chisel?

I have a vague memory of a stupid film called Dune. Must have been the eighties version.

John Going Gently said...

I’ll take a rain check on Dune …I’m not a Syfy fanx

Ms. Moon said...

I barely dragged myself through Dune. The book. How was Jason Momoma? He is the only reason I'd go see that movie. To be honest, I never got through all of Lord of the Rings, either. But I think I read everything Heinlein ever wrote.
I would have brought the lockbox home too. I am thinking that the box itself may be the most valuable and interesting thing about the whole situation. I bet a locksmith could get into easily.

Marcia LaRue said...

OMG ... I read Dune and loved it! The spice eating worms scared me ... even in print! LOL It seems like there were a couple of other Dune-related books that I read, as well!
Never cared to see the movie and won't see this current one either!
Why wouldn't Olga trust you? ... You're her Dad!

ellen abbott said...

one of the many reasons I was happy to leave the city...helicopters frequently flying over and circling around the house/area.

I read Dune decades ago but never read any of the sequels because I thought the original was complete and the sequels were just about cashing in on its success. I hated the 80s movie. And this one is only half the book so it's a two movie deal.

That is a cool lock box. I think you should take it to a locksmith. Like you said, it's probably empty but if you got a key it could be useful.

gz said...

That is a beautiful box!
Dune isn't for a teenager, I think. Hopefully the film stays true to the books.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a sci-fi fan, but Roger is so I'll tell him about this movie. He may stream it someday in the future.
We hear a lot of helicopters here during fire season. They are very loud.
Good luck with that box. I'd love to know what's inside.

Sharon said...

Olga looks so patient in that photo. I'm not sure what to tell you about that box.

The Padre said...

First Photo, Enough Said

Moving with Mitchell said...

Just read about the new Dune. Will maybe give it a try. Couldn’t get into the book and didn’t like the ´80s film. I also read about a police helicopter search in your neighborhood. Apparently, they’re investigating the theft of a lock box.

Edna B said...

That's a great photo you got of the helicopter with the lights. Maybe they were looking for escaped criminals? Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

Ursula said...

No, they were looking for the box.

U

Margaret said...

I try not to bring anything home unless I have a specific use for it. I loved "Dune" and was very into the classic sci-fi writers when I was younger. Now I gravitate toward mysteries. Frank Herbert was from my area and I go often to Dune Park at Point Ruston to walk on nice days.

Kelly said...

I read some sci-fi/fantasy when I was young, but have read far much more of it over the past ten years or so. I just finished an audio version of Bradbury's The Illustrated Man this week. I really enjoyed it! I never read Dune or watched the film.

I vote for taking the box to a locksmith. Sometimes they have skeleton keys that work on things like that!

Kelly said...

That's exactly what came to my mind, Debby! Geraldo and Al Capone's vault.

37paddington said...

We watched Dune on Friday night, too. I thought Timonty Chalamet headlined the blockbuster epic admirably.

Allison said...

I liked the original Dune movie, also liked the book. The follow on books were not so good, I gave up on them.
In Tucson we got the helicopters a lot, with the Night Sun lights, looking for people. They're pretty creepy. Given what it costs to run something a helicopter per hour, I always wondered how bad the crime was that justified their use.

My life so far said...

I dislike police helicopters, orange helicopters actually. They're so noisy.

I think I'll try and reread Dune before watching the movie. It's been years since I read it.

Ellen D. said...

I love a mystery so I do want to see what is in the box!

Red said...

You have huge curiosity. Take your hammer and open it the quick way.

The Bug said...

Oh yes, you HAVE to get the box open! All of your blog readers demand it!

I read the first four Dune books about 30 years ago, but Mike used to be OBSESSED with them. He & Dave could probably spend hours talking Dune. He's planning to wait until the second movie comes out, but maybe we should go see this one in the theater. He read a review that it was beautifully made, but not cerebral enough (because the books are VERY cerebral). I would probably like it fine.

Steve Reed said...

I've seen those police copters here before, usually flying around just to the west of us -- but never to the east, over Hampstead, where nothing bad ever happens. LOL!

Steve Reed said...

I have a couple of old keys that I thought might work, but alas, they did not. Stay tuned to hear what the locksmith says!

Steve Reed said...

The keys I have did not work, sadly. I wish I could tell how the mechanism locks -- that might help me get it open. But I can't even tell how the latches work. (There are two of them.)

Steve Reed said...

Helicopters in our area are almost always flying around over Kilburn and Edgware Road, to the west of us.

Steve Reed said...

Ha! I forgot about Al Capone's vault. This will no doubt be JUST like that. I'd like to get it open without destroying the box, though I don't know why I care since I'm not sure I want the box.

Steve Reed said...

Well, I'm glad he didn't shoot at me, standing in my dark garden with my camera!

Steve Reed said...

I have tools but I'd rather not ruin the box. Let me see what a locksmith says. I don't mind paying some small amount to solve the mystery.

Steve Reed said...

It's quite beautiful, though. Very well-made!

Steve Reed said...

Momoa was good, but the movie doesn't delve too deeply into the psyches of the characters -- so the acting is more of the "action" variety than the "emoting" variety. In fact, if I have a criticism, that's it. We don't get much exploration of the characters' inner lives.

Steve Reed said...

The worms are definitely the image everyone remembers about "Dune"!

Steve Reed said...

Everyone seems to agree that the "Dune" sequels all fall short.

Steve Reed said...

My stepbrother read it as a teenager and loved it, as did some of my friends. I just didn't have the patience at that age.

Steve Reed said...

Streaming it would still be interesting, I'm sure, but seeing it on the big screen definitely made a bigger impact. It's visually stunning.

Steve Reed said...

I know! Part of me thinks, "It could contain a gun! Or drugs! Or child pornography!" I mean, seriously, who knows?! Hopefully I can explain my way out of it if something nefarious turns up in there.

Steve Reed said...

Autumn pirate dog!

Steve Reed said...

Yes, give the new movie a try. I'm telling you, the visuals are amazing. And the story hangs together, which is quite an accomplishment for so mammoth a work.

Steve Reed said...

Ha! I thought about that too. The box was already in my house by that time, but I suppose they might still have been looking. LOL

Steve Reed said...

I had to look up Dune Park and Point Ruston -- I never knew Herbert was from Tacoma!

Steve Reed said...

I remember reading "The Illustrated Man" in high school and loving it!

Steve Reed said...

He did a great job! He's a very good actor.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I heard the sequels were pretty miserable. And yeah, I wonder that too -- how severe was the crime, given the cost of flying around a helicopter for an hour?

Steve Reed said...

Ours are black, I think. (Hard to tell at night!)

Steve Reed said...

I will definitely let you know if I get it open!

Steve Reed said...

Ha! I don't want to wreck the box, though!

Steve Reed said...

You read the first FOUR?! OK, I'm impressed. That's a lot of "Dune." I would agree that the movie isn't particularly deep, and I did find myself wondering about the characters' motivations and inner lives. We don't get much sense of that, even in Paul, the main character.

Riverside Hermit said...

Your comment about it having 2 latches is interesting - so has mine. I guess you've been able to peep inside just enough to be able to see that much. Mine and similar are painted red inside - is yours?

Debby said...

The box would be an interesting place to plant some small plants...primroses, maybe.

Steve Reed said...

I can't tell what color it is inside, but yes, I can crack the lid just enough to see (or feel, with a knife) that it latches in two places.

Ed said...

I never read the book but I'm fairly certain I watched the old version of the movie at one point. It must not have made much of an impression on me since I don't remember many details of the plot. I probably will see the new version but I just hate going to theaters anymore so will wait for the DVD to watch at home. (I don't like all the cellphone screens and candy wrapper noises.)