Bit weird or not?

[Foxysoxy01]

I'm not sure if I'm being a bit ridiculous so could do with some advice or a good talking too!

Bit of background needed but this may be quite long, sorry

Where I live it is quite rural. I have a dog I walk morning and night around the same time each day but not same time on the dot. I sometimes walk on my own (with dog) sometimes with someone else (more often than not in the evenings)

There are two walks both rural with no street lights and nothing other than the odd tractor, walker, horse rider etc etc. Just to add neither of these walks lead anywhere other than one to a house that then branches off to a longer walk.

So the track I went down today has a house at the top, one a bit further down then nothing till the big house at the end where it branches off.

The middle house (although closer to top of track than middle) goes garden, house, gateway, garden, shed, fence, big tree with the track running along side.

So that's the background now what happened.

I have walked past the middle house, down to big house and am on my way back. I see someone coming and get dog back on lead. The person notices me and moves quickly from right hand side of track to under the big tree (just off left hand side of track) just behind shed of house. Person lights a fag and turns around facing tree.

I find this bit odd but carry on as I get next to him he is still just off track under tree and facing the actual tree. I'm getting a bit on edge as this is clearly a bit strange behaviour.

I say good evening (admittedly I might have sounded a bit nervous) the person turns round while lifting their hood up so I cannot see their face.

I walk past quite briskly! (I'm not sure if IABU but something about the person did frighten me)

As I get nearer the middle house gates I see they are not in as car is not on drive (there is a mid 30's woman on her own living there) I stop and turn to look thinking I wouldn't actually hear if the person ran up behind me. They are still under tree looking straight ahead (not at me, but across the track into side with hedge)

I carry on and as I get to the next house I look again but can't see him and I was not about to walk back and see if he was still there.

Now the whole behaviour of this person was off. They very clearly did not want me to see their face. They were either an incredibly burly woman or a man, fairly thickset about 6ft obviously in black and just quite terrifying.

I am home alone tonight and just a bit worried I suppose that he was either waiting for a person walking (maybe not with good intentions!) or to break into the middle house? Or the thought did cross my mind if was he waiting for my but chicken'd out.

The woman that lived on her own is I suppose fairly vulnerable as her house is a bit away from any others and she is on her own (the house is quite large and obviously worth a fair bit of money so you would presume there could be antiques etc)

This all happened about an hour ago now so it was dark.

I'm not sure if I'm just being silly or should o go and check if he is still there? Phone someone? Or just ignore it all.

Writing it all down makes me think I am over reacting and the bloke maybe just wanted a walk but it really didn't feel like that at the time. His behaviour seemed odd and his body language was quite menacing tbh.

What do the collective of MN think?

Sorry it was so long!

DH asks if your DH drives a Merc or and Audi? He has seen something online from Warwickshire saying that both makes have been targeted by a clever amplification device which records the smart key electronic signals and enables the car to be driven without the keys. The device is small enough to fit in a bauble. What DH couldn't answer was why they would make it so obvious? Better to stick it discretely in the wheel arch or somewhere IMHO. Hope it's nothing of the kind. Sleep well.

The bauble thing would definitely freak me out - very very weird!!

It's not often I actually chuckle (and I literally never spit my tea out). But this did make me smile, a little: How shit a car thief would they have to be to do this? Were they worried that without the bauble they would accidentally nick the wheelie bin?

What flowers were they, foxy? Do you have a photo of them and of the bauble?

www.countryliving.co.uk/homes-interiors/news/a2270/burglars-code-signs-break-in/

DH car is a Volvo and has just a normal key to start it.

They were just some flowers like you get in a supermarket wrapper but obviously without the wrapper and just a white elastic keeping them together. I'm not sure what flowers they were. I want to say carnations with foliage? They were the ones that are wavy at the end. I didn't take a photo as tbh they just looked like rubbish.

The baubles are just those heart shaped red ones I can take a photo of the one from the car tomorrow if you want but they are just in a heart shape, fairly small and red with glitter.

I am going to sleep now I keep flicking between MN and Facebook to keep awake and see if I hear anything which is silly as I will be completely knackered in the morning!

Ok, perhaps not small enough to fit into a bauble but I think this is what DH was going on about.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/27/mercedes-car-stolen-without-using-key-seconds-relay-theft/

Sorry for the sidetrack / derail. Hope you get a quiet night and nothing more to report.

The bauble are the same as each other! I think that ties up that man you saw to your house too. An FYI call to 101 seems prudent.

Is it possible that whoever it is is doing a sort of memorial? Maybe he lost a love around your area and is leaving flowers and hearts to remember her? (Trying to turn blood chilling to romantic here!)

If this was a burglar, surely they would have tried to gain access to the house when the OP was out walking her dog.
They could have watched the house for a few days and found out what time dog-walking usually was and timed how long the walks were and been in and out whilst OP and the dog were out.

There doesn't appear to be a getaway vehicle parked nearby and the amount of times the dog has been spooked would suggest that whoever is causing this stuff is quite happy to hang around outside and quite happy to have it known he is there. He knows the OP saw him, he tried to hide his face but did not run away.

All of the other stuff, the baubles, the whistling, the being on the other side of the fence to make the dog kick off, the wilted flowers, the being outside the house (dog changed its indoor behavior yesterday) the car alarm, to me it smacks of intimidation, designed to make the OP and/or the OP's DH aware that someone is there.

I won't speculate any further on that but just to say if you think anyone could have some kind of grudge against you or your DH, OP, or that they could want to drive you out of your home, let the Police know.

it could also be that it's a local-ish stalker who does all those things as part of his stalking behaviour and the Police would know his ID straight away.

Tessliketrees it's actually quite a well documented occurrence; someone will do a few days of scouting in a neighbourhood and mark cars, houses etc (I've even heard of it happening with horses) that they deem worthy of theft, and then return later with backup and equipment. It's usually with chalk or stones but I've hear of household objects being used too. These criminals may just be feeling particularly festive.

Tessliketrees it's actually quite a well circulated click bait story

Fixed that for ya.

I don't think they'd use baubles to mark a house/car for theft. Surely most criminals would just take a picture on their stolen phone. Much more precise.

It does sound weird though OP. Not to minimise your instincts but could you have been freaked out by the guy outside and now are hyper aware of things you wouldn't normally notice. It doesn't make sense for them to hang around so long waiting to commit a crime. Especially because they're drawing attention to themselves with the whistling, baubles, flowers etc.

Hopefully speaking to your neighbour will shed some light on the situation.

Tessliketrees while your passive aggression is very amusing and clever, this was an issue in my local area which was eventually admitted by numerous members of local gang, and covered by major newspapers. I've read about many such instances over the years, so not really 'clickbait'. I suggest practicing comments that actually contribute to the discussion at hand, and don't just showcase your ignorance

Was the bauble under the tree, the same as the one on your car?

Do you or DH have any exes who might be hanging around? Or anyone who might be infatuated with you from a distance? The heart shaped bauble on the car sounds like something a stalker (or infatuated teenager) might do. So does the whistling- a serenade to see if you're alone? Does your DH have any very young colleagues who might have a secret crush on him or be trying to leave signs for him to interpret?

Other possibility that springs to mind is it could be someone with mental health issues? They might be suffering from delusions/psychosis and using the baubles as a form of communication. When my friend was in a manic phase of bipolar (pre diagnosis) she heard voices telling her to tie ribbons onto trees and interpreted signs from nature eg she saw patterns in leaves on the ground that she thought were coded messages.

Be very cautious on your walks, can you go with a friend?

Please keep updating OP, this is the most interesting (and spine tingling) thread I've read in years!

Very creepy indeed. There must be some sort of logic/purpose behind all this. I feel it's too much for it to just be coincidence.

Hope all is ok this morning OP.

@ZoopDragon, I was thinking along the same lines as you, perhaps a relative staying nearby, with mental health issues. It is obviously a pretty safe place for someone to wander. OP did say that the person could be a teenager. OP, please remain aware. When your defences are down, you become a weak target.
Don't leave anything to chance, visit the stuffy neighbours regardless.
I hope you find a reasonable answer soon.

I think you need to update the police with all this, it builds a picture. Something is going on. The police might know what some of this means, they could have dealt with similar incidents especially if these people have done it before

I don't think the middle house has anything to do with it. You need to get up the path to get to your house. How do you know the stranger wasn't headed straight to your house, recognised you (he presumedly knows what you look like if he placed the bauble a few days ago). Are you sure you don't have a stalker op? Either way, 101.

Op, all sounds pretty weird. If you speak to the police can you tell them to update us if anything happens

In all seriousness, I would be shitting a brick. I have a very vivid imagination which is why I probably wouldn’t ever live in a rural area. I hope it turns out to be nothing but worth having a look outside your house in the closeish area in case other random/weird items have been left

Morning all.

Last night was all quiet so that was good! I am starting to feel quite tired though by only sleeping lightly all night.

There is quite an update for you all. On the wall of the garden nearest the road there was a small bit of concrete with a bit of paper underneath.
It must have been left after it had been raining as it was wet and wet where it had been put but the stone would've kept it dry. I'm not sure when it started to rain but think it was this morning rather than last night.

Anyway it's a bit odd and makes no sense. I have attached a photo but honestly I'm starting to think it's a teen being silly now.

We don't have any stalkers. TBH we are really quite boring. There are kids around the village who can be a bit of trouble at times but we haven't had a run in with them particularly. They do mess about and do stupid stuff as there isn't much else for them to do in the village.

I will go round with DH to the neighbours later today and will call 101 just to get everything logged.

Hopefully the pictures have attached.

OP I think you should be careful in case this is weirdo with a crush on you. I wonder if he knew you walk that route and was waiting to catch a glimpse of you. It kinda fits with the heart bauble on your husband’s car aerial (he probably thought it was your car) and the flowers left outside your house. I wouldn’t go walking by yourself. I hope the mystery is resolved soon! Take care x

Wow. I mean yes it does sound like the kind of thing bored rural teens might conceivably do, but I wouldn’t say that jumps out as the most likely explanation. It’s all pretty bloody weird.

Hope you get some rest soon, OP.

Weird bit of paper. How close are you to the village?