My Left Foot?

I love when stories from my home, British Columbia, attract the interest of international newspapers. Today, the NYTimes reports on the very strange case of three feet that have washed up on shores of the small islands in the Gulf Islands between Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. Three right feet, each in a running shoe and each about a size 12 all found on various beaches over the last few months ….hmmmmm…..that is strange. Even with DNA samples obtained from Nos. 1 and 2, and with constant calls from residents suggesting whom the feet might have helped propel in the past, no identifications have been made and no causes of death determined. Nor has anyone reported finding any left feet.
A suggested explanation is that the feet “might be aggregated somewhere else,” said Curtis Ebbesmeyer, a former professor of oceanography at the University of Washington who has made a career of tracking the routes of floating objects, including (empty) sneakers spilled from cargo ships. Mr. Ebbesmeyer said the opposite shapes of left and right shoes could make them respond differently to currents.(who knew that?)
What is not surprising, he said, is that the feet made it ashore. If you check out the article you can read all about disarticulation (Word of the Day, anyone?) - which is when a body comes apart naturally.