It's mid-winter; you never know what you'll find ...

BONNERS FERRY — A few Boundary County residents found some unexpected surprises on their properties last week.

On Friday, Feb. 9, an individual was tearing down some older buildings on their property on Porthill Loop Drive and found a box with some fuses, four sticks of muslin cloth-covered dynamite, and other assorted stuff.

Hall Mountain Volunteer Fire, Boundary County Sheriff’s Office, and Director of Emergency Management Michael Meier all responded to the scene.

“They were dynamite which I have not seen before, but the date was late 60s early 70s stuff, and it seemed pretty stable, none of the normal sweating with older dynamite,” said Meier.

The dynamite was then transported in the box out into a field where they covered it with diesel fuel, and used a short fuse of diesel fuel leading to the box. They then lit it on fire and it burned the dynamite up without further incident.

For another couple, the surprise dropped out of the sky on Feb. 10.

“We were home on Chokecherry Drive mid afternoon Saturday. My husband heard a noise at the front of the house,” said Annie Pflueger. “There were deer by the back patio who ran like something was chasing them.”

Thinking that some loose dogs were chasing the deer, Pflueger checked out the back, while her husband, went out the front door, discovering the canopy of an aircraft with broken window glass scattered all over the driveway.

“The object missed my car by only a few feet,” said Pflueger. “We then called the Sheriff’s department who then sent a deputy up to look at it. Our main concern was for the safety of the pilot.”

On the recommendation of the deputy, the Pfluegers returned the broken canopy to the airport. According to the Boundary County Airport, the pilot did return and land safely without the canopy.

It just goes to show, people never know what they may find in the safe haven of their own property.