Maybe they’re loyal bus riders

It’s a little eerie.

Every now and then, I see a pine cone on a sidewalk in downtown Spokane, far from any tree that could have produced it.

I have pretty much ruled out the possibility that they are following me from home. So how does this happen?

My current assumption is that some day-care kids lug the cones back from the park and then drop them.

But I would be interested in hearing other theories.

•Sunday quiz answer: Bonnie Rae, who called before 6 a.m., was the first to correctly identify John McIntire as the actor born in Spokane in June of 1907.

An online biography noted that he often played “police chiefs, judges and sometimes crazy coots.”

Because I had said he was the wagon master on “Wagon Train,” several dozen readers guessed the answer was Ward Bond. But Bond, who was born in Nebraska in 1903, was not in “The Asphalt Jungle” — which had been another clue.

McIntire took over on “Wagon Train” after Bond died. And though the Spokane-born actor was not the first wagon master, he was with the show for a longer stretch than Bond.

McIntire was in “Elmer Gantry,” “Psycho,” “Winchester ‘73” and dozens of other pictures, not to mention practically every TV show from “Bonanza” to “The Love Boat.”

•Slice answer: Helen Bell in Spokane Valley has had three U.S. flags stolen from the front of her home since 2001.

•Last week’s most notable S-R classified: Under “DOGS,” there was a “Red Heller” offered free to a good home.

That breed can be a real handful.

•Here’s The Slice’s favorite question from the FAQ section on the Spokane Police Web site: “I found a vehicle left in my yard last night. Now what do I do?”

Well, one option would be to ask yourself if “Near nature, near perfect” truly captures the flavor of life in your neighborhood.

Or you could post a sign, “Please do not abandon your vehicle in my yard. Or at least come back and get it after you sober up.”

•Warm-up questions: How much should the asking price be lowered before someone selling a house gets to put out a “Price reduced” sign? What percentage of your DVR recording-storage capacity do you typically have tied up with shows you might never watch?

•Today’s Slice question: How do you plan to celebrate the summer solstice on Thursday?