The day I explored Central Park like a real detective (Washington Monument edition)

I found a clue by the Washington Monument and no one could stop me from investigating it.

Mom had been walking too slow anyway. She kept stopping to take pictures of the cherry blossoms but I had work to do. There was something important in the dirt by this big white pole thing. Smelled like three different dogs had been there before me, plus something else. Something buried.

I put my nose down and got serious about it. The ground was soft from yesterday's rain and whoever was here before me had definitely been digging. Not deep digging. Secret digging. The kind where you don't want humans to know what you're doing.

Mom was saying something about staying close but I was busy. This was detective work. The smell was getting stronger and I could tell I was close to figuring out the whole mystery. My paws were getting muddy but that's what happens when you're solving crimes.

Then I found it. A tennis ball. But not just any tennis ball. This one was buried on purpose, right by the monument like a treasure. Someone had saved it here and I was the one who found it. I picked it up and it was still good. A little dirty but still bouncy.

Mom came over and tried to get me to drop it but I couldn't. This was evidence. Plus it was mine now. That's how treasure hunting works. She kept saying 'leave it' but she didn't understand that I had solved a real mystery.

We walked around the whole park after that and I carried my prize the entire time. Past the other dogs, past the fountain, all the way home. Mom finally gave up trying to get me to put it down.

Still have the ball. It's under my bed next to my other important things. Tomorrow I'm going back to see if there are more clues by that monument. I think there's a whole treasure map situation happening in Central Park and I'm the only one who knows about it.