*Whoosh. Plink* Our expressions morphed from surprise to frantic urgency at the unmistakable sound of a small metal object hitting a nearby stone. Missy was wagging her whole backside, grinning mischievously in her typical border collie fashion. Sensing Ryan’s happy energy and jumping on him as he knelt, she had inadvertently bonked her head on the open (now empty) velvet box in Ryan’s hand. I turn to Ryan with a pallid gaze, “Yes, I say yes! But we have to find this ring!”. I caught but a glimpse of the ring before it vanished into the subdued green terrain. Quickly tying the dogs to a nearby tree, we sank to our knees, scouring the mossy undergrowth on the mountain’s cool peak as the sun began to set. Two minutes passed, then five. Then ten. At this point, my fingers were caked in soil and my face soaked with tears of frustration, while Ryan chuckled deliriously from the sheer absurdity of the situation. Small holes in the ground made by some local fauna, sent my thoughts spiraling; What if it fell into one of the holes...? Yes, it must have, now the ring is in the center of the mountain, and we will never find it!” After 20 minutes of exasperated searching and gradually looking more like Gollum from Lord of the Rings with every passing moment, I turn back to Ryan in defeat. However, I see him holding something sparkly with a similar twinkle in his eye. He found it!! (with much help from St. Anthony) As relief flooded over us, I rose, and through a few muffled sobs, utter another resounding “Yes!” As we barreled back down the mountain to meet Ryan’s family at the local brewery before the sun set, we laughed in awe at our experience. Although the night could have ended on quite a different note, we are so grateful that our engagement is a humorous tale we can share for many years to come!