Just how does something like this happen? One left shoe in the lost and found. Didn't the owner realize as she was walkin' away that things weren't exactly right?

Admittedly, I see lone shoes by the side of the road all the time here in Texas. One tennis shoe. One rubber boot. One flip flop. But I've never seen one cowboy boot. I guess cowboys know when to hold 'em and know when to walk away...with both boots on - which, of course, reminds me of the song The Gambler, made famous by Kenny Rogers.
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
I bet you junk dealers didn't realized until just now that the above chorus of that song was written just for you!