Bob posts a disturbing report about his daughter’s new ring. Her use of the phrase “my precious” is chilling enough, but he also describes how, when she’s not wearing it, Laura keeps the ring in “a little zippered pouch.” That sounded eerily familiar. After a short search, I found the relevant passage in The Hobbit:

But who knows how Gollum came by that present, ages ago in the old days when such rings were still at large in the world? Perhaps even the Master who ruled them could not have said. Gollum used to wear it at first, till it tired him; and then he kept it in a pouch next to his skin, till it galled him; and now usually he hid it in a hole in the rock on his island, and was always going back to look at it.

I notice that Mount St. Helens is becoming active again, after over two decades of dormancy. Seismic activity is increasing, and scientists say it may erupt at any moment. This seems to have started a few days ago . . . at about the same time Laura found the ring. Surely this is no coincidence. If the volcano does erupt, I don’t think there’s any doubt as to what should be done. Bob must go to Mordor Washington and cast the ring into the fire.