Sunday walk and Geo-caches...

Sunday was another day that had been predicted to be very rainy - but, fortunately, the weather people were wrong again!  It was over-cast and cloudy, but not cold, and not a raindrop in sight!  So we took advantage of the dry weather and headed out on a "geo-cache walk".  Cathi and her family have done this activity, which is a cross between a walk and a treasure hunt, with no real treasure!  It's like collecting sea glass - the finding is the value.  It's a big thing - google it!

Lee found that there were 4 geo-caches along the area we planned to walk - up to the forest, past the Distillery, and then along the ridge to the radar station near the harbor.  The location of the geo-caches is listed by longitude and latitude, and you use your GPS to find the locations, and then you hunt! 

The first one was in the forest - once we found the approximate location, we began looking.  Sure enough, there were rocks stacked into a hollow in a tree.  A big clue was a hooked stick nearby.  Lee drug the rocks out, and there was a tin box, embedded in a concrete "pot".  Inside the box, in a plastic bag, was a small piece of leather with a picture of a knife on it, an a piece of paper with the name of the person who left it.  We signed our name, and continued on.

The second one was located in the parking lot of the Distillery - we think!  We never did find it.  There is a planting area with a recessed space under it, but you couldn't see in there without getting down on your hands and knees - which I wasn't about to do.  Lee, apparently, wasn't going to do it either.  Nor were we going to stick out hands up in there.  Oh, well, we continued on walking.

We had a nice long walk after that without the distraction of looking for a geo-cache.  Once we got down to the radar station, we started looking.  We covered a lot of area, but couldn't find the location.  I quit "playing" when, as tromping through the underbrush, we found a snake!  Only one, but undoubtedly there were dozens of them lurking around.  Lee continued on, over hill and dale, at times up to his knees in shrubbery.  He gave up on that one, finally, and we began our walk back, with one last geo-cache to go.  This time we were successful!  The location worked out perfectly.  This was a "real" geo-cache - an actual geo-cache container with lots of stuff in it, and a little geo-cache notebook to sign when you found it.

With a 50% success rate, we headed home.  We walked for 2.5 hours, and totally enjoyed seeing the ocean and wildlife.  In addition to the snake, we say two bunnies.  Lots of walkers, bike riders, strollers and dogs were also enjoying the trail and the lack of rain!

We got to experience our walk again later that night when Lee discovered a tick that had burrowed into his chest!!  YUCK!!  We've decided that staying on the trail is the way to go.  Fortunately it came out easily and intact, so hadn't been there very long.  Needless to say, we are both still feeling "itchy"!

The tenacity of plants constantly amaze me!  This nasturtium has grown up the white pipe around the wire, and is blooming.

The location of the first geo-cache, with the rocks removed

The metal box embedded in cement

Lee with his first find!

The second geo-cache!

Opening the geo-cache

Geo-cache treasures and small notebook

This "X marks the spot" made finding the geo-cache easier!

Anyway, it's fun!  If you are out for a walk, anyway, google Geo-Cache and find where they are hidden in your area!

I guess this post could also go under the heading of "Easily Amused"!