Check out this view....

This is my first attempt at stiching multiple pictures together.... Once I thought I had it just right the computer offered its "own" version which moved some of my finer adjustments. This view was at the top of an almost 2 hour drive in 4 lo, and the old jeep couldnt make the last 200 feet in elevation, so we hoofed it... Enjoy!

Saturday Geo Caching......

I'm back... admit it you missed my sincere sarcasm and Simon just wasn't spewing enough of it on that weekly waste of air-time better known as American Idol right? I knew it, welcome back; I will do my best to make you feel better about regaining that hour of your life.


Saturday April 12th, 2008 1st geocache of the day:

This cache was located in a desert valley near and dear to my heart, yes this little piece of sage covered "heaven" is were I spent most of my time as a young man riding motorcycles (Yes I had a mullet, permed even, I also choose cowboy boots "Ropers" as my footwear of choice and I drove a "Chevy").

This is also the valley that would have been my final resting place if it hadn't been for a mother's intuition in the early morning hours of a summer morning (Thanks Mom, and Dad for believing her and driving her out to the middle of nowhere, just to make sure). Anyhow, you notice that Treasure Hunting Mom is missing from this picture, well she spotted a lizard when we drove up and decided to stay in the safety of the Jeep. This picture was taken from the passenger window "just in case".

Cache #2

This cache is located on the old Fairfield Highway. Ro and I had visited this cache on a previous outing, however I forgot to log it. We drove up with the girls, and decided that because this one was so easy, that the boys would hang back and let the girls find it. Treasure Hunting Mom, spotted it right away, however Ellie and Jack could have tripped over it an not noticed it.

If I could add an A.D.D. moment here, on mine and Ro's previous visit, we were more interested in the barren rib cage of a fallen causality of the unusually rough winter. We were also drawn by the pre-installed man version 2.0 software that focused our attention to a heap of brown and red fur sitting just on the other side of a nearby fence. After the brief exchange between father and son as to who should go see if it was alive, I decided that I would prove my "fatherhood" and go check it out. Ro stayed close to the fence, ready to bolt and leave me to an untimely demise by a rabid, faceless, red haired beast. At this point I decide that maybe I should use "fatherly" caution and just throw rocks at it to see if it would move, thus allowing this(me); over sized beast, sufficient time to run to the safety of the fence.

The end.

That's right, if I let the story continue, you would be able to draw your own conclusion as to my installation of Man 3.0, but if I end now, I sound pretty adventuresome and mysterious.

On the way to another cache, Ellie was located behind the picture taker's seat and was unfortunately left out of this picture. (thanks Uncle Bryce for providing the buckets to carry our treasure loot in)

Cache #3

The innocence of youth, I am sure in my youth I wouldn't have thought twice as to which finger I would have chosen to display this newly discovered loot. Thank heavens for innocent little girls. The picture is Jackie proudly displaying a new "finger" crayon that she was able to pull from this treasure.

Ro retrieving the cache, this kid is good, or at least he is closer to the ground and therefore is drawn to look in low places.

Cache #4
Again, Eagle Eye Ro was able to find this one without much effort. This one happened to be located in an odd spot, and there wasn't any footprints in the area, leading me to believe the person who placed it was wondering aimlessly in life, and happened to think others would enjoy finding his "thinking" place.

Happy Family, locating cache #4

Jackie, striking a typical pose. This kid will be the one that causes me many sleepless nights in the next ten to 12 years. But, I do lover her to death!

Cache #5
These pictures are of our last find for the day. I tried to save the best for last, as I am sure my "level headed" wife would have made me re-think the day if I took this one first. This was a ghost cache I guess, as we weren't able to find it, but it was sure fun putting the old Jeep to the test on the switchbacks getting to this location. Being the good, cautious husband that I am, I waited to comment on my recent "garage" replacement of said Jeep's breaks until we were safely at the bottom.

More views from the top.

Getting Started

ready, set, go........

Well to start off, I want to welcome you to my ramblings. I haven't decided if I am doing this to join the "in" crowd of those of you who would visit this site, or because my wife, in her wisdom, recommended that I create a blog in order to document a new hobby. I think it would be a combination of the two, but with addition of my own heaping cup of unsolicited comments about various things in life.

This whole adventure started back in January of 2008, when a very nervous man and a much calmer wife sat in the office of an overpaid tax specialist. (to borrow a term from a very wise person, I would like to interject here with an "A.D.D" moment... the only reason I was uneasy was from the previous 6+ years of having to grab my ankles for Uncle Sam at tax time.) Anyhow, back to the story... we went to this over paid tax specialist with an arm load of "tax" documents, more than we should have had to bring (thanks to a forced move and a new job, thanks Tom!) and a stack of adoption documents. The latter stack of documents gave us a glimmer of hope in avoiding the very unpleasant act of taking one for good o'l Uncle Sam. This would be the first year we would be able to claim dependants on our taxes, and better yet we would be able to receive the, until now, elusive "child" tax credit.

Much to our surprise and shock, Uncle Sam does have a heart, and he looks kindly on adoption credits... it didn't hurt to tell him we had three at the same time. So with this new found "mini" fortune, we paid some neglected bills, put some money aside for a "dream" vacation for 3 little kiddos ,who's horizon, until now, rose in Colorado and set in the far South East corner of Idaho. (to quote another wise person, "for those of you in Rio Linda, that covers Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and a minute sliver of Idaho.) And then I purchased this:

That's right, I took El Presidente Bush's challenge to stimulate the economy, only I didn't borrow the money from China. I bought a piece of electronics that unfortunately has dropped $65.00 in the less than 60 days I have owned it.

So now you are up to speed. This little talking box, and the very impatient female voice inside, have barked out directions and traffic alerts for my morning and evening commutes for a few weeks now. Not too long ago, I decided to put the cranky old lady to work and make her provide us with more entertainment than the smirky voice that tells me my normal 45 minute commute just turned into a 70 minute commute, because there is a "unavoidable traffic delay up ahead" translation = some "insert minority slang here" Jack-O decide to text his silicone date while driving 80 mph in the evening commute without noticing the 7 miles of RED lights in front of him and swapped a little bumper paint with the unsuspecting soccer mom who was fortunate enough to be in front of him.

This lady now provides Ro, the Old Man and sometime the girls with weekend entertainment of Geo caching, or better known by those in our family under 4 feet tall as "treasure hunting". That's right, we plug in the coordinates of someones attempt at "hiding" the unsuspected in unusual places.

For those of you who have put the boots on, and stepped carefully through my ramblings up to this point will be blessed, or punished depending on your familial ties to me, to be enlightened on our different adventures in seeking the ultimate all-a-dollar treasure.