M122

I was at our monthly Girl Scout Service Unit Meeting a week ago.  We had a Guest Speaker from the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. She told us about the programs the agency offers, concentrating on the ones geared towards kids. On page 15 of their "Activity Guide" book "IRVINE RANCH Natural Landmarks ~Let's Go Outside!~"  was a box for OUR HIKES! Yes, the ones my daughter & I have lead for nearly 18 years. My daughter will be turning 18 in September and SHE has been on most of the hikes with me. She has never lead one but, she is always there to help out.

Well, I had to tell all the leaders that if they wanted to do THAT activity, that we are the Docents on the 2nd & 4th Saturdays. 

After the meeting one of the Leaders came over to me to get my information and to show me some pictures and a video that a friend of hers had posted to Facebook.  The video wouldn't play but, the pictures were of a collared (radio collar) cougar!  OH! MY! Her friend had set cameras out and captured this cat on video! 

Last September, we lost a dear Ranger and friend.  She had taught me almost everything that I know about these beautiful cats including how to read their tracks.  The weekend after she passed away my Girl Scout Service Unit was camping out in O'Neill Regional Park. I toll my troop on a hike to find a Geocache in the park. We took Hoffman Homestead Trail out to the Monastery.  Along the way, we found cougar tracks.  I have lost my calipers that I used to measure the tracks when I'd find them. So, I took pictures.

I felt the presence of Donna even thought it was a Cougar track.  I don't know but, perhaps these tracks are from that same cat.

At her Celebration of Life service we met some of her colleagues. Some who she worked with in the Cougar Studies that placed the collars on the cougars. 

I contacted one of them and asked him if he might know which cat had been captured on the camera.  He replied to me that he indeed knew.  M122.  He's a 2 to 2 1/2 year old male.  He covers long ranges trying to find a place to call "his own". 

I was able to get the guy with the camera connected with the guy who placed the collar. They are now exchanging information about M122. The data from his collar transmits about once an hour. Having him on video adds much to his information.
It was a great week.

20K

I take my dog for a walk every morning.  He spends 99% of his time, nose to the ground.  At least a third of that time, he seems to have his nose in something else.  Yeah, I exaggerate but, I simply can not believe that amount of STUFF he has to STOP and SNIFF!

Recently, I found it necessary to contact our City's HOA about a completely different matter.  I met with my contact at Monte Vista Park which is the park my dog takes most of his walks.  The doggie bag dispensers were empty and he radioed to the office that they needed to be refilled.   There are at least three at this park.  More than half of them are within feet of a trash can.  My contact tells me that they recently changed the style of bags and dispensers and that they are less costly than the previous style.  They STILL cost the city TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS a YEAR! 

Normally they are well maintained.  Always full.  My contact stated that some people take fist fulls.  I, my self take two at a time.  But, my dog proceeds to use both on each walk.  

So, IF these dispensers ARE everywhere and they ARE, WHY oh WHY is there so much STUFF for my dog to SNIFF???  WHY can't pet owners be responsible?

Which brings up another matter.  When my contact arrived, he had to excuse himself to first inform a lady there with her dog and "chuck-it"

that DOGS MUST BE LEASHED AT ALL TIMES.  This message is posted at every baggie dispenser AND several other places in the park.  This lady had arrived just before my contact with her child, the dog and a "chuck-it".  I knew that she was going to let the dog run loose in the open and unfenced park.  I only hoped that my contact would show up while she was still there.  She dropped the dog's leash.  She did not remove it from the dog.  I guess that in her mind "the dog was still on its leash".  REALLY??  Leashed means.  YOU are in control of your dog and the leash in IN your HAND.
My contact says that this park ranks number 3 in the parks in our City for people breaking the leash LAW.  Yes, folks, it is THE LAW to both have the dog (and/or CAT) on a leash and controlled at ALL TIMES and well and cleaning up after said pet.

The City spends 20K per year to help people with the "pick up after".  Please, DO the right thing and pick up you dog's DOO! 

Secret Outlast® Completely Clean Clear Gel allows me to Tackle EVERYthing

Today I am blogging about: Secret Outlast^® Completely Clean Clear Gel allows me to tackle everything without worrying about odor or wetness.  It even protects for up to 48 hours



I have been participating in BzzAgent for several month now.  I get to test FREE products.  FOR REAL.  This time I was sent some coupons and a FULL SIZE package of the new Outlast Completely Clean Clear Gel. 

I currently use the Secret line so that was not new, What IS new is that it IS REALLY completely CLEAR!  NO white marks!
I wear mostly dark (purple) tops and not having to worry about white marks on dark fabric is great.

For those of you who come here for the Waymark, try this Secret when you are out looking for the physical Waymarks outdoors!  You can be confident that your fellow Waymarkers will never see you sweat!

There are two scented versions.  I would lean towards the lavender.  The OUTLAST is the one that goes for the 48 hours. Great for the Waymark marathons. OR better yet the sister activity, Geocaching.  Power caching in the desert will no longer be a concern.  Just wake up at 3 in the morning, use you Secret OUTLAST and cache away!  No need to stop for anything!  OK, maybe the regular pit-stops and for food.  But, SECRET OUTLAST will most likely OUTLAST you!  No Odor No White Marks!

I really like SECRET OUTLAST CLEAN CLEAR GEL.

One outta Five

During FIFA World Sup, Munzee is doing a special icon of the FIFA soccer (futbol) called COPA DO MUNZA,  704 of them are bouncing in "existing" "active" regular Munzees on six hour "timers",   They remain on one Munzee until they are captured (or the timer runs out) then they bounce off to another.  When captured, a total of 23 points are split randomly between the one who owns the Munzee and the one who captures it.
So far I have captured six. Never getting more than 10 points.  I have also had issues with half of the FIFA balls that are near me being on Munzees that are actually unscannable or completely missing. Frustrating to say the least.   OH! the 704 and the 23 are supposed to be significant of something but, I am not sure what.  23 is the number of players on each team roster. 

Today, one pops up rather close to my house.  It happened to be in an area that I KNOW most of the Munzee are either gone or removed.  My daughter tells me to go for it anyway.  It turns out that it is in the set that are on the TRAIL not the streets so there was hope.  Still, these Munzee were deployed at least two years ago and I didn't have much hope. 

The easiest, fastest way to this part of the trail is to park in a residential neighborhood and go up a slope (or the concrete downdrains).  I drove over and parked.  Tried the Downdrain.  It is extra wide and rather slick so, I opt for the dirt slope.  Soon enough I was on the Bell View Trail within feet of the first of five Munzees that I figured I would try to find as they were near the one with the FIFA ball.  First one was to have been on the trail sign... um, NOPE! That's great.   Following my phone's target for the one I need to get...  Small tree  At the center there is nothing.  I widen my search after all, I am also a Geocacher and seldom are the coordinates "DEAD ON".   AH-HA - there it is.  Fingers crossed that weather has not damaged it beyond scanning.  Click the scan button.  "DING!"  The happy sound of a successful scan AND 9 points for the FIFA ball too.  Actually the message was something like "GOOOOOOOOOOAAL!!!! you captured 9 points on the Copa Do Munzo.... " something like that.   My phone was reading a bit off for the center of the location circle but, I GOT IT!   I proceed on up the trail. 

Ah the sound of Phainopepla in the trees.  It is Summertime in the Chaparral. What IS a phainopepla? Follow that link to know more.  But, in short, the male is a shiny black bird with a crest on its head.  Like a cardinal but, black!  The female is charcoal grey. Both have red eyes.  They eat insects and Mistletoe berries.  They live HERE during the summer.   They are one of my favorite birds.  I continued to hear them the entire time I was on the trail.

Next, is a Munzee called "Tree again"  I search in a wide circle and find nothing.  I add (deploy) a Munzee  A bigger tree, between that and the one where I scored the GOOOOOOAAL.  There are little biting flies everywhere today. Annoying! Still, I want to find another Munzee out here.  Tree trail - Again the target circle must be off.  I found nothing.  I try for one more.  There was room to deploy another new one "baby oak" between it and "Tree trail".  Bell trail tree gave me nothing.  I wonder if any of the four that I DID not find are really there.  They shouldn't be difficult if they were like "Small tree".

I head back down the trail confirming that my new ones show up where they should. (on my phone anyway).  Enjoying the breeze and the sounds of the phainopepla and the other birds.  Happy that at least the one Munzee that I actually came for WAS there and scannable.

GOOOOOOOAAL!!!!
These specials will continue through July 13th, the end of World Cup.

School is nearly Over for the 2013-2014 Year

The days fly by and once again it has been far too long since I have added anything here.  I have a new follower!  She discovered me one morning while I was trying to be stealthy while hunting a Munzee.  She sees me and says "Are you Geocaching?"   Um, well, no, not exactly and what was it that gave me away?  the GPS?  Me walking along a Cart Return rack with my hand gliding along the bottom edge as if I was searching for "a container"? What ever it was she had me.  I explained to her that I was doing something similar, Munzee.  Another Munzer and her kids had just FILLED the Target parking lot with a ton of new Munzees and I was trying to find one.  Turns out this lady is not only a Geocacher but, also neighbor to my Girl Scout friend!  TOO funny and such a small world.  I went to my friend's house the next day and see the very same vehicle that had "muggled" me at Target.  (Thanks for following me, we need to get together and geocache/munzee all together - three of us). 

Ah, school and the title of this entry.
True it is nearly over for one more year.  I am looking forward to another Summer with my daughter.  But, I fear this year she will be much more busy with Drivers Ed and friends.  This year went very fast! 

I found a few new sites to follow and to participate in.  one is  BzzAgent  .  I was searching for a coupon for a NEW, WONKA product called "Peel-A-Pop".  Absolutely, "WONKA" ~you can even eat the peel~  Little Ice-Cream pops of vanilla wrapped in either banana or grape flavored gummy "peels" that are of course, edible!  
I did not find the coupon but, found BzzAgent instead.  
I hope it is like something that I used to participate in.

Long ago, I was part of something called WOM or Word Of Mouth.  It was a fun community of people who wrote little reviews on everything from music to restaurants to places to take the family and pretty much everything in between.   We were awarded in random monthly drawings.  It was fun but, sadly came to an end.  Seems that some discovered ways to stack the points in their favor. 

My daughter and I have been monitoring our 11 Bluebird Nesting boxes since March.  We have had four successful boxes with each fledging three or four chicks apiece.  One box near group areas 2 and 3 in O'Neill had a group of outdoor/home schoolers watching the entire process.  From the nest just after Easter, to the eggs, to the newly hatched chicks to bigger chicks, to watching them ready to fledge (popping their heads out of the box) to the empty nest. It was fun to watch the little kids faces as they came up one by one each week to see the nesting box and its progress.   Two of our boxes have Ash-Throat Fly Catchers.  They are later in nesting than the Bluebirds and each box has four eggs as of last Monday.

Our Geocaching is going very slowly.  Too much homework and not enough free time.  I do find time to deploy and cap (capture) at least one Munzee a day.  Even if it is alone.  
Right now during World Cup, there are special Munzee icons (FIFA Balls) bouncing from Munzee to Munzee (704 balls world-wide).  They have a timed life of 6 hours at each location so, if noone captures them in that time they bounce off to another Munzee.  At least THREE of them have been near us but, the Munzee that they were to have been "on" is actually GONE!    I have been able to grab 5 of the FIFA icons and from two I earned 10 points!  Each one has 23 points to be randomly split between the capturer and the owner of the Munzee!  
Supposedly, 704 and 23 MEAN something significant if the world of FIFA World Cup.  I think I get the 23.  There are 23 players on each squad or team roster.  There are 32 Counties.  If you take the 32 and multiply it by 23, you get 736.  If you subtract 32 from that, you get 704.  But, why?? 

That's it for now,
Random wanderings from tissa1020
oh, and RIP Casey Kasem
“Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.”  Casey Kasem
April 27, 1932-June 15. 2014

RFL RSM 2014

This year Relay was early.  Moved up from July to avoid the heat?  And what do we get but, REALLY warm California Spring weather!  

Anyway, It was fun.  Honoring and remembering those had and have cancer.  My team Rancho Viejo School, was amazing as always.  At least a half dozen of the kids walked a marathon in HONOR of Kabrina a classmate we lost almost two years ago to leukemia.  I was 4.2 miles short.  If I'd stayed the night, I could have done it too.   

Anyone who wants to donate still can through my Relay Donation Page Relay For Life of Rancho Santa Margarita (Team Rancho Viejo School)   The link will last for a few months, maybe until August 2014.  I am very proud of one of our team members.  She raised nearly $1,000 !!!  

My family and I have added Munzee to our list of activities.  It goes hand-in-hand with Geocaching and Waymarking as many geocaches have Munzees near them.  I went to Central park on Friday, the day before Relay to look around.  I wanted to know how early they set up.  I was there around 9am on Friday.  I stopped at three benches on the far side of the course.  I added a Munzee.  RFL 2014 for Kabrina   If you click the "notes" tab, there is more: "a bench between two others. Foxhound & I have participated in Relay For Life for about 6 or 7 years. This year will mark the 2nd that we have done without Kabrina. She was the reason for our team "Rancho viejo School". This bench is along the (back side) loop that the relay follows.."

The new corner median at Buena Suerte and La Miranda was complete so the road was open but, the sidewalk in the park was still taped off with yellow tape.  Two guys from SAMLARC were there and I asked "what about Relay?" They told me that "no problem theses guys will have it done, they are fast"  Then I asked them about a co-worker and bluebirds.  I had not seen any at Central Park, yet.  And I know there are no nesting boxes there.  I showed them a picture of one of the boxes we have and Monte Vista Park.  

I told them about Easter Grass.  

They had to catch up to the other "inspection" people they were with.   

I continued around the course.  

Just as I cleared the Hockey Rink, on the grass under the palm trees, was the brightest BLUE male bluebird!  I stopped.  I watched.  He flew straight up to the base of where the fronds had been cut and ducked into a little gap there!  A NATURAL Cavity!!! I placed another Munzee.  BLUEBIRD TREE    

It turns out there is also a connection to Bluebirds with Kabrina.  At her house there had never been bluebirds til after she passed away.  Now, her mom sees them in the yard.  Karina is watching over them,  She is watching over all of us for/at Relay!

My daughter and I came to Relay on Saturday at about noon.  We'd been to our monthly Bluebird Club Meeting.  We'd found and placed some Munzees between the meeting and Relay.  We walked through out the day.  We did the Luminari Lap. 

A very special and emotion lap at about 9pm (the halfway mark)  The entire path is lined with Luminaries dedicated to loved ones. 

  

We walked until about 11pm then went home while others stayed through the night.  

I returned the next morning at 6am.  I was joined by some of the members of the team.  It was about 7:30am on the far side near Kabrina's Bench when we saw a bright yellow bird with a red head.  I pointed it out to the two others I was walking with.  A Western Tanager!  I was too slow with my phone/camera and he flew up into the trees.  I walked several more laps in hopes of seeing him again.  But, he was hiding in the trees.  

Another Relay in the books.  

Doggie Doo Stations

We went to Tahoe/Nevada for our Spring Break.  We have recently begun playing Munzee.  Similar to Geocaching because you need a "smart phone" with GPS capabilities OR a GPS with the Munzee APP loaded onto it.  What do these two things have to do with each other?

Well, In our home neighborhood, I have been deploying Munzees on the MANY "Doggie Doo" Stations (those boxes either metal or plastic that are full of baggies to use for the disposal of your pets' "stuff").  I am still (not sure why) amazed by the amount of "stuff" that is EVERYWHERE, despite the fact that these stations are EVERYWHERE too.  Even in Nevada!  I deployed a Munzee or two or three in Nevada at these stations because, just like here at home, there is Doggie stuff sometimes just yards away from these stations. 

I am getting more and more annoyed by people who can't pick up after their pets.  A lady in my neighborhood started yelling at ME when I had the baggie ON MY HAND, waiting for my dog to finish... REALLY?  Why can't she do that to the people who WALK AWAY??  Like who ever it was that left a "present" on our lawn.  Romeo found it.  Romeo sniffed it. Romeo has to sniff every single pile that he encounters.  This makes walking him take an eternity and sometimes he gets so involved with the sniffing that he forgets why WE are walking and promptly pesters me for another "out" as soon as we are home and his leash is taken off.

AND that brings me to another thing...
LEASH LAWS -- they are for ALL DOGS not just mine.

Waymark Visited, Again

sigh...

once again I have not blogged since we received the alert that our Waymark (to this blog) had been visited.

Nothing much new. 

Bluebird season again.  Someone in our club already has chicks in at least TWO of her boxes and we only have five eggs on one box.   Oh well, maybe next year.

I finally have an instrument that can play the Munzee game.  AND we are in a clan,  We started on March 23rd and are level 14 as of today.

Going to Tahoe soon and hope to roll Munzee into the Geocaching we will do there.  There are also Waymarks and Letterboxes but, I fear that I am the only one who cares about them.

The next to last LOTR geocache published yesterday and none of my family even wants to go look.  (I am not sure that I want to go alone for it).

Everyone else is happy to be playing their video games.  Which reminds me, Foxhound finally got me to play some Fable III.  I made it to my second achievement.  At least in this game there is a "trail" to follow.  Still I just do not get these kinds of games.  I want to go outdoors.  Only my dog wants to join me but, he can't go with me all the time.  He LOVES sniffing EVERYthing.  This makes it nearly impossible for me to do anything but let him sniff.  At least it is a slow pace (usually) so I can take in all the scenery.  Listen to the birds.  Watch the birds.  Stuff like that.

I wish I could remember to blog more.
Until next time our Waymark Blog is visited...
 

Brownies+ Hiker & Letterboxing Badges = FUN!

Once again I have gone far to long without posting a blog.  I just get lost in other things, always.  Even the last time a Waymarker posted that they had visited our Waymark (this blog) I failed to post something new.


Today however, I helped a Brownie Troop with TWO badges. Yes, we NEED stinkin' badges!   We work on Hiker and Letterboxing.  Why? because most letterboxes require hiking so, I blended the two together.  All the troop needs to do is place a letterbox of their own and they have completed BOTH badges.  It is funny that the letterboxing badge touches more on the compass than the Hiker.  No matter, following the letterbox clues and the trail markers was much more fun!

On Friday I went to O'Neill and set out at least a dozen trail markers made from stones and sticks. They were all still in place for today.  I printed out little cards for the girls with about seven different marks to identify.  We talked about Leave No Trace (they have a card with the seven principals that I made for them too) We learned how to put "Red Fred In the Shed" and found North and where we were on the map.  We made little stamps for letterboxing.  We solved two puzzles to learn about common codes used in letterboxing.  Some of the girls were really quick and solving the things in their heads and saying the words with just one or two letters written down!  We followed the trail marks (THAT was probably the highlight - except for the letterbox itself).  We learned about Poison Oak (a danger trail sign was at one place where the stuff grows along the trail) and Snags (the Wait for Directions sign was placed in front of one so we could stop and talk about them and Acorn wood peckers and cavity nesting birds) and how to follow clues to the letterbox.  

It was a FUN afternoon ~all in just over TWO HOURS! 

Short little  blog but, I am tired. Thirteen Brownies is a lot of energy ~ a lot of FUN energy! 
 

Nearly Christmas Eve

Once again I find that months have gone by since my last blog.  I suppose that I should take time to get here at least once a week.  I don't know how "bloggers" do it.  How do they have something to blog every single day? 

I received a message that a waymarker found our blog.  They are from Canada!  

" MaitreJack wrote comments for tissa1020 & Foxhound's Blog Space on 12/23/2013 8:00:00 AM and posted the following comments:

J'ai visité le blogue. Beau site. Merci de partager avec nous. I visited the blog. Beautiful site. Thank you for sharing with us. MaitreJack de Rimouski, Québec, Canada"

Seems that I need such reminders to actually blog.  Sad.

Anyway,Catalina was great.  Roman Street ~loved them~  http://romanstreet.com/ " Roman Street is a energetic band born and raised out of Mobile, AL dabbling in the arts of “new” flamenco, smooth and not-so-smooth jazz, and its own brand of fusion style music with a youthful and spontaneous approach to musical expression."  

Their style is one of my most favorite forms of guitar.  I was able to get their autographs right after they were interviewed by Gary & Kelly!  

Foxhound and I have filled in every square on our grid except for five days to be filled in 2014.  February and March - five days between the two of them.
I am trying to use GSAK to find how many DAYS we have cached.  There is an event cache in early January the requires we know this important statistic.  Geocaching has been around for around 5,000 days. We started caching five years into the game so we missed many from the start.  And, of course we have NOT cached every single day since we started.  We know some people who are one a 400 plus day streak.  That, is really something. 
I have to ask friends how to get this GSAK to work.  It looks rather simple but, there are things that I just can't seem to get out of it.  I ran some files and they indicate we only have 717 finds and ONLY in CA.  Not true.  We have per GC, 1.659 finds and in over five states! 

Foxhound is out of school for Christmas/Winter break and still sleeping.  Romeo is bored and keeps trying to get me to take him on his walk earlier than normal. 

Two days til Christmas and too much to do. 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
 



 

Once Again - "TIme Passages"...

Honestly, I don't have an excuse.  

I just don't make the time to blog.  Saw a post from a friend and decided to come check it out.

Then, remembered that I have not been here (again) in a long time.

So, Foxhound & I just completed the Geocaching - 31 days of caching Challenge - at least one cache a day for the month of August.  

Fun!  

AND we managed to snag NINE "FTFs" which is amazing because of a cacher in our area who seems to get all of the new caches before I even know about them!

August was one of the few months that we already had every day filled on "the grid".  It was still fun to get at least one cache a day.  

Now, in September, we have many days that have yet to be filled even though we have been caching since November of 2005!  We are doing our best to get those days filled.  School is going to soon get in the way. 

The past week plus has been horrible hot and humid stuff.  Wish it would end soon.  Today however, we had a little rain burst while we were driving to the Mall to enjoy THEIR air-conditioning.  Foxhound was beyond happy! 

October is JAZZ FEST on Catalina. The first three weekends every October.  Last year, we went ON my birthday *I went for FREE* courtesy of the Catalina Express.  I bought tickets for the rest of my family and three tickets to the Noon show as well.  AND the Wooden Nickel Restaurant fed ME for FREE too.  Everyone there that day whose BDay is October 20th had a Birthday Ribbon.  THAT was pretty cool being with so many other "1020's" 
This year, Just Foxhound & I will be going *both for FREE* courtesy of my most favorite Radio Station ***KSBR***  Monday's JazzTrax artist of the day was Craig Chaquico... (oh how I wish he was the show for Oct 5th noon).  I entered on the station' web site.  The next day, I thought I remembered something was happening on that date so I didn't enter.  Same for Wednesday.  BUT, yesterday I get home to a message from Judy Davila (KSBR) saying that I WON!!!!  I looked on the calendars and can't find what ever it was I thought was happening on the 5th.  Roman Street & David Benoit*goin' to Catalina!* 
This will be the forth time I think, I love live music and the venue is so cool - the Casino on Catalina.

That's it for now... gonna escape the heat and go for an Owl Hike this evening.  
 

Photo Book

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Photo Book

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Build your own high-quality photo books at Shutterfly.com.

2013 Regal Summer Movie Express!

Foxhound and I are enjoying the Summer *off*.  For her it is because school is out but, for me it is because I was part of a department wide (all of the California Commercial Branches Customer Service Representatives) Lay-Off! 
Today we took in a movie for $1 each! PLUS it was $2 Popcorn Day!  We enjoyed "Journey 2 the Mysterious Island".  We had seen it at home on the "small screen". But, it is a fum movie and I want one of those little elephants!! 

Afterwards, we drove a few miles to the Lake Forest Nature Park off Dimension.  We'd been there around the time it opened and had found the two caches in the park and a few along the trail that starts there.   A few new caches have been placed since and we never came to *find* them!  But, two things brought us back.  1. A new challenge cache requiring 59 caches that have no vowels in their Names/Titles and 2. We needed to fill the 07.30 square on our *year grid*.   LFNP 2 (placed 03.04.2007) was the main reason to come back to this park.  It was a replacement for a cache that we had found, "Dry Creek Cache"  12.10.2005 which was very early in our caching career!    

Good Day!

Its All GREEK to ME

So, I have been bashing my head against a wall for years (04/11/2011) to be exact.
I have enlisted family and friends trying to solve the puzzle.  
The weather has been HOT and we NEED to fill the July 1 square on our grid! 
All these years since November 2005 and we NEVER have found a cache oi July 1st or July 4th!

Finally, yesterday I reached out to a lifeline I know.  I had read her post and it indicated something.  She gave be a hint.  Now, much like a cache that was written in "duck"  I shake my head, "Really, it was that?"  So, I spent the morning solving and with the help of a few websites In case you need help with CROSSWORD PUZZLES like this (nope the GREEK puzzle is NOT a crossword but, the site helped ME)

And the Number is....
And again this site won't solve the puzzle either but, it helped ME.
Now, to get Foxhound & finally LOG this one!

Sizzling HOT....

Saturday ~June 29th~ The temps were forecast to hit over 100~

Foxhound & I went to Cars and Coffee and then to the Grand Opening of Farmers Park in Anaheim  http://www.anaheim.net/com_dev/aipp/1a.htm.  

According to my car it was at least 97 but, according to weather dot com (clicking here will give you *yesterday's* weather in Anaheim not June 29th 2013)  the high was only 94!
We had planned to do that and the Muzeo http://muzeo.org/home.php and three geocaches nearby.  

We opted to do the Muzeo another day.  Parking was FREEEE all day. 
We left and returned to the parking structure twice (after each 2 hours that we were there) Once to get lunch.  TOOO hot to walk to Carl's and second time just drove around the block because we couldn't believe parking was REALLY *FREE*.  We had to see the scary Smiley Face that flashed *FREE PASSAGE*

We completed the legwork (solving) the two puzzle caches and found one of them.  Pretty sure we found the location of the other but, lacked the TOTTs to retrieve it.  We have some lifelines we will try (for hints) and return when we go to the Muzeo.  

The Anaheim Downtown Artwalk was part of the cache we DID find.  It was long but, FUN.  The website we found AFTER when I was looking for the "extra credit if you can figure out what those letters mean" in part e of Stop 6: Rock Bench.  I really liked that bench,  it had a story about Coyote.  Silly trickster, he never learns.  We learned one word in Gabrieliño (phonetically anyway) "YTUR" is "Coyote". The Artist/Sculptor for the bench and several other pieces in the walk is Nobuho Nagasawa 

We really must go back - we missed much of the art and the entire Muzeo.

OH and those two caches we found... Completed our JUNE squares on our GRID.  Need to find some tomorrow and on the 4th of July! 
      

The San Antonio Zoo in Texas has welcomed a bizarre new addition - a two-headed turtle named Thelma and Louise. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2349717/Two-headed-turtle-named-Thelma-Louise-hatches-Texas-zoo.html#ixzz2XS4PpGzB Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

I heard about this turtle on KFI 640AM today

Western Blue Birds 2013

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Create a gorgeous, high quality wedding photo album at Shutterfly.com.

May 9th to May 12th

I decided to take a Vacation Dayon May 9th so that I could get my eyes checked then spend the afternoon with my daughter.  After I picked her up from school we set out for the Mission Viejo Mall for "Mom's Night Out".  An annual event were various stores set out booths & give away samples.  Last year, they had a RSVP email.  I replied, I arrived (later than the start time) to find ALL the samples -esp- the Mall Goodie Bag GONE!  OK, so it is mostly little samples and "spend $500 and we will give you "blank" but, I RSVP'd & they gave away "MY" goodie bag!  Only good thing last year was the guy playing the Steel Drums...  I talked to him.  He is local.  Said he had been there three years in a row.  Back to this year, I didn't want to miss the FREE SAMPLES!  Took a Vacation Day!  The guy with the Steel Drums was there again!  Just too crowded to hang around right there to listen so, we wandered around going to the stores with samples & specials "for Mom".  Origins did FREE Mini-Facials - they say they offer FREE 20-minute Facials *anytime* & NO obligation to BUY (really??) Might take them up on that. We finished off "Mom's Night" at Muscle Beach - aka Hotdogs-on-a-Stick for my FREE lemonade.  We bought dinner there and brought it home.

Friday May 10th.  Half-Day at work to come back for Half-Day Saturday.  We needed to fill a square on our Geocaching Grid.  On Thursday, I had looked for caches very near to home that we still have not found.  There are a few but, not too many.  Most now require hiking & the weather was forecast to be "HOT".  Also, we had a Girl Scout meeting (at least planned).  Most the other girls were busy.  One just returning from the Annual Spring Trip for her school.  So that caches I looked at were very close to home. One happened to be a Puzzle Cache that published in January of 2009.  Every time I had looked at the cache before, I just shook my head.  Duck had definitely lost it this time.  I just did NOT get it.  "Quack QuQuQuQu Qu QuackQuQuackQu QuQuack QuackQuQuackQu QuQuQuQu Qu QuQu QuQuQu"  I mean... REALLY????!! 
But, somehow this time - I found something different.  Something like a KICK in the butt or a "dead-give-away" clue as to how to solve this puzzle.  FINALLY and OMG how could I have NOT seen that before! I told Foxhound that we would be hunting for this when no one else could be at the meeting! 
I picked her up and we confirmed we'd be trying this alone.  
We scoped out the vicinity of the cache.  Parked the Geo300 and made our approach.  My GPSr had me walking in circles but, NOT finding the container.  

Hmmm, we NEED to find ONE cache today... Let's go try that other old cache "nearby".  This next cache had been there since 2008 & we NEVER even tried to find it before! It is a Tribute Cache to a friend of ours -something about his 2,262nd find" (weird Milestone but, what the heck).  We again park, walk towards the cache GZ.  Gets to a point that Foxhound will go no further.  I knew the thing was a NANO - had an idea of WHAT I was looking for.  "FOUND IT!" I shout to Fox.  (OH -if anyone who posted on our "Got Spam?" Multi posted they "found" this one...) These little devils are difficult to get the log out of & to sign, especially when the log is FULL as this one was. None the less, I accomplish what had to be done & replace the container.  And YES, at least FIVE cachers who complained that they cannot find WP1 of our Multi-Cache (including the HIDER of THIS very cache) posted they "found" this one!!!  LOOK HARDER - CLOSER - it is there! 

Back at the Geo300 we make a call to the hider of the puzzle.  Yup, we were in the correct area... Yup, we are "blind" and Yup, the Duck with one of the ducklings might swing by just to be sure we made the find.  We drive back. Park and walk to GZ again. THIS armed with a clue for the owner -- I nearly saw it before I was there!  OH what a cleaver camo! And fun tricky puzzle. We chat with Duck and his oldest Duckling.  Then we all head off for home. 

Saturday - Half-Day work and RECYCLE day.  There is a location near my work that pays good $$ for glass, plastic and aluminum.  AND they are friendly!  We had enough to make the trip worth-while.  Enough for FREE LUNCH at Popeye's Chicken!  YUM.
Next, we go to O'Neill Regional Park to monitor "our" Western Bluebirds. 

Not all good.  Our nest with five babies last week has only two remaining.  

and another was abandoned - one egg and two chicks -gone- nothing we could do. 



 


But, one nest has a very well feed chick 










 




and both parents are very attentive to the nesting box.















We'd finish the day with Mom Miller at Tulsa Rib Company.  It has relocated to a place where we attended a Geo-Event when it was called something else. GOOD eats!  We went back to her place and built the puzzle we gave her for Mother's Day.  This one was about a million times easier than the last one we attempted.  That one was never completed even with four visits.  THIS puzzle in less than two hours.  Time enough to play a few rounds of Banana-grams.
  

Sunday - Happy Mother's Day!  Blueberry WAFFLES!!  A wreath with "robbin eggs" on it and a little Chickadee for me! 




THEN, off to Rockreation for Foxhound to do Climb-Time and ME to climb to "ROCKSTAR".  A Geocache named "ROCKSTAR"

We received FOUR "Ayden Rockstar" wrist bands from Mama Misty & Miss Debbie.  I DID IT!  I signed the log (again) for us.  and placed the bands in the container.  

Foxhound is fighting a cold and only did three walls - 

but, her NEW climbing shoes really helped!  Three other moms were there for Mother's Day too.

Foxhound and her Belayer, Jeff

 
 
  

 

Second Attempt - Irvine Regional Park - Geocaching & Letterboxing Girl Scouts?

So, once again I tried to get our troop *and a Junior Troop* to go Geocaching & Letterboxing at Irvine Regional Park.  Today - per our friend Jessie - could be *busy* but, then maybe not.  I sent out emails & permission slips nines days prior.  Only one person even bothered to reply.  Still, I planned for today. 

I discovered that there MIGHT be about ten Letterboxes in addition to the over 20 caches hidden in the park.  I figured that Senior & Junior Girls could take these skills with them to then teach Brownie Scouts - heck, the Brownies have a Letterboxing Badge now and Juniors have Geocaching... this stuff is FUN for any age.  

I sent information about the Letterboxes too.



Saturday -- cloudy and cool -- PERFECT weather for caching & letterboxing! 

Foxhound & I stop at Pavilions for our picnic supplies and water (for everyone).  Drive to the park, which at 10am was pretty much empty.  We sat in the car until about ten after ten.  No cell phone ringing - no other people turning into the lot I designated at the meeting location.  No worries.  
I had my new hiking boots on to break in (LET'S GO) - they are a bit higher than the pair I finally replaced them with.  I had completely worn the tread *OFF* off that old pair and they were SO comfortable.  This was no longer a Girl Scouts event... Permission Slip stays in the car n' it is just Foxhound & me - daughter & mom - 'boxing & 'caching together (except we opted to JUST do the 'boxing because "it is more fun")

Foxhound is really good at this -- she found the SPORs so much faster than me.  SPOR = Suspicious Pill Of Rocks.  She found many other cool things too.  A retired 12 year old Arabian RACE horse and his English Teacher Owner.  A tiny walking stick insect (on one of the letterbox containers)  and a roadrunner.  Later perhaps the same roadrunner was spotted by the English Teacher with a lizard in its beak! 


 Many peacocks and a few hens -
 This one let Foxhound touch his feathers

- even what we think was a very young peacock -- he had HALF a tail! 

We also went to the zoo. We missed Sampson, Simba and now Nacho. 
(RIP our furry friends)
There are new Cougars - they are about two years old.  A brother & sister.
The Brother has a BALL - a BIG PURPLE exercise ball! 
We watched as the trainer, caretaker fed him - using the Clicker when he did what he was supposed to - move a certain way or direction, let her examine his paw pads... things like that.  He plays in the water and him tummy fur was all wet & dirty!  
 
 














We only found 2 of the 6 Letterboxes (letterboxes can have several containers in "one" - like a Multi-Cache in Geocaching). In all we found SEVEN containers. The weather was perfect and as always - we had FUN.