Geocache Containers

Spent a few hours to day making some geocache containers from those plastic "bubbles" that come from the vending machines that kids feed quarters to -to get "cool prizes" but, never the ones that are one the pictures. 

 

I made some a while ago but, need to replace a cache that seems to go missing.  I am hoping that THESE will stay longer.  I think they just might blend a bit better.

I use wire from hangers, a candle, Liquid Nail and the little "bubbles".

This morning when I looked for my wire snips... nope, not where I thought they were.  So, off to Lowes I go!  I also picked up a new set of Visp Grips (tools are cool).

Now to chop the hanger.  The first one is easy 'cus it is already bent to nearly the right shape.  Measure the next two and shape them. (one end with a "right-angle" bend about a quarter inch long).

 

Light a (scented) candle.  Take the cap from the "bubble", hold that bent end of the (hanger) wire to the candle flame for about ten seconds, push it thru the center of the cap. Let it cool.  

Next is the creative part.  I use the Liquid Nail in the can NOT the tubes.  I place a little blob on the inside of the cap to hold the "right-angle" bend,  Let that dry.  Meanwhile, I lightly coat the "bubble" parts with Liquid Nail".  Spray paint sticks better to it than to the plastic.  Set those aside.  By now the cap is set and I sculpt the rough texture on the lids.  Hang them to dry.  

Once the parts are dry, I spray paint them.  

And now, the "bubbles" are little "Acorns" that can hide in Oak Trees!   

 

Last week when we meet with the Junior Troop I only had the "bubble" but, I told them that I had made "Acorns".  

STYX

As I was logging on to Blog - I see a friend has posted "Listen to Styx "Come Sail Away" while you read this..."  on Feb 26. 2013 -- so, I pulled them up on youtube: http://youtu.be/e5MAg_yWsq8 - and listened & read.
 
I had not thought of the song in years.  What she wrote fit the song so well.  Very pretty piano too.  "Carry ON!" and "memories - some happy some sad..." 

Oh! and the Band's hair - I LOVE the hair! 
Completely side-track now - I have to get back to what I was going to blog before - until then

Come Sail Away....

Geocaching & Junior Girl Scouts and a "Passion for Cachin' "

Foxhound has a Geocache that was placed for her by a follow geocacher back when we first started caching.  I have it on our watchlist. It is called "Passion for Cachin' ".  http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=26716a33-a9cf-42aa-a067-f5edd7ef08ac   

Last week I received an email that someone *a new cacher* had found it.  It was their FIRST find!  I send a welcome email - a few more back and forth - we are both Girl Scout Leaders and we both know DopeyDuck, another cacher. In fact this new cacher is IN Dopey's Service Unit!   She asks if my girls can come to their meeting on February 22nd to teach about Geocaching.  

February 22nd is World Thinking Day - the joint Birthday of Lord & Lady Baden-Powell - the founders of Scouting in England & good friends of Juliette Gordon Lowe - founder of Girl Scouts in the USA!  - We will be getting patches to give to this troop of Juniors - because although we are from different Countries (World Thinking Day is when Girl Scouts & Guides World-Wide think about their sister scouts EVERYWHERE) we are different troops and different Service Units.
 
I say yes. But, as my girls are nearly all in High School and almost always busy on Fridays -- I say that I can have two there - Foxhound & Nat -- then we find out Nat is singing at a very special event --- in Hollywood (Sunday Feb 24th) She has been working for MONTHS with her choir... 

So it is just me and Fox.   She was mostly quiet for the entire time.  Says she never knows what to say in front of people she doesn't know.  That is fine except that I was hoping for it to be "girl teaching girls".


We brought a bag full of different containers - ready to hide and in their "original form"     We had print-outs from the Geocaching.com website. We had our pink "My Little Pony Geo-Stuff backpack".  We talked about the different sizes and types of caches and some of the terms.  We shared our special Travel Bugs and explained that most travel from cache to cache AROUND the WORLD
  and I just talked. 
The girls asked questions.
No script - just "winging it" - It was great!  


Then we all went out and drove to the park where Fox & I found our FIRST Multi-Cache - Our FIRST FTF (First to Find) AND our FIRST encounter with other Geocachers (in the field) and THEY turned out to be the hiders of the FIRST cache that  Foxhound & I ever found!  The "Cache of FIRSTS".  It is still there and it is "Pinecrest Wilderness Walk Multi" http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1604604a-2ca7-4590-aaeb-dd7b159b24cd   
 The cache we actually went there to find is "Rancho Trabuco GS Patch Letterbox Cache"  http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=27fb3bf0-07d6-4609-8313-a08938e438d0   

That birdhouse above their heads is part of an Eagle Scout Project!

After this we drove back to find Passion for Cachin' 

It truly seemed the girls had a great time 
- I hope we managed to cover most of what they needed to earn the Geacaching Badge!  I had a very good time - I love teaching others about Geocaching!    

 

TICKS

About three weeks ago (January 29th 2013) A calf was born to Glenda the Diary Cow at Amy's Farm in Ontario. Foxhound & I went to see him when he was just 9 days old.  SO cute!  Glenda was eating when he became very uninterested in just standing next to her and romped off to the other end of the pen/corral.  Suddenly, Glenda notices he's gone!  Very lowly she calls for him "Mmmoooooo?" - turned her head and spotted him.  She then followed him - all was well again.  

Yesterday 02.23.2013 was an other Saturday - and just 2 weeks later.  We stop by Amy's again to see the baby.  But, he is really GONE!  We learn that he was sold for the Milk Share Program there at the farm.  But, this week there are baby sheep.  LAMBS.  They were busy napping in the shade but, cute none the less. 

Foxhound is off to find the cats -- we thought there were just three.  Today we discovered there are closer to TEN.  Including a large whitish Tom with a piece of his ear missing... He has a striped tail (like a raccoon!) but, very leery of people - he kept his distance.  The little grey female tabby was more than willing to get petted - tiny little voice.  She will follow you if you let her.

We continue to visit the other animals. Including, Wilbur, the pig. Foxhound only likes the very small pigs (piglets only for her).  Me, I find it kinda funny that ALL the animals at the farm (except "Tom") like to be petted!  So, I go over to Wilbur's pen and I call his name.  He jumps up (yes, pig jumped to his feet) and runs over to me!    Just like the story - this Wilbur was the runt of his litter.  He does not have Charlotte - that I saw.  He DOES however have far creepier "friends".  I start scratching his head when Foxhound comes over and informs me that he has TICKS!  hmmm ---- yes - he sure did! Many many ticks just wandering around.... weird because I never noticed before and none of the other animals seem to have them... I tell Wilbur that we must leave --- Ticks creep Foxhound out more than anything else that I know of.  

We say goodbye to the other animal friends we have met there - we learned the name of the BIG Brown Swiss "Granma Tina" --- I love her BIG furry ears! 

We get in the car to leave.   Foxhound had changed the radio station before we arrived to GO COUNTRY... I burst into laughter --- Brad Paisley is singing...  http://youtu.be/3tiPndMqxLQ  "TICKS"

"now that's a girly geeky blog...TFTW!!!"

So - once again I have gone *months* without blogging.
Received an email message that a Waymarker had visited.
oh - and for those who are not geocacher or waymarkers -
TFTW!!! = Thanks For The Waymark!!!"

Girly? 'cuz it's "pink"? 
Geeky - yeah I will admit THAT one - but, the "Girly"
-- really? gonna hafta to do something about that! 

Foxhound for sure is NOT girly and I will never claim to be myself.

But, Hey I am here blogging about it none the less
-- the Waymarker/Geocacher who found us this time is "ClanCampbellChandler" from San Diego & Arizona and seems to be a "mega-cacher"  at least in the past week or so.... 
74 caches in the first 15 days of the year! KUDOS to that!
All I can say is - I wish I had that kind free time to cache on the weekends!
I keep trying to get our Girl Scout Troop together for a cache-day -- Every time -- it is raining - and YES - then we'd have a Girly problem -- no rain caching for most of them :)

Typing from work while answering phones, not a good idea.
I had to enter the url for this blog today when I replied to another blog called "Walk Simply" - she posts often and hikes in some of my favorite OC Parks. This time it was Riley Wilderness Park (really need to get back there) 
THAT got me thinking about pasting another blog too.

So much has happened since September 3rd.
But, the most special and memorable was this:

On December 22nd we attended a celebration for Kabrina - it would have been her "sweet sixteen" birthday --- friends & family remembering and celebrating the time we had with her. Then we wrote messages on white balloons and went outside.  Her family released their balloons first, then the rest of us released ours --- it was simply, beautiful.

Not a Very Good Week...

Labor Day 2012 

Today has been good.  We placed four new caches on the Arroyo Trail today with Cepheus7 - first thing we saw on the trail was a bounding Mule Deer -Doe.  Way too many bikes today! 
The Creek crossing @ Santa Margarita Bridge has been completely re-worked! As long as there are no major storms this is a really nice fix!

GC3R4WH !Got Spam? Then, Walk On Thru - Multi Cache

GC3R2M5 !A Cache Belongs HERE 

GC3R2KM !Quercus agrifolia, the Coast Live Oak 

GC3R2KV !Two "Syc" Oaks 

Waiting for approval...

Sunday -- pretty much did absolutely nothing! 

Saturday -- Foxhound & I lead the Nature Hike @ O'Neill - started that hike with the sighting of THREE Mule Deer - a Buck, a Doe and a smaller one - but, not a "fawn".  Than we were off to a Bowling Party of one of Foxhound's friends in Irvine... we tried & failed to find two geocaches near the bowling alley - then home for some BBQ Hamburgers YUM.

Friday - started out REALLLLLLY bad!!! 
I had taken Thursday & Friday off to take Foxhound to part 3 & 4 of High School Registration.   I opened an email that was sent Thursday afternoon.
It was from Karen Cressey... Kabrina's Mom... it said, "We are very sad to report that our beautiful and courageous daughter and sister, Kabrina passed away last night around 9pm PST.  We are missing her terribly, but are comforted in knowing that her pain and long suffering is over.  We smile knowing that she is with the Lord dancing and singing once again.
In His Love,
Karen, Brian, and Austin"

I was in tears @ 7:30am when I woke Foxhound up... at least the Link Crew Orientation @ THHS was Awesome for Foxhound.... a very sad day.

Thursday - was day 3 of 4 of the THHS Registration stuff - it was well planned & went very smoothly... we also went to Santiago Oaks Regional Park to meet with Ranger Steve for an upcoming Geo-Event for park professionals...  

Wed - backwards to Monday - they were just more days of the same thing... 

Better times next week... 
 
 
 

Photo Book

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Girl Scouts Rock the OC Fair

We went to the OC Fair on Friday ... It was OC Girl Scouts (100th Birthday Celebration) Rock the Fair!  $3 tickets $2 taste of the Fair til 4pm ..  Foxhound Bridged with over a 1,00 other girls - We sawa piglets that were just one day old.  Always amazes me how animals like that can WALK already!  Foxhound discovered Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwiches she let me have two bites - it was surprisingly good! 
Just a short blog this time.

Cinco de Mayo 2012

Foxhound & I went to the Norman P Murray Center in Mission Viejo, CA yesterday for Breakfast with Gary & Kelly (KSBR 88.5FM radio show on Saturday mornings) It was a Live Broadcast!  Their special guest was Michael Lington - Sax-man from Denmark.  I have loved saxophone since about 5th grade!  Michael is great!  These live shows are SO fun - the artists are always so personable so real so down to earth! I took my KSBR hat that has Craig Chaquico's autograph already and had Michael add his!  


There was an event at the Center this weekend too & I just learned that we MISSEDKori Linae Carothers! The event was Arts Alive. we walked around a bit then left to do some waymarking and geocaching in Dana Point & Aliso Beach.


First we went to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point - the EarthCache there was part two of the San Onofre Breccia.  This is a formation that is 15 to 20 million years old. It is a sedimentary rock composed of angular fragments (clasts) embedded in a fine grained matrix (glue that binds the clasts together) We had to compare the two outcroppings by visiting both in one day.  


At Dana Point - Foxhound decided that we MUST visit the tide-pools too.  At least the parking HERE is FREE!


Off to Aliso Beach we go.  Here there are parking meters but, gladly plenty of parking still available!  


Two weeks ago we came to Laguna Beach on the 5th annual Record Store Day to visit The Sound Spectrum to add it to the category for Independent Music Stores. But, since we were there - we figured we would cache & waymark as well.  There was a Webcam listed as being there! Webcams are FUN because you need to have a friend at a computer to "catch you" on the webcam and then save that image for you to post on the waymark site for that camera. Sadly, we discovered that the posted coordinates were no where NEAR the actual camera. We did learn where the camera was.  AT ALISO BEACH!


Since the second part of the EarthCache was here and there were two other waymarks AND a geocache - it was well worth the $2 we feed the metered parking boxes.  We phoned our friend - Cepheus7 - and he caught us!  The thing about the webcams is usually they are far enough away that you can not REALLY tell who is in the picture. We took a sign which barely looks like a white square!   


Missions accomplished!  I let Foxhound play in the waves - and get very nearly completely soaked!  We saw a dolphin out in the breakers.  


Beautiful day!

Hail

Yesterday was St Patrick's Day - Foxhound & I went to a Geo-Event the tried and failed to find a cache nearby... Failed.  It was a rainy day and night. Then today we had hail twice. Storm breaking up so I suggest we try to find a cache or two - FAILED both.... it is windy and cold - Foxhound not liking either one...

Reggae Showcase is playing on KSBR...that's good
But, my Firefox keeps crashing... that is bad.

posted our Geocaching Fails.... someone else at the Geo-Event found the cache near there - they must be stronger than us - we found something but, just couldn't get it open...

Doggie Romeo keeps bugging me - thinks he needs treats & pets more than the computer needs me. Silly dog! 

busy week coming- Girl Scout Delegate Meeting and our Troop Meeting (we are geocaching!)

What is Traffic - How Much do I get - How do I tell?

I was doing a survey today - it asked if I had my own blog - what did I write about? - how much traffic did I get?...  I don't know - I did find something - will add it from home - but, the traffic gizmo they asked about - I have no clue - tried to find out more - closed the window before I clicked the more link - opps...

better luck next time.

Waymark Visit... Geocaching and Girl Scouts

We received a Waymark visit from  gemeloj in St-Mathias - Montreal... and thought we should update again...  We just get so busy and I forget to blog.

Anyway - this visit from the Waymarker prompted me to add this - seems the Waymarker is also a Geocacher and a "decoder" - hmmmm we wonder.... we NEED a lifeline for a new cache... it is STUMPING everyone - or - if someone has solved and found - they aren't posting... sent a lifeline request - we shall see....

Yesterday Foxhound and I grabbed a rare FTF (YEAH HAPPY DANCE) - see the cache/post here>>> http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f1adf5b9-ca68-46d9-8a98-adccfdc9c50a 

also we grabbed a cache we have just been driving by nearby - without the coordinates... We knew the general location - but, just never stopped to look - THIS time we were on foot - it was much easier!

 Girl Scout Cookie Time!  
Our troop still has several cases left and NO booth sales this year.  

Our Service Unit Meeting is this Wednesday - February 22nd - World Thinking Day - Tradition - Ceremonies -  yes - I am presenting something at the meeting. Usually, I do a "Training 20" but, this time - a World Thinking Day Ceremony - one that many others have used - Tradition! since 1926 - the Birthday of BOTH Lord and Lady Baden-Powell - the founder of Scouting (in Europe) & his wife - He was 36? years her senior.... has been celebrated as World Thinking Day - when Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the World think about their sister scouts...

Today is a holiday - Presidents' Day - I go to work - Foxhound gets to stay home.

til next time.... 
hope I get here more often.
thank-you gemeloj for reminding me that I forgot - again - about our blog!

Ontario

Offices merged - Toll Road is TOO expensive - I hope someone has been listening.

It's July Already

We made a Black Forest Dump Cake this past weekend - for 4th of July - first time that Dad ever actually had any - cuz it is always gone when we make it for Girl Scouts!

Using the little red wagon and box oven right next to the BBQ is funny - but, the box oven is cool - Foxhound wants to do the Vagabond and Buddy Burners - maybe this weekend - just to practice - they aren't as efficient - but, I remember making breakfast on them during camp-outs - and I remember them getting really hot and someone getting burned!

I really should be getting something ready for dinner - but - blogging is more fun - and besides everyone else in the house is either chillin watching videos - or playing games on the xBox   - why should I be "working" in the kitchen - besides - it is too warm for cooking!

Happy SUMMER!

June 3-5 CAMP-OUT!

Well, that Junior Troop did not make the camp-out but, THREE Cadette Troops did! Our troop - 1126, Troop 1576 - who was with us on our last camp-out and Troop 32 form Capo Valley - their first time tent camping!  
It was SO much fun meeting new friends 
- cooking on Charcoals 
- making DUMP CAKES 


- the Black Forest Cherry Cake is definitely the favorite.  


Dutch Ovens and Box Ovens are truly amazing pieces of camping gear.  Next time - I want to try CHICKEN! 
Each troop shared a craft or project - we shared Wire Pant Hanger Cooking Skewers - which we used for the dinner (and S'mores - we also gave the first time campers "John Wayne" can openers to take with them, to always Be Prepared (and to never be without a can opener) plus a Whisk Broom for their tent.


The birds woke me up each morning around 5:30 - WOW are they loud! SO many different species too.  Phoebes, Acorn Woodpeckers, Flickers, CROWS, Ducks?! Red-Shouldered Hawks and one I couldn't recognize - maybe a Whip-poor-will? 


It was a great weekend! 

May 2011

Mother's Day last week end - I asked to go check on some of our Caches - and to find one without coordinates. I love finding caches - without the coords! We took GeoPup Romeo and he had to SNIFF everything - too much sniffing causes SNEEZES!

Busy week and it is gonna get worse - next weekend a GeoEvent for Girls in SU RT2
Foxhound is one of the Cadettes helping Dopey - she went with Dopey yesterday to grab coordinates for the event. She needs to put together a cache by next Sunday - she claims she is TOO BUSY with homework - she is playing Minecraft & chatting on Skype with a friend right now - so - where is the "TOO BUSY"????

Still need to get more film canisters for CITO kits for the event - gonna try a few more Targets - and our favorite Photo store one more time before Sunday. They are SO difficult to find now with nearly everyone going "DIGITAL"


First weekend in June is our second multi-troop camp-out - we need to do a practice day with the Junior troop - haven't heard for sure that they can meet with us - and our troop needs to plan their dinner - thoughts are to do the same as last time - they have done it once - and it was easy - they pretty much handled it on their own - while I was busy with the Dump Cakes - Dutch Ovens and Box Ovens!


that's it for now.

Happy Resurection Sunday

Is that the new "politically correct" name?

Well, another busy Girl Scout week ahead - and Sara just told me she's  not sure she wants to continue... disappointed in the troop turn out for the meetings - says "we're not a "troop" two of the girls of our total of five are rarely if ever there. and they keep changing the formats and the new journeys are"cheesey"..."  - I told her that she and I could be Independents - We aren't sure if our oldest girl will be continuing - she's graduating to High School - I am not happy.

Yesterday - I used a gift card three places: first, to get my car a much needed oil change, about $30 @ Target  & last, a new cabin air filter - (which replaced one that was only about 6 months old ) because the guy @ Jiffy Lube told me (and SHOWED me) that the one I had was full of junk... and "grey" - which is by the way the color it STARTS out!!! - Some of the "junk" was RAT droppings~!???????!!? Not so sure I believe them there - but, even @ the store I got the filter at - they say it actually happened to them  a SQUIRREL got into the engine and chewed the wires & made a nest!

Crazy.

well, Girl Scout Spring Renewal is happening soon - on-line this year - we'll see - I really do not want Sara to quit...  next year is our 100 year anniversary!

So many blogs so little time

I mean to blog way more often than I ever do...
meant to way back in October.. when nut sales started and we had a four troop camp out and that flew by - then other weekends and those flew too - then cookie sales and a friend's passing - it ALL flew by.



Now - it seems pointless to post the old news

Tonight daughter and husband are playing Laser Tag with other Girl Scouts - they are both XBox (360) gamers so Sara was REALLY excited to do a LIVE game.... 

I am making a promise to try to get here once a week - I will try to do my best!

Long Time no Post

Will try to post something real this weekend - just keep forgetting....

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