Sunday Geocaching

This Sunday, Dad decided that the three of us should go geocaching. Alvin was out hunting for the ever elusive buck (with his bow) so I readily took Dad up on the offer. After all, no papers to grade!


We started off along Williamson valley road. Even though this cache is CLEARLY under a huge bush, it's actually in a neighborhood. There were houses all around. And, you can't really tell from THESE photos, but it was really cold.


I JUST got my sunglasses about a month ago. I put them to the test lately with kayaking and now geocaching. I really like them.


This is at our second cache. I can't remember the name of it (or the first one!) But, there was STUNNING rose quartz all over that I just couldn't help ubut pick up and fondle. I now want a basket of it in my spare bedroom to catch the light.

Mom really liked (Snaggle Tooth! The cache's name had something to do with Snaggle Tooth!) the way that the ground was swallowing and spitting up the rocks all at the same time. The earth just glittered in the sun. I was so pretty I just wanted to stay and watch the way the light played over the soil.


This enxt cache was actually on the back-side of a hill. Pretty steep, covered with HUGE granite boulders. AND, waist high manzanita bushes! As you can see, I was wearing my GOOD coat, the one Dad bought me for Christmas last year. Not exacly great to be slogging through the brush with but at least it was warm.

This cache was really hard to find. It was well hidden, the batteries on the GPS were dying, and we'd just walked up this killer hill. I'd like to go back someday and sit down on the hillside and sketch.


Ah! The view! All of these were taken with a EatStayPlay.com "salesman" camera. Meaning, not a great camera so I'm really pleased with how they all turned out.

Dad was really please to find this javalina cave. No piggies in it now (thank GOD!) but he put it in
his GPS so Alvin and him can come back next year.


This cache was called Rock'n'Body. I couldnt' figure out why until I saw this HUGE rock man laying on the ground. The log said that placer of the cache had found the rock man in the early 80s and decided to put a cache there.


The outline helps you see the body. I couldn't get an elevation for a better photo.


And, the three of us! Celebrating the cache. After Rock Man, we drove down a little side road. I spotted a Bald Eagle on the wing. Mom found mountain lion tracks. Lily refused to pee.


This is our last cache of the day. At the top of ANOTHER hill. Covered in scrub oak. And STEEP! As you can see from the pics, it was getting cold and windy and rainy.

Success! DON'T tell Dad, but I actually forgot to put our prize in the cache. NOT cool since we're using it to promote EatStayPlay. I found it in my coat pocket at the bottom of the hill. I was not about to trek back to the top to put it in the ammo can. Next time!

And, I just really like this photo of mom.

So, 5 caches in one day. Excellent. Then, back to my folk's house for dinner and hot chocolate.








And, 5 is a prime number.

Backyard!

My backyard (and front yard) is all done being landscaped. Of course, it seems like it is ALWAYS dark so I don't have photos yet. I'll get them up, I promise!

Trip?

Okay, so I just found a SCREAMING deal on a cruse in May. It's in Europe. I want to take a trip to celebrate that my life is not dictated by a school calendar. (BTW, I didn't start my Master's degree.)

To take it or not to take it...

I really want to go with Dad since we had to cancel our Spain trip so long ago.




What to do?

What to do?

Dad got a pig!

Just don't make me eat it!

Dad's first javalina in like a MILLION and one years. Gross, I know. He's having it MOUNTED. And made into sausage. At least I don't have to help butcher this one!

Alvin was the "official" hunting guide. Good job, Alvin!


PS: Yeah, I photoshoped out the nose on the first photo. You DON'T need to see that!

Kayaking & Geocaching

Today is the first Saturday of Tax Season. We're only open from 9 - 2 this year (9-4 the two years prior) so I decided to celebrate EVERY nice Saturday by going out with Smaug. It was cool and breezy so I put on my rain gear pants.

This is me (notice the red kayak tip and my sneaker) in a little cove having a snack and sunning myself.


I love taking my camera. This isn't a great photo (notice the weed) but it's so much fun to snap pics from the water.

As I was getting on to thinking about heading home (getting cooler, breezy, and late-ish) I heard a couple of people yelling across the lake. I paused, letting their voices reach me when I heard the UNMISTAKABLE sounds of a geocache being uncovered.

I paddled over and found a really nice couple in an inflatable kayak who had just convered a Muggle. (In this case, a non-geocacher.) The couple (never got their names) were kind enough for me to share their cache.

Later, I logged it into geocaching.com. It's cache "GC10WGJ Strika62-2".


This is what the site says about it:

The cache is a small tupperware container located at the base of a small tree under cover.
This cache is intended to be accessed by human powered vehicles (hint: you'll ruin a prop on the approach...)

Additional Hints

Yup, it's an island...


How fun is this! Kayaking and Geocaching all in one day. And, like a good 'cacher, I scooped some trash from Watson Lake on my way back to the boat ramp.

A New Adventure

Well, I've decided not to continue teaching at TCP for the Spring semester. Yes, I loved my kids. But I realized that I don't really want to be a teacher. Not REALLY.

My dad offered me a full-time position making more than what I made teaching AND the flexibility to do Pre-Paid Legal.

I'm going to miss the kids, but I think this is the best move for me at the moment. My last day will be Thursday. I might consider teaching again sometime, but maybe teaching at the college level. We'll see. For now, the next big adventure.

TAX SEASON!

Super Saturday Update

Prescott had the largest event in the state this week. Mr. Wilburn Smith and his wife recognized Dad & I from stage (in front of about 300 people) for doing such a good job.

I was able to tell Carole PERSONALLY how well we did. She's really nice. And seemed to be super proud.

Wilburn Smith

Dad & I got a call about a week and a half ago that on Friday, January 9, 2009, we'd be hosting Mr. Wilburn Smith at our luncheon briefing. No big deal, right? Just another speaker?

Ha! Mr. Smith is the National Marketing Director for Pre-Paid Legal. He is Mr. Stonecipher's right-hand man. And, he came to Prescott.

On his Lear jet! We had to call the Prescott airport and make sure that a Lear Jet 60 could even LAND here!


This is Mr. Smith, with his wife Carole.


Our briefing is at Pete's Family Restaurant on Iron Springs road. We let them know that we were having this big event, could they please have 2 servers. The owner of Pete's promised us we could, IF we would personally guarantee 20 meals.


FIFTY-EIGHT people later! The place was packed. I had to have extra tables brought in. The owner of Pete's had to serve. And, not make it even better, I had a guest. Dad had NINE. He was the big winner for the day.


These are the Millionaires Brenda Anderson and Larry Smith (no relation to Wilburn) setting up the computer. I got there super early so I could set up the technology but Larry had to set up his laptop. Thankfully, Larry is VERY computer savvy so I didn't have to help. I was still running registration and trying to get everybody seated.


Brenda did a great presentation in about :35. Then Mr. Wilburn Smith took the stage to tell some of his story.


And, here's Wilburn Smith and Alvin.

Alvin Got a Pig!

Alvin got a javalina! It's the first thing he's EVER killed with his new bow. He's also doubly excited because he did this hunt all by himself.

His sister Jeni took the photos. I was a bit put out that he isn't SMILING; Alvin's so good-looking that I think he should smile all the time.


I cropped the pig out of this one. I just like the expression on his face -- other than that, the pic is just like the first one.

Good job Alvin!



Now, he's got to help my Dad shoot one or I'll never hear the end of it!

Foam in the Garage Door

We had bought insulating foam to put in my garage door shortly after I moved it, but it's a bigger project that just one person. So I've been waiting for Dad to come over and help me put it into the panels in the door.

Luckily, he's done it before and knew NOT to use a razor blade to try and score then snap the foam. It doesn't work -- the foam breaks, but not always where you need it to. And that foam is EXPENSIVE! Too spendy to be ruining it for nothing.

You have to measure each piece of foam and then sut it. We used a saw -- like a circular saw. It was pretty quick and painless. Except for the foam fuzz that floated around.

It took several hours but the garage is a LOT warmer now.