A New Skill

Today, just in time for winter, Sylvia learned an important new skill. A Very Important Skill. She learned How To Pull Off Your Hat. I used to be able to put a hat on her, and it would mostly stay on. But not today. She figured out how to grab it, and pull it off, and then grin proudly at all arournd her :-)

In the afternoon, we went geocaching yet again. The weather was so nice, I knew I couldn't just stay home and inside, we just had to go caching. Of course, life (including gymnastics for Erik and Kate) had to happen first, so it was later than planned before we left. No problem, this was going to be an easy hike anyway. Sound familiar? ;-)

First obstacle was avoiding the border patrol on the insterstate going South, I didn't want to spend tons of time convincing them that I am not a terrorist, even although my favorite pastime does involve ammoboxes.

Second obstacle was finding the parking coordinates. Somehow the road leading to them didn't seem to be totally suited to my 15 passenger van. I double checked whether my friend M had brought her cell phone, just in case we needed AAA to tow us out of the mud somewhere.

After some interesting backing up on tiny dirt road, we finally found a spot to park the car. Now we finally could start hiking. Well, apart from having to go back to get another jacket from the car.

We found the cache rather easily, but it was starting to get darker. And darker. So we did a quick exchange, quick jotting down a few words in the logbook and put the cache back. Some of the kids started to freak out, Sylvia wanted to nurse, and it got even darker.

Then we saw a car, in the middle of nowhere. And out of the car came our savior! With two cute dogs, who were very excited to meet all those people in the woods. He first asked us the most important question 'Did you find it???' before we got around to talking about the fastest way back to the car :-) He turned out to be the owner of the cache, who was out walking his dogs.

He drove me and the two little ones to our van, while flyingfisher took the other kids through a field to a road. I got the van and eventually was reunited with them all at that same road.

Oh, and we went back using the interstate and saw they were still stopping people, even although it was pitch dark by then. Big spot lights and flashing blue lights police cars, all in the middle of the interstate. You all can sleep better now that you know that the border patrol never sleeps. Although my friend M told me that she has been going South before 10am and they weren't set up yet. So maybe they do sleep after all? Better hope those terrorists don't get up too early and miss the security forces!

Our caching trips are never boring. At least it did get my mind of the election and my disappointment with the chosen candidate.