I'm almost finished with the California DeLorme Challenge (Southern & Central) requirements!
One nice weekend in the Monterey/Salinas area will take care of pages 19, 20, 31, 32, and 33.
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Plus I would get to visit the Giant Artichoke and of course a virtual cache is there: The World's Largest Artichoke
Hope to go in September!
My geocaching name is Black_Cat and my real life name is Shara. I’ve been geocaching since the summer of 2005. To me every find is fun whether it is an urban micro or an ammo can in the desert!
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Monday, August 08, 2011
Favorite Cache of the Week / July!
What happened to July??? It's already August!
Well, my favorite cache in July was the entire GeoWoodstock experience!
Back on track this month because we have some great times planned: Big Bear Cache Bash, Groundspeak Block Party and the 2nd Coming of the ET Highway.
Well, my favorite cache in July was the entire GeoWoodstock experience!
Back on track this month because we have some great times planned: Big Bear Cache Bash, Groundspeak Block Party and the 2nd Coming of the ET Highway.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Favorite Cache of the Week / June 26 - July 1, 2011
June 28th marked the start of our vacation and the beginning of our trek to GeoWoodstock IX. We started off with my first Taste of Chicago and another attempt at the virtual cache: Cloud Gate aka The Bean. Two years ago we took the picture incorrectly (with the Bean in the background of the picture rather than a reflection off of it). This time we actually read the cache requirements and were good to go. Days later the camera died and we have not been able to get the pictures downloaded. So.... it looks like another visit to Chicago and maybe the third time with this virtual will be the charm for us!
After a drive through Indiana and Ohio, lots and lots of Spirit Quest caches, a stay in Amish country, and a visit to the Tristate Marker, we arrived in Warren, Pennslyvania, site of GeoWoodstock IX.
Tristate Marker - Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
July 1st was a three event day! Got up and headed over for breakfast at Come Meet the Mama's II at Richard's, a local restaurant down Route 6 in Youngsville, PA. This little place was prepared for the massive crowd of geocachers by offering a buffet and setting up a large tent outside with tables for seating. We opted to skip the buffet (the line was moving but very long) and found a place to sit for table service. We sat next to and met a wonderful local geocacher, hunters2, who shared information about the area and it's caches.
After breakfast we went to meet the train riders of the GeoWoodstock Express at the Oil Creek State Park. Could not believe how many people were on that train! Wow! With so many people waiting in line for lunch, JCAZ and I decided to walk over to Petroleum Centre Cemetry even though we don't normally do multi or mystery caches and this one is a little of both. Before heading up to the cemetery we were joined by friend Maingray and his entertaining son Seth. These are the times I love at GeoWoodstocks! Spending time visiting and caching with friends whom I may only get to see this one time a year. As anticipated, finding the cache was not difficult as during most large events like this it is more standing in line to sign the log than it is actually searching. Even so Petroleum Centre Cemetry was one of my very favorite non-event cache finds of the week because of the company.
After visiting at the event, JohnnyCacheAz and I continued caching southward towards Oil City before starting back up to the fairgrounds to attend GWS Pow-Wow on The Little Brokenstraw Creek the meet-and-greet event for GeoWoodstock.Log 'book' for the GWS Pow-Wow on The Little Brokenstraw Creek was a tepee!
After a drive through Indiana and Ohio, lots and lots of Spirit Quest caches, a stay in Amish country, and a visit to the Tristate Marker, we arrived in Warren, Pennslyvania, site of GeoWoodstock IX.
July 1st was a three event day! Got up and headed over for breakfast at Come Meet the Mama's II at Richard's, a local restaurant down Route 6 in Youngsville, PA. This little place was prepared for the massive crowd of geocachers by offering a buffet and setting up a large tent outside with tables for seating. We opted to skip the buffet (the line was moving but very long) and found a place to sit for table service. We sat next to and met a wonderful local geocacher, hunters2, who shared information about the area and it's caches.
After breakfast we went to meet the train riders of the GeoWoodstock Express at the Oil Creek State Park. Could not believe how many people were on that train! Wow! With so many people waiting in line for lunch, JCAZ and I decided to walk over to Petroleum Centre Cemetry even though we don't normally do multi or mystery caches and this one is a little of both. Before heading up to the cemetery we were joined by friend Maingray and his entertaining son Seth. These are the times I love at GeoWoodstocks! Spending time visiting and caching with friends whom I may only get to see this one time a year. As anticipated, finding the cache was not difficult as during most large events like this it is more standing in line to sign the log than it is actually searching. Even so Petroleum Centre Cemetry was one of my very favorite non-event cache finds of the week because of the company.
After visiting at the event, JohnnyCacheAz and I continued caching southward towards Oil City before starting back up to the fairgrounds to attend GWS Pow-Wow on The Little Brokenstraw Creek the meet-and-greet event for GeoWoodstock.
Favorite Cache of the Week / June 19 - 25, 2011
I have gotten really behind on logging my finds. Again.
But I'm fairly close to getting current so here are my favorites from three weeks ago!
Summertime means most of our caching is done in cooler climes than the ridiculous heat of home in Phoenix. This week Tim's overnights were in Reno and Boise. So, I have two favorites this week, one in each city!
In Reno we enjoyed a late champagne brunch and then set off on foot to explore and find a couple of downtown caches. My favorite was Sweet Tooth, a simple but effective hide. Sometimes it's not about the hide itself but the place it brings you. The cache name is a play on the location, near a business called 'The Chocolate Bar' and a dentist's office. Cute! The cache can be reached from sidewalk but is not recommended for the shy geocacher. It is hidden inside the railing of the bar/lounge's outdoor patio very near the tables. Stealthiness was required. While signing the log Tim and I were intrigued by the The Chocolate Bar as it is not at all what we expected to see in downtown Reno. Evidently this area has gone through a revitalization as this place is modern, dark and even a little swanky. We sat at the bar near a big flat screen showing (in gorgeous black and white) Sabrina and discovered it was miraculously Happy Hour. Perfection on warm summer day we ordered a pitcher of Sangria for $10. The bartender made it with fresh fruit, a nice merlot and peach schnapps, wonderful! Without a cache placed here we would have never discovered this local gem.
Later in the week we traveled to Boise, rented a car and cached north of the city around the Horseshoe Bend area. My favorite cache of this trip is Bread Loaf Rock. The cache is located a couple of 100 feet off of the scenic Summit Ridge Road. From the cache site is a great view of the local landmark the cache is named after: a rock formation that looks just like a loaf a bread with a slice taken off. Someone went out and painted the inside of the "loaf" white years ago. Here's a pic from the web of how cute it is:
But I'm fairly close to getting current so here are my favorites from three weeks ago!
Summertime means most of our caching is done in cooler climes than the ridiculous heat of home in Phoenix. This week Tim's overnights were in Reno and Boise. So, I have two favorites this week, one in each city!
In Reno we enjoyed a late champagne brunch and then set off on foot to explore and find a couple of downtown caches. My favorite was Sweet Tooth, a simple but effective hide. Sometimes it's not about the hide itself but the place it brings you. The cache name is a play on the location, near a business called 'The Chocolate Bar' and a dentist's office. Cute! The cache can be reached from sidewalk but is not recommended for the shy geocacher. It is hidden inside the railing of the bar/lounge's outdoor patio very near the tables. Stealthiness was required. While signing the log Tim and I were intrigued by the The Chocolate Bar as it is not at all what we expected to see in downtown Reno. Evidently this area has gone through a revitalization as this place is modern, dark and even a little swanky. We sat at the bar near a big flat screen showing (in gorgeous black and white) Sabrina and discovered it was miraculously Happy Hour. Perfection on warm summer day we ordered a pitcher of Sangria for $10. The bartender made it with fresh fruit, a nice merlot and peach schnapps, wonderful! Without a cache placed here we would have never discovered this local gem.
Later in the week we traveled to Boise, rented a car and cached north of the city around the Horseshoe Bend area. My favorite cache of this trip is Bread Loaf Rock. The cache is located a couple of 100 feet off of the scenic Summit Ridge Road. From the cache site is a great view of the local landmark the cache is named after: a rock formation that looks just like a loaf a bread with a slice taken off. Someone went out and painted the inside of the "loaf" white years ago. Here's a pic from the web of how cute it is:
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Favorite Cache of the Week / June 12 - 18, 2011
Since I am a chronic C&P (cut and paste) cache logger (and I feel badly about it) I have decided to pick a favorite cache from my weekly finds and write more extensively about the experience.
This week is one of those weird off weeks for me as the combination of moving and being over 100 degrees everyday kept me from going out. Although I only found six caches this week, one stands out as a favorite regardless of the quantity.
Android Cache is an unlikely pick for me. The cache type of Unknown / Puzzle / Mystery makes up less than a 0.5% of my total cache finds. The cache owner, AZcachemeister mentioned to me last year when he placed it that since I too had a Android I should find his cache. Now that I no longer have a smart phone due to budgetary constraints, it was indeed the perfect time to find his cache!
**Spoiler**
The puzzle itself is a very straightforward QR code hidden on the cache page. Since my Droid Dosen't anymore, I used an online barcode reader. Just upload the image and shazaam! there are your coordinates. The coordinates listed on the cache page (not where the cache is located) send you to a great little parking area for South Mountain where I have started many hikes into the park and as the cache page states, a great place to start this short hike. Once it got dark I headed out and parked in the empty lot. The moon was not yet out but I would not be going deep into the mountains. The darkness made the city lights sparkle even brighter. I followed the trail until the compass arrow pointed me to a rockier part where I could not discern a specific path. When I got to ground zero, there were many, many places to hide a cache but I didn't lose faith because the cache owner is an experienced cache hider. I was pretty sure the hide would (a) be hidden logically, (b) be rated correctly, and (c) not be some evil micro. I was right! A trademark AZcachemeister hide - cookie tin! Sat down, enjoyed the city lights and the breeze while signing the log sheet. On the way back to the Jeep a couple of good sized javelina crossed the trail about 10 feet in front of me heading for the lusher vegetation of human development. I love hiking the desert at night!
This week is one of those weird off weeks for me as the combination of moving and being over 100 degrees everyday kept me from going out. Although I only found six caches this week, one stands out as a favorite regardless of the quantity.
Android Cache is an unlikely pick for me. The cache type of Unknown / Puzzle / Mystery makes up less than a 0.5% of my total cache finds. The cache owner, AZcachemeister mentioned to me last year when he placed it that since I too had a Android I should find his cache. Now that I no longer have a smart phone due to budgetary constraints, it was indeed the perfect time to find his cache!
**Spoiler**
The puzzle itself is a very straightforward QR code hidden on the cache page. Since my Droid Dosen't anymore, I used an online barcode reader. Just upload the image and shazaam! there are your coordinates. The coordinates listed on the cache page (not where the cache is located) send you to a great little parking area for South Mountain where I have started many hikes into the park and as the cache page states, a great place to start this short hike. Once it got dark I headed out and parked in the empty lot. The moon was not yet out but I would not be going deep into the mountains. The darkness made the city lights sparkle even brighter. I followed the trail until the compass arrow pointed me to a rockier part where I could not discern a specific path. When I got to ground zero, there were many, many places to hide a cache but I didn't lose faith because the cache owner is an experienced cache hider. I was pretty sure the hide would (a) be hidden logically, (b) be rated correctly, and (c) not be some evil micro. I was right! A trademark AZcachemeister hide - cookie tin! Sat down, enjoyed the city lights and the breeze while signing the log sheet. On the way back to the Jeep a couple of good sized javelina crossed the trail about 10 feet in front of me heading for the lusher vegetation of human development. I love hiking the desert at night!
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Hotels & Motels February & March 2011
2 nights - Crowne Plaza Portland
1 night - Hyatt Place Ontario Mills
2 nights - Howard Johnson Yuma
3 nights - Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber
Total = 8 nights
1 night - Hyatt Place Ontario Mills
2 nights - Howard Johnson Yuma
3 nights - Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber
Total = 8 nights
Monday, January 31, 2011
Hotels & Motels January 2011
I have decided to keep a tally of all the nights I spend in hotels and motels in 2011. Since I have no business traveling, the following are all leisure, all geocaching.
2 nights at the Days Inn - Barstow, CA Cool Water Lane - (horrible)
1 night at the Rio del Sol - Needles, CA
1 night at the Ramada Chilton Conference Center - Yuma, AZ
2 nights at the La Quinta - Las Vegas, NV
1 night at Boulder Station - Las Vegas, NV
January total = 7 nights
2 nights at the Days Inn - Barstow, CA Cool Water Lane - (horrible)
1 night at the Rio del Sol - Needles, CA
1 night at the Ramada Chilton Conference Center - Yuma, AZ
2 nights at the La Quinta - Las Vegas, NV
1 night at Boulder Station - Las Vegas, NV
January total = 7 nights
Superbowl Chili Recipe
Went to Food City last night to procure the ingredients for the recipe we will using for this year's Superbowl chili!
CIRCUS CIRCUS SNAKEBITE CHILI
For chile sauce:
2 dried arbol chiles
2 dried guajillo chiles
1 dried ancho chile
1 bottle Negro Modelo beer
While wearing gloves to protect your hands from the chili oils, destem and seed the chiles, then break them into small pieces.
In a small saucepan, combine the chiles with the beer, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove from heat. Let steep for half an hour, then purée all in a blender. Set chile sauce aside.
For chili:
1 pound coarse ground beef
1/2 pound good quality Mexican pork chorizo
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/4 cup each diced red and green bell pepper
10 ounces beef stock
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 small (4-ounce) can Ortega brand diced green chiles
1 small (about 4-ounce) can or jar diced roasted red pepper (if not sold diced, then dice)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 small can cooked kidney beans, drained
1 small can cooked pinto beans, drained
1/2 small can cooked white beans, drained
1/2 small can cooked black beans, drained
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons masa mixed in 1/4 cup water (optional for thickening)
In a large, heavy-bottomed casserole over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and chorizo until the meat is lightly browned.
Crumble the meat as it cooks. Lower heat to medium and add the onion, red and green peppers and cook, stirring 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Add the reserved chile sauce, beef stock, chipotle chile, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, Ortega chiles, roasted red pepper, and next 6 ingredients. Increase heat to high, and while stirring, bring chili to a boil.
Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the seasonings to blend and the chili to thicken.
Add the cans of cooked, drained beans to the chili, return to a simmer and check seasoning. Add salt, if necessary. If thicker chili is desired, slowly stir masa mixture into chili and return to a boil.
Corn meal will thicken chili and add rustic, earthy flavors. Yields 1 1/2 to 2 gallons.
Courtesy of chef Joe Pearcy of Circus Circus Reno
CIRCUS CIRCUS SNAKEBITE CHILI
For chile sauce:
2 dried arbol chiles
2 dried guajillo chiles
1 dried ancho chile
1 bottle Negro Modelo beer
While wearing gloves to protect your hands from the chili oils, destem and seed the chiles, then break them into small pieces.
In a small saucepan, combine the chiles with the beer, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove from heat. Let steep for half an hour, then purée all in a blender. Set chile sauce aside.
For chili:
1 pound coarse ground beef
1/2 pound good quality Mexican pork chorizo
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/4 cup each diced red and green bell pepper
10 ounces beef stock
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 small (4-ounce) can Ortega brand diced green chiles
1 small (about 4-ounce) can or jar diced roasted red pepper (if not sold diced, then dice)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 small can cooked kidney beans, drained
1 small can cooked pinto beans, drained
1/2 small can cooked white beans, drained
1/2 small can cooked black beans, drained
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons masa mixed in 1/4 cup water (optional for thickening)
In a large, heavy-bottomed casserole over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and chorizo until the meat is lightly browned.
Crumble the meat as it cooks. Lower heat to medium and add the onion, red and green peppers and cook, stirring 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Add the reserved chile sauce, beef stock, chipotle chile, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, Ortega chiles, roasted red pepper, and next 6 ingredients. Increase heat to high, and while stirring, bring chili to a boil.
Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the seasonings to blend and the chili to thicken.
Add the cans of cooked, drained beans to the chili, return to a simmer and check seasoning. Add salt, if necessary. If thicker chili is desired, slowly stir masa mixture into chili and return to a boil.
Corn meal will thicken chili and add rustic, earthy flavors. Yields 1 1/2 to 2 gallons.
Courtesy of chef Joe Pearcy of Circus Circus Reno
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
i carry your heart with me
by E. E. Cummings
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
"i carry your heart with me(i carry it in". Copyright 1952, © 1980, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust, from Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage.
Source: Complete Poems: 1904-1962 (Liveright Publishing Corporation, 1991)
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
"i carry your heart with me(i carry it in". Copyright 1952, © 1980, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust, from Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage.
Source: Complete Poems: 1904-1962 (Liveright Publishing Corporation, 1991)
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Nevada DeLorme Day 2 & 3
View Larger Map
F) King of the Hill Potty Break
G) Holy Boulders Batman!
H) Cache Across America - Nevada
I) Geode-Caching (Idaho)
J) Belly-up
K) Emigrant Trail 1
L) Dog Run?
M)
N)
O)
Nevada DeLorme Day 1
View Larger Map
A) Tempe, AZ
B) 4 Miles to Chloride
C) Old Spanish Trail
D) Farewell to Byron
E) Old Boundary
F) Alamo
G) 80 Point 4
H) Hop to It
I) Daddy I gotta go potty
J) Blackjack!
Monday, June 08, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
My closest friend sent me this quote last year, saying he read it and thought of me:
"I do not want to be the leader. I refuse to be the leader. I want to live darkly and richly in my femaleness. I want a man lying over me, always over me. His will, his pleasure, his desire, his life, his work, his sexuality the touchstone, the command, my pivot. I don’t mind working, holding my ground intellectually, artistically; but as a woman, oh, God, as a woman I want to be dominated. I don’t mind being told to stand on my own feet, not to cling, be all that I am capable of doing, but I am going to be pursued, fucked, possessed by the will of a male at his time, his bidding."
Anais Nin
"I do not want to be the leader. I refuse to be the leader. I want to live darkly and richly in my femaleness. I want a man lying over me, always over me. His will, his pleasure, his desire, his life, his work, his sexuality the touchstone, the command, my pivot. I don’t mind working, holding my ground intellectually, artistically; but as a woman, oh, God, as a woman I want to be dominated. I don’t mind being told to stand on my own feet, not to cling, be all that I am capable of doing, but I am going to be pursued, fucked, possessed by the will of a male at his time, his bidding."
Anais Nin
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Okay, almost three weeks since my last blog and things have improved substantially!
I found (well, technically attended) my 4000th cache at GPS Adventures Maze - Pacific Science Center in Seattle and got a brand spankin' new icon
Woo-hoo!
Booked my flight to Nashville for GeoWoodstock VII and after that getting the
icon this summer at Mission 9: Tunnel of Light. Sweet!
I would also like to finish the Nevada Delorme but I'm still thinking about it for this year. Maybe 2010. I want a Challenge to be working on but considering switching over to county challenges momentarily :)
Welp... just a short post. Ta!
I found (well, technically attended) my 4000th cache at GPS Adventures Maze - Pacific Science Center in Seattle and got a brand spankin' new icon
Booked my flight to Nashville for GeoWoodstock VII and after that getting the
I would also like to finish the Nevada Delorme but I'm still thinking about it for this year. Maybe 2010. I want a Challenge to be working on but considering switching over to county challenges momentarily :)
Welp... just a short post. Ta!
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Catching Up
Dang, I have not blogged in like forever! I'll have to check my profile and see what I have been doing with myself :)
Well, let's see: I went to the Fun In Casa Grande event on February 22. cute kitty and I found the caches Higher Lurnin and Highest Lurnin before the event started. Both caches have been on my to-do list for quite some time and I was VERY proud of cute kitty! The event was very nice and we cached around the Casa Grande area a little before heading home.
On February 28th cute kitty and I left very early in the morning and headed down to the Sierra Vista area to find a few caches before attending the Old Fairbank Ghost Town CITO. I always enjoy Southern Arizona and the San Pedro River is one of my very favorite areas. My cousin ShadowHawke was also able to attend the event and it was wonderful being able to spend some time with him! After the CITO we headed to Tombstone and checked into the Holiday Inn Express and got cleaned up. We had time to find a couple of caches and the virtual Rune Stone before heading over to the Fairbank Afterhours event. I am so glad we met as I got to meet and get to know better some exceptional SoAZ cachers!
The next two weekends were spent in Palm Springs. Trizumi and I went out to the Heartburn Series near Desert Hot Springs. This series is exceptionally well done! The weather was perfect and we had a great day completing the traditionals. We returned on Sunday to complete the mystery caches as we walked the entire series.
The next weekend I placed a few caches along the Salome Road. Then cute kitty and I did some caching around the Palm Springs area for a couple of hours before heading back home to Tempe.
I think that gets me caught up to last weekend so I'll make a real entry now! :)
Well, let's see: I went to the Fun In Casa Grande event on February 22. cute kitty and I found the caches Higher Lurnin and Highest Lurnin before the event started. Both caches have been on my to-do list for quite some time and I was VERY proud of cute kitty! The event was very nice and we cached around the Casa Grande area a little before heading home.
On February 28th cute kitty and I left very early in the morning and headed down to the Sierra Vista area to find a few caches before attending the Old Fairbank Ghost Town CITO. I always enjoy Southern Arizona and the San Pedro River is one of my very favorite areas. My cousin ShadowHawke was also able to attend the event and it was wonderful being able to spend some time with him! After the CITO we headed to Tombstone and checked into the Holiday Inn Express and got cleaned up. We had time to find a couple of caches and the virtual Rune Stone before heading over to the Fairbank Afterhours event. I am so glad we met as I got to meet and get to know better some exceptional SoAZ cachers!
The next two weekends were spent in Palm Springs. Trizumi and I went out to the Heartburn Series near Desert Hot Springs. This series is exceptionally well done! The weather was perfect and we had a great day completing the traditionals. We returned on Sunday to complete the mystery caches as we walked the entire series.
The next weekend I placed a few caches along the Salome Road. Then cute kitty and I did some caching around the Palm Springs area for a couple of hours before heading back home to Tempe.
I think that gets me caught up to last weekend so I'll make a real entry now! :)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
21 FEB 09
Had a great weekend of caching!
On Saturday Trizumi! came over in the afternoon for an early dinner / late lunch at Venezia's Pizza in Tempe. Venezia's looks just like the pizza place Mark and Corrine took me to on the Upper West Side. Not only does it look like New York but the pizza tastes like it too. We order the two slices and a drink special because the slices are massive. The single slices are cut from the 24" party pizzas. Yummy!
We had time to grab a few caches before going to eat so we stopped by two nanos, This is One of Them and This is the Other One. Between the two nanos is a cache called Desert Need which I assumed from the name was a fake sprinkler head. When we came up on it though it appeared to be one of those PVC things in the ground. I pointed it out and Trizumi! opened it. It looked so real he started to screw the top back on. I said "Whoa, whoa - what the hey? That's the cache!" He stuck his hand it and sakes alive it was the cache. Nicely done :) From there we went to Stick'em Up by Roark&Dallas and on to the new cache The Story of George hidden by good friend AZgeckogirl. Located at a very cool historical marker, we enjoyed making this find and I was once again reminded how much I heart Tempe. I was ready to skip Wet Kryptonite by Nativedog because sometimes it seems Trizumi! does not really appreciate caching at very public places. But he was all for it and I am so glad. I felt this was an outstanding example of a urban hide. Between the Chase office building and PF Chang's is a unique fountain I have never seen before this visit. Tall shard-like pieces of beautifully colored metal which have been cast to look like stone thrust through broken pieces of flagstone. The water flows down the towers and bubbles up through the broken slabs. The signal bounce is significant here and after looking for some time we sat down and surmised as to the location of cache. After concluding it should be in a specific spot I re-examined said area and "bingo". Enjoyed this find and the area very much!
cute kitty at Wet Kryptonite
After enjoying some slices, the next cache we visited was Vista Del Camino Park. cute kitty made the find after both Trizumi! and I had looked in that spot! She is such an excellent cacher and was rewarded for her skills with a cupcake of her choice at Lulu's Cupcakes. We then went over to There is no R in Muggles and as soon as we pulled up I said, "GreasePot must live right here." Sure enough after finding and relacing the cache we were greeted by the cache owner and her doggie Daisy. After a fine bit of conversation we headed off to The Screen Doors which was an interesting and fun hide. Our only DNF was next at Scottsdale's Arch. Team Mowog has a number of creative hides so I am sure we will revisit this cache in the near future. Another Team Mowog hide, Stagebrush, was our final cache of the afternoon. A familar type of hide but the finest execution of this type I have ever see. Thanks to all those who hid caches we found today!
On Saturday Trizumi! came over in the afternoon for an early dinner / late lunch at Venezia's Pizza in Tempe. Venezia's looks just like the pizza place Mark and Corrine took me to on the Upper West Side. Not only does it look like New York but the pizza tastes like it too. We order the two slices and a drink special because the slices are massive. The single slices are cut from the 24" party pizzas. Yummy!
We had time to grab a few caches before going to eat so we stopped by two nanos, This is One of Them and This is the Other One. Between the two nanos is a cache called Desert Need which I assumed from the name was a fake sprinkler head. When we came up on it though it appeared to be one of those PVC things in the ground. I pointed it out and Trizumi! opened it. It looked so real he started to screw the top back on. I said "Whoa, whoa - what the hey? That's the cache!" He stuck his hand it and sakes alive it was the cache. Nicely done :) From there we went to Stick'em Up by Roark&Dallas and on to the new cache The Story of George hidden by good friend AZgeckogirl. Located at a very cool historical marker, we enjoyed making this find and I was once again reminded how much I heart Tempe. I was ready to skip Wet Kryptonite by Nativedog because sometimes it seems Trizumi! does not really appreciate caching at very public places. But he was all for it and I am so glad. I felt this was an outstanding example of a urban hide. Between the Chase office building and PF Chang's is a unique fountain I have never seen before this visit. Tall shard-like pieces of beautifully colored metal which have been cast to look like stone thrust through broken pieces of flagstone. The water flows down the towers and bubbles up through the broken slabs. The signal bounce is significant here and after looking for some time we sat down and surmised as to the location of cache. After concluding it should be in a specific spot I re-examined said area and "bingo". Enjoyed this find and the area very much!
After enjoying some slices, the next cache we visited was Vista Del Camino Park. cute kitty made the find after both Trizumi! and I had looked in that spot! She is such an excellent cacher and was rewarded for her skills with a cupcake of her choice at Lulu's Cupcakes. We then went over to There is no R in Muggles and as soon as we pulled up I said, "GreasePot must live right here." Sure enough after finding and relacing the cache we were greeted by the cache owner and her doggie Daisy. After a fine bit of conversation we headed off to The Screen Doors which was an interesting and fun hide. Our only DNF was next at Scottsdale's Arch. Team Mowog has a number of creative hides so I am sure we will revisit this cache in the near future. Another Team Mowog hide, Stagebrush, was our final cache of the afternoon. A familar type of hide but the finest execution of this type I have ever see. Thanks to all those who hid caches we found today!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Valentine's Day

Hope everyone had a pleasant Valentine's Day. Mine was nice and low-key. Trizumi! came over around noon to do a little geocaching and said he needed to get some laces for his hiking boots today. Since there was a geocache recently placed at the Tempe REI, we headed off. Once at the shop we discovered it was the REI Yard Sale day! We were amazed. The Yard Sale is when the store gets rid of all the returns customers have made. Each item has a little manilla tag attached describing why the person who made the original purchase brought the item back. We saw a pair of boots that had been on so many hikes the heels were very worn down thin, the reason for the return: scuffed too easily! Or a pair of climbing shoes worn to the edge of extinction, reason: wore out too quickly.
Heady from our scores we walked the 150 +/- feet to the new geocache, You Were Here Anyway... . Looked and looked, but a DNF. Oh well. So we went over to Park Series #51: Nevitt which was on my bookmark list of "caches I cannot reach without assistance of some tool" and Trizumi! made the grab. tee-hee. I was ready to get on the freeway to reach an area of greater saturation but Trizumi! felt that Mac's A-la-me'dead End was right down the road. Hmmm.. ok, if you are a crow. But whatever :) let's go. True to the cache's title it is located at the dead end of a road and on our approach we could see someone was down there doing something that looked suspiciously like geocaching. We were so glad to see chrisjan! We talked for some time about this and that. I hope they will attend the M.E.G.A. SIX event tomorrow night.
After our visit the next nearest was The Sharp Stuff which had a cute decoyish slant. Then on to another just published cache, The Cryptkeepers Cache, nice to see new cachers using clear lock'n'lock containers. At When Cows Fly, the very first thing I touched was the cache but I could not get it open. After looking around a couple of minutes I asked Trizumi! to take a look at it. Sure enough, another well-crafted Roark&Dallas containter. After another Roark&Dallas cache, Stump, we took A LOT longer to find It's always cold near by! then I would have expected. Good urban hide with lots of nearby traffic, Trizumi! was the stealth master here :) On to Park Series #71: Reed where there was a nice skate park nearby that cute kitty wants to return to soon. A couple of more park series caches, Park Series #26: Silvergate, Park Series #44: Chelsea and Park Series #25: Pequeno and an easy but well done Eastern Canal Bike/ Walk Adventure Series #1 plus a DNF at Ms. Arkitek's Favorite Market #5. Picked up The Labors of Hercules: The Golden Apples on the way to the freeway and we were ready to head back to Tempe for an early dinner.
We had decided on Crazy Buffet to minimize any discontent from the nine-year-old in the party. The Crazy Buffet is aptly named as the massive selection is far from your typical Chinese buffet. Last night they had frog legs as one of the offerings - frog legs! Not that I tried them - but seriously. They also have king crab legs that customers place huge, high piles on plate after plate after plateful. They have a manned sushi area with a large selection of rolls, sashimi and nigiri. It's not the best sushi I have ever had but it is an all you can eat buffet. Along with the traditional chinese dishes and soups they had several different fish dishes, at least three crab entrees, piles of peel-and-eat and fried shrimp, a salad bar, a dim sum area and of course the fruit and dessert bar. It's not the best food I have ever eaten but for a chinese buffet the selection and price ($11-12 for dinner) is the best we have found in town.
Thanks Trizumi! for a nice Valentine's Day!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Yuma Event and other things
I wish I had time to write about the Yuma events this past weekend but just have not had the time. It was a great time as always and maybe I'll have a chance to recall it later.


