2 posts tagged “rain”

This is a phenomenon I'd read about several years back and was very tempted to do  --  but not quite enough to buy myself a GPS unit to undertake it.  However, with the kind gift of a Garmin by my mom this past Christmas I returned to Washington State ready to try it out as an educational experience for the kids.  We did a quick lesson on the longitute and latitude thing, packed a lunch and bundled up.  I chose one that looked fun, and we started out under clear skies  (for the Seattle area)  --   and after parking, negotiating a two lane country road with 3 small children, finding the trailhead carefully picking our way along a path of mud and briars heard a happy little voice saying "You have reached "The Cache,"  -- which I'd named the coordinates in my "favorites" previously.  The only trouble was I discovered after searching the first spot thouroughly and finding nothing, then turning around and  passing "The Cache" and approaching it from the other direction  that "The Cache"  was an area encompassing several hundred square feet of trail, lake, mud, grass and briars.  The kids and I were game, though and proceeded to search the area as best we could.  Per Geocaching rules, we were not supposed to have to dig.  I assumed right near the water wouldn't work, as the pond could possibly overflow its banks and destroy said cache, but even with these clues, we weren't having much luck.  And when the heavens opened and began a steady rain shower, we decided that it wasn't all that important to actually find the box, and that we should return on a sunnier day.  "In April,"  my five-year-old son suggested hopefully, and I hadn't the heart to recite the little ditty ending with "Brings May Flowers"

I was impressed that the kids weren't more disappointed at not finding anything.  I think the rain helped, and the promise of our packed lunch --   and the interesting spotting of a dead opposum on the way back to the car.  My littlest one wanted me to take a picture, but I didn't oblige her.

I think I'll read more of the clues next time, and maybe look at a picture of what the boxes look like  --  and maybe bring a garbage bag.  In the bushes I kept seeing things that didn't belong there and I wasn't sure if the gatorade bottle was in reality a strangely-shaped cache of items.

I've been told in the past that I should blog but for some reason, mostly lack of time, I have not done it.  I certainly enjoy other people's blogs though.  It always seems like a nice newsy letter just for you, even though it could and might be read by millions of people depending on the content, and a stand in for a diary. I have valiantly begun diaries over the years and really enjoy reading historical entries but I tend to run out of steam after a few months.

Anyway, I made a resolution this year that I'd begin to blog and was just reminded by an e-mail updating someone else's blog that I have been a bit of a slow starter, so since I have a few minutes

Right now I live in Washington State in a suburb of Seattle with my three kids, 7, 5, and 4 whom I homeschool. My son goes to a private Christian kindergarten three days a week, and he started class yesterday.  However we all just got back from a lovely 3 week vacation to visit my parents in VA so I am really taking some time to ramp up.  We did math this morning and then had a snack and I really haven't corralled them back to work on spelling or history.  Then they have dentist appointments in the afternoon -- and it is raining.   I did sign up for the rain part when we decided to move to Washington, and I do enjoy being inside and not having to go out.  Rain is the perfect reading weather -- curled up in a nice armchair by a fire.  Our house has one of those gas fireplaces where all you do is push a button.  So easy!

Well, having fulfilled my new Year's resolution to begin a blog, I will do my best to keep it. 

For dinner tonight I am making chicken curry  --  with apples and raisins and sprinkled with coconut -  yum!