Another potluck Saturday night

Last night was potluck Saturday night again.  

Decided to make "Tomato Chicken Florentine". Hmmm, Hmmm good.  

Brenda took the weekend off for a conference, but we decided to do the potluck without her.  Although it was and hit and miss dinner as things were busy, busy, busy

Snow again last night!!

Tried to post this this morning when I got home from work, but wasn't able to get my phone to send the photos, so am updating now that I am awake!!

My lawn



porch bench



BBQ Grill

When I went to work last night, the weather wasn't too bad, it wasn't even raining, although I think it tried to in spurts troughout the day.  When I left work this morning, the ground was wet and it was cold, but obvious that it had snowed sometime during the night.  This is what I found at home.

Found this photo that my best friends daughter took the night before last when it snowed, thought it was just too cute!!

Next book on my list to read!!

Finished 'Night of Many Dreams' by Gail Tsukiyama. Very good!!!

I mentioned a little earlier that I had read a book in my stash that I had for quite awhile that I had listed on a swap list and got a request for.  In the end, before sending it off I decided I really did need to read it.  Then was plesantly surprised that I, actually, had liked the book and had to order some more of his books. 

Well, most of his books are series, I was only able to actually swap one or two here and there and put the rest of them on my 'wish list'.  Although one of the series, a triad or trilogy, I was able to find all in one book - and it came in the mail a couple of days ago.  Just in time to start reading after finishing 'Night of Mnay Dreams. 

So now I have started book 1 of the the triad/trilogy of 'Books of Swords' by Fred Saberhagen. So far so good, only a little ways into the book as I started back to work for my long stretch last night!!  Only thing I really don't like about this book is that I don't particularly like hardbound books - they are just so awkward to read, and - yep - it's a hardbound book.  But it saved be two credits and was able to request a couple of other books with instead - kinda like a 3 for 1 special.  LOL!

Well, the snow stopped shortly after I got home from work.  When it does snow here it doesn't last very longand very rarely sticks!!  Now it is just raining again.  Not sure what whoke me up, but then I couldn't get back to sleep right away, so sat down at the computer for awhile till I started to feel drowsy again.  Now back off to bed to get a little more sleep before heading back to work this evening.

On a side note, tomorrow is potluck saturday night at work ---- hmmm what to bring.  Thinking about either taking a 'Tomato Florentine' soup that I made a big pot of yesterday, or some 'Albondigas' soup(a spicy Mexican meatball soup with veggies).  My friend and I made some 'Albondigas' soup a couple of months ago, a first time for me, and  we made way tooooooo many meatballs for it, so we vacumn sealed and froze up half of them.  All I would need to do is thaw the meatballs and add the veggies and let it simmer in the crockpot!!  Hmmm what to do!!??

Guess I'll sleep on it!!

Snow!!

Looks like it's still winter up here in northern CA.  First snow this season (and it snows here only once in awhile)

Geocache #270

Last of our geocache finds for the day was found in Asti!!

'Historial Trail'  Guess there is a lot of history around the area and a whole right-up about the nearby church in the description of the cache.

Another one that I didn't really head the hint too.  Although I kept repeating it as I would shake my head at my GPS coords.  Cause there was nothing there to 'look up' at.  AllieBee with her common geosence walked to the nearby tree and said -- 'I found it'  and sure enough she did.

The cache was bigger than I thought, as it said you might need a grabber tool.  Hmmmm. . .  not sure what for.  Pretty much a log only cache so we signed the log and replaced it then headed home for a nap!!

You know I am not a day person!! LOL!!

Geocche #269

Geocache #11 of 12 for the day!!  Headed back towards home Ukiah/Willits We made a quick stop in Geyserville as we took the old highway through town and picked up another Cache. 

Yet another cache that I had been to and looked for before with no luck.  We were just about to give up on this one again before finally finding it.

See the cache in the groove?

AllieBee when we pulled up said 'Lampskirt', I looked at the lampskirt and said I don't think so.  We then proceeded to try to lift the skirt up and it didn't budge.  This lamp was different than most of the lampskirt caches we have found.  So we fumbled around and looked in the bushes, even looked along the abandoned tracks.  Our GPS kept bringing up back to the lamp!!

unique small lock-n-box

Before actually giving up I started poking around the lampskirt again.  The side panel on it was bolted shut - not in there.  I then looked down the space between the skirt and the pole and could see something opaque down there.  I called AllieBee over to take a look and we both asked the question at the same time. "How do we get it out of there'?

About that time I took ahold of the skirt with both hands this time and gave a good yank. . .up came teh skirt and out fell the cache!! 

AllieBee shifting skirt

I've never seen a container like this, but it sure looks like it would keep the damp out.  I think it is lock-n-box type container, just have never seen one that small before.

We did a quick signing of the log and replaced it.  We had to shift the skirt around a bit to get it to fall back in place with AllieBee pinching her finger - ouch!! 

But able to log a successful find for this cache too!!

Geocache #268

Last geocache found in Healdsberg for today #10 of 12 found as headed out of town back to Hwy 101.

It was called 'The Old Saw Mill' as I guess an Old saw mill had been built there, but all that was left of it now is a long row of discarded rocks forming a very low fence line.  We parked about 500 feet from the cache site or ground zero and walked to it. Afterwards realizing that there was enough room to have pulled over anywhere along the line of rocks. But then again we probably needed the little walk after our indulgence at lunchtime.

SWAG

You don't realize just how much 500 feet really looks like till you see it for yourself.  After finding the cache and starting back towards the car we realized that it is a fair little walk.

AllieBee was the finder of this oneS too, only becasue she happened to turn the right rock over first.  With so many to choose from it's a gamble to find the right one!!

AllieBee trying to fall in

Small pill bottle with small amount SWAG.  We added a piece monopoly money that we picked up on our short walk to the site, we signed to log.  AllieBee tried to fall down inside the rocks with cache as whe was replacing it.   We had a good laugh at that and she said I better not have taken pictures of her trying to fall, but of course I did!!

Geocache #267

Heading for Geocache #9 of 12 for the day!

Yet anaother one in Healdsberg that I had looked for before with no luck.

Nice SWAG

'Books and all that Jazz (A TB Hotel)'  I had one more TB that I defianately wanted to drop today so we had to find this one as it was labeled as a TB hotel!! 

Like before, I was all over the parking lot and the parking lot of the real estate office next door.  Guess I was only focusing on one of the clues - in the corner pocket and not the other that said it was within 3 feet of the paved area and no need to trample through the foliage.

the UMP TB

Good thing that some of us actually follow clues, hints and directions.  AllieBee found it without leaving the pavement while I was trampling the foliage to get to another corner pocket!!   LOL

Peace TB

Picked up another TB called 'UMP' and placed one that started near home called 'Peace'. I was hoping to get the 'Peace' one a bit further away from home, but felt that I had held on to it for far too long! 

Found some nice SWAG and replaced cache before moving on.  The last time I was here there were a lot of muggles around and I felt kind of silly wondering around in the library parking lot.  Today I only saw one muggle leaving the library, so not as suspicious looking!

Geocache #266

Decided that we were not going to go all the way to Santa Rosa today and would just find a few more in Healdsberg and catch a few more on teh way back home that we missed.

cache attached with magnet

Just a couple blocks further down the the same walkway of unique art was our next stop called 'Pony up a micro'  Another cache that Candace and I were all over last summer.  I tried to tell AllieBee that we couldn't find these last two cause it was getting too dark and they were micros when Candace I were looking.  She wasn't buying it!! 

So with our hint we knew that is was a micro that had recently been replaced with a new slightly larger container and that it was on the street side of the piece of art!!  Hmmm. . . lots of little nooks and cranies to look into on this piece.

Whoolly Boolly!!  I found this one!!  But I am sure that I looked there last time while here with Candace and I am sure with this one light does make a difference.  A small altoid box attached with magnets to hold it in place up under the 'ponys' back.

I noticed that a previous logger had logged at Christmas time someone had put a wreath around the 'pony's' neck. This time AllieBee and I noticed that there was fresh hay put out for it.  What a nice touch and a cool looking piece of art out of metal and wood.

We signed the log and replaced and meandered on our way through the streets of Healdsberg looking for a another cache to find!!

Geocache #265 and lunch



Bear Republic Brewing Co.



Drove on towards Healdsberg.  Upon arriving there we decided that we would stop at a BrewPub that we had eaten at before and enjoyed before doing anymore caching.  The Bear Republic!  It was a good thing we stopped, we didn't realize how popular this place was on a saturday afternoon - had to wait almost 30 minutes for a table.

Had a wonderful lunch of Burgers and garlic cheese fries with a couple of glasses of XP Pale Ale (AllieBee had raspberry ice tea as she was driving).  We then shared the perfect, not too sweet, not too tart Raspberry cobbler ala-mode before heading back out to find some more geocaches!!

Literally, right on the other side of the fence from the parking lot, although I had AllieBee take the long way around a few blocks to get there, was our next cache of the day -- #7 of 12 'Mark's Left Hook' We were wondering where the hook was till I went to log this find and was looking at other people's photos.  We had found the plaque that mentioned Mark and saw the bench, but after looking at the photos I see that the bench is shaped like a fish and with a lot of imagination a hook!!! 

nano-cache



AllieBee's braille method



My daughter Candace and I had been here last year and all over that bench trying to find this cache to no luck.   AllieBee with her luck today found this cache kinda by the braille method while feeling under the back edge of the seat. I had gotten down on my knees and looked under the bench but didn't see it. 

This cache is not considered a micro-cache, it's considered a nano-cache.  I have found a couple of similar caches and was pretty sure that what we found was what we were looking for.  Signed the log and replaced before heading on. 

Geocache #264 on 2/19/11, #6 of 12 for the day

On to the last geocache in Cloverdale for the day and on our way to Santa Rosa.

marker

It's called 'Schoolhouse 981'  and told us to look for the marker.  We found the marker all right and learned quite a bit about 'Icaria-Speranza Utopian colony' and that their schoolhouse had stood on the markers site.  It was very interesting, but on to what we were here for -- geocaching!! 

Not sure why, but I decied that after reading the previous logs and description and hint, that the cache was behind the marker.  Now looking back I'm not sure what made me think that hmmm. . . .so we looked behind on one side and decided that if that was where it was it was on the other side where some boards and rocks were next to the back of the marker.  We walked around to the other side and lifted up the boards - nada, then me moved the rocks - nada. Hmmm. . . I must have been wrong, so we expanded our search.

Upon expanding the search to the area behind the maker though a small walkway through the barbed wire fence we found an interesting site it a tree - antlers!!  LOL!!

what an evil little hide!!

We wondered around some more with no further luck and ended up back at our original destination.  Just when we were ready to give up I actually picked up the moderate sized rock and turned it over!!!  What a devious little hide that was. Embedded into the bottom of the rock was a small pill bottle!!  STL and headed out of Cloverdale with no site of the ferral kitty that was mentioned lived here - probably a good thing!!

Geocache #263 on 2/19/11 #5 of 12 for the day

Still in Cloverdale and still caching along the same road!!

AllieBee holding cache

Heading for cache #5 of 12 for the day!!  'Dino's Playground'  We decided it was called that because of all the big rocks/boulders laying around!! 
When it comes to these rock type hides it's just a matter of finding which loose rock or which pile of rocks looks a little bit more planned in its placement. 



SWAG

AllieBee made the find and moved just ther ight little rock to show us a hole under the bigger rock where it made a nice spot to place a small pill bottle size cache!! 
Had a bit of SWAG, I latched onto the squishy orange lizard and left one of Alexis's homemade SWAG magnets!! 

Notice AllieBee wearing her snatched SWAG sunglasses!!  We had fun with those!

Geocache $262

Geocache #4 of 12 for saturday 2/19/11 was along the same road in Cloverdale and yet another cache that I had looked for before.



what doesn't belong?

We looked along the guardrail, the trees along the road and further from the road, but keptcoming back to the guardrail. It was described as an easy park and grab and flat!!! That pretty much ruled out most everything that we could think of.

After finding the cache I couldn't figure out how the name of it fitted in 'Spellit #2'

yep - it's flat and evil

Just as we were about to give up I made the find. Such a sneaky, evil hide!! The camo was delightful, but enough to make you pull your hair out!! I love it!! Log only, so we signed the log and replaced the cache for the next unsuspecting cacher.

Geocache #261

Cache #3 of 12 was another cache in Cloverdale.

 

Had to take a little detour as we found out we were drving through Cloverdale right at the end of the Citrus Fair Parade.  The main street through town was closed off and we had to go through it on the back roads.  In our detour we passed quite a few horseback riders leading their mounts towards home!!  Even though we missed the parade we had an enjoyable time watching all the riders!! Even got a few pics through the windows of the car.



nestled among the needles

Train Station that never was

Once we made it to the cache site we parked at the train station and then took a turn reading the info regarding the 'The "Station" TB Stop.  Too bad this wonderful train station never was actually used as a train station, and the cache was across the street!

We wondered all around and kept coming back to this lone pine tree.  It had to be there as the hint was 'these needles would be hard to sew with'.  None of the other trees in the area had needles.  With a little shuffling of 'needles' we did make a find!!



SWAG

I picked up a TB here called 'Wholphin' a pretty 'Wholphin' coin from Hawaii.  ou can kinda see it in the SWAG photo.



Cowpi's State Traveler Bug



Placed a TB called 'Cowpi's State Traveler Bug' it was a tight fit, but we made it fit along with the nice SWAG already in the cache.



Wholphin Coin



There was a homeless looking type person laying on one of the benches at the train station. Sure hope she wasn't a muggling type person.  I would hate to see this cache and its TB's/Coins come up missing



Geocache #260

nestled cache

OK, onto our 2nd geocache for fun saturday caching!!  Still heading towards Santa Rosa with a stop or two in Cloverdale. 

Seed of a cache

Picked up another cache that I had been unable to find before. #2 of 12 for the day - called 'Seed'  Both this time and last I tried to make this cache a much harder find than it was.  AllieBee more-or-less walked right up to it as I was trying to figure out how the cache could be down there?!!! and still be considered a simple, easy park and grab.

AllieeBee put cache back

Needless say it wasn't down there and it was an easy park and grab cache Thanks to AllieBee.  Small cache with no real space for tradables so we just signed the log (STL), replaced and went on our merry way!!

Geocache #259



SWAG

Travel Fun cache

Alycia(AllieBee) and I decided to go geocaching today.  It was the perfect day for it, other than it has been raining for the past week or so and the ground was a bit soggy in places.  But not too bad if you were careful.#1 cache of 12 for the day was just this side of Hopland and a new known Travel Bug (TB) hotel.  I had been here before on a trip to pick up some wine at Jaxon Keyes, but decided then I wasn't properly dressed to be tracking in the bush!!  So here we are back to check it out.  AllieBee made a fairly quick find of this cache nestled in the bushes--I'm sure I was all over that bush both this time and last time as that is where my GPS kept taking me.  Guess you have to be at just the right angle to see it!!  Sometimes being short pays off and tall NOT!!  Can you see it nestled there? It is pretty well camoed too!

Loggerhead Turtle Geocoin

 

Christmas TB

 

Had a nice pick of SWAG and a few TB's and coins too!!  AllieBee nabbed the green sunglasses right off saying that she had forgot hers and she didn't care if they looked goofy or not, this was saving her money!  I picked up a TB called 'Christmas' a simple jingle bell attached to the tag, and a geocoin called 'Loggerheads Turtle Geocoin'. 



Our homemade magnets



Dropped off a TB called 'For my Rose' I forgot to take a picture of it as I thought there was already one at the TB site, but alas no!  It was a cute little stuffed tiger.  I, also, left a magnet that Alexis, my grand daughter, and I made last summer just for geocaching SWAG.  

All in all a good first cache of the day and my 259th cache found!!