Iconic Challenge

On Sunday, we made a geocaching trip to complete the Iconic Challenge (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=91a789d5-98d3-45f0-9517-5eb29ab2274b&log=y&decrypt=). It took a little bit of planning, but was lots of fun! Mr. Diecast did most of the planning...Ok, almost all of the planning...I helped a little!

With the Iconic Challenge, there are two different versions...version 1 has you finding six different cache types in one day. Version 2 has you finding 10 different cache types in one day. We chose to complete version 1...version 2 is very difficult to complete! So we had a choice of caches to do...

This is what we found:

• Virtual Cache (KSARNG Aviation History Lesson)
• Mystery Cache (A Christmas Story)
• Earth Cache (Echo Cache)
• Regular Cache (Jason's Cache)
• Multi Cache (Mount Hope Multicache)
• Letterbox (Welton Grove Park)

We had planned several backup caches in case we couldn't find one...in fact, we had to use one of the backups! We had planned to use Twisted Lines as our Mystery Cache, but we had the wrong coords! So we ended up using A Christmas Story to satisfy that requirement. Good planning on Mr. Diecast's part to have a backup!

Speaking of A Christmas Story...(http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=60afb1e2-013b-433b-a80f-8b69c5a62f45)

It's a funny story...we had a dickens (ahahahha...nice play on words, huh??) of a time finding it. Jeff was giving it one last try and went into the wooded area by him self. He crashed thorugh the trees and bushes and scared a coyote away! In the middle of Topeka! Then he heard something walking through the bushes and thought the coyote was coming back...instead, Larry 739, Team Snoot and Saucytoad came around the bend looking for the same cache! What a relief to have found the cache!

All in all, we were successful and had a great day! This was a fun challenge to do. We saw some interesting things that we would never have seen if we hadn't been geocaching!

See you on the trails!

Meet, Greet and Geocache Event

Team Diecast hosted our very first geocaching event: Meet, Greet and Geocache! It was a lot of work preparing 26 new caches for this event...we talked about this for months; planning, researching, creating cache containers, thinking, worrying, wondering if anyone would come... And then suddenly, the day arrived and it was wonderful!

We had such a great time meeting and talking with all of the geocachers who came to the event! We had a super turnout...we were able to meet and talk to everyone The weather was wonderful...I never imagined we would have a sunny day with temps in the low 80's! It's never this cool in July! And everyone had an awesome time finding the new caches (or at least that's what they told us!) Many of us went to Sirloin Stockade for dinner after the event...we heard stories after stories of memorable geocaches. What a fun time...

I can't wait to plan our next event! :)
Thanks to Suzeequ, Kiddiekardriver, Ole Timer, Larry 739, Hockabee, DA 438, Boxstalker, ZROZRO7, Granny Shay, Grandpa Santa, JJTally, Legolaws, Wolf Spider, Chaprebdeb, Nicoole, Phil and Verla from Oz, Powercats on the prowl, Sharcar 52, Geohawk7998, KcOdwx, Morgie H, and Countryguy.

A Touch of Poison Ivy

It has been a while, but I had... A TOUCH of POISON IVY...thanks to geocaching! On Jeff's birthday (18 April) and the day after (19 April,) we went geocaching. In the woods. This was when everything was just budding out...there were pale green buds on most of the trees. And I didn't see any poison ivy. Well, let me tell you, the poison ivy was there! We went back to one of the areas 2 weeks later and it was COVERED in poison ivy. Here's what poison ivy looks like...just in case you don't know.

Poison Ivy, a plant native to North America. It grows along fences, in dry fields, and in open woodlands. Common poison ivy is found throughout the United States. It is a climbing or trailing vine or upright shrub. It has alternate, compound leaves. Each leaf is composed of three dark-green leaflets 3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 cm) long. The leaflets are toothed or lobed and have pointed tips; they are usually glossy. The common poison ivy has yellowish-green flowers and greenish-white berries.Poison ivy is composed of three dark-green leaflets.

The plant contains urushiol, an oily substance that is an allergen to most humans. It causes severe inflammation of the skin. Urushiol is present in all parts of the plant, especially the sap, which is most abundant in spring and summer. The poison is spread by contact with the plant or contaminated objects. It is also spread by burning the plant, heat vaporizes the oil, which is then carried in the smoke. Urushiol on clothing, shoes, garden tools, and other objects can remain active for a year or longer.

Symptoms usually appear 24 to 48 hours after contact, but may take 7 to 10 days to develop. The skin develops a red, blistering rash that itches intensely. After about 5 days, the blisters break and become crusty. The skin usually heals within two weeks. The rash is treated with cortisone lotion or cream. Calamine lotion relieves the itching and inflammation and dries up the blisters. In severe reactions, oral doses of antihistamine, benzocaine, and corticosteroid drugs may be prescribed.

Poison ivy plants are killed by spraying with ammonium sulfamate or the herbicide 2, 4-D.
Common poison ivy is Rhus radicans of the cashew, or sumac, family, Anacardiaceae. (science.howstuffworks.com/flowering-plants/po...)

Let me tell you, a poison ivy rash is HORRIBLE! (This picture is NOT me, by the way...nor is it Jacob, who also had a touch of the terrible rash! Instead it is some poor man that I found while searching for images of poison ivy. He looks rather uncomfortable and appears to be saying, "Oh #%$*&@! Look what happened to my arms!) My patches were a little smaller than this poor man's. I had a 4 inch x 5 inch patch on my left shin, a 3 inch by 2 inch patch behind my left knee (now that was bad) and a few smaller patches on my right leg along with small blisters here and there.

I ended up going to the doctor three times. Jacob was lucky since he only had to go once. Both of us were started on steroids. Jacob's luckily cleared up. My luck wasn't so good. I ended up back at the clinic within a week getting a shot in the butt. That still didn't do the trick...the large patch on my shin got infected and I ended up taking more steroids and antibiotics. Of course, with my luck, I was ALLERGIC to the antibiotic and got ANOTHER rash (mind you, I still had the poison ivy rash!) So yet another antibiotic was prescribed. Finally, it cleared up.

The next time I go geocaching in the woods, this is what I'm taking with me.

Jeff has been teasing me and calling me Poison Ivy, from the Batman comics. I think I'll get a tattoo to always remind me of how much I enjoyed my oozy, itchy, scratchy ordeal.

Look out for Poison Ivy!

Caching Events, Updates, Etc.

Well, I am finally updating our blog... We've had a lot of geocaching news since the last update!

Geocaching event #1: We were in a Geocaching contest that was held in Junction City with Military Affairs and the Junction City City Council for Military Appreciation. Well, it was a bust...we didn't win a prize even though we were the first team to complete the caches. We completed the caches with coordinates that were written wrong, coordinates that were off (we're talking miles off) and still, no prize (grand prize was $500, 2nd place $250 and 3rd was $150.) We thought the event was poorly organized and poorly run...

Geocaching event #2: We went to the 1st Annual Country Cache, which was south of Topeka. It was fun! We ate lunch with a bunch of cachers. After lunch, everyone was given coordinates for 40 new caches within Osage County. It was a lot of fun. We were first to find on 4 different caches! We found 17 caches that day! It was Jeff's birthday and he had a great time!

Geocaching event #3: A Whole Lotta Bull. We went to Doe's Restaurant in Manhattan and met up with local goecachers! It was a lot of fun. We talked with a bunch of people that we just knew by their geoname! It was fun actually meeting JBnW, KCMose, CCSteveC, Wolf Spider, Lego Laws, Alien Bounty Hunter, sarahbryce09, and everyone else! See the picture above and look at all the geocachers! What a way to end Jeff's birthday!

And now for our update...We are at 395 finds! In one year!!! We signed up at geocaching.com a year ago when Jeff came home from Iraq. He did the first cache at Heritage Park in Junction City. We've come a long way since then! I wasn't sure I'd like it, but we've found out that we love geocaching. It's a lot of fun, we've met a lot of wonderful cachers and we've even hooked a few (Craig and Kelly, Ken, Dad and I think I have another friend interested!)

Happy caching! :)

Another "Bomb"

Well, there is another geocaching "bomb" story...

A few weeks ago, we were planning another geocaching trip to gather up some more Kansas counties (105 County Challenge) and for another few grids for the Delorme challenge. Jeff was busy planning our route and he came across a cache that was close to home, on I-70 west at a rest area. This would be perfect for our trip since we were headed west. When we were finalizing our route, Jeff discovered the cache was no longer active. It had been archived. Jeff searched for more information...the rest area had been renovated during the past few months, but why was it archived now? Then he found this...

"The cache died today, the KHP Special Response Team blew it up. It was apparently found by a non-gecacher and reported to the Highway Patrol. They X-rayed the container and did not see anything hazardous inside, they blew it up anyway.... If you decide to submit another here, be sure to clearly mark the container and maybe we should use something clear for this one."

So last weekend, we placed a letterbox geocache (JC's Letterbox Hybrid http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=59af535c-6a3f-4fae-a67f-eb4cc2bec150 ) and this is what the reviewer posted on our cache:

"Recently a KDOT worker found a geocache in an unmarked ammocan in a rest area. Secluded in an area with some trees. He called the Highway Patrol and they sent out their Special Response Team. Even though a deputy caught wind of what was going on and told them what the can was, the response team X-rayed the can and it contained nothing that looked like a bomb. To be safe, they blew it up. A member of the response team then got a geocaching account to find out who the can belonged to. He contacted the member and they are talking about charging the cacher for the response. I am not sure what that costs, but you need to make really sure you have permission and/or a well marked container. I am not sure given this response team member's attitude, any marking would stop him from blowing an ammocan or military style container."

Be on the lookout for bombs...uh, ammo cans...

DeLorme Challenge and Kansas 105 County Cache

Yesterday, we spent the entire day geocaching. We left at 8:30 am and returned at a little past 7:00 pm. We drove about 350 miles through parts of Kansas we'd never seen before.

You might be asking why... Why would the crazy Miller family drive 350 miles to do some geocaches? The answer is easy. Actually, the answers are easy... The Delorme Challenge and the Kansas 105 County Cache.

So yes, we're crazy. We're participating in both of these challenges. In the Kansas 105 County Cache, we have to find a cache in each of the 105 counties in Kansas. We've done 25 counties so far!

On a side note, why does Kansas have 105 counties while Maine only has 16? In 6th grade or so (or maybe it was 5th) I had to learn all 16 counties of Maine. There was even a song that helped me memorize it. Do kids in Kansas have to memorize all 105 counties??

Anyways, the DeLorme Challenge is similar. We need to find a cache in each grid of the Kansas DeLorme map. There are 65 grids and we've done a cache in 16 of them!

So that's why we drove over 300 miles yesterday. (I'm so glad we have our new Prius and got over 42 miles per gallon!) We did 20 caches along the way and had a great time as a family. Geocaching is fun. We love it!

Police On Our Door Step

So yesterday Jeff and Jacob went rollerskating to give me time to study in a quiet house for my upcoming GRE exam. I'm working hard, studying, thinking, "How on earth am I going to pass this blankly blank test." And the doorbell rings. Standing on our front step is one of Junction City's finest...a police man. I'm thinking something horrible has happened to Jeff and Jacob...maybe a broken bone or some type of roller-derby-gone-wrong injury. Maybe someone has broken a tail bone from falling!

I'm standing barefoot looking up at this police man when he says, "Your neighbor called to report someone putting a mysterious ammo box in the tree in your front yard. Your neighbor thinks it might be a bomb."

Uh, that's our geocache. We have a 4 part multicache that ends in our front yard. You need to travel to 3 of our geocaches in order to get the numbers that will unlock the chain. Once you have the 3 numbers, you end up in our yard with the lock combo and the multicache is solved. But here I am, trying to explain why we have a ammo box in our tree with a lock and chain around it. I swear he thought I was crazy.

Of course, Jeff and Jacob miss the fun of explaining what geocaching is and that it's a game! Stuff like this only happens to us.

And to top it off, the poor cacher couldn't get the ammo box unlocked! Maybe he was trying to hurry before the "bomb" went off. :)

The "Bomb" (aka diecast64's "4 in 1" geocache)