Pi Day

 I am working backwards through the month of March. This post is from March 14, Pi Day, another geocaching big deal day. The day started with a Cache In - Trash Out event at the Apache Junction rodeo grounds which hosted a large event the weekend before, but strong winds for two days moved most of the trash out of the area and into New Mexico!

8:00 AM - donuts to feed the geocachers

not a large pile of trash bags and only about a fourth of the group

who participated

our geocaching reward for our clean-up efforts

We met Jon and Sherry for lunch (fish and chips at the Rusty Buckle) and ended lunch with apple pie for Pi Day.

bathroom signs for my collection

After lunch we did some geocaching with Jon & Sherry. We needed a special cache for the day and this was it. I did the mental work, Hubby and Sherry opened the container.

Our geocaching reward for the solving, finding and signing the Mystery Cache.

another cache and another Mystery Cache

This cache was a tribute to a geocaching friend, Don of the team cardon. The cache was placed by Tic Toc Turtle.

Every one of his caches has a turtle on it or in it. A tiny turtle was attached to the bison tube.

we will miss these geocaching friends!

not my photo, but seen somewhere in the AJ area on Pi Day by a caching friend

Superstition Mountain

New Year's Day ~ 2025

 It has become a tradition for me to host a geocaching event to end the current year or to welcome the new one. This year was my seventh event on either the 31st of December or the 1st of January. The temperature at 9:00 in the morning was a bit chilly, but the sun was shining. Hubby and I furnished donuts for those attending the Hello 2025 event at Flatiron Park in Apache Junction. Providing donuts is a small thank you to the area geocachers for placing geocaches and to thank them for supporting my events.

I try to greet every one who comes to the event. 

Cade, age 3 was the youngest attendee. He came with his grandpa who attends most of my AZ events. Cade enjoyed the glazed donut and went home with a plastic cobra to add to his animal collection.

If I took the photo, I have added my watermark. Other photos came from Marlene (Eagles Landing from WI) or Sherry (LifeisGuud from WA).

Dick checking out the jeep on the table

AZ residents Paul and his wife and Ann & Howard

geocachers from OR (Dennis) and Bruce from MN (Dennis's wife) and Hubby

Bob also attends all my AZ events

about 50 geocachers attended throughout the 2 hours

Dick and Cat chatting with a visiting geocacher

there were 3 geo pups at the event this year; all were well-behaved

the purpose of a geo event: visit and get to know other geocachers

the virtual souvenir that was awarded that day

I had been awarded a special honor (as have other but not all geocachers) to host an event with special guidelines sometime in 2025. Anyone attending the event got the virtual souvenir. Hubby will host his later this year back in South Dakota.

It was a great start to 2025!

A Busy Social Week, Last Week

 It is always like this, this time in the season; social gatherings trying to get everything in before everyone leaves for the summer. And no matter how hard we try to not have this frantic social calendar, it just happens and we participate and then complain and say, "not next year!"

The first big gathering was the annual Java Gathering at San Tan Flat last Wednesday.

my home town, Hubby's first teaching job

44 people registered for the evening

good food and good conversations

Leap Day, February 29th

Leap Day is a big deal in the geocaching community. I hosted an event at a local restaurant's patio. We arrived early and I thought I'd have time for a margarita before the geocachers arrived. About 60 people registered for the event. More good food and wonderful conversations at the tables. I finished the drink 2 hours later!

the hostess and her side-kick

the virtual souvenir we earned for the day

Valentine's Day 2024

Yes, I know. I'm late. Many of you know we went geocaching with friends Jon & Sherry on Valentine's Day as Sherry is so good and speedy about posting photos on Facebook. So you have seen some of the photos. My post will show some of the things - usual and unusual - one might see while geocaching in the desert in Apache Junction & Mesa.

We saw this oldie while driving to ground zero.

We were on the search for turtles hidden by a geocacher named Tic-Toc Turtle. 

He has something like 70 some TTT hidden geocaches. We are amazed at the variety turtles he has collected and hidden. They are all different.

Some were hidden hanging in trees. Some were hidden on the ground under rocks or branches. Or like this little guy, some were hidden in dead cactus or tree branches.

The turtles were various sizes, from a quarter to the size of a large tortilla. Most were very easy to find, which is always nice when walking in the desert.

It is not unusual to see horses in the area where we were geocaching. I don't know if this rider was done or getting started.

two riders

This horse was sporting his winter coat. He also had very hairy legs. The rider was from Canada. The ladies had two dogs with them.

Five wooden cross grave markers and five rock lined graves but no disturbed soil????

two towers had nests in the supports

large nests, maybe hawks or owls?

a skull about 10 inches long

more desert trail riders

Horses were the only animals we saw. No geckos were scampering about. We have been told if we see geckos, we might also see snakes. I guess it has just been too cold for the reptiles. That's okay by me!

One of the horses at a Horse Boarding across the road from the desert area we were in for geocaching.

We were dressed appropriately for the day.

Geocaching hearts for our efforts on a perfect temperature day for walking in the desert.

It's Been a Quiet Month

 It has been a quiet month so far. Writing class has started. Bowling has started. Tuesday geocaching meetings continue. I hosted a geocaching event early last week on a rainy day, so the attendance was much lower than usual. The weather has been cool to those of us who have spent 18 Januarys in Arizona. It is soup and comfort food weather.

We met Sherry (LifeIsGuud) Saturday afternoon for some geocaching. I have to admit it was a perfect weather day for walking around in the desert looking for geocaches. Sunny. Long sleeves. Long pants. Warm but not sweaty warm.

This was one of our first geocache finds ~ a field puzzle. We had to take the puzzle ball apart to get to the log and then reassemble the ball puzzle pieces. Let's just say it took awhile. No engineers in our group. Some laughs, some mental cursing, but we got it back together before moving on to the next cache. (Sherry's Photo)

Thankfully no puzzle. Just a cute turtle hiding behind a brick.

We walked along the horse trails and did see some riders.

I never get tired of this view. It isn't often we get a full view like this one.

Hubby and Sherry are in this photo looking for the geocache.

There they are! 

Another geocache find and paper log with our geocaching names on it.

Sometimes you find the most unexpected things that bring a smile. Just nine geocache finds, but a perfect day for hunting for caches. Thanks Sherry for getting us out of the house!