Happy 10th Geo-versary

Greetings! 

It's been awhile since we chatted. Have you missed me? We're still caching, but we've been dealing with a lot over the last year. COVID and then the loss of PopLob. The new year brought another [private] life-changing event.

Geocaching has been a wonderful distraction during some of my most trying days ❤️

But Friday was a big day - the 10th anniversary of my first geocache! It was a bison in a leafy, canopy tree at the Detroit Zoo. This tree was so big the low branches covered several picnic tables. 3inaTree, my brother and his family, were excited to share their new geocaching knowledge. A secret part of me crowed when I spied this beauty before them. 

Since then I have found 10,600 caches, many during my 3,000-day cache-a-day streak. I've also hidden over 200 caches. Luckily, most of these adventures with my Sweet TaGeez, the Free Range Lobsters, and our friend, ShelleyJean.

Time to get back on track - we have new adventures to share!

Can't Forget the Little Adventures: Vitamin Z

Detroit Zoo Family Fall Get Together GC6TA8X

Oh, that was fun! Trustworthy hosted a fun event at the Detroit Zoo on Sunday. Friends from the thumb came down for a flashmob and then the Free Range Lobster caches. Kriket, Snakey, TaGeez, and I (of Free Range Lobsters fame) felt it incumbent to attend.

I'm glad we did because the weather was stunning!

(Group photo pilfered from the event page)

Of course, one of the bonuses is that the Detroit Zoo was decorated for Zoo Boo. We had fun stopping at each vignette.

A Kriket amongst the Penguines

This guy cracked me up. Apparently, he was tired of his diet INSIDE the enclosure so he was eating the surrounding landscape!

How lazy is this? Can you spy both napping red pandas?

Unfortunately, we had other commitments so we had to head out early. This beauty looks greatly disappointed.

Thank you to the Somershoes for spending some Vitamin Z time with us in the Penguinarium.

We hang with weird people.

Digging History at the Detroit Zoo!

Woot!  Congratulations to WikidKriket for hiding her first geocache, 

Digging History GC5G92C!  

Kriket is my sister and she volunteers weekly at the Detroit Zoological Gardens.  As one of her responsibilities, she works with both the Boy and Girl Scouts of America educating about the animals, letterboxing and now geocaching!

TaGeez and I went on a Sunday to make the find - nice LARGE container smack in the middle of the Zoo grounds!  The weather was perfect.... keeping the humans at home and drawing the animals out. We tried to be stealthy but there were eyes everywhere.....

Decorated for the annual Wild Lights event

We just happened to go opening day of the Wild Lights event - the Zoo is strung with millions of LED lights, many in the shape of animals.  We walked through as they were testing the lights just prior to the opening ceremony.  Can't wait to go!

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If you make it the zoo in the summer, Detroit Zoo volunteer Snowbird2 hides around 6 caches throughout the grounds, active from around May 1st to Halloween.

Have You Grabbed Your Vitamin Z Lately?

Every year the Detroit Zoological Gardens sponsors a series of caches hidden by snowbird2.  You would think they’re simple because they are “family friendly” but she has to hide them well so as not to be muggled by the million + visitors on an annual basis.

Last year I had FTF on 5 of the 6  caches (I live about a half mile from the zoo and have an annual membership).  At the end of the season I received an email from snowbird2 congratulating me on finding all 6 caches and winning 4 passes for the next year!

On Monday, TaGeez and I decided it was time for our annual caching expedition at the zoo.  We missed all the releases as they came out around our Traverse City trip.  It was particularly humid, but, being a Monday, not too crowded.  As we walked past the exhibits, you could see the annuals raising their resting heads to us and imagine them thinking, “Fools!  Only humans would be walking about in this!”

I don’t want to give away any of the hides so I thought I’d share some pictures from our visit.  Hopefully it will inspire you to come for a visit!

Melty Camels

I don't think people stop and appreciate the flowers at the zoo enough.

And, yes.  We found all 6 again!  We are quite the team!

Geo-Phobia and Zoo Winner

Out grabbing my cache-a-day, when I stopped for the Geo-Phobia: Trypophobia GC4FV7N pictured here. It's the fear of holes and was at this really cool abandoned cottage. Team Rumble finds the neatest hiding spots!

Afterwards, as I was treating myself to coneys at National Coney Island, I got a great email from SnowBird2. SnowBird2 hides a set of caches at the Detroit Zoo each year. As I had completed the series this year I had been entered into a drawing AND WON! A family day pass! Cool! In addition to my membership, I can bring TaGeez and some friends to the Zoo in the Spring for next year's series!

It was a great day!