Geocaching, what is it?

Everyone is always asking me what Geocaching is and how did I get started.  Well, I had heard about it once on the news and then my preacher would always talk about taking his kids to do it and I thought it sounded cool.  I waited a year and would hear about it and every time I was like, I soooo want to do that.  I just was not sure how to get started.  So, a year and a half ago when I was home schooling the girls, I looked it up. (www.geocaching.com) and saw there was one at the Wal-Mart.  I looked and did not find it and was a little bummed. So I went to one down the road from there and we found it.  I was hooked.  It is basically a world wide scavenger hunt where people will hide some sort of container. (something as small as a test tube, pill bottle to as big as an ammo can.)  The biggest one I have ever found was a 5 gallon bucket.  A lot of times there will be items in the container such as kids toys, knick knacks.  If you want something then the idea is to take it and replace whatever you took with something of equal or greater value.  A lot of people do not do this so a lot of times you will find the container empty.  I try and bring items to refill them if I see this has happened.  The person that hides it puts in coordinates to where the item is hidden and then you use a GPS (your phone, or one bought from the store) to locate the item.  They can be really easy to find or really hard.  Everything is rated for difficulty to find and terrain (how hard it is to get to the item)  Once you find it, there is always a log inside, sign your geocaching name and then place the item back exactley like you found it.  Do not take it or the next person will not be able to find it.  Then you log on the site that you found it and you can write a story about your experience or not.  There is caching lingo:  TFTC=thanks for the cache TNLN = took nothing left nothing  SL=signed log  and many others.  There are also events that you can attend, which is what I like to do.  I recently did a cometition and this is where they hide a bunch of caches for one day and you find as many as you can with a group of people.  Another event I just got back from is Spring Fling and it is basically the same this but people get really creative with their hides because it is just temporary so they don't have to worry about it being ruined by the elements or by someone finding it and ruining it.  This is where you really see some creative things come out.  Also, at times you will find coins or even dog tags or other items that have a code on it.  These are NOT to keep.  They are travel bugs and the idea is to take it and then type the code in geocaching and you can see any missions this item has and where it has been (some have been all over the world). You log you found it and then put it in another cache.  This is a hobby that will take you places you have never been or never knew existed and it is great fun for the whole family or just by yourself. Most always they are hidden in parks, cemetaries and hiking trails. There are even some at gas stations and public places like that. If you ever want to try it, call me, I am always up for caching if I am free.  I have almost found 1000 caches!  I am really not sure what else to say about it so if you have questions, feel free to ask. 

Leaving you with a recipe:

Fried pickles in the oven (These where awesome)

1 jar pickle slices (I have also used the 1/4 slices but like the smaller ones better)
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 TBSP. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (any kind of bread crumb works)
ranch dressing or hot sauce for dippping


Turn oven broiler on high.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and flour. add worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic, cajun seasoning, and pepper, mix well.  Place bread crumbs in a dish and sunk each pickle in the egg mixture and then dredge in the bread crumbs.  Place coated pickles on a pan sprayed with pam. Broil for about 3 minutes on each side.