New Digs and New Routines

My blogging mojo flew the coop for awhile. In the days leading up to the move, I didn’t really have anything to write about. We were laying low and heading home after work. Even our weekends were fairly mellow. Plus, there was stress. Since I don’t like to use this space for venting, I didn’t want to come to the keyboard feeling out of sorts.

So I took a break and let things simmer. I think I’m ready to get back in the routine, but bear with me. I need to find my blogging feet again.

The good news? We’re in our new apartment! We stretched the move itself over a full week. Because of the way things worked out, we got the keys to the new apartment on July 7 but didn’t have to give the keys to the old one back until July 12. Jon and I spent every evening after work unloading the car in Manhattan, unpacking boxes, then loading the car back up again in Wamego. It was an exhausting process.

On Friday, I took the day off to finish emptying and cleaning the old apartment. This meant a total of twelve trips up and down three flights of stairs. I was in pain the rest of the weekend, but honestly? It was worth it to be able to say that I could do it. Our last move was horrible for me, so I was happy that this time around I could actually be of use.

We had some helpers that evening, and even though we’d planned to continue the move on Saturday, we didn’t need to do much. All of our boxes and furniture were moved before 9pm Friday night, and the only thing we did on Saturday was send Jon and two of our helpers back to finish cleaning and to grab our last few storage items.

I tried resting up on Saturday since I was doing the Relay for Life that night, but those stair trips took their toll, and the pain was a little more than I was prepared for. I did make it to the event for a few hours though, but I ended up leaving early. Between the pain and the heat and the exhaustion, I wasn’t feeling well.

Sunday was dedicated to unpacking the rest of what we could and having our new neighbors (but old friends) down to visit for a little while. Since we’d done so much throughout the week, unpacking was pretty easy. Everything found a “home” except for some books and wall hangings, and that’s only because we need a bookshelf and some command strips, both of which are waiting until they fit into the budget.

So much cabinet space…and this is just one small corner of our kitchen.

I love our new place. When we saw it the first time, we took into account the fact that it was smaller than our old place, so we figured that once the furniture was in, things would be a little cramped. Not the case at all. In fact, we have way more room than we’d originally thought we had, as well as more storage space than we’d anticipated.

It’s comfortable and cozy. The shower water doesn’t run different temperatures, we have a ton of stuff within walking distance, and coming home for lunch is pretty great…other than the fact that I don’t necessarily want to leave once I’m here. For the first time in a long time, I’m looking forward to having people over, and I can’t wait to bake in our nice, big kitchen.

Now that the move is over, it’s time to try to get back into my routine and get going on projects that I’ve been procrastinating. I’m still settling in and work has been busy, so it’s been somewhat of a challenge, but I think in a few weeks things should feel more settled on the homefront. Which is really good, because the rest of the summer is going to be busy with travel and social times.

A.

 

Royal Bunny Tracs 5K

Today we walked the Royal Bunny Tracs 5k. This was our third 5k, but the last one we walked was about four years ago.  Considering how far I’ve come with walking in the past year, this was an exciting milestone for me.

This was a local event put on by Manhattan Running Company and the Kiwanis to raise money for foster kids to go to summer camps and participate in school year mentoring programs. The race started at 8:30 with registration opening at 7:30. We were there around 7:15. In hindsight, we probably could have slept in a little, but I like to be prepared and ready.

Before we even signed up, I asked a friend to see if they had a time limit. I knew I wasn’t going to finish in less than an hour, and at the time, I was planning for more like an hour and a half. When we went to pick up our race packets, one of the organizers knew our name and reassured us that we could take as long as we needed. I love that we were on the radar and getting support before it even started.

We each got a Bunny Tracs T-shirt and a race number. I put my t-shirt on over the one I was already wearing and didn’t have a problem with fit. This was refreshing. Not only were plus sizes offered, but they fit like a plus size and not a medium with the wrong tag.

The race started at exactly 8:30. Jon and I stayed in the back so the runners and fast walkers could breeze past us. I wanted to enjoy the walk, not hurt myself at the beginning. I walked my normal pace on the first lap, tried to pick up the pace on the second, then started losing momentum on the third. I jogged a couple times, including the last few yards over the finish line. By the time we started the second lap, we were pretty much on the track by ourselves.

The volunteers were awesome, waiting for our laggy butts to make it to their stations and being super nice and supportive. All kinds of people threw words of encouragement at us. I wasn’t expecting that. In hindsight, I probably should have thrown some back, but all I could think to say was thanks. Which is probably okay, since someday maybe I can encourage people walking a 5k for the first time.

They had already taken down the finish line arch, but the ground line was still there, so our finish felt official. We didn’t get timed. The organizer at the beginning asked if we cared about time. We didn’t. Jon timed us on his phone though. We finished in one hour and fifteen minutes.

We made the last part of the awards ceremony and chatted with people before leaving. There were other events happening, but we were wiped and still had laundry to do.

I’m planning to sign us up for another one, and we’re going to continue training to build speed and distance. I haven’t given up plans to maybe run one someday, but I’m going to get some walks under my belt first.

Achievement unlocked. The day has been a success.

A.

5K Prepping and Training

I hadn’t been planning on walking a 5k for a few more months. I’d thought about signing up for the Glow Run in June, but I didn’t make that a thing because of money, time, etc. (excuses, right?). I figured my first true 5k wouldn’t be until the Orc Stomp at Gen Con (if they’re holding it this year, of course).

But then a fellow worker bee tagged me in an FB post, and it was “challenge accepted” from there. Why? Because I want to walk one, and I didn’t really have a good reason to say no. I’m fairly prepared, and I have time to get even more prepared. So instead of finding more excuses, I went ahead and signed up.

These shoes were made for walkin’.

That was a couple weeks ago. Fast forward to the present. We’re two weeks from the walk and in true me fashion, I’ve procrastinated. This past week brought very little physical activity and way more unhealthy eating than planned. While I rarely get caught up in what I do and don’t eat, I know I’m not feeling my best and I know why.

I was a little apprehensive about our training walk today. Besides lack of regular activity, it’s been a couple weeks since we walked this distance. Instead of doing our normal track, we decided to test drive the actual track for the event.

This track is dirt, not pavement. It’s relatively flat and in a nice area. Because I wasn’t familiar with the longer loop, Jon walked with me instead of at his own pace, and that made for a much more enjoyable walk since I had someone to visit with.

We didn’t follow the exact path that the race will take, but we monitored using the markers and our Fitbits, and by the time we got back to our car, we’d walked about 3.20 miles in about 1 hour and 10 minutes. This marks my best walking time. Granted, it was flat terrain, and a lot of hills would take me longer, but I don’t even care. I feel good about it.

When it comes to walking, it’s hard for me not to compare myself to other people. I’m so slow. Even when I feel like I’ve got a good pace going, other people breeze past me. I’ve been told I walk weird, and I’m sure that’s true. Sometimes I have a limp depending on what hurts. I apparently walk on the ball of my foot, not my heel. I’m sure all of these are factors. I’m sure others would say weight and motivation are factors too. Either way, I think I’m destined to be the tortoise.

And really? That’s okay. I’m not in it to win anything or be better than someone else. I’m doing it because I can (which hasn’t always been the case). I’m doing it for movement and to help out a cause and to feel like I accomplished something.

Before today, I was a little nervous about this walk, but not as much now. Even if Jon leaves me in the dust and I come strolling in a half hour after everyone else, I know I’ll at least have finished it. That in itself is pretty awesome.

If anyone in the area wants to sign up, you can do so through Manhattan Running Company. You can also read here to find out how to make a donation if you’re so inclined. I’ll have a recap of the walk after it happens. Until then, wish me luck!

A.

Waiting for Good News and Making Good Things Happen

Part of the reason I’ve put off writing for the past few days is that I was hoping to have some good news to share. Jon had a really positive interview last week, and we were hoping to hear that he got the position by early this week. Unfortunately, he hasn’t heard anything yet. So we’re still in limbo, and I’m a ball of anxiety waiting to find out if we can finally breathe a sigh of relief or if we have to hold it for a little while longer.

I was thinking about it at the gym, and my daily blog post, even when it was super boring and nothing more than “I didn’t do anything” or “No time to write, stay tuned for tomorrow” helped keep me grounded. It was routine and it was an accomplishment. Since I’ve started blogging sporadically, other than the Influenster product reviews and the book reviews, I kind of feel scattered again.

I’m sure there are other reasons for feeling scattered: new position at work, aforementioned unsureness of the future, the changing of the seasons. But right now, I’m trying to find things that will help me get back to feeling “right”. Maybe my daily blog, even if it has no rhyme or reason, and even if it’s boring, is what I need to aim for.

So we’ll see how that goes.

Let’s see what I can update on right now…

I’ve been pretty good about exercising regularly, though I’ve been bad about walking on breaks and getting to my step goal. I decided to do more 5k training, but I’m setting my own rules and guidelines since I was having a hard time getting into the C25K trainer.  Gen Con is only five months away, and Jon and I want to do the Orc Stomp 5k, so I really need to start building endurance and maybe some speed. Last Saturday we walked the distance of a 5k at the walking track (a little more, actually, because of the way it’s laid out). I paced myself and didn’t have too much trouble. I also finished it in an hour and a half…slow, but I thought it was going to take me two hours, so faster than I thought.

Speaking of 5ks, I also want to sign up for the Glow Run in KC, but I have to wait until we know if we’re staying or going. I’ll obviously walk it, so I have to check and make sure they either don’t have a time limit or they have a long time limit.

Speaking of running, I’m still doing a little bit of it…and I’m getting better! When I do walk/run sets, I can run for about two minutes on my first run. I think I could do more on my second set if I wasn’t having a problem with ankle tightness and cramps. I think we’re going to go to the local running shop soon and get fitted for good shoes. It would be cool to run a little bit at either the Glow Run or the Orc Stomp.

Speaking of Gen Con, we’re officially going because we volunteered to work part time for AEG.  This means less time for scheduling events, but it means more gaming swag and the chance to hang with some cool people. We volunteered for Big Game Night last year and loved it, so we’re hoping this experience is just as fun. I think it will be.

I’m glad spring and summer are getting closer so I can spend more time outside. I haven’t gotten comfortable doing any sort of running on the treadmill, though I think at some point, I may have to stop being so scared and just do it.

Maybe after I figure out that ankle problem.

Off for a Twitter chat, a shower, some reading, and some sleep.  If you think about it, send good vibes our way. It would be nice to hear about a job for Jon so we can start planning for the rest of 2014.

February Goals and Progress with Revision

This past weekend was spent doing almost nothing. I think I was still fighting an infection because the stomach pain from the sickness I had last week didn’t go away, so I wasn’t feeling up to doing anything besides sitting around and reading and watching cute movies on Netflix. The highlight of the weekend (or lowlight as it were) was probably a bad haircut, though realizing it as a bad haircut was kind of a delayed reaction. Either way, I’ll be rocking the headbands for the next few weeks. My hair grows fast, though.

My stomach pains seem to have gone away. I’m avoiding soda and carbonation until I know for sure, but today was good. I was even able to walk on my breaks and get a workout in at the gym before we headed home. We’re waiting for a big snowstorm to hit. The city of Manhattan and the university and all the schools are already closed for tomorrow. My place of work is still open, however. If it’s not too bad in the morning, I’ll probably still go in. Current projects are much easier on my dual monitors. But if it’s bad in the morning, I’m prepared to work from home.

Since we’re into a new month, I’ve been trying to come up with some good goals for February. My writing goals included putting together the second draft of my novel and sending it to my beta readers, a goal which I accomplished tonight. I’ve set the deadline for the end of this month, which means March will be more revision and formatting. But now, other than the small bit of anxiety I’m getting with actually putting my work out there with the intention of maybe publishing it, I can rest for a few weeks and focus on some other things.

Seriously…even if this book doesn’t happen and even if everyone who reads it hates it, I’m going to feel good about the fact that I’ve gotten this far.

The two main goals for this month are going to be to finish my current/newest knitting project and to recommit to three days a week at the gym. Though I’ve been active (with the exception of last week, which turned into a seven day rest to heal from my illness), I haven’t been putting in the gym time, which is fine, except I’m paying for the membership. Since this might go away soon, depending on the job and money situation, I feel I should take advantage while I have it. Once the weather gets warmer, I’m going to be putting my goal focus into walking and running goals, so might as well take advantage of the gym while the weather dictates.

I may come up with some other goals later. My brain is all over the place right now.

It’s past my bedtime and work is likely to still happen tomorrow, so I’d better get a shower and get some sleep.

Side note: Cress releases tomorrow! I can’t wait! I’d be tempted to stay up until midnight to download it, but that will lead to starting it, which will lead to staying up all night reading it, which means nothing would get done tomorrow, and I need to be functional.

A.

 

 

Reflections and Resolutions: 2013-14 Edition

It’s that time where we say good-bye to one year and welcome in a new year. I’ve seen posts on FB and Twitter of people hoping that 2014 is better, and I do know that some of my friends had a really horrible 2013. My heart goes out to them and I’m sending lots of good vibes and prayers that 2014 makes up for it.

For me, 2013 was a great year.

The biggest thing was that my health and fitness levels improved about 110%. I know I’ve gone on about this a LOT, and I’m sure anyone who reads this is kind of tired of hearing it, but I’m damn proud of myself! Seriously, it sucked trying to get back to the level I’m at now. The pain sucked, the frustration sucked…it was not a happy time. But once I got a few things figured out, things eventually started happening, and now I feel great. Granted, it’s a daily process. I still have pain, but I can usually work through it. And when I can’t work through it, I’ve managed to fight the all-or-nothing mentality that used to say, “Well, you couldn’t make it to the gym today. Time to give up completely.” I would say that besides the physical improvement, I’ve gotten a boost in mental and emotional health as well.

I also got to travel, visit some cool places, see some cool things, and I gained a love of being outdoors. Jon and I took several trips and developed a love of museums and zoos. We started geocaching, which was a huge factor in getting us out and getting us active. Some of the scenery we’ve seen while caching has been breathtaking, and taking pictures of our adventures has been fun. These experiences often meant getting out of my comfort zone and doing something I probably wouldn’t have done in 2012, like attending Becoming an Outdoors Woman and hiking big hills.

I also successfully organized our local gaming convention, wrote two novels, won a set of knitting needles, started attending a local knit night, and accepted a new position at my job.

Going into 2014, I’m feeling optimistic, even though for the first time in a few years, things are a little bit unsure. With Jon graduating from college this month, his job plans are still undecided. He’s had several interviews, but nothing has been solidified yet. We don’t know if or when we’re moving and we have no idea where we’re moving to. We don’t know what he’ll be making. For all we know, six months could pass with no job offers. Any big travel plans will be have to be put on hold, and at some point we’ll probably have to tighten up the budget and let go of a few things. Still, I’m not anxious. I’m just excited to see what happens.

I’ve never been one for resolutions, but I have some definite goals for 2014.

1. Be able to run a mile by the end of the year

2. Walk or run a 5k

3. Do strength training at least twice a week

4. Try a spin class and/or Zumba class again

5. Finish novel revision and submit for publication

6. Read 70 books (Goodreads challenge)

7. Make it to Gen Con

8. Maintain organization

9. Attend more events and social functions

10. Do more Random Acts of Kindness

These might changes, and other things might be added, but this is my kick-off list. I want to get as much out of life as I can. I want to have experiences, and I want to be strong when things don’t turn out as expected. I want to get older and wiser, and I want to see as much of the world as I can…even if it’s just things in my backyard.

To 2014…I hope it’s the best year yet.

A.

 

Quiet Days and Post-Christmas Indulgence

Work today was weird, but in a good way. There weren’t very many people in the office (there weren’t many people in the whole building, to be honest), so it was really quiet. I managed to get a bunch of stuff done with a minimum of stress. Definitely my kind of Friday.

However, it was also a very indulgent Friday. I took an early break to get Starbucks for me and some others in the office who were craving a treat. I had failed to get breakfast before coming to work, so I was starving. My choice of treat from the ‘Bucks was a creme brulee latte and a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich. To avoid any delays or limits in the drive thru, I went in to place the order and was greeted by this guy:

Then for lunch…which arrived way sooner than I expected due to the flying of time today…I ventured out and picked up a Little Caesar’s Hot ‘n Ready and some crazy bread for the few of us who were feeling the pizza action. It was delicious, but it was definitely feeling.

I walked on my breaks, but that didn’t seem to help overmuch with the fullness. My current thing is walking and reading. My Kobo Mini is the perfect size to carry in my hand, and since I’ve gotten better at walking, I can now do it on autopilot, which means I can read and still navigate the halls. I’m actually finding this enjoyable, which is good, because it means I’m apt to take more walks and get more steps. I haven’t tried it on the treadmill yet, though I’m sure it would work fine. I wouldn’t even have to hold it, I could just prop it up on the panel. Maybe I’ll try this soon. Might be good for “recovery” days, because…

…I’ve decided to go ahead and try the Couch to 5k program again…this time training to RUN. I’m kind of excited about this.  Though I wanted to get the Zombies, Run! 5K app, I think I’m going to hold off and keep it simple for now. I have the free app that Jon and I started doing when I was upping my walk endurance, and I’m going to make some playlists specifically for training. I’ll still do the Zombie missions on most recovery days, and the reading and walking (or reading and doing the sit down machine) will help change things up so I don’t get bored.

I realize this isn’t going to be easy, but I’m up for the challenge. I mean, heck, I couldn’t even walk at the beginning of 2013, and anytime someone said the word “run,” I pretty much figured that was never going to be something I’d do. But I’ve managed to surprise myself by being able to run the zombie chases. Maybe by the end of 2014, I’ll be able to run a short distance.

I figure that even if I run slow, it’s still more fun than walking. And like walking, I’ll slowly but surely increase the length of time I can run at once, since that’s kind of how these things work. We don’t start out awesome, but we can eventually get to a point of awesomeness. My first goal will be to run a mile without stopping. Right now, that goal seems pretty impossible, so just wait until I reach it…that moment is going to get its own reward and blog post.

To kick off this decision, I went to the track today and did the first day of the C25k program, just to get an idea of where I’m starting from. As expected, I’m starting on a pretty low rung of the running ladder. I managed to get through half of the thirty minute session before I reverted to just walking. The program is five minutes of walking to warm up, then alternating sessions of a minute of running and a minute and a half of walking. At the halfway mark, I gave up running for a couple reasons. One, there was ice on the track that I had to be careful of, especially because I was out there without Jon tonight. Two, my ankles were cramping (I really need to figure out a good way to relieve that). Three, for a healthy dose of TMI, I really had to go to the bathroom and since the bathrooms at the rec center aren’t open, I had to be careful of how I moved. I mean…I really had to go.

Walking through the parking lot lake also added to the discomfort, since my feet were nice and wet.

As I said, I’m starting off slow, but I’m actually proud of being able to do that first session for fifteen minutes. Now the first short term goal is to be able to do it for a full thirty minutes. Once I can do that, I can progress into the actual program. Go me! Even that little bit of running was effective. My legs are really sore tonight.

I showered right after getting home, and even though I didn’t check off much of my to-do list today, I think I’m ready to lay down and read for a little while. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, so Jon and I are going to Topeka. We have to do a little bit of clothes shopping anyway, so we’re making a day of it. We’re going to the zoo and then probably to walk around Gage Park. We might do some geocaching, we might see a cheap movie, we might just cruise around and find ways to get into trouble. Either way, I’m really looking forward to getting out into some good weather.

A.

The Difference a Year Makes

This is going to be a short post because not a lot happened today, and I’m really tired.

The highlight of the day was that we upped our walk from thirty minutes to an hour. I may have mentioned this plan in last night’s post. After our walk last night, Jon mentioned that maybe we were ready to push ourselves a bit more. Because we’re not focusing on speed, our next jump was to increase our endurance. Rather than pick a future time to start this and not have it ever happen, I said I was going to do it tonight, so I set my zombie mission for an hour, and we hit the rec center after doing some grocery shopping.

I didn’t do any zombie chases, because I wanted to pace myself to walk the full hour. I made it two laps around the track and another partial lap around the parking lot. I didn’t stop to rest, I just kept my pace steady the whole time. By the end of the hour, I was hurting a bit. My hips and one side of my lower back were a little sore, and my feet felt raw and tender. But I did it!  My zombie mission ended at about thirty six minutes, but I finished out at sixty minutes and five seconds of walking (once the mission is complete, the music still plays and the program still has you pick up supplies. At the very end, I scored a bottle of whisky…in the game, not in real life).

January 2013: couldn’t walk for five minutes without needing to take a break.

December 2013: sixty minutes of walking with no break with plans to do it again soon.

It’s definitely been a good year.

Other than that, the day was busy at work. I almost didn’t even take a lunch break, but Forsh came to my rescue again and brought me some Subway. This was good since I was at that edge of hunger where I was getting downright crabby. Later, I worked on some projects, including….wait for it…starting the revision of one of this year’s Nanowrimo novels. If I can keep that up, I might even be able to let people read it soon.

I’m extremely tired, so I’m calling it a night here. Gotta be up and ready for another day.

A.

 

 

Day 2: Mission to 100 Geocaches

I normally split these multi-day excursions up and only post one a day, but since these are just two of these, I’m kicking them both out tonight.

Day 2 was a little bit harder because we were tired from the first day and from staying up later than usual.  We slept in until 9 and didn’t get out of the house until 10, then dawdled some more getting breakfast.  Based on our energy level and Jon’s headache, we decided to stick to caches that had lower ratings for difficulty and terrain.

Our first stop was City Park, where we scored five caches to start the day off. The park is big from the outside, but being on the inside, it seems even larger. It has a splash park and sports fields and water slides…it’s a pretty busy area of MHK. Being that it was early, there weren’t many people out, so we were able to make some stealthy finds.

a  Johnny Kaw

Manhattan started getting busy, so we headed out into the outlying areas to hunt. One of the finds took us down a two-trail type of road that made us feel like we should have a jeep, not an Impala.  The scenery was great though, and the cache was worth the trip.

Another cool cache we found was at an old church and cemetery, but coming upon it from the road, the top looks like a castle tower.

One of the cool things about this cache was that the owners had placed a disposable camera in there for people to take their picture with. I’m pretty sure Jon snapped us before I was ready and was licking my lips or something, so I have a feeling that’s going to be a pretty silly picture.

After finding a few more off the highway, we decided to go to Ogden.  It wasn’t in our original plan, but it seemed like a good way to finish off our finds for the day. Before we resumed hunting, we grabbed lunch at Subway. It was very much needed. We were losing steam and still had a few to go to make sure we both had 100.

One of the caches in Ogden looked like it had been muggled, but the log was intact, so we signed and put it back together. Another one sounded like it was going to be a difficult one, an ode to DNFs, but instead, it ended up being a fun park and grab with a travel bug to discover.

At the end of the day, we’d made our goal to break 100 caches and grabbed a few bonus ones.  The weekend total was 31 found and 0 DNFs. The weather was great, the driving was relaxing, and we just had a good time hanging out together.

This trip also gave us the chance to compare our endurance and stamina levels from when we first started. The first geocaches we found (a few months ago when we first started) that involved walking across uneven terrain were pretty tough. This weekend, we found them challenging, but nothing that kicked our butt completely.  The first time we tried to do a full day of caching, we made it four hours before we went home, sore and needing to crash.  This time we went two days and cached for 7-8 hours each day. Granted, a good portion of that was spent driving, but there is still a decent level of physical activity taking place on these hunts. Jon even ran up a short hill today without getting winded.

I think we’re doing awesome, and it’s exciting to think that at some point in the future, we’re going to be able to find some that are rated at a more difficult terrain level.  Our next big goal is to hit 250, but we’ll probably plan a couple more weekend cache trips before that.

Once we got home, I took a shower and some ibuprofen so I wouldn’t be too sore for the work week. I did some photo editing and uploading to FB, finished the blog posts, and kept half an eye on a couple movies, Clue and Vanilla Sky (which is still in progress and will be watched with both eyes when this is done, because it’s one of my favorites).  We didn’t make it to the gym, but I’m not going to stress on it. It means we missed our gym goal this past week, but I think we made our walking goal, plus some.

I still anticipate being able to sleep well tonight.

A.

 

Day 1: Mission to 100 Geocaches

I should clarify the title of this blog post: the mission for this weekend was to reach our 100th geocache, not to find 100 in one weekend. That may be a challenge for later, though. Also, this wasn’t a worldwide mission or anything. This was just the goal Jon and I set for ourselves.

On the first day, we were out of the house by 8am. It was cold and rainy, but we were determined to press on. We grabbed a breakfast sandwich and some almond amaretto cappuccino at the gas station and headed out.

The rain was just an extra challenge, right?

The first few were easy park and grabs, but it was cold and windy, so they were a little uncomfortable. Eventually , the sun came out and the day was beautiful. We did a lot of back road traveling to start and came across some gorgeous views. One of the best scenic views was near a cache called The Shamrock Cafe. The view overlooked a patch of land that varied in different earth colors. It also overlooked trees that had started to change colors with the season.

Our exploring took us to an old schoolhouse and a couple cemeteries, one of which had an old, creaky windmill that made things a little creepy.

 

The wildlife was out as well. Early on, we found deer tracks. Later, we “chased” some turkeys down the road and stopped for some quail. One of the more unique sightings was a coyote that ran out in front of us. Luckily, I was going slow, trying to get a picture of the road and tunnel. Any faster and we might have hit him. We also came across some cicadas and a wooly bear caterpillar.

Love these tunnels.

Since we were heading towards Junction City anyway, we had lunch at Tyme Out Steakhouse. I’m not a major steak eater, but I love the ones there, so I had a steak and baked potato.

Two of our last caches of the day took us to some fields in JC. We missed the driving trail that we could have taken, so we walked a little over half a mile to get two caches. I was okay with this since caching was the day’s exercise. The bad part was that the field had several divots, and I tweaked my knee a few times.  At our last stop, we heard an unsettling noise that made us a little nervous. Luckily, the cache was a quick find. It was only after we left that we thought maybe it was a deer. Still not sure, but it’s more comforting than thinking it was some wild Kansas field monster.

We made that our last cache so we could get back in time to hang with the kids. All in all, we scored 16 finds and had no DNFs. We also picked up two trackables, one of which is trying to get to Texas, so we’re going to take it to Oklahoma next weekend to get it a bit closer.

It was a fun and successful day that put us closer to our 100 cache goal.

Onward to Day 2…

A.