What we've been up to this past week

It has been a busy, fun-filled week and quite honestly, I haven't felt like blogging. So here is a quick recap:

Rick and Y took the roof off their Jeep so we have been riding around topless (the Jeep, not us). We were going to head out to do some geocaching in the Jeep when we felt sprinkles on us as we headed into Custer. We headed back to the campground, covered the Jeep up with its rain cover, and headed out in the truck for lunch and to see what the weather was going to do. Good thing we changed vehicles because it down poured. We spent the rest of the day playing games while it rained.

We have spent a couple of afternoons doing some geocaching and even did a multi-stage geocache that took us to Broken Arrow Campground where we spent a month last summer. It was nice visiting with the owners, Larry and Geri Gustafson . . . they are such nice people. It was also nice seeing and hearing that their campground is doing well. A multi-stage geocache is one where you locate the first cache with the coordinates provided, then that cache gives you the next coordinates and a hint that then leads you to the final cache (sort of like a scavenger hunt). We didn't have any problems locating either of the three caches. Time to increase the cache difficulty level!

Here is a shot of Rick at one of the geocache finds:

One of the geocaches took us up to the Needles Highway near the Eye of the Needle. John took these interesting shots of some large boulders that makes you wonder how exactly they got where they did.

The campground has a resident cottontail that seems to live in the bundled wood box. As he/she is getting older, it has expanded its horizons. Rick and Y has seen it around their rig and it likes to hang out around ours as well. It doesn't seem to get to concerned when we are out and about but it certainly doesn't like kids! A few days ago, while we were trying to catch some sun rays, the bunny visited us. He/she got itself comfortable in our shoe cleaner tray that was about three feet from where I was sitting. Soon it stretched itself out and took a bit of a snooze. John and I both enjoyed the fact that the bunny felt safe enough around us to nap. When it woke up, it got within inches of John's feet and went under his chair before headed under the rig.

Melissa sent me some beautiful orchids for my birthday. With Rick and Y, we did some geocaching and had lunch out. As the area is starting to get busy with motorcyclists, I decided that I just wanted to pick up a couple of pizzas to share with Rick and Y as my birthday dinner. Y made up a salad and a very tasty apple and cranberry dump cake. We then played two hands of Shanghai (I won one, John won the other) and three games of Pegs and Jokers (The guys beat us on all three games. However, the girls won two out of three games the night before.). By the end of the day, I had received several phone calls wishing me a very Happy Birthday. Thanks everyone; it was a wonderful birthday.

Last but not least, we got the call on Monday that John's 51 year-old brother, Gene, had passed away. Gene's health has not been good for many years. RIP Gene.