We Are But Pirates on A High-Tech Treasure Hunt!

Sabbaticals from one thing are always a chance for you to try the new and different. It gives you a chance to maybe expand your horizons and enhance what you enjoy doing.

I guess in this time I certainly have.

If you have read this blog for any amount of time in the past, you can tell I love getting out and about. I love being taken to places that tend to get overlooked on any other given day, but no longer.

My friends, I found geocaching.

For those who don't know what this is, I implore you to check it out. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt where you use your GPS to find a hidden item, or cache. You find the cache, sign the log book and then log it on the website www.geocaching.com.

The great thing about this hobby is that it takes you anywhere and everywhere. From sprawling urban jungles, to snowy mountain tops, to lush scenic trails, to abandoned relic forgotten by time, to your favorite places in the world, to places in your own backyard that you never even realized exsisted.

Alright, this doesn't look that exciting, but trust me the pictures get better and that was interesting hide.

I also think that it is the thrill of finding something hidden. I get a kick out of watching my five-year old's eyes brighten and show a sense of accomplishment finding something hidden and only meant for a few to find. Heck, I get a little rush myself.

It also gets you out and moving. Don't know what to do? Load up some caches and take a drive. Going somewhere and don't know what is interesting in the area? Load up some caches.

On top of the world, thanks to caching.

Did I not tell you it leads you to cool places? There is a cache to get on top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff National Park. And my engagement ring. And a ton of wicked photo ops! Uh, can we say lots of awesome pictures to scrapbook? Told you, I haven't forgotten!

A cache to learn about the world around us.

One thing that I am happy to say is that as a geocacher, you even become a little bit greener. The geocaching community is committed to an initiative called "Cache in, Trash Out". As we go out to search for a cache, we also take the time to clean up trash in our communities and the world around us. It's a great way to give back as well as take back our surroundings from litter.

And that is my little bit of fun and exploration. I urge you to give it a try just once. It's fun, it's easy and can get a little bit addicting! If you do, keep me posted, I'd love to hear about your adventures too!

To Every Season.....Turn, Turn, Turn......

Wow, it has been a while since I been here.

I guess like many things, you just have to walk away for a little while and take care of other priorities. Try new things, but at the same time, not forget about the things you did before.

I have to admit that I have barely scrapbooked,but there is that twinge of wanting to do some

thing that arises in my thoughts, so it definitely isn't something that I have lost interest in by any means. I mean, I still have my happy, green scrap room filled with goodies. For the time being I just shut the door on it to do other things.

I have friends (thanks Trisha and Anam) that don't let me get away from the hobby completely. I'll be doing a scrapping weekend at the wonderland that is Treasured Memories in June. And lastly, I have been still been marvelling on what a great adventure that I had on the Oh My Crafts! Cruise. I met so many great people that I will not forget and seen places that I long to visit again. The Cottles are fantastic people and I truly thank them.

See, we even serenade them.

New York, how I long to see you again.

The best roomie ever!

Boston, the city that feeds my love of history.

Ah, the sea. Halifax, I love you.

So, let's just say I have been taking a nice, long scrapbook sabbatical and I guess that begs the question what I have been doing since then?

Well, plenty. Priorities have shifted and it was a time to focus on a few things that needed to be done.

As some of you know, my full-time life is filled with a job of numbers and agriculture. In the last year, my job has had me taking more responsibility and new challenges. Even though most of my day is consumed by sitting at a desk and plugging at a computer and a calculator, I am finding that by the time the end of the day rolls around, I am completely wiped out. An

d that is to the point that I just want to sit and do nothing. Mafia Wars on Facebook has filled that gap quite nicely for a bit.

But Mafia Wars can only do so much for mindless fun. I also had to turn in and focus on family that much more and I have loved every minute.

Aside from the day to day of domestic duties, the family has had some adventures. We've made a couple of trips to Banff National Park to breathe some fresh mountain air, frolick and have some friendly yet competitive photo taking contests with Trevor.

Photo of Mount Kidd ala Trevor.

Photo of the Banff Interpretive Centre ala me.

Peek-a-boo at the historic Banff Springs Hotel.

A coffee and a walk in downtown Banff.

The elusive Jake-a-lope.

And despite our guise of marital bliss for the past eight years, Trevor and I also got engaged. So now our lives also include some wedding plans. We're thinking tropical beaches and drinks made in fruit with little umbrellas.

So that is our lives right now. I will be back with some scrapbooks in good time. I have way too many pictures that deserve more than to sit in my computer.