27 September 2019 Stopping by an Old Village

This was it.  The first day of a big anniversary vacation.  We started the day with caching our way through southwest Pennsylvania. One our stops was at the South Side Historic Village at the Hookstown Grange Fair Grounds.  It was a fun cache and an interesting walk through the old village buildings.

Ali quietly rings the school bell at the one-room Mercer School which served the community for 79 years before closing in 1953.

The glass flowing in old window panes.

The workplace of the barber surgeon.

Old Hinge

We left Hookstown and made our way to Raccoon Creek State Park.  We've enjoyed past visits here, but don't visit often.  Today we missed finding an older multi, but enjoyed our time on the trail.

Serious iron

We spotted this saddleback caterpillar on the trail.  I thought this one gave severe stings and avoided touching it.  I was correct.

23 September 2019 Lunch Time Birding

I was looking for a lunch time walk and hoping for a few birds at Sunny Lake Park.  Cormorants are not common visitors to the park, but they were out in plentiful numbers today.

Great blue herons are quite common at the park, but they are always a pleasant addition to a walk.

My real surprise of the walk was spotting a pair of wood ducks well hidden along the shore.  I was only able to capture an image of the female before the scooted to deeper cover.

22 September 2019 Wood Frog

I usually hear frogs but rarely spot them for an image.  This afternoon I was lucky.  I not only saw a wood frog, but was able to capture a few images.

21 September 2020 Paying Respects to a Friend

Geocaching is a weird activitity.  Most people don't understand it.  It's mostly a sport within a small group of people and yet you meet wonderful people and know them in our cases for well over a decade.  Sometimes your suprised to find that one has passed.  We met a cacher known as bubbabeernut at an event we used to help host.  We found out recently he had passed from a heart attack.  Today we gathered with friends to say goodbye as only geocachers know.

After a few stories, a meal, and a few moist eyes in the house, we headed out to walk a rail trail where Bubba had placed a number of hides.  Only a few of his remained.  His best friend had refilled the trail for attendees to walk and remember.

R.I.P. bubbabeernut

20 September 2019 Hunting Heron

16 September 2019 Moebis

Every year I start spring with a promise to visit here more often.  Every fall, I stop by and realize I missed my plan.  There was a good chance this would be my last visit of the year.  I didn't spot any birds, but it was worth the visit.

15 September 2019 Fading Beanfield

Our weekend was over.  We made a last stop at the beanfield to check out the remaining wildflowers and take a walk.

14 September 2019 Parker Dam and Friends

There's an annual geocaching event hosted at Parker Dam State Park by a fellow geocacher, park naturalist, and friend.  It's often attended by numerous friends we see only two or three times a year.  It's a real throwback to early geocaching events that it's in the park and has almost no focus on caching.  Luck was with us thie year as we were able to stop and say hi.

One of the easiest ways to trap me was to hang a sign saying free paddleboat rides on a boat trap.  Fate was not with me today as these inviting nautical, pleasure rides were unavailable and the boathouse was closed.

The host geocaches under the name Redbat.  He's a great human who cares about people and the planet.  If you are a geocacher visiting this and have ever had the joy of seeing the remote places of the Legacy of Conservation trails, this is the man to thank for your memories.

Redbat was also the first event host of which I am aware who held a contest for the weighted ammo can toss.  He has the perfect launching pad (above the beach) and the perfect landing pad (below the beach).

Redbat showing us how its done before the competition starts.

There's form, kinda.

There's Action, including a pregnant cacher pitching an ammo can that weighs about the weight of a newborn.

Fortunately there were no unexpected births as a result of the ammo can toss.  Actually the mom-to-be followed up with a race around the lake as part of a scavenger game.

Ali participated and showed good form and a nice place in the game.

As for me, well....  I came in dead last. 😞  I'm game.  Everyone has a bad day.  I think I missed the sign of what very bad things would happen just two weeks later.

After some more visiting with friends, we made our way to a park trail with sights and a cache.

We left the park and made our way to Panther Rocks in Moshannon State Forest.  Panther Rocks is a smaller rock formation, with super structures.  It made for a fun visit on a quiet day.

Our last stop was a return visit to the old coke ovens near Hollywood.  We've been here multiple times but enjoy our return visits.  The number of intact honeycombs is decreasing, but we spotted a group still intact.

13 September 2019 Abion Fair

Albion Fair is an annual event for us.  It's a day together watching rural life in Pennsylvania.  Today we arrived in time for the dress your horse or pony contest.

The riding was spirited this year.

It takes a special relationship with your horse to ride it in these events when it is blind.

Ali charmed a few goats.

This beauty is probably already sold.  It's a nicely preserved old, stock Chevy.  It was on display in the vintage tractor area.