Lots of things happening right now, and sometimes you wonder where all the time went. Wanting to go geocaching, but having to do other things - you know "normal family life" and stuff. People around us wondering if there's not a chance that maybe some new rEDdOG caches will be published soon??

Well of course there will be caches published, but when? Time will only tell! We have a couple of hundred ideas or so. But we find ourselves trapped in the notion that everything has to be better, bigger, bolder - why is that?  Could it be all of the new rapelling caches, all the swimming, the thrill of FTF-hunting or all of the mysteries that are still not solved (by us...)?

Perhaps it's time to slow down some? And wonder why we started this? To get together as a family, to have fun, to take walks, get closer to nature? Or should we just realize that we are thrill seeking maniacs. One could think managing a family with three small kids should be challenging enough - but it seems it really isn't

Ah well - one new rEDdOG cache published today. Not the brilliant "super duper difficult" mystery we thought it was (late last night ) but a little tid bit anyway for future caches to come

Have a nice evening now!
Over and out...

So... yeees... we've been power trailing in Halmstad

And to summarize: it was really fun and different!! A totally unique geocaching experience, and a new way to challenge yourself physically (and partly psychologically). We went to Halmstad early on a Saturday together with geocaching friends Lhasa_runner. We were aiming to reach 1000 finds and Lhasa_runner to pass 2000 finds. The plan was to go to Halmstad and find as many caches as possible in the four power trails, and after that try to log som mysteries as well (the mysteries in Halmstad were not fun to solve... but that is a different story!)

For the first power trail (E) we decided to use our bikes - and that was a really good idea! But... perhaps I should have tried our new mountain bike out for a bit before the trip . Falling helplessly while trying to get off the bike to find the first cache could have put a stop to our geocaching trip But, the only damage was a scratched arm (sometimes it's good to be stubborn?). For cache number two I used the wrong hand brake (front wheel) and almost fell again , but I only ended up with a sore and bruised stomach. After that I managed to handle the bike somewhat better.... until the first hill from hell came (I'm not really in shape right now am I...) and Markus took over (praise the looord...)

After power trail E, we went on to B, A and C - now in our geocaching bus since we were a bit tired. Most of the caches were easy to find, and the ones that weren't - well, they probably weren't there

And what happens now? Well... we thought we'd try geocaching up north in Sweden - or as Lhasa_runner described it: "absolutely-not-power-trailing-geocaching". Hopefully we'll manage to take some more pictures from the splendid (especially in the summer) country we do live in

Have a happy summer dear old geocachers! See you out there!

We've been kind of tired lately, and not really ON. It happens sometimes... 
11 months or so with less then perfect sleeping habits (yes, Mr Angry/Mr Happy just turned 11 months ) will send most people into a constant half-sleep: not really awake, not really asleep

But then something happened! Some geocaching action in Västerås!! First dme73 created a new series of caches inspired by the Olympic Games, and then there were three (!!) new mysteries by lhasa_runner published in one and the same day

And all of a sudden we were wide awake! Well, not really awake when the first dme73 Olympic Game-mystery (invigningen) was published (how hard can it be to summarize a few numbers?? ), and still a bit too tired to go FTF-hunting on the second Olympic Game-cache (#1). But those first two ones had our adrenaline going, and now we were ready for some real FTF-racing!!

Hoping that a third Olympic Game-cache would be published Tuesday evening, we went to Västerås for some shopping. Perhaps we would have a chance at an FTF if we were actually in Västerås when the cache was published? After shopping we went logging the second Olympic Game-cache, and after that we started circling the "sporty areas" of Västerås, whilst the kids had some not-so-very-home-made-food in the car. No cache was published, but at least we hade tried out our new "find a reason to go to, and stay in Västerås, to improve FTF-chance"-tactic

The third Olympic Game-cache (#2) was published Wednesday morning at 4.24. We woke up and Markus decided to try to go find the cache before going to work, hoping to be the first to find it. And yes - noone in Västerås is crazy enough to go cache hunting 5 o'clock in the morning, so we found it first. Weeeeeeeehhh!!

Later the same day (still Wednesday) lhasa_runner had their first two 2010-mysteries published, and then a few hours later yet another one! And you know what!! Both me and Markus was working, buzy, not being able to do anything! I skipped lunch for a half hour try on Trigon(ometry), but with only half the mystery solved: the geochecker-attempt failed miserably.

After my workday was over, the older kids were picked up at kindergarten and the youngest was put to sleep, I could finally try to solve the mysteries! Trigon(ometry) was finally solved (I absolutely love that type of thinking exercise!) - but then GP-Esset had already found the cache  

Markus came home and helped me sort out the Rebus-mystery, and then jumped out into the car to try to hunt down another FTF. Twenty or thirty minutes later, I received the message: "FTF!!" on my Iphone. And then a few minutes later: "Have you solved the last one??". But no I hadn't (mind you, caring for three kids and solving mysteries at the same time is not reeeally optimum)

To solve the Hundpromenad-mystery we had to use both of our brains. Markus to correct my drawing on where lhasa_runner went, and me to calculate the distances (which went so-so, but at the third try - trying to calculate the same thing but coming up with different answers - the geochecker said "Yes"). Earlier in the evening Markus had said: "If you solve the mystery before 23.00 then I'll go get the cache"; and well I did - with a staggering 5 minutes to spare  

So Markus had to go out into the night (like a regular Bat Man) to find the cache. It wasn't easy to find in the dark, but he finally got it - and it was yet another FirstToFind!!

Now we are very happy (New caches! And three FTF's!), but since the adrenaline rush has gone we're even more tired than before
I'm trying to stay awake long enough to brush my teeth and stumble into bed and Markus is sleeping like a baby in the sofa

Good night fellow geocachers!! Sleep tight, don't let the geocaches bite!

So... we went out geocaching yesterday. Minus 24 degrees (Celsius), no biggie...

Well yes... freeeeeezing cold, but after purchasing a ski mask the geocaching hunt was on! First stop: Gaias Gömma

Markus went tummy scating through the drainage pipe, and came back looking like a happy child: "that was fun, you should go try it!". But I didn't (...minus 21 degrees)

Then we went east-east-east to Kungsbyn and Ängsö Camping. At Ängsö I got the chance to try out my new ski mask as I went for a short walk. There didn't seem to be to much action at the camping though

After a food- and need-to-go-break we went looking for some "under stone"-caches (baaad idea). I had to get Markus' help to get to one of the boxes (frozen stones you know... next purchase: a crowbar... hard to explain that to the neighborhood watch or even police though...), and the rest we just couldn't find

After a short trip to Björnön where we only found one cache (although we didn't try very hard) we went to Hälla to climb a road sign (Hällamotet #1#). I wanted to try to do it (although I'm afraid of heights) but having climbed up I wish I hadn't  The cache was frozen and stuck to the pipe. To get it out I had to remove my glove (which of course fell to the ground) and use my body heat to thaw the ice.

Stumbling back (flexible and light as a feather.. ) to the pole to cling to something whilst logging, and then shakily returning the cache (agile and happy as a bird ). Happy-happy-me when I was done; until my right (wet from the ice, uncovered, gloveless, poor) hand gripped the steel bars of the pole. Let me put it this way: I left some parts of me on the pole (aaaouch!)

When I got back to the car Markus said: what was the code then? And I went: "gaaaaaaaaaah *censur* I won't climb that sign again!". So Markus had to go get the code (he's not afraid of heights, and he didn't drop his glove). After this refreshing excercise we went to Folkparksmotet #3# and Markus danced out and logged that as well!

At the end of the day, dear Markus cooled off with an ice cream (crazy!)