The fourth installment of ADVENTURES!

Hi!

I'm kinda sad this is my second to last adventure update.  I only have one more adventure before our trip to Puerto Rico!  I've really liked having a little adventure to look forward to daily.

Adventure #16:  Cape May County Park South--A Picnicking Adventure

A while ago I tried to find this park, but it eluded me.  I have had the worst luck lately finding places!  But this was my second try for this one and I succeeded.  I did pass it on my way up and had to turn around, but that's nothing compared to the adventure after this one, heh heh.  So Tommy and I found this cute little park and he had his first picnic.  There were lots of Canada geese around.  There was a whole flock of little goslings, they were pretty cute!  After our picnic I pushed him on the swings, then we explored the rest of the park (basketball courts and a soccer field) and went home!

Mmm, eating pears!

First picnic!

Tommy LOVES the swings!

Adventure #17: Cape May County Park North--Walking Trail Adventures

Actually, most of the adventure this day was getting to the park.  I got pretty lost!  But, once again, it was nothing compared to the next day's adventure, sheesh!  This park is beautiful!  It's a bunch of trails around a nice pond.  There are lots of nice gazebos and benches to rest and watch the wildlife.  AND there is a strange totem pole at the entrance with the Jersey Devil at the top--except its head is missing!  Weird.

Weird, huh?

Happy guy!

Adventure #18:  The Event Cache--A Geocaching Adventure

So we tried out a new type of cache this day--an event cache.  An event cache is when a whole bunch of geocachers pick a spot and a time and meet up.  The occasion for this event cache was international Star Wars day, and all over the world at the exact same moment (1 pm here on the East coast) groups of geocachers get together and take a picture.  So we loaded ourselves up in our car and headed out.  I was determined that I wouldn't get lost again!  We gave ourselves plenty of time to get there and I wrote down directions from google maps and brought them with me.  Everything went well until we reached May's Landing, NJ.  We honestly spent about 45 minutes in that area trying to figure out which road was the one described in my directions, is it Old Harding Highway or just Harding Highway, and do we veer left at this fork or another one down the way? (There are not nearly enough road signs around here.)  I have never missed the good old grid system of Utah streets so much.  So finally I pulled out my map of New Jersey and found the most direct route to Atsion Lake where the event cache was.  We were running very late.  I held the GPS with the exact coordinates of the event, glancing down often to the ETA, "It says we should get there exactly at one!  Maybe we can just make it in time for the picture!"  We raced down the highway, whizzing by slower cars, and pulled in to the parking lot at Lake Atsion exactly at one.  Hurriedly we tumbled out of the car and ran to the group of people posing in front of the camera.  We barely made it!  And, then some other people came late and stood right in front of us so we aren't in the picture they posted on geocaching.com, figures, but I have a nice pic of me and Tommy as we hiked around after the event and found some more caches!

I love our Ergo carrier!

Adventure #19:  Scandinavian Almond Bars--Adventures in Baking

Today was a good day for a nice, easy baking adventure.  I made Scandinavian Almond Bars for refreshments for a youth fireside we had in the evening.  The recipe came from my sister-in-law, Jessica.  Man, these things were a hit!  I couldn't stop eating them, and I had quite a few people at the fireside ask me fore the recipe.  Ahh, I love it when my food turns out good!

Adventure #20:  The Atlantic City Aquarium--Rainy Day Adventures

Well the weather today definitely left something to be desired.  It was windy, drizzling, overcast, and freezing outside, so we decided to not go on a bike ride like we had planned.  Instead we took a trip up to the Atlantic City Aquarium!  Did you know there was an aquarium in Atlantic City?  I didn't.  I am glad there is, because I love aquariums and I just might go back sometime!  We got to see lots of cool fish, a giant turtle, and we got to touch rays and sharks.  In fact, a ray tried to eat my finger.  Tommy loved splashing in the ray's pool and was fascinated by the big fish swimming by.  I'm glad it was a rainy day so we could have this adventure!

Touching spotted bamboo sharks.  Tommy had so much fun!

I thought this picture turned out cool.

Argh Mateys!