As we drive down the first long gravel road, I notice the grass and bushes on the side of the road are sticking out into the road a little more than it was just a month before. Well Duh! It's the middle of summer and we've had a ton of rain. So what was up to our shins the first time was up to our knees or even our thighs this time. Not kidding. This girl who doesn't even like to walk in ankle deep grass was going to walk through the woods with brush up to my knees! I get those scaredy cat goose bumps on the backs of my legs just thinking about it.
The owner of the cache had posted on the log that he had moved a few things so that the bee situation shoudn't be an issue but also put a little disclaimer that you "Cache at your own risk". Well, no kidding Mr. Smarty Pants but it's up to you to make sure there aren't Bee Hive Booby Traps out there too! Anyway, the first box is exactly where it was last time so that was quick and easy. Thank you, Lord! This is when we have to drive a little further into the National Forest, park our car at the cul-de-sac and walk another half mile into the woods. Seriously, not my idea of fun but I couldn't give up now! Let me remind you that the brush is THICK! The rain must have made it grow two feet into the trail on both sides. My crazy sister led the way and as we are walking along we hear and see something bolt out in front of us and this gigantic deer runs across the path. I think we all needed to go back home at that point and change our undies. Not only that but my neice and I heard something that sounded like a growl. For real, I heard it. I thought maybe it was the deer grunting at us but when I told my husband about it later he said it wouldn't have been the deer.
After all of us gain our sweaty, andrenaline pumping exposure we carry on down the trail. Because I'm super outdoors savvy (note the sarcasm) I took my son's hiking stick with a bear bell attached. I'm convinced that the more noise I make in the woods the better because I'll scare away whatever boogie man/animal is out there. So the entire time we walk, I ring the bell and beat the stick on the ground. Pound the stick on the ground is more like it.
Finally we make it to the point where the reflectors on the trees that are leading us along the trail stop and point us in the woods. The trees in the woods are lit up with tiny reflectors so that's our cue. I had never really given the phrase "scared $hitle$$" a thought until I went caching at night. Now I totally get it. My bodily functions were even scared. I get it now! We walk in the deep brush and find the next clue. It's the tube attached to the tree. The gum we had been chewing for the last 30 minutes came in handy and plugged the holes at the bottom, we pour the water in the tube and up comes a little plastic container with a key inside. The key then opens the lock on the ammo can that holds the log book! At long last we get to sign the log book and got our SMILEY!
These girls I'm with are chatting it up in the middle of the woods like they are sitting in a restaurant sipping tea. I'm like "REALLY?! Can we get the heck outta here?!" Finally, we head back to the car but not without this whistle that I found in my sister's backpack. I blew the mess out of that thing the entire walk back to scare away whatever it might scare away.
To be honest, it was fun. I was scared, yes. I was pretty terrified a few times, yes. It was a great memory though with my sister and my nieces and it's made me think about the risks that I pass up because of fear. The things I've missed out on in my life because of fear of failure, fear of change, fear of rejection, fear of looking dumb. I'm not getting any younger and I sure don't want to look back at my life and have regrets because I was scared. I tell my kids all the time that we weren't born with a spirit of fear but sometimes I secretly feel like I'm exempt. I'm not.
This brings me to the next crazy thing my sister has talked me into. I'm driving to Atlanta next month to do the Mud Crusade with her. We're neither one in the best physical shape so we aren't doing it be win among the competitors or get the best time. We're doing it because it's fun, because why not?! I'm sure I'll be scared that day of looking like a complete idiot but I don't even care. We only get one chance at life. I'm doing this thing!
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| Me with my hiking stick and crazy sister in the middle of the woods. |
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| See that foot? Yes, she wore flipflops. I wore sneakers. |
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| Ooey gooey gum |
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| Terrisa and Danielle at the final spot of our jouney |
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| This was in the car on the way when I was trying to get out of going. There was no stopping her, I mean, she had on her trucker hat. |
