After a busy week, last weekend was our bi-annual COAST training, outdoor leader skills for scout leaders at Gerber Scout Reservation.
As usual, I started the day (Friday) by geocaching my way up to camp. I headed out Lake Michigan Drive from Grand Rapids, as there was a series set up along Lake Michigan Drive that I wanted to finish. I had done the first six earlier and did the last nine on Friday. Then did a few more caches while beginning the drive north along the Lakeshore. Ended up near the WalMart in Grand Haven for a cache, then made it a bathroom stop. While in the store, I remembered that I needed to get a birthday cake and card for Steve (present already bought, his new Rick Steves convertible suitcase.) Mission accomplished.
My second geocaching goal for the day was to complete a cache called "Peaks." Located in the North Ottawa Dunes, it was placed on November 30 and was the last placed date I needed to complete a challenge. I knew it would be a bit of a physical challenge as well, hiking through the dunes - .7 miles from parking as the crow flies, I'm estimating it was over two miles round trip. Many logs had talked about taking the hard way to the cache, and as I walked I thought I'd dodged the hard way. Got about 400 feet from the cache and I saw the hard way, unavoidable - pretty straight up. Did the hard way, found the cache after a bit of searching, then looked for the trail down. Nope. So did the hard way in reverse, about half of it on the seat of my pants. Good exercise and a completed challenge as well.
No more caching, time to get to camp. Got everything unloaded and set up registration. It was pretty chilly with a stiff wind coming at us. But we survived thanks to hand warmers and blankets. Wusses R Us! The wind blew in some rain by the time the evening was over. Ok for us since we were staying in staff housing. Not so ok for the participants (80 or so) as they were camping.
Saturday proved to bring quite a few challenges in the form of weather (rain which turned to snow flurries by the end of the day) and covering for absent staff. I got to teach a session of Leave No Trace which was fun. Also did a walk thru of cub camp with other Wood Badge senior leadership team members. I was worn out by the end of the day! We ended the day, though, with dutch oven cooking, a Wood Badge beading ceremony for one of my good scouting friends, and a great campfire. The latter two were moved inside, thankfully, as the weather was getting downright nasty!
Sunday morning brought snow that even started to stick on the ground a bit. Everything was inside, though, and we got through the morning and then through check out. Some sessions, after my co-chair and I get all the participants checked out, most of the staff are already gone but this time they were still there and we had a great staff meeting and fellowship before leaving for home.
Arrived at home, and Eric & Steve came back from his dad's house shortly after. We went out to Red Lobster to celebrate Steve's birthday, and Eric (and Scott) paid the bill. Always a bit weird when your kids take YOU out to dinner! Came back for cake (yep, the WalMart chocolate fudge cake) and thus ended a great weekend.
For Steve's actual birthday on Monday, we went to Gilly's, a seafood place in downtown GR. They offer a free lobster dinner on your actual birthday only. That was a $33 value - only catch was that you had to have someone order an entree as well. No problem. For just over $20, both of us ate a nice meal and Steve's was lobster. Since the day started out with a surprise spring snowfall of several inches, this was a nice way to end it.
We're working on dad's house most of the week, and will celebrate Easter this weekend. Another busy week! BUT - three weeks from tomorrow, we'll be leaving for Germany! Still unknown whether or not Scott will be there, now he says he might be moving on to another undisclosed location. I just can't worry about it anymore.
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