1NatureMom

Hey Cliffy!! CliffHanger is an awesome guy! He was one of my hiking buddies on that AT hike! He's Mr.RockClimber & Backpacker! He's got some Awesome pix & stories of his hikes! Tell us how that alchol stove/pepsi can is coming along? I'm still day dreaming about that 3day- backpacking trip thru Harriman State Park, NY along the AT & Long path. I think you should plan it all out, and I'd come Spring? Sounds good to me, I'll ask Santa for all backpacking gear! Sierra Trading Post here I come! Cliffy, do you want this book when I'm done?

Yep I still have waiting to send it out to the next lucky reader. trying to find something thats a little more about the day to day hiking part !!! Send it to me please!!! I'll send you a private email. This past Labor Day was the very first time I ever step foot onto the white blazes, and now I've got that ole White Blaze fever!!

Ha, I asked him for a hint last weekend, and still havent heard anything NO GOLD STAR FOR YOU!

I cant read these dadgum new thread structure! UGH..... so I have only skimmed thru some of the threads here. But I found this article in this month's issue of Backpacker magazine. I wont quote/type the entire article....'cause ya should really get this mag-it's good But the main points are: Predicament: you're several miles into a solo dayhike when you pass an agressive -looking man who seems out of plac e On the trail; you pick up your pace, but the follows and demands that you turn around. Lifeline: KEEP WALKING! look for other hikers and ask to join their gorup. if not,,,,,tell him you're hikin g with friends who are nearby. be calm. make eye contact. rest your hands by your side (crossed arms can be defence stance-and wont allow to react quickly) if he asks for money, give it to him. if he attacks, YELL FOR HELP AND FIGHT BACK--SHOUT, BITE SCRATCH, POKE, AND AIM FOR VITAL AREAS lIKE EYES, GROIN, AND THROAT. may everyone have peace out there and stay safe! Leslie

NOT AGAIN! From today's edition of The Connecticut Post newspaper Poor lil Ricky can't get away from litterbugs! Litterbugs make it tough for ospreys FRANK JULIANO fjuliano@ctpost.com Article Last Updated: 07/16/2007 11:40:01 PM EDT MILFORD — First it was bubble wrap. Now it's plastic bags and fishing line. The ospreys spending the summer here are having a hard time coping with trash left by the city's human inhabitants. For the second time in a month, city firefighters were called to rescue an osprey that had gotten tangled in debris, said Patricia Watson, an osprey monitor appointed by the state Department of Environmental Protection. "A chick that was almost ready to fly had left the nest and found that its legs were entangled in monofilament line," Watson said Monday. "For a brief awful moment, the bird was dangling upside down by one foot over Gulf Pond before the Fire Department cut it free." The incident last Thursday was the third that the once-rare shore birds have run afoul of people fouling their habitat this summer. Watson said a few days before the chick had its fateful run-in with the fishing line, an adult osprey got its back feet caught in a plastic grocery bag on Gulf Pond. "When he took off, it looked like he was parasailing, with this big balloon-like thing hanging off of him," said the DEP-trained wildlife monitor. On Father's Day a bird watcher in Maryland saw on the Connecticut Coastal Audubon Center's "osprey cam" that one of the majestic birds in the salt marsh had gotten caught in bubble wrap. Timothy Chaucer, director of the Milford Marine Institute, was teaching a bird identification class on Gulf Pond on Thursday and witnessed the latest rescue. "The Fire Department did a great job," he said. "It looked like a tricky operation because they had to put up a ladder in a boat, and prop it up against the side of the platform." Watson and Carol Dunn, another DEP osprey monitor, credited Battalion Chief William Healey with saving the unlucky fledgling. Healey had to wait until the tide went out to get his boat under the Gulf Street Bridge, Watson said. Healey was not available for comment Monday, but Lt. Michael McDaniel, the Fire Department spokesman, said the line appeared to be heavier than standard fishing line. "The boat has a wooden, flat bottom that made a platform for the ladder, but those birds have wingspans up to 5 feet," McDaniel observed. The best way for the graceful birds and humans to coexist is for people to remember the adage to leave nothing behind in a wildlife area, Chaucer said. "Even the hooks left in fish, when they cut them loose, can end up hurting birds in the nest," he said. The shore birds fish by diving feet first into the water and pulling out their prey in their talons. Mated pairs nest on a platform high above the water, and it takes 50 days for a hatchling to try out its wings, Watson said. "This young one was traumatized, but it will get over it," she said of the latest rescued fledgling. To see local opsreys up close, go to www.ctaudubon.org/action/osprey.htm.

newspaper article linky OSPREY CAM LEADS TO RESCUE!! OMG! BUBBLE WRAP AROUND ONE OF OUR BABIES! MILFORD FIREMEN CALLED IN TO SAVE LIL RICKY!'Osprey cam' leads to rescue BILL McDONALD bmcdonald@ctpost.com Article Last Updated: 06/16/2007 05:40:03 PM EDT MILFORD — It wasn't exactly like rescuing a cat from a tree for the Milford Fire Department, but it was close. Or call him one lucky baby osprey. This bird's particular problem was first picked up by a Connecticut Audubon Society "osprey cam" watcher in Maryland. "We do cats in trees, swans on ice. We take care of animals," said battalion chief Brad Ross. The fire department's rescue unit provided a ladder long enough Saturday afternoon to rescue a month-old osprey entangled in bubble wrap in its platform nest near Milford Point. "We got a call about bubble wrap stuck on one of the babies," Ross said of the 1 p.m. report. "We called in a ladder truck to bring in an extra long ladder, and it did the job. I didn't know you could see this bird from all over the world." Ken Elkins, director of education at the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point, said he got a call from a Maryland resident who saw the bird's problem on the Internet. A small television camera shows real time activity on the nest both through a television monitor at the center and on the Internet (www.ctaudubon.org/action/osprey.htm). "He said he tried e-mail in the inquiry but the mailbox was full," Elkins said. "We hear from people all the time who like to watch the nest on the Web." Ospreys are also called fish hawks and are slightly smaller than eagles. Like eagles, they were an endangered species in the 1950s and 1960s due to DDT spray causing fragile eggs to crack when females sat on them. But the birds have been making a comeback since DDT has been banned. Two young birds on the osprey cam nest are being cared for by a mother and father osprey that circled nervously during the rescue operation but returned to them once it was over. "I ran back into our TV monitor and saw the problem," Elkins said. "The bird somehow got tangled in bubble wrap and kept falling every time he stepped on it. We weren't sure if he was being strangled but we had to do something." The center did not have a ladder long enough to reach the platform, so the fire department was called. The rescue operation consisted of two canoes from the center pulling a rubber Zodiac boat carrying the 20-foot ladder 100 yards out to the platform nest perched on a small island. Matt Hoyt, former CAS animal handler helping as a marsh canoe trip volunteer, climbed the ladder and cut off the offending wrap in several seconds, all covered the on the osprey cam TV monitor. "It was uneventful," said Hoyt, a science teacher at Wilton High School. "The bird was entangled and was exhausted by stepping on the wrap. It definitely looked relieved after I cut it." Frank Gallo, CAS coastal education director, said a dozen calls came into the center from Internet watchers, and he appreciated their concern. "We certainly thank the Milford Fire Department and the people who took the time to call," Gallo said.

Wow! The secret agent must have used stealth with a hydro vessile to place a coin on an island in a river here in Connecticut! I came across one today!

Happy Birthday! Congrats Planet!

Congrats to all! It was fun while I was in it. My loggerhead got stolen early But the good news is that I have a clone; the manufactur made doubles in error, and the seller gave both copies I'll be releasing it again now that the race is over; didnt want to interfere w/mileage or anything, CONGRATS! AND THX FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. Looking forward to next year!

Planet, I'll go with you to release the t.b. after work next week. Just ring my cell or email me!

A BABY! I FEEL LIKE SUCH A PROUD PARENT! I love it! WooHoo! Group Hug!

4 eggs?! Are Barry White tunes playing from the nature center at night

Hey, that IS a great idea to place a water tight-test tube inside for a log book. We've placed a few hydro caches; 1NatureDad is a plumber by trade. All but 1 has held up for 2 years being submirged. When I do maintence in a few weeks, I'll add that test tube & rite-n-rain paper. Here's a pix of the caches that ARE surviving: 1ND tells me he made them by cementing a long eye hook thru a brick in one end to tie to a tree with a rope, and the other end/opening is a marque plug.

As an El_Diablo charter member, I'd like to add my .2, and say this topic title is too funny - and - I've also been caught were we've wanted to trade for some good swag, but my pack has been cleaned out of the equal-or-trade-up-items, and I've just plum forgot to re-stock..........so now, I keep some $ in my pack. A $5 and a few singles. I feel $ this covers me untill I can go to the store & buy; at least I hope it does, I havent seen any terrible logs telling me otherwise; I mean who doesnt like cash right? edit to say that of course, I will not trade a $5 bill for a $20 item; I havent read thru this entire thread & now I see folks mention big ticket items. I meant just the usual-customary swag trinkets in general.

Planet, I would gladly take the walk with you to launch the Ozzy T.B., just say when And with regards to the naming of the parents, and the forthcoming lil one, ........ me thinks that should be up to Planet; she should have the authority. Besides, she good at these things!

Can someone tell me where to activate this coin? I forgot I purchased it on ebay and dont have the paper work on it. Or would someone like to trade it for a Sandollar? Mine is the gold medal. PM or email me in the next day or 2 if want a trade; as I'll still be trying to activate. Thx, Leslie

WooHoo! The Easter GeoCoin Bunny hopped thru Connecticut today & left a wonderful prize for lil ole me while I was peforming cache maintenance! Photos & logs to follow. "Thank you Easter Bunny, bauck, bauck!" From my heart, This bunny is very gracious & sweet to be doing this! I feel blessed! Thank you, you ROCK!

Clairysse, Howdy from a local Conn. Kayaking-Canoeing Cacher Connecticut is also filled with some wonderful hydro-caches, here is a bookmark: bookmark linky You may also want to REALLY consider attending Connecticut's biggest & bestest event, the GeoJamboree at Kettletown State Park, Southbury/Oxford town line, the weekend of June 10th: Cache Page Linky Camping, Canoeing, Kayaking along Lake Zoar for the weekend with 300+ of your closest cacher friends from all over the East coast And for further online fun, updated going-on's in Conn., come on over to Connecticut Cachers Linky Welcome & Cache you on the water sometime! 1NatureMom

My Cache page linky So should I archive or temp disable my cache in NH? It is a (micro) match holder tied to a thin gray wire on the grate below the gazebo. What is the public opnion or gc.com's opnion on this? I've just skimmed thru this long thread. Thank you.

My coin page Thx! I've received my coin, and created it's goal!

Depends on if you're sitting on Santa's lap or not. DO I WIN?!!?!!

That is ME logging the famous locationless THE SCAVENGER HUNT CACHE GC480C !!!!

And.....Did ya know?............... Planet has a BIG ONE birthday event coming up?! B-day Event page linky

Event Page Linky! CAN YOU GUESS?!?!?![/b]

I personally prefer the WHITE shirts .. as it is a cooler color & shows ticks more visable. Is that orange already confirmed?