Seven Souveniers of August part 2

On 23 August I managed to complete the Geocaching Souvenirs of August challenge.  I had thought that this would be an easy challenge but I almost wasn't able to do the Event cache.  I had chosen to go to an event that coincided with a concert in one of our local parks.  I got there nice and early, partly so that we could get good seats and looked around for the group of people I was expecting to be there (not sure exactly how I would have recognised them as they were just names on Facebook and the Geocaching website but I though they may have a sign or something).  However, there were so many people there that I wouldn't even have found people I did know!  I posted a note to say that I was there but couldn't find the group and then looked for another event that I may be able to get to in the next few days.  There was one other possibility near work, but it would mean I needed to get away on time.  Luckily, the next day the event organiser for the park event kindly said that as there were more people in the park than he was expecting due to the concert, that anyone who was there but couldn't find the group could mark it as "attended".  I therefore changed my log and earned the final souvenir of the challenge!

 

 

As well as an event cache, I also had to find a traditional cache, a multi cache, an earth cache, a mystery cache and a virtual cache,  By finding these caches and earning the souvenirs, plus the bonus for getting all six, I was able to buy some nice badges to go on my camp blanket too!

 

 

 



 

Emirates Airline

I travel to work on the Docklands Light Railway so every day I see the cable cars overhead.  Having been on cable cars in Switzerland I had wanted to go on these - yes, I knew it would be quite the same.  The scenery would be very different for a start! 

On 9 September my husband and I went to Greenwich to see the Tall Ships Regatta.  After an amazing day watching all the ships come through, we headed down to the O2 to find a Book Bench,  As we were in the right area and didn't have anywhere pressing to be, we decided to take a "flight" on the airline.  It was a bit strange to go through tube-style turn styles heading towards the "departure lounge".  The flight crew were very helpful and instead of standing by watching us try and take selfies offered to take photos of the two of us in the car.  As the cars are constantly moving and the doors close automatically there was a slight concern that I wouldn't get my phone back, but luckily that didn't happen!

Seeing the Thames and the Docklands from that vantage point was very strange.  It certainly makes you appreciate just how big the area is and how much it has and continues to change.  Was definitely worth the trip - although I still prefer the Swiss cable cars!

Travel Bugs

Two of my goals were to release geocaching travel bugs - one in the UK and one abroad.

The first one (I want to travel the world) I released was in London on 27 July 2014.  I had wanted to release it in an area where it would be likely to be picked up quite quickly and by someone who would be able to get it moving abroad.  The cache I placed it in was near Tower Bridge and was a dedicated travel bug hotel, which meant that it had a good chance of being picked up soon.  Luckily I had logged it from my phone as being there as only about an hour later it was discovered and moved on!

This little bug has since travelled to Italy, Germany and is now somewhere in Poland.

The second one (I want to travel the world too) I released in Switzerland whilst out there in August.  I figured that releasing it at the International Scout Centre in Kandersteg would be a good choice and chose a cache called International Friendship.  It stayed there for a while before being picked up and is now travelling around Switzerland.

Segways

I've always wanted to have a go on a Segway but two things have stopped me: one I didn't know where to go to try it and two I was extremely nervous as it looked pretty scary.

Whilst on holiday in Switzerland with the Guides last summer, we had the opportunity to have a try at a pool party organised by the tour company.  Unfortunately, due to adverse weather the pool party was cancelled.  As several of the girls had been really looking forward to trying the Segway we looked into weather we could do it on another day.

Luckily they were able to fit us in on our last day in Adelboden.  We had an hour slot booked so the amount of time we had on the Segway was limited.  I wasn't brave enough to go in the first group, or even the second, but I put my brave face on and went in the third group.  After a brief safety talk and instructions I stepped on - it really is an unpleasant feeling at first as your centre of balance is all over the place.  Nervously I set off and did a couple of circuits.  The instructor then decided that I should go over the ramp - bad idea!  I didn't fall but I certainly didn't feel comfortable doing it and decided that I wasn't go to do it again.  I was quite happy going round the circuit and doing the slalom bit.  However, after a little while I started to feel more confident and was feeling brave enough to try the ramp again.  This time it was much better.

I would have loved longer but unfortunately there was another group booked in after us.  The highlight of the afternoon though had to be when the mother-in-law of our group leader (who is in her 70s) decided that she was going to have a go. Just goes to prove that you are never too old to try something new!

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience in the end and can't wait to do it again!

7 Souvenirs of August

Last year during August the website geocaching.com had a challenge to find at least one cache on each day of the month. I did pretty well but didn't complete the challenge, sometimes because I couldn't get out and cache and sometimes because the cache I had aimed to do that day I couldn't find. 

This year the challenge is a bit easier - one 7 need to be found but each one must be of a different cache type. Traditional caches will be easy to do but for me the most challenging is an earth cache - partly because there aren't that many near where I live and partly because the requirements for each cache can sometimes be a challenge to work out.  However, knowing I was coming away to Switzerland I checked for caches near where I was going and was pleased to see that there was an earth cache at Trummelbach Falls (which I have visited before but never checked to see if there was a cache there). 

The falls are a series of 10 glacier falls drawing the  runoff from three mountains:  Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. They are definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area. 

However, ear defenders may be helpful as it is very noisy with approximately 20,000 litres of water rushing down them each second!

I've also managed a couple of traditional caches while out here (including this genious one)

so have now earned two of the seven souvenirs. 

Loom bands

Yes I have joined in with the latest craze among the children. After seeing other people doing them and them being all over social media I decided to have a loom band evening at Guides and got the girls to teach me how to do them. FATAL!

The girls brought in a lot of their own bands so I had lots left over. I decided to see if I could do one without assistance - and haven't looked back, even managing to do a triple fishtail (which took several hours to do). 

But having mastered bracelets I decided that I needed to make something different. I still have plenty that I want to try but I decided to start with a simple strawberry (at least it looked simple). Took me several attempts but finally managed it:

Think an owl may be next on the list

Starting camp blankets for my nephews

Once my nephews decided to become Cubs one of my first thoughts was did they want a camp blanket. On checking with my sister she had had a similar thought but just hadn't got round to organising it. So with their first camp coming up I increased my favourite auntie status by getting them one each (in their favourite colours) together with some badges to start them off. 

This is George's:

And this is Will's

It's up to them now to carry on - although no doubt given my badge addiction I will by buying them more to go on there!

I have a Brownie one in progress for their sister so she doesn't feel left out!