CITO

This is International CITO weekend for us geocachers. CITO stands for "Cache In, Trash Out" (the idea being that while we're geocaching in public areas we also pick up trash) and today Southern Man will join some fellow 'cachers from a semi-nearby city (as it turns out, the same semi-nearby city in which Southern Daughter lives with her mother, which will become relevant later in this post) to clean up an area park. It was a three-hour drive (well, with one hour in reserve for geocaching) so Southern Man was on the road before dawn...

Did we mention that there would be geocaching along the way? One was guarded by this magnificent buffalo.

The workers gather...

The trash accumulates...

Done! Southern Man and his yellow trash picker are on the far right. Photo by TAG.

The park service had us work in a relatively small area that needed a lot of tree trimming and brush clearing and had accumulated a lot of metal junk (air conditioners stripped of their copper and that sort of thing). A local actually hauled all of the ACs away.

It didn't look anything like this when we started...photo by TAG.

We then had a magnificent potluck meal and then several of us went after the various geocaches in the park.

Geocacher "bearbrew" near a cache hidden in the rocks.

Southern Man then ventured on into town for a shower at the gym and more geocaching...

One was near this lighthouse. Why a city in landlocked Southern State needs a lighthouse, Southern Man does not know.

And then the main event of the evening was to see Southern Daughter perform in the community theater production of "A Little Princess."

Southern Daughter with two of her castmates. Flowers by Southern Man.

And that was the end of a very long and very fun day that, sadly, ended with taking Southern Daughter to her mother's house and hugging her goodbye and then getting back on the road for the long drive home...

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday this year was fairly laid back; church in the morning, and much of the family gathered at the Ancestral Manor for lunch.

Southern Son and Southern Daughter. Unfortunately Southern Daughter chucked her lovely Easter dress and revereted to t-shirt and shorts as soon as we pulled up.

Southern Daughter and Adopted Southern Nephew.

My, what a big...gun you have there, Nephew!

And let us remember the reason we celebrate today...


As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' " - Mark 16:5-7

Bowling

Today was a long hard work day - first class at 7:30 AM, a long day of grading, an evening meeting about the upcoming trip to Spain, and then our monthly outing to the bowling alley!

Paul is the event organizer.

Got a strike, whoo hoo!

I got one too!

That makes three of us!

Princess alert!

Southern Man's geocaching buddy.

With one of the girls.

Adam has a big...ball!

Really, guys?

All three of you?

And afterwards we went to Chili's for food and drink and more fun times. It's good to end a long hard day playing with friends!

Saturday In The Park

It was a gray morning and not conducive to photography but Southern Man's redbuds have finally bloomed. They always wait two weeks after the other redbuds bud out and make him think that they didn't make it...



We planted dozens and dozens of trees fifteen years ago and tended them and watered them and then one hot, hot summer Southern Man went out to The Land and they were all gone - eaten to the ground by deer or beavers or something. But these three redbuds came back from the roots. All three are native, harvested from a friend's estate. None of the store-bought trees made it.

Saturday morning the church group met up at a local park for geocaching and Frisbee Golf and walking...

Adam and his Frisbee Golf team.

We went one for six on geocaches but it was still a lot of fun.

And that evening was the monthly Christian dance...

Beware of Pool Sharks!

Our Lovely Hostess

The Boys

The Girls

And thus ends another busy and fun Saturday!

A Sunday In The Life

7:00	Wake up
8:00	Arrive at gym, work out, shower
10:00	Arrive at church for Bible study (we're working our way through Hebrews right now)
12:00	Lunch with friends
2:00	Geocaching in the park
4:00	Haircut
5:00	Pedicure (Southern Man occasionally spoils himself; also, he can't reach his own toenails)
6:00	Grocery Shopping
7:00	Home for dinner and movies and relaxation

A day of rest, indeed. You didn't see "work" mentioned in any of that, did you?

Coffee and Weddings and Caching, Oh My!

Saturday was a busy, busy day - Coffee Talk in the morning, an outdoor wedding in the afternoon, and geocaching well into the dark of night.

First off was our monthly meet for coffee and fellowship and Bible study. Our hosts recently moved (and to a location that's just a stone's throw from Southern Man's workplace) so this is the first one in a couple of months.

In The Kitchen

Paul chillin' out

Shirley

Since work was nearby and there was plenty of work on his desk Southern Man slaved away in the office for a few hours, then headed into Southern City for the wedding.

The gift table and registration book.

Cake and punch!

"What really knocked me out were their red sunglasses..."

The Groom, an engineer, could not resist dealing with last minute technical details.

He also built this bridge so that The Bride wouldn't have to traverse that little ditch in four-inch heels.

What's a wedding without sax?

The Happy Couple.

And then Southern Man fell victim to a devious plot. Shirley (pictured above), without his knowledge, told her son Shane (also pictured above) that "Southern Man might want to geocache with you tonight." Then she told Southern Man "Hey, Shane really wants to go geocaching tonight!" He suspects that she just wanted him out of the house for a while so that she could have some "quiet time" with her boyfriend. But, hey, it's geocaching so no complaints. We 'cached until well after dark, then ate Mexican food and Southern Man got him home at ten-ish.

Shane nabs a cache.

And that was a full and fun Saturday. May there be many more like it! Lord, thank you for the friends and the freedom you've granted me. Amen.