Keeping a positive attitude

A long time ago, I used to golf. My wife used to say she could tell what kind of round I'd had by the way the garage door went up. Needless to say, I really didn't have the temperament for golf back then. One day on the course, I was golfing by myself and I'd just finished up nine holes and thought to myself that I wasn't having any fun. So I went home. That was back in the summer of 1989. In the fall of 1989, my wife and I made the decision that she would stay home with our daughter. Taking more than a 50% pay cut meant many changes in our lifestyle back then, one of which was entertainment. My mind set had been changing toward golf and I had just decided around the same time that I'd like to take it up again, but that went out the window with the other decision. I still have my golf clubs. They're out in the garage. I seriously doubt that I will ever use them again and I really should give them away to a charity, but they are a reminder of where I was and where I want to be, so I keep them there where I can see them when I come into the garage every day.

I bring this up because I could have had one of "those" days while geocaching today. The first geocache that I attempted today I couldn't find. I'd worked on it last year at this time. For whatever reason, the cache has eluded me and it's rated as a regular. I haven't had the cache page either time I've looked for it either due to some error transferring the data from the computer to the PDA. Next time I look for it, I'll have the cache page in hand.

The next cache I attempted today was behind a sign stating Trespassing forbidden. I'm hoping that there's another way into that cache but I'm not so certain of it. One more DNF followed due to a high muggle quotient in the area. After looking at the cache page, it appears to be a very tricky hide as well. I don't usually do so well on those kinds without extra pairs of eyes with me in the form of friends. I finally found a cache further down the trail, then followed that up with two more DNFs due to muggles again. In one respect, it was a frustrating day, but in many other respects it was anything but.

Along the hike, which followed along the river bank, there was quite a show. First thing I ended up seeing were several orb spiders waiting patiently for some unsuspecting bug to fly into their trap. It was cool and cloudy, but I did find one that was working on a new web. The park where this spider was working was pretty amazing, having lots of the standard jungle gym but also something that looked like rock climbing walls for kids. There were several families having a great time there this morning.

I also took a walk out on the bike/walking path alongside the river because I needed to get over to the other of the road to get one more DNF. Not that I wanted that DNF, but that was the way the day was going for me. While walking under the bridge, I noticed a beautiful mural painted on the bridge abutments. As you can see, it's nicely done. A couple more paces and I spotted a young egret fishing for breakfast. I was fortunate enough to catch him with a small minnow in his mouth just before he decided to partake in breakfast.

So, let's see what happened caching today. Five DNFs, one easy find, a great walk in a nicely laid out suburban park while watching nature at its best. Had I had my golfing attitude from before, I might not have noticed these gems waiting for me to discover. It's all about attitude and if it's positive, it's so much better.

Pictures were taken at or near the following geocaches:
Just Keep Walking... - by Team O-Zone
Sycamore Creek Trail #4 - by Team O-Zone