* January 18, 2013

Joe and I went on an adventure.....and we took Jake along for the ride. I belong to a "Mommy's Group" on FB. We are like a July 2012 moms sorority. We all became friends as we were finding out we were pregnant with our July babies. Anyhow......I was notified that there was a treasure hunt of sorts and a "mommy friend" of mine, also named Jennifer....figured out where the artifact= Booty, was located. Problem was, she lives on the other side of the country. She told me that I was 28 miles from it. Somehow, via miracle....I talked Joe in to taking the morning off and going with Jake and I to find it. He actually agreed....and anyone that knows Joe, knows he does NOT take off of work much....EVER. Even when I had the baby, he was not gone more than two days. Workaholic much?? 

Ugh...anyhow, I got off track again....

We went for it. The artifact was hidden in a rusty old paint can off of a trail at the Caddo Lake Wildlife Refuge. Amazing Jennifer was able to pinpoint EXACTLY where to look. In this whole HUGE country.....and her having never been in this area, she knew JUST where for us to go and search.  And we did....we trusted in her directions and went with it. With her direction and using some clues she gave us, Joe and I found the rusty paint can....only problem was another person from another team showed up just after us...and rules state that if both teams are within 22 feet of the artifact when discovered, you have to split the booty. 

We had so. much. fun. It was exciting, thrilling, and got our adrenaline pumping. We so needed that rush and challenge. Now I am hooked. I would love to do this again....and with Jennifer we have a great team. Jennifer is a sleuth by nature, I am very precise with directions (maybe it was from being a nurse for years), and Joe.....he is a details person. We made a great trio. 

Thanks, Jen, for trusting us to follow your clues and instinct. And thank you, to the Venatu Game....we had a great time.

On our way......and I didn't even brush my hair. Adventure don't care.....

This gas pump took fooooooreverrrrrrr

Driving up the driveway to the Caddo Lake Wildlife Refuge

The parking lot we were instructed to park in

Who doesn't treasure hunt/geocach with a 5 month old??

Walking up the trail.....

My nerves were shot.....some other dude, from another team showed up....and I had fallen, pretty bad,  in TWO sink holes.

The "other dude"

The picture clue we had to go off of...match this spot in the 25,000 acre state park and refuge.

The artifact (salt and pepper shakers) were to be hidden in this can....in THIS location.

Joe talking to Jennifer, our sleuth.

Waiting to hear whether or not we would win anything since A) "other dude" was claiming HE found it and that we weren't there when he did .....which is funny because he posted a picture of the paint can and we are in the picture...silly dude. and B) when we found the can, there was nothing in it....there was to be salt and pepper shakers with a phone number we had to call.....and nothing. So we had to replicate the paint can in the exact location as given in the clue photo. We did....and we won....the booty was split 4 ways....Joe and I got $250, Jen (our teammate and sleuth) got $250, the "other dude" got $250 and his teammate and sleuth got $250. Not bad for a morning's work and fun.

Joe, power stancing....just awaiting word about the fate of the game.

On our way home.....WINNERS!!

My battle wounds......legs all bruised and scratched.