Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Camping with Andre

Scavenger Hunt!

What ten items do you send the kids to search for in the nearby woods?
Andre is with them - I mean, what could go wrong! Right?

SCAVENGER HUNT

One weekend in June we managed to round up the CHIMPS ALIVE CAMPERS for a Saturday trip to Opalescent Camp for a Scavenger Hunt. We left town early about 5 a.m. with one new member. Chad’s 11-year-old brother Ken had joined our group.

Two hours later we ate blueberry waffles and bananas in the Main Hall kitchen. After breakfast I passed out maps. This time everyone received a map.

"Quiet down so I can tell you the rules.

1. Stay on the marked walking trails. We are on the buddy system today. So, keep track of each other. You are all responsible for your buddy.
2. There is a horse and tractor rode. It is marked on your map. Stay on the Opalescent Camp side of the rode. It is very narrow. Wider than the walking trails, so you will know it if you get over that far.
3. Andre” is going out with you. He may or may not stay with you. If you need help yell for him. Maybe, he can help you or guide you or just send him in to get one of us. (lots of giggles and talking at this point)

You already picked your buddy before breakfast so this is the list I have.

Shirley is with Ken Chad is with Toby Bryan is with Jim

Dana is with Sue Leslie is with Anna

Are there any changes? Loud No’s.

This is a group effort. Prizes will be awarded according to how many of 10 objects you find and identify. Everyone gets the same amount and kind of prizes.

Darla is passing out a small fanny pack to each of you. It contains a bottle of water, one banana, and one trail bar. The packs were donated by Andre’s bar. It will be hot a summer bugs are around. Use sunscreen and bug repellent. Watch where you aim the bug repellent. (more giggles and a lot of Ha Ha)

The next thing. Ned is giving out the clues. One to each of you. Each of you has to bring back the answer to your own clue. But, you can help each other find the objects that answer the clues."

CLUES:

1. My leaves are called needles, they grow long in bundles of two to five. Task: Bring back one bundle of needles.

2. I’m forever green, One part of me has a crown. Task: Bring back one part that has a crown.

3. My seeds love a windstorm to disperse. Task: Bring a blossom or a seed ball

4. Many leaves along one stem. Task: Bring a stem of leaves from the plant or tree. Extra points if you identify the plant they came from.

5. I’m a smaller tree, my fruit is full of vitamin C. Task: Bring proof with some toothed leaves or fruit.

6. I grow cones. When they open seeds fall out. Task: Bring a cone. Identify the tree

7. People make syrup from me in the spring. Task: Bring some leaves from this plant

8. I’m not a tree. I have needles on my canes and in summer I grow black fruit. Task: Bring a piece of the cane or some leaves. Identify the plant.

9. Forests have many living creatures. Task: Bring back a butterfly, or bug. Take the small jar on the table for this task.

10. Task: Find 5 leaves from 5 different trees and identify the tree the leaf came from. Take your phones. Take pictures for identification and notes of what you found.

"Final instructions: organize, go, identify, and stay safe."

They took off whooping and hollering. All except Shirley and Jim, who walked out of the hall and off toward the forest.

Ned and Darla Stepped out onto the Main Hall Porch. I stayed to clean up breakfast and make a couple hundred sandwiches for when the hunters came straggling in. I peeked out the door when I heard male voices. There were two forest rangers talking to Ned.

Darla walked in and handed me one of two satellite phones. She picked up her florescent red backpack, which was hanging on a chair. While she was putting a first-aide kit, trail bars, and water into the pack she said, “The rangers loaned us the phones forthe day. I have one and Ned has one. They want us out wandering the trails, keeping and eye on the kids, because the cougar moved and they don’t know where it went.”

“Where is Andre”?”

“Ned saw him sitting on a tree limb eating a banana after the group went into the forest. He isn’t there now so, who knows?"

An hour, later I just finished storing 50 sandwiches in the frig, when I heard Andre’ screeching and howling on the Sat phone. I pushed the talk, Darla, Ned, are you out there, Andre???

I heard, “Andre give me that phone. This is Darla. I’m on the horse trail. We have a rider down. Ned is chasing the horse. Wait a minute.?|

On the trail the horse took one look at Andre standing on the trail, reared up and dumped the rider.

“This is Darla. The rider was momentarily stunned but seems fine. Ned is coming back with the horse. Andre took trail bars from Ned’s pack and ran back into the woods. I’ll call you later”.

I took a tall glass of lemon mint tea out to the Main Hall porch, sat in the shady swing and waited for more news from the forest.

“Hello. Apondia have you seen or heard from Darla? I have Shirley and Ken here. Ken has pricker scratches. He needs first aide. Chad and Toby had a fight. Toby is with Shirley and Ken. We can’t find Chad. Darla is not answering her phone. Andre’ has been visiting everyone and running off with their trail bars and bananas. “

“Hi Ned. I haven’t heard from Darla since she was on the trail helping the rider who fell off the horse.”

"O.K. Later!"

20 minutes later." Hello, Hello? Apondia. This is Dana, Darla tripped over a rock and bumped her head on a tree. She wants you to call Ned and have him meet us on the Herb Trail. "

"Can Darla Walk?"

"Not yet. She’s still crying."

"She says no. She says she will be alright. Maybe she isn’t crying maybe she is laughing. "

I can hear shouting from the phone. "Andre’, Andre’, that’s mine." Then the phone shut off.

I refilled my ice tea glass and enjoyed the swing. There was a nice breeze blowing up from the river.

Three hours later Leslie and Anna came walking out of the forest. They had completed tasks for two of the clues. I wrote them down on the chart.

"You want some sandwiches and drink boxes? I have tuna, peanut butter and jelly, and ham sandwiches."

"Can we take them to the pier and eat by the river, asked Leslie? You have to go with us Apondia, because Ned said stay off the pier unless an adult is down there with us.”

We took our food and walked down to the river.

When we returned to the kitchen I noticed the door was wide open. I thought I shut the door? Leslie and Anna followed me through the door.

I stopped so suddenly they ran right into me. I put both my hands behind me and shoved the girls backwards onto the porch. Carefully, I reached out and pulled the screen door closed . Not that a screen door would be any help!

"Shh! Go to one of the cabins. Lock the door and don’t let anyone in until I tell you."

"Why!?" Leslie was practically shouting.

"Shh! Because there is a cougar and a cougar kitten sitting on one of the kitchen tables and Andre’ is feeding our sandwiches to it."

"Ohh!" Whispered Leslie. " Come on Anna." They ran down the steps and toward the cabins.

I looked out toward the racket coming from the trails. The rest of the kids were running toward the main hall. Darla and Ned were trailing behind. I ran down the stairs waving my hands. "Stop right here. Stop right here."

Chad was chattering fast. "We saw the cougar Apondia. It was walking down a trail with the kitten. Andre’ was throwing trail bars to it. When it saw us it off the trail into the forest. It was really big."

"Yeah really big," said a couple of the others.

Ned and Darla came up at that moment. “Net call the rangers on your phone. The cougar is in the kitchen with Andre’ eating our lunch."

The rangers came. They darted the momma, caught the kit with some kind of loop gizmo.

They had a cage; loaded them both in for transport. It took the two rangers and Ned to pick up the sleeping Cougar.

"We’ll take her back up the mountain," Ranger Jeb pointed over toward the higher part of the forest range. "There is a cave up there and lots of rabbits and things for the cougar to eat."

"Hope she stays there," I said.

Andre’ whined and his shoulders drooped. " I know she is one of your friends Andre” but, you do want your friends to be happy?"

Since the cougar ate the food. We loaded into the bus and stopped at McDonald’s on the way home.

Another misadventure finished. Just another way to spend a day.

THE END

ANSWERS:

. 1.PINE 2.ACORN 3.DANDELION 4.ASH, OAK, SUMACH, 5.APPLE 6. PINECONES 7.MAPLE 8.WILD BLACKBERRY 9. YOUR CHOICE 10. YOUR CHOICE

Everyone won medals and candy bars--and a trip to McDonalds

Word Count WDC:1633