Let's Celebrate New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!- 12/31/15

Today's puzzle is in Canada's Ontario province.  This year Geocaching.com is offering souvenirs to those who find a cache or attend an event on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. So why not get out there and:

Let's Celebrate - New Year's Eve & New Year's Day

Tomorrow we'll be in Connecticut.

My Favorite Sandwich 🍔🍩 - 12/30/15

Today's California puzzle caught my eye because of the fun unicode characters in the title.  I thought I was pretty well versed in the subject, but was surprised at all I learned about:

My Favorite Sandwich 🍔🍩

Tomorrow we'll ...

Tribal Snow - 12/29/15

Today's Upstate New York puzzle has snow for a theme, and although it hasn't gotten here yet, the area is bound to get plenty of the white stuff before the winter is over.  I recently read that in Scotland they've documented over 400 words related to snow ... that sure beats the old unfounded claim about how many words for it there were in the Inuit language.  Try your luck with:

Tribal Snow

Tomorrow we'll ...

The Color of Honey - 12/28/15

Today's puzzle is in California.  I'm sure you've heard of the Color of Money, but I wonder how many of you are familiar with:

ColorHoney

Tomorrow we'll ...

Dogs Playing What? - 12/27/15

Today's Pennsylvania puzzle contains a painting I had not seen before.  I suppose if they can play poker, it's not that much of a stretch to consider:

Dogs Playing Rugby

Tomorrow we'll be in ...

Snowflake - 12/26/15

This is about the only time I enjoy seeing a little snow coming down, but there was no "White Christmas" for us ... maybe next year.   Sometimes "connecting the dots" is a metaphor for figuring out the solution to a cache ... with today's Connecticut puzzle it can be taken more literally:

Snowflake Connect-the-Dots

Tomorrow we'll ...

Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas! - 12/25/15

Today's puzzle from Iowa will teach you about some interesting Christmas traditions around the world.  I hope everyone out there will:

Have a Jolly-Wally Christmas (2015)

Tomorrow we'll ...

Jingle Bells - 12/24/15

A quick little puzzle today from Belgium ... it wouldn't be Christmas Eve without some Jingle Bells:

Jingle Bells FM

Tomorrow we'll be in ...

Christmas Eve Eve - 12/23/15

Today's Virginia puzzle isn't a very hard one, but it did teach me something new and with this title it's tailor made for today:

'Twas The Night Before Christmas Eve

Tomorrow we'll be in Belgium.

It's OK, I'm with the Band - 12/22/15

Today's Rhode Island puzzle really spoke to me, as I was a total band geek in high school.  I played different instruments in all the bands we had to offer ... marching, concert, jazz, and basketball pep bands.  A huge part of my social life revolved around the people and events associated with participating in one of those bands.  I regret that the school here doesn't even have a marching band, so, although they both played instruments, that's one thing my kids were never able to participate in.  I have a lot of memories of all those bus trips, band camp, football games, half-time shows, and competitions.  We worked hard and were pretty good.  Thus, how could I resist a puzzle that was:

Calling All Marching Band Geeks

Tomorrow we'll ..

Welcome to Winter - 12/21/15

Well, winter is officially here. Today's puzzle is from Minnesota, where they certainly know a thing or two about winter.  Even here in upstate New York it always seems that winter starts long before December 21st, but this year we've had very mild conditions (apparently we have El Nino to thank for that).  It does have me questioning whether we're going to end up paying for it later ... perhaps I can hope that we paid in advance with the last two winters we had?  Oh well. Although I admit it is nice to have a little Christmas snow I guess I will try to enjoy these warmer days while they last.  I know it won't be long before I will be back thinking:

Winter Blows!

Tomorrow we'll ...

Cryptography 101 - 12/20/15

Today's Arizona puzzle is one in a series devoted to Cryptography.  This particular type isn't one I recall coming across before:

Cryptography 101: Burrows-Wheeler Transform

Tomorrow we'll ...

Honor System - 12/19/15

Today's Hong Kong puzzle has an interesting twist, I think.  You don't actually *have* to solve the puzzle to be able to make the find.  Would you go ahead and find it without solving the puzzle?  The answers certainly vary depending on who you ask.  I've been known to sign in on a cache when out with a friend who has already solved it (or in a couple cases when I was out with the owner who placed it) but my own rule is that I won't claim the smiley until I've actually solved the puzzle.  If I'm puzzling out of my area, though, I will happily claim a smiley with the owner's permission after DNF'ing a puzzle cache that proves to be missing, or one that I can't manage to open once I've found it.  I know some cachers who wouldn't claim those finds since their name is not on the log.  For me the puzzle itself is more important than the cache, but that's just me.  I've been known to use solvers on today's type of puzzle, but I did this one by hand just to keep in the spirit of things.  Since I can't post a photo of my work I can't prove it ... I guess I'm on the:

Honesty System

Tomorrow we'll head to Arizona.

Getting Ready for Christmas - 12/18/15

Today's puzzle takes us to North Carolina.  There's one week left until Christmas, so that means a lot of us had better kick our shopping, wrapping, and mailing in to high gear.  I have never been one of those people who gets their shopping done early ... when I start early I just keep buying right up until the end anyway, so I probably spend less if I start late.  I recently came across some gifts I had bought early a few years ago and then put them away ... I ended up forgetting I had bought them and purchasing the same items for the same people all over again.  I came by this tendency honestly, however, as my mother was the same way.  Christmas Eve always ended up being a cleverly orchestrated exercise in wrapping ... when she had too much to wrap herself, she'd have me wrapping presents in one room for my sister and she'd get my sister wrapping presents in another room for me. She was always trying to get us to hurry because everyone knows you have to be in bed before Santa can come and fill your stocking.  This will be our 17th Christmas without her, but I can still see the twinkle in her eye and remember her saying on Christmas Eve (even when I was in my 20's):

Don't you think it's time you were in bed?

(Sorry for the delay)

Tomorrow we'll ...

The Force Awakens - 12/17/15

If you've been following the blog for long it will come as no surprise that I'm geeky enough to be excited about the release of the new Star Wars movie.  My expectations for the actual story are mixed (I loved the original trilogy so much that I'm willing to excuse the weak prequels as a bad dream) but I'll feel like a kid again rooting for Luke, Leia, and Han once more.  Try your luck with today's Star Wars themed puzzle:

CW5: Find or find not, there is no try

Tomorrow we'll be in ...

Way, way over yonder - 12/16/15

Today's pair of California puzzles landed in my in-box recently, and I thought they provided a fun twist on something you may have done before, and took me to some places I doubt I'll ever go.  Honestly, I also just like the word "yonder" (I may not have too much of a Southern accent any more, but my vocabulary is sprinkled with lots of words like this).

Farthest From Home

Over Yonder

Tomorrow we'll be in New York.
  

Gift Ideas - 12/15/15

Still working on your Christmas shopping?  Having trouble deciding what to get for that special someone?  Perhaps today's California puzzle might help:

Gift Ideas are Us

Tomorrow we'll ...

Just Between Us - 12/14/15

I hope the CO of today's California puzzle won't mind me sharing it with you ... it was supposed to be:

Just Between Us

Tomorrow we'll visit a spin-off from this puzzle.

Exam Time - 12/13/15

For most of us on the college calendar it's exam time right about now.  I recently came across a Minnesota series devoted to some rather bizarre college course offerings.  Only one of the series is listed as a puzzle cache, but it brought me a laugh and got me looking at the CO's traditional caches to read the descriptions of these courses:

15. Arguing with Judge Judy: Popular ‘Logic’ on TV Judge Shows
14. Underwater Basket Weaving
13. Learning From YouTube
12. Philosophy and Star Trek
11. The Art of Walking
10. Daytime Serials: Family and Social Roles
9. Joy of Garbage
8. The Science of Superheroes
7. Zombies in Popular Media
6. The Science of Harry Potter
5. Cyber “Risque Films”* and Society
4. Simpsons and Philosophy
3. Far Side Entomology
2. Myth and Science Fiction: Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings
1. The Strategy of StarCraft

*Name  of #5 was tweaked by the cache owner to keep it family friendly

So, which one was listed as a puzzle?  #3:

Far Side Entomology

Tomorrow we'll be in ...

Presents for Daddy - 12/12/15

This sweet little seasonal puzzle from Virginia landed in my inbox recently:

Presents for Daddy - Christmas Carols

Tomorrow we'll be in Minnesota.

Homework Nightmare - 12/11/15

I love the photo in today's Ohio puzzle.  Our geo-dog "K" would definitely be up to that task (I think his primary prey around the house is kleenex and any other paper products he can find).  Although final exams still await them, my students have just completed their last week of classes, which means that they'll have a bit of a break before their next: 

Homework Nightmare

Tomorrow we'll ...

Probatio - 12/10/15

Today we travel to New Jersey for:

Probatio

Tomorrow we'll be in ...

Puzzled in Oregon - 12/9/15

The other day I happened to come across a new 40 puzzle series (with some nice geo-art!) in Oregon.   I'm going to have some fun working on these, since they are inspired by the same series by sujojeepers that also inspired a group of us to put out our own cipher series here in NY.  It all starts here: 

Puzzled 01: American cryptograM aSsoCiatiOn

Tomorrow we'll ...

Fool's Math - 12/8/15

Today's seasonal puzzle from Iowa landed in my inbox recently, and even though it's not exactly the right season, I couldn't resist sharing it with you now.  You may have heard of fool's gold, but have you heard of fool's math?  If not, you'll know all about it after going through:

April Fools Cache #4: Fool’s Math

Tomorrow we'll be in Oregon.

I'm still looking for more fun winter puzzles ... if you've been on the fence about sending me one, hop on off and get it to me.

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel - 12/7/15

A puzzle from Connecticut with best wishes for all those who started celebrating Hanukkah last night:

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel

Tomorrow we'll ...

The Mark of Athena - 12/6/15

Today's New York puzzle references some of the well-known work of  Rick Riordan.  Although aimed more at the middle-school set, I have enjoyed his "Percy Jackson" books that I have read.  I think I first picked them up after earlier reading some of his mystery series geared toward adults.  The way the author's popularity exploded upon changing genres was really neat.  Anything that gets kids excited about reading and learning a little history and mythology is pretty cool, and that includes the book:

The Mark of Athena

Tomorrow we'll ...

Telephony - 12/5/15

Today's Australian puzzle is another one that was passed along to me recently:

Telphony cache #2 

Tomorrow we'll ...

Three Wise Men - 12/4/15

Today's Colorado puzzle features a trio of fellows who were expert at navigation long before GPS:

Three Wise Men

Tomorrow we'll ...

Drag out the Dickens - 12/3/15

Today's puzzle is one from the United Kingdom.  I enjoy Christmas music of all types, and one set of lyrics that I have partly memorized is from Tom Lehrer's satirical "Christmas Carol."  His clever rhymes always have me grinning.  So today I hope you'll allow me (even if the prospect sickens) to drag out the Dickens:

What the Dickens!

Tomorrow we'll ...

Columnar Sons - 12/2/15

Today's Australian puzzle landed in my in-box recently.  Apparently the cache container carries on the theme of the puzzle, which is always fun.  Going that extra mile with themed locations for the hides is a really nice touch.  Have some fun with:

Columnar Sons

Tomorrow we'll be in ..

The Significance of December 1st - 12/1/15

When I was growing up, the first of December was always a special day.  Not only would we pull out the advent calendars and start the Christmas count-down, but my mom would lug the giant old "portable" record player up the stairs and at bedtime she'd set a stack of 6 Christmas LP's to play us to sleep.  The next night we would listen to the flip-sides.  Little did I know that many years later, the first of December would become special for a very different reason (Happy Birthday, "A"!).  Today although I have a large collection of holiday CD's and I enjoy all the seasonal satellite radio channels, it still seems strange to start listening to that music before December 1.  For your puzzling pleasure today, I take you to Massachusetts for:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, CAROL

Tomorrow we'll be in Australia.