Yes, I know it’s the first week of December, not the third Thursday in November.  Today’s Friday Photo has no turkeys, pumpkins, corn or cranberries.  There’s nothing here that looks similar to a traditional thanks-giving post.  But that’s exactly what it is.  These photos of my son were taken by my dear uncle the day before Thanksgiving as we walked around our neighborhood, looking for nothing in particular.  What makes them so special to me are the memories that lie within them.  You see, this year my son anticipated the arrival of our out-of-town family members like it was the night before Christmas.  He couldn’t stop talking about how much fun it was on Thanksgiving because everyone was together, it was warm, cozy, and just felt great.  He couldn’t wait to go geocaching with his aunts, uncles and cousins.  He knew board games in front of the fire were a sure thing.  And of course, the dogs.  Lots of new dogs to cuddle made him a very happy guy.

So today, I’m giving thanks for all that and more.  I’m giving thanks for family that likes to be together and feels comfortable around each other.  I’m giving thanks for a safe and peaceful home where everyone gathers.  I’m giving thanks for abundant feelings of love and support from people near by and far away.  And I’m giving thanks for C-Fly, who teaches me every day that it doesn’t take a holiday to remember what a lucky mom I truly am.

Sometimes, taking a walk with my son Cameron and my dog Cola is just the best thing to do.  We’re lucky in Davis to have a multitude of options for our journey-from our place in central Davis we can really head in any direction and find something to see.  After discovering geocaching a few years ago, our walks have turned into moments of discovery.

Geocaching is a game of high tech hide and seek.  It’s kind of like treasure hunting, except typical cache treasures aren’t worth much in monetary value-it’s all about the hunt.  “Cachers” find the thrill is in trying to solve the mystery and find the box, can, or whatever creative container has been hidden using coordinates from a GPS.  Personally, I like the geocaching app I downloaded on my iPhone-it has allowed us to hunt and seek for treasures everywhere we go, in any city or state.

As Cameron, Cola and I stroll along on our hunts we start to notice things we haven’t before-even in our own neighborhood.  We pay attention to the little details around us as we search for clues to the mystery.  We talk and walk, and when we think we’re close we check for ‘muggles’-(cache-speak for those who aren’t part of the caching community).  After we log our find it’s on to the next, and the next, and pretty soon it’s dark, and we head home.  We’ve cached all over Davis- the Arboretum, old North Davis, CommunityPark, Covell, Northstar and Stonegate.  We’ve climbed bridges, dug around in dirt and spiderwebs, and even stumbled across a large roosting bird of some sort out by the freeway.  There have been moments when I was ready to give up, and suddenly Cameron would pop up with a huge grin on his face and the cache in his hand.

What I’ve learned is that stuff is hidden everywhere.  For me, geocaching isn’t about finding the capsule, or logging the visit.  It’s the journey we take to get there.  It’s the wild turkeys roosting in the trees, or the geese in the bird sanctuary.  It’s the turtles and peacocks at the Arboretum and the yellow roses blooming along the Toomey Field fence.  And mostly, it’s the stuff that my son and I discover about each other along the way.

What I’m still learning is that it’s ok to get lost in the moment, and to slow down and notice the stuff.  The memories I log in my mind are the most valuable treasure of all.