THORNY (Don DeFore) Traditional Cache

TRIBUTE TO "THORNY" FROM OZZIE & HARRIET

Ever watched the "Ozzie and Harriet" TV show?

If so, you know who I am talking about. The introductions at the start of the show were a simple, but effective touch. Just in case you didn't know that David was played by David Nelson, Ricky by Ricky Nelson, etc.  I kept thinking they would someday say, "And Thorny, played by Thorny Nelson," but it never happened.

Anyway, I had the pleasure of working on the set of Ozzie & Harriet many years ago, when I was a lowly assistant working in the studios in Los Angeles. I got to meet a lot of nice people, and "Thorny" was one of them.  Have you ever wondered why he was called, "Thorny?"  Well, I kept on pestering him on that point, until one day, Thorny sat down and explained how it happened. He was an honorable gentleman, so this must be true.

The parents of Thorny liked to frequent the hills around Thornwood Preserve. They absolutely loved this place, and planted some of the very first geocachers here. So, when they had a boy, his mom insisted his name be, "Thorny." Well, his dad thought that was a really nutty idea, and they argued about it for hours.  Ultimately, they compromised, and called the boy, "Thorny." 

Of course, it could have been worse, Thorny explained to us in the studio.  What if his mom had liked the Preserve, "Pulgas Ridge?  Then, his name would have been, "Pulgy." Or what about, "Huckleberry Botanic"?

So now, whenever you watch Ozzie and Harriet, you will know where that character Thorny got his name!