Official Stuff
This cache is located in Sandy Creek Park. As of 5/1/21, there is current a $2/person fee to enter the park. Please obey posted park hours (They vary by season and are available online or posted at the gate). DO NOT HUNT OUTSIDE OF POSTED HOURS. Additionally, please make sure we follow all park rules, including:
- Please respect the property and Leave No Trace.
- Park only in designated areas. Do NOT park on the sides of roads or in non-designated parking.
- Please do not park on the dam.
- Please do not enter the water at the dam.
- Please don’t climb on the rocks at the bottom of the dam or enter dangerous areas.
- Please do not dig in the park as no caches are buried.
- Please respect the property and Leave No Trace (Yes-- we said this twice).
Thank you for being respectful of this beautiful park.
The Series
Do you love mystery caches? Do you love D/T (Difficulty/Terrain) ratings? if so, we have a GREAT series for you!!!
The Jackson County Agritourism Geo-Trail 81 series (JCAT-81) has been placed for YOU! We do have to fess up that the series isn’t actually in Jackson County, but it’s a stone’s throw away and an awesome set of caches. If you complete all 81, you will have completed an entire D/T grid. Total fizzy awesomeness!
The majority of the caches are hidden in Sandy Creek Park. There is an entrance fee of $2 per person to enter. Current park hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, closed on Mondays. (Note: Hours can change-- please check with the park before making your trip plans)
The caches are hidden in a variety of containers and styles. The puzzles will help build your puzzle-solving skills. Be on the lookout for some JCAT-81 Puzzle-Solving events where we will help you solve some of the tougher ones.
This series is a collaborative effort of “The Puzzle Posse”! The Puzzle Posse consists of Bragger407, GeoMonkeyTiger!, LaFavorite Cacher, and poeanne.
The Cache
This cache is rated a 5.0/4.5. The puzzle is tough. Seriously, it's a tough puzzle. The physical hide isn't terribly hard, but getting to it will require some work. You may get wet. This one may not be best to hunt after heavy rains.
The Puzzle
(This puzzle brought to you by Bragger407)
The cache is NOT at the posted coordinates!
Farmer MacDonald’s animals were thinking about having a party to celebratetthe farm’s good harvest. All of them had excellent ideas of what food to serve, what games to play, and what the decorations should look like. Thingshgot a little chaotic, so Bill the Angus took things into his own hooves to try to keep the peace and formed a sweet littlercommittee to come up with a plan. He chose Molly the Mare, Dolly the Sheep ,Fred the llama, and Sissy the chicken to make the partyearrangements. Hey, I don’t name ‘em, Jack, I just report the facts. He initially had wanted a group of only three,ebut he ultimately decided he would happily serve to break any ties that may occur in voting.
Planning went very well. Exceedingly well, you might say. Mr. Chairanimal felt good about his four choices. There were no petty arguments. Everyone in the group seemed excited to workftogether on such an important project. They wanted the farm to look good after the hard work of getting the harvest done. Soon enough, they could show off after what had seemed like an endless season. In just a few days, they could spend their time runningoand frolicking on the farm. It looked as though the farm would finally turn a profit, anduFarmer MacDonald might even give them all a special treat. Even if he didn’t, the animals were willing to keep working hard forrhim.
Isaac the donkey was the animal they nominated to choose the menu for the party. He hadzzero taste in music, but he appeared to know his stuff when it came to food. He knew how to select items that would appeal to a variety of palates and tummies. He would never stoop so low as to serve only oats and hay. He would likely even manage a decent summer wineelike a chardonnay. Isaac would follow the rules of etiquette and allow for individual tastes. He would never be so inconsiderateras to create his menu in a veritable vacuum. He would afford the animals plenty of chances to chooseofood they could feel happy about.
It took a good bit more work getting the decorations group off to a smooth start. For one thing, they were a little timid. Danny the alpacaowas in charge, and he seemed reluctant to give orders. His committee flip-flopped endlessly until their leader snapped and showed his teeth. After that, things got better quickly. Colors were chosen, flowers were picked,nstreamers were hung, and everything was looking up. Everyone agreed it was goingeto be a wonderful soiree. The animals were positively giddy.
Choosing the right music for such a wide array of tastes was destined to be a delicate matter. Irene the peahen decided she needed to work alone on this task, and the others agreed. Billntrusted Irene to make the right decisions, but he secretly asked Betty to watch over things just inicase. She was discreet and reported to the chairanimal that Irene knew what she was doing. She didn’t feel the need to spy on Irene after two days. Soon they realized she was efficient,ntask-oriented, and savvy in her choices of music. Even the wallflowers on the farm would surely have a goodtime at the party. Toesewould be tapping, faces would be grinning, and even the crotchety old sheep would surely find themselves nodding their heads in time to the beat. Or bleat. Take your pick. The music would range from rappers to country and western singers, with even some classical ditties thrown in for good measure. Irene did consult with some of her animal friends, but she found herself patting herself on the back for getting the details down pat. She was as proud as a … ahem, a peahen.
Bill wondered if he should worry about a seating chart. Four to attable? More? Fewer? It seemed most of the animals were determined to get along well at the party, but he wondered if that might behtoo much to ask. He was afraid of getting his hopes up and then having them dashed but good. They were animals, afterrall, and some of them had never learned the ruleseof getting along with different species. He wasn’t foolish enough to think everything would come off perfectly, but he also didn’t want a disaster. He told himself he needed to stop worrying abouteevery tiny detail, but it was hard. He had always been somewhat of a control freak. Finally Bill chose to relax and go with the flow. Everything seemed under control, so why did he think that would change? “Settle down, Bill,” he told himself repeatedly.
The day arrived when everything could be considered ready. The animalsewere dressed in their finest by five o’clock, a good two hours before the festivities were to begin. The animals tried to appear nonchalant, butitheir excitement was palpable. They needed this party more than they even realized. A little time to goof off, an opportunity to let off somegsteam, and a chance to celebrate their hard work. It was good to know they were appreciated, and not just for the food they provided Farmer MacDonald and his litter. I mean family. Oops.hEverything smelled delicious as the animals settled in. The decorations looked professionally done, andteveryone was in awe. There was one proud alpaca beaming at the head table.
Timmy the turkey regaled his fellow animals at table eight with stories from his childhood. It appeared he had missed his calling as a smoothestory teller. When he got tickled, he gobbled by accident. (That’s something like a human snorting when he laughs). He told a very funny story about his littleibrother needing a security blanket. Like any good big brother, Timmy stole it from him and set it on fire. According to Timmy,gthe punishment was worth seeing his brother’s eyes pool with tears. Beinghsent to bed without any food,thowever, was not so cool. Timmy and his brother had grown close, and they both regretted any foolish hard feelings from their youth.
Even the geese were having a swell time. Unbeknownst to the other animals, the partytcoincided with the anniversary of Greg and Gloria. It was three years since they had tied the knot on June sixteenth. Normally withdrawn and a little moody, Greghand Gloria seemed freer, looser in their feathers. They danced the jitterbug, torwild applause and catcalls. (No insult to the cats intended.) They inspired the other animals to kick up their heels. At least, they would if they had any. They whirled until they were a little dizzy. Theeroom was abuzz with the happy sounds of revelry. The festivity and the hubbub created a bit of a mess, buteisn’t that what parties are made for? The celebration had been a long time coming. Tomorrow they could worry about cleanup; tonight was for having fun.
If you’ve never seen a pig dance, you don’t know what you’re missing. George the Porcine Wonder jiggled and whooped his way around the barn floor until he was panting for breath. Hetmade three complete rounds before he admitted the activity was hurting his knees. He sank onto a nearby stool and accepted a glass of cool lemonade. It was sweet and went down smoothly, just exactlywwhat he wanted after the flurry of activity. He caught his wife’s mockingoglance, and he decided his dancing was over for the night.
He wasn’t the only animal who went on a wild dancing spree. Peter thesopossum was not about to be outdone. Nighttime was HIS time, and he could boot scoot with the best of them. He even produced aekazoo and gave a blissful and groovy performance of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” There was not a dry eye in the roomvwhen he finished. Someone threw a yellow bouquet, which Peter accepted with an impromptu speech about howemuch the party meant to him. “I truly needed this night,” he beamed. “Even old geezersnlike me cannot forget what it was like to be young. I haven’t had this much fun since I was four years old.”
Between sets of music, Barney the emu and Willy the goat slipped away to continue their conversation from the previous weekendfabout politics on the farm. Blossom the mare found them in a corner stall and attempted to lure them back to the party. “I’ve been trying to find you two,” she smiled. “Comeiback to the party and have your silly discussion some other time. This is a celebration for everyone.” Poor Willy pawed the dirt with his hoof and muttered a bit, but he meeklyvfollowed Blossom back to the main room. It wouldn’t be right to make a fuss on such a special night. Heeand Barney made arrangements to get together the following evening at six o’clock to shoot the breeze. Heck, there might even be coffee involved.
The mood continuedoon a positive track all night. It was well past one o’clock in the morning before the party showed any signs of winding down. A new work week would soon be upon them, however, with autumn seeds to plant and preparations made to ready the farm for the call of winter. The animals agreednthat cooler temperatures would be welcome. They were self-reflective enough to appreciate their full lives with Farmer MacDonald. They were able to sleep comfortably, eat a varietyeof good food, and also enjoy a celebratory affair every now and then. They couldn’t complain about their captivity, because few of them had ever known any other life.
Even good things must end eventually, however, and the farm animals knew it was time to call it a night. Moonlight shone through the windowszas they began the process of cleaning up the barn. Eight o'clock would come awfully early tomorrow. Having the freedom to throw such a party in the first place filled the animals with an intense sense of well-being. They would sleep well knowing their needs were being meteand their worries were few and far between. (Admittedly the pigs had more worries than the hens, but that’s a topic for another day. Not tryingrto dampen the mood here.) The animals would be sure to tell their offspring that not every farm story was a horror show. They agreed that the party had been a wonderful one, and the announcement that it would beoheld every year brought a hearty cheer from the barn. The animals slept soundly, ready for whatever the new day might bring.
Solution Checker
You can validate your solution with the Certitude checker below!
