Animal Talk Mystery Cache
BluePearl: It seems that this cache has gone missing. Thanks to all that have visited.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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We hope that you’ll have a chance to solve this puzzle and find the cache with kids. (The idea for this puzzle came from a charming book for young people, There’s a Frog in My Throat, by Loreen Leedy and Pat Street.) Near the cache site there are several great spots for a picnic.
The coordinates given above are for the parking location. It's about .3 mile on an easy trail to the cache. There is no need to bushwhack to the cache location or get your feet wet--the cache is only a few feet off a trail. It's a camo'ed container about the size of a peanut butter jar. It might acquire some additional camouflage as the seasons change, which could make it slightly harder to find.
The items in the cache are animals in various sizes and guises. Please stick to the animal theme if you can!
Directions: Listed below are clues to some common American expressions that refer to animals. To solve this puzzle, you will need to think of the expression that fits the clue and count the letters in the answer (except for #1--see below). The number will then be used in the coordinates for the cache. Sometimes there is more than one clue. If so, both (a) and (b) contain the same number of letters, just to give you an extra chance to solve it. We hope this will be “More fun than a barrel of _____” = 7!
N 39 40.ABC
W 105 15.XYZ
1. We refer to this number as a “goose egg.” This number is A in the coordinates. (This is the only answer that doesn’t fit the directions given above. For this answer, just use the actual number we describe as a goose egg.)
2. (a) If you depend on something that hasn't happened yet, you're counting your _____ before they hatch. (b) He messed up and now he's in the _____! This number is B in the coordinates.
3. (For this number, each answer contains two words. Count up the total letters just as if it were one word--letters only, not spaces or apostrophes. Then use only the second digit for C in the coordinates.) (a) A criminal who tells the police about his pals is called a _____ _____. (b) When you hear about an event from someone who was involved, you get it straight from the _____'_ _____.
4. (a) Our team didn’t make a single point! We got _____! (b) Those little fuzzy things under the bed (if you haven’t cleaned there) are called dust _____. This number is X in the coordinates.
5. (a) A household item that isn't wanted anymore is called a white _____. (b) When you're really embarrassed, you feel _____. (Baaah!) This number is Y in the coordinates.
6. (For this number, you will need to find two different answers. Then add the two numbers together to get Z in the coordinates.) First number: (a) It's a secret! Don't let the _____ out of the bag! (b) When you suspect you're being fooled, you smell a _____. Second number: (a) When you pry into a problem or a secret, you might be opening a can of _____. (b) When two young people are in love for the first time, it's called _____ love. (First number plus second number = Z in the coordinates.)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Abg ba gur tebhaq