Local Christmas in Lakeview, Ohio

For the last four years the Lakeview Business Group has partnered with the Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce to offer a local parade through Downtown Lakeview. This year's parade was themed "It's a Magical Christmas at Indian Lake". We at Indian Lake Outfitters wanted to support the local hometown event as much as possible so we submitted an entry in the 4th Annual Lakeview Christmas Parade where we were awarded a plaque for "Best of Theme".

After the parade, the Lakeview Business Group sponsored the Lakeview Christmas Event for area residents to stroll the shops of Downtown Lakeview, enjoy a horse and carriage ride through the city and enter to win numerous prizes. Residents could also participate in a scavenger hunt and take the kids to visit Santa at Osgood bank in exchange for a canned food items. Area businesses offered door prizes, drawings and refreshments as well.

It was a great evening in Downtown Lakeview of Indian Lake - thank you to all who came!

This post is brought to you by Indian Lake Outfitters, your outdoor retail connection for hunting, fishing, camping, archery, marine, firearms and ammunition. We’d love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter!

Outreach to Indian Lake for Christmas in the Park 2011

It’s that time of year again for the annual Logan County Neighborhood Outreach Christmas in the Park at the Indian Lake State Park. If you haven’t seen the light display, it’s a must see! Several area businesses and organizations donate their time to build a display of holiday cheer for local residents and visitors to enjoy. With over 40 businesses on display and two roads of campsites, the program continues to grow each year marking 2011 the 5th Annual Christmas in the Park.

All proceeds from the event benefit the children and families from the Western, Chippewa and Russells Point neighborhoods through the Outreach Centers. Outreach centers partner with neighbors and residents to facilitate and organize programs that promote stability, children safety and strong communities. Locally, the activities include monthly meetings, holiday events, birthday parties, family outings, mentor programs, nutrition programs, job training and homework help. For more information on the Outreach Center, contact Drew Shick or Aaron Pool at 937-843-9283.

Christmas in the Park is open to the public on December 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 23rd from 6-9 at the Indian Lake State Park Campground. The group is asking for a $5 donation per car load that tours the display. Bring the whole family, drive through a Winter Wonderland of twinkling light displays, enjoy the show and send us a picture of you and the family in front of the Indian Lake Outfitters scene. Santa doesn't like to duck hunt alone!


This post is brought to you by Indian Lake Outfitters, your outdoor retail connection for hunting, fishing, camping, archery, marine, firearms and ammunition. We’d love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter!

Trophy Whitetail Deer

Nestled away in Logan County is a great piece of heaven known as Briarwood Sporting Club. They offer the discriminating outdoorsman a relaxing, natural environment to get away from it all. If you enjoy fishing, hunting or simply immersing yourself in a stunning natural setting, then you've come to the right place. With our current raffle, let Briarwood play host for a leisurely and memorable day.

For over 30 years, Briarwood has been a "slice of wilderness" in central Ohio, embracing a relaxed and casual atmosphere of soothing freshwater and breathtaking vistas. With a majestic landmass covered with numerous lakes and trout streams, Briarwood is considered to be the largest private fishing resort east of the Mississippi. Their large artisan springs from the headwaters of one of Ohio's best trout fishing waterways, the Mad River, offer some of the finest fishing in the country for Brook, Brown, Golden and Rainbow trout. With 125 acres of lakes, their waters are the deepest in Ohio, abundant with Small and Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Perch and Tiger Musky.

Briarwood has opened up their preserve to trophy whitetail deer hunting! On one of their guided whitetail hunts, one can expect to see several whitetail in excess of 200" and will have the opportunity to harvest a "buck of a lifetime".

Our newest raffle will allow you to come see for yourself how serene wilderness combined with excellent fishing and hunting will make your visit to Briarwood a unique and memorable experience.

With only a few tickets left, we will draw one lucky winner on Wednesday, November 30th at 6:00 in the evening. Tickets are just $10 each or three for $20 and we're only selling a selected number of tickets. The winner will receive a one-day hunt to Briarwood Sporting Club for a managed buck up to 149". The hunt includes meals, beverages, guide and deer preparation valued over $2500. The hunter can choose to harvest with a rifle, muzzle loader or bow and must be taken with in this year.
The count down is on to draw a winner - if you're feeling lucky, there's still time to join in! Call or stop into Indian Lake Outfitters for more details!

This post is brought to you by Indian Lake Outfitters, your outdoor retail connection for hunting, fishing, camping, archery, marine, firearms and ammunition. We’d love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter!

Gorilla Sacks, Indian Lake Outfitters & Recycled Billboards!

Gorilla Sacks, Indian Lake Outfitters and Recycled Billboards - that's a mental image right? GOOD! Because we want you to have the newest "go-green" image with one of the coolest recycled billboard sacks around, available at...you guessed it - Indian Lake Outfitters!

This awesome concept was born by Gorilla Sacks but brought to you locally from the team at ComStor Outdoor. Each Gorilla Sack is made from a recycled billboard vinyl. These are the same billboards you see along the highway throughout Logan and surrounding counties. Each pattern piece is hand cut to create a bag that doubles as a piece of art! Therefore, every Gorilla Sack is one-of-a-kind. You´ll be the only one with this exact bag.

All of ComStor Outdoor's billboard vinyl is made to be resilient through all weather conditions, so it´s tough and waterproof. The durable vinyl is tear resistant, UV protected and will not wear out. Therefore, you can expect your Gorilla Sack to be gorilla tough!

At Indian Lake Outfitters, you can snag lots of great Gorilla Gear styles including the every popular Messenger, the sturdy Giant Market, Classic and Modern Tote or one of our fav's, the Day Tripper. We even have dog collars for Fido!

This post is brought to you by Indian Lake Outfitters, your outdoor retail connection for hunting, fishing, camping, archery, marine, firearms and ammunition. We’d love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter!

2011 Willard O'Brien Youth Pheasant Hunt

Behold, the Annual Williard O'Brien Memorial Youth Pheasant Hunt sponsored by the Logan County Pheasants Forever Chapter #285, Logan County Whitetails Unlimited, Logan County Fish & Game and Indian Lake Outfitters.

Pheasants Forever is a non-profit conservation organization, dedicated to the preservation and restoration of wildlife habitat. PF believes that the pheasant and all wildlife can be appreciated and admired by hunters and non-hunters alike. Located in the heart of Logan County, the Logan County Fish & Game offers 109 acres of ample opportunities for sportsmen and women to enjoy their favorite fishing and shooting sports. Whitetails Unlimited strongly endorse the idea and practice that those who choose to hunt should do so in a safe, legal, moral and ethical manner, always making an effort to conserve and maintain our natural resources. While the ethical hunter is a conservationist, and can actually improve the conditions for those who follow, the unethical hunter can destroy not only the image of outdoorsmen but also the environment, thereby depriving future generations of hunters and non-hunters the beauties of nature that we can experience today.

Recognizing the need to provide young hunters with the appropriate hunting educational opportunities, the Logan County Pheasants Forever Chapter, the Fish & Game Club and the Logan County Whitetails Unlimited is presenting the 2011 YOUTH PHEASANT HUNT on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

The Youth Pheasant Hunt, which will be conducted in a morning hunting session, will expose the young hunter to all elements of an upland bird hunt. The participants will meet at the Logan County Fish & Game to discuss hunting safety and ethics. After this short meeting, the participants will be given the chance to warm up their shooting skills on the trap range. Following a brief shooting and instruction session, each hunter will meet with their guides and caravan to the hunting sites. The hunt will last one to two hours, or until each participant has reached his or her limit, whichever occurs first. After the hunt is completed, the hunting party will return to the Fish & Game for participants to share stories and photos and receive hands-on demonstrations on how to clean their birds.

Lunch will be provided to both hunters and their guardians. Over the lunch period, the participants will be introduced to the Fish & Game Club, Pheasants Forever and Whitetails Unlimited at the national and local levels. Door prizes will be drawn and recognition of volunteers and landowners made.

Youth Pheasant Hunt Participants must be age 10 through 17, have a valid 2011-2012 Ohio Youth Hunting License and be accompanied by a non-hunting adult. To obtain an Ohio Youth Hunting License, one must first attend and pass a Hunter Education Course. For course information, please contact the ODNR at 1-800-WILDLIFE. Ideally, the participant will be accompanied by a parent, relative, or close friend who is a licensed and experienced hunter. If such an adult is not available, the young hunter will be paired up with a Mentor who is an experienced hunter. Non-hunting parents are encouraged to participate in all aspects of the training and the hunt.

If you have a son or daughter, or know of any young boys or girls who would like to participate in the Youth Pheasant Hunt, please have them complete an application available from Indian Lake Outfitters at 937.842.1934. Spaces are limited with first time hunters being given priority. The hunt will be limited to approximately 30 youths.

Roughin' It with the Frogg Toggs

You're hot, it's summer time and you're looking to keep cool, right? Have you ever thought that a pair of Frogg Toggs might be the answer? Neither had our good friend Brian...until now.

An avid hunter and excellent fisherman, Brian, stays up on all the new gear, does his research extensively and then ponders his purchase for awhile before moving forward. His recent Frogg Togg transaction was no different. He thought they'd come in pretty handy on the boat while fishing or be good to have on hand scouting through the woods, the reason he chose the camo pattern, and the price was right.

A few weeks later, Brian stopped back in to purchase a hammock. He'd been doing a lot of camping with his family and wanted a relaxing place to rest at night under the stars. You can see where this is going, right?

Just a short time later, Brian found himself camping "with the guys" so of course they were "roughin' it". Brian opted to enjoy the pure beauty and serenity of nature and sleep in his new hammock alone. Although his local outdoor store stocks and sells other camping gear, like blankets and sleeping bags, keep in mind, he was "roughin' it".

As the fellas settled in for the night, so did the wind and the rain. At some point during the early morning hours, Brian found himself wrapped in the hammock like a ca coon, trying to stay warm...and then scrambling to stay dry. At just the right moment, he remembered his Frogg Toggs. After cinching the drawstring hood down tight, Brian curled back up into his hammock and stayed warm and dry all night.

So remember that Frogg Toggs are a great addition to any outdoor activity, even sleeping in the rain.

At the Peak of it ALL!

As a business owner, you come across some extreme opportunities, meet extroidanary people and build some ultimate relationships but I think it's what lies within yourself that brings those highlights to life. What lies within yourself comes alive because of your upbringing, your surroudings and your support system. All of which equal YOUR COMMUNITY!

With in Logan County, you have so many beautiful natural resources, lots of fantastic history and phenomeal support to build a foundation on. Have you recently had the pleasure to experience Campbell Hill, the highest point in Ohio at an elevation of 1549.09 feet?  If not, you really should consider the venture.

The foundation of Campbell High exists at the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, which was at one time the location for the 664th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron during the Cold War. Both sites are identified with historical markers, open to the public from dawn to dusk and a free attraction right here in YOUR COMMUNITY!

The hike to the summit is fairly easy and handicap accessible - similar to Indian Lake Outfitters, your outdoor retail connection for hunting, fishing, camping, archery and marine...Indian Lake Outfitters - Release YOUR inner outdoors right here in YOUR COMMUNITY and be AT THE PEAK OF IT ALL!

Archery Rental with the Boneheaded Tourist at Indian Lake

Indian Lake is the perfect vacation or relocation destination for lots of obvious reasons - the scenery, state parks, unique dining options, 5800 acres of water, 27 miles of shoreline AND INDIAN LAKE OUTFITTERS!! That's right, Indian Lake Outfitters, your retail connection for hunting, fishing, camping, archery and marine; just two blocks from the spillway.

We had the opportunity to entertain Ohio Traveler's Boneheaded Tourist for a few days. The Boneheaded Tourist, also referred to as BT, is a puppet created by Frank Satullo of Ohio Traveler for the purpose of highlighting tourism throughout Ohio. The Logan County Convention and Tourist Bureau hosted BT for his vacation in Logan County. During his week long stay, they brought him to Indian Lake and made a stop at Indian Lake Outfitters to check out the shop and test BT's archery ability.

As you know, we at Indian Lake Outfitters have an outdoor retail shop but we also opened an indoor archery range in November of 2010. The range is climate controlled for comfortable shooting year round, has enough space for up to 8 shooters at one time and offers a 20 yard shot into state of the art 4x4 Block targets. The beauty of the addition to Indian Lake Outfitters is that it doesn't matter if you're a first time archer or experienced pro, we have the knowledge and equipment to assist you with our complete line of shop tools, bow press and archery rental equipment.

Because BT was a first time archer and traveling the county, he didn't have any equipment. NOT A PROBLEM!! Our rental bow program includes all the necessary accessories needed to try the sport and participate regardless of skill level. We even offer instruction and assistance. So, when you're planning your next trip in the area whether it be business or pleasure and you're looking for something unique to do, stop into Indian Lake Outfitters and enjoy some time in our Indoor Archery Range. We can offer rental equipment that includes range time or you're always welcome to bring your own equipment and purchase range time for as little as 30 minutes, by the hour or we offer annual memberships that allow you to shoot at your convenience.

We enjoyed having the Boneheaded Tourist and hope to see you enjoy the same experience at Indian Lake Outfitters where you can release your inner outdoors!

JA - Junior Acheivement

"382,637 Junior Achievement volunteers teach 403,849 classes to 9,866,143 students a year...That's 27,030 students a day and nearly 1,126 students every hour who become empowered to own their economic success!"

As a board member we assisted in the process of collecting donations from local businesses with the hopes of being able to offer more classes to more students with in the county. As a volunteer,we taught several classes to cover three different age groups. As a business owner, we're humbled to share our passion with young people.

Many of you inquired about JA from our social media postings. For those still wondering, "Junior Achievement is a partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers all working together to inspire young people to dream big and reach their potential. JA's hands-on, experiential programs teach the key concepts of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy to young people all over the world."

We began the JA journey educating our daughter's 2nd grade class at Indian Lake Elementary about their community. The students worked with a fictional community that included schools, factories, government agencies, restaurants and retail stores. The class worked with a business called Sweet 'O Donuts using unit production and assembly. Each student became an employee and got paid for their work. At the end of the work day, they had to pay the government to keep their community operational and learned how currency flows throughout their community. Upon completion, the kids earned themselves a donut party to celebrate their JA Graduation. 

Because the county was so supportive of the JA program, our next journey began in a first grade classroom at Indian Lake where the kids talked about their neighborhood and the importance of family. A large focus was placed on needs and wants and the importance of putting their needs in front of their wants. The kids were able to create their own neighborhood maps highlighting what type of businesses their neighborhood may need and what businesses they want their neighborhoods to have. We were able to share community maps with the children compliments of the Chamber of Commerce.

Our last Junior Achievement stop was a Kindergarten class at Calvary Christian with a mission to educate the kids about "themselves" in the aspect of how they can help others. Through story telling and worksheets, the kids talked about ways to earn money and the importance of saving it for things they want or need. During the program the students earned money for their hard work and received a bank to save it in.

To learn more about JA, visit their web-site at www.ja.org or contact Melanie Beatty-Quesenberry, the Champaign/Logan County Coordinator at (937)360-9579 or email to mquesenberry_jamr@sbcglobal.net.

"Volunteers embody the heart of Junior Achievement. Taking a message of opportunity and boundless potential to a classroom in your community, no matter what your profession, is JA in action. Register to volunteer today and tell kids how you took chances and shot for the stars – so they can do the same."

Baked Bean Recipes

Enjoy a couple of Baked Bean Recipes...

• 1 lb dry navy, soldier, or Great Northern Beans
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large white onion, minced
• 2/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 lb thick cut bacon, cut into 1" chunks

Place the beans in a large oven-porrof saucepan or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover by 2-3 inches. Let stand at least 8 hours. Drain the water from the pan and then add fresh water to cover the beans. Simmer over low heat for approximately one hour (the skins should start to open). Cool and drain once more. Prepare the sauce by mixing together the molasses, vinegar, mustard, borwn sugar, pepper and salt. Add sauce, onion, and bacon to beans, mixing thoroughly. Cover saucepan and bake in 300 degree over for 4-6 hours, checking and stirring the mixture often. The baked bean are done when the sauce is thick, the beans are tender, and the bacon is fully cooked. Add more water if the beans begin to dry out during the cooking process.

$5000 Publisher's Giveaway

WOW! What an incredible experience to be a part of - and there really was a winner!

The publisher, Lane Moon, of the Urbana Daily Citizen, Mechanicsburg Telegram, Indian Lake Current and River Current, offered a $5000 Publisher's Giveaway from February 24 to March 24th.  With 38 participating businesses, Indian Lake Outfitters was pleased to participate and draw one lucky semi-finalist.

Our winner, Kay McMillen, along with the other finalists were present at the Grand Prize Drawing on Saturday, April 9th. Held in the Michael Farms Horticulture building of the Champaign County Fairgrounds, we were offered great food and refreshments and the opportunity to meet and greet with other businesses in the Logan and Champaign County area.

The excitement continued as a Reverse Raffle determined Sandra Smith, to be the last "woman" standing as the Winner of the $5000 Giveaway! Sandra's entry was turned into Pam's House of Beauty and drawn as a semi-finalists.

Congratulations to Sandra on winning the giveaway and thank you to everyone that stopped into Indian Lake Outfitters with their entry forms to participate in the drawing.

Geocaching for Earth Day at Girl Scout Camp Myeerah

Happy Earth Day!!

Indian Lake Outfitters partnered with the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio to celebrate Earth Day at the Girl Scout's Camp Myeerah last Saturday. We teamed up with the Insurance Goddess, Carrie Reynolds, of Alan Galvez Insurance to educate the young girls on the importance of "Cache In - Trash Out" with litter pick-up and geocaching.

Geocaching, coined in 2000, combines location-based gaming, social networking, treasure hunting, GPS navigation and outdoor recreation. With more than 1.4 million geocaches hidden and 4 million users worldwide, geocaching continues to grow in popularity across the United States and here locally in Logan County. Did you know that Indian Lake Outfitters is the only place in Logan County that carries Geocaching supplies?

Donated by Galvez Insurance, the litter bag was full of fun educational pieces for each girl to take home as a souvenir, like the "geocaching.com" sticker created by FastTrack Signs. Then we stuffed a 2-sided Geocaching Fact Sheet inside, along with some other information about Indian Lake Outfitters and Alan Galvez Insurance. 

Alan Galvez Insurance is located at 134 West Columbus Ave in Bellefontaine, Ohio. For questions or policies regarding Life, Auto, Health, Home or Commercial coverage, please contact the Goddess at 937-592-4871.

To learn more geocaching basics, join us next Saturday, April 30th, at the Logan County District Library in Bellefontaine for a FREE demonstration titled "Let's go Geocaching" beginning at 2:00 in the AcuSport Community Room.

ILWP/ILDC Weed Harvester Campaign

Over 20 years ago, Indian Lake businesses and residents saw our water quality headed for serious economic trouble - the lake was too shallow for boating and too muddy for fishing.

The Indian Lake Watershed Project was formed with monumental support of farmers, landowners and government agencies. Over the years, we have made a difference reducing the sediment flowing into the lake from 80,000 tons per year to 15,000 tons per year.

Because of these actions, CLAM volunteers have seen disc depth readings at Indian Lake of 52" with an average of 12" for the 2010 season. Swimmers can have peace of mind knowing that the water quality will not create health issues. The real estate property values have increased and residents and businesses are experiencing a better quality of life. Indian Lake now has over 1.2 million visitors per year, making it a great destination point. Most importantly, Indian Lake DOES NOT have a toxic algae issue, however, with the increased water clarity, sunlight is able to penetrate the water that causes weed growth. Weed growth that unfortunately restricts and even prevents boat traffic in many areas.

To remedy the weed situation, chemical spraying practices along private docks and channels will continue providing the availability of state funding and we need to purchase a WEED HARVESTER, which costs $127,000.

We need everyone's help and support. The weed problem will be an ongoing issue that will require annual maintenance to keep growth manageable. The ILWP and ILDC organizations have been conducting a fundraising campaign to purchase a weed harvester that will be solely dedicated for use at Indian Lake.

We are asking for your help to continue our efforts of "Improving the Water Quality of Indian Lake One Drop at a Time" by contributing to the ILWP/ILDC Weed Harvester Campaign today.

Archery Leagues Now Forming

LEAGUES NOW FORMING

Thanks to all who have signed up and shown interest in participating in our Indoor Archery Leagues. For the next 7 weeks, we will have compound bow shoots on Tuesday nights at 4:00 and 7:00. Thursday nights will be an open “fun” shoot at 6:00 and Saturday mornings at 9:00am will be marked for our Traditional League shooters.

Please feel free to invite your friends to join us. The range is available for open shooting 7 days a week from 7am-6:30pm Monday thru Saturday and 8am-4pm on Sundays. We offer annual memberships for $100 with children and ladies being half-price. Guests can also shoot by the hour or half-hour. Keep in mind that we have rental equipment available and program packages for groups that wish to shoot in the range.

League prices are $8 per person per league and $5 for membership holders. We guarantee payouts and prizes to the top 3 spots of each league with the option of additional places based upon participation.

Leagues will start the week of April 10th and continue thru May 28th. Six of the 7 scores will be combined in the winning total with a handicap being assessed. Should you need more information, please don’t hesitate to call us at the shop anytime.

See you all next week - Indian Lake Outfitters Staff

7 Tips for Building a Campfire

While you're enjoying the outdoors, we want you to be prepared when the time arises to build that great campfire. We've got 7 simple steps to get you started.

1) Like any project, determine your purpose before you begin and assemble everything you need. For example, are you just cooking lunch over the fire or do you plan on building a fire for heat through out the night?

2) View your surroundings and choose proper placement of the fire before you begin. Be aware of flammables, items downwind, overhanging branches and clear ground.

3) Be prepared - waterproof matches are always a great tool, as are fire starters, joke candles and dryer lent.

4) Keep things DRY!

5) More planning and lots of patience. Allow for air circulation but start small and add larger pieces, only lighting your fire from the bottom and not the top.

6) Learn from every fire you make...a strong wind will make the fire burn hotter and faster. When possible, use softwood to start your fire and then maintain it with hardwood.

7) Have an exit strategy. As useful as your fire maybe, it can quickly get out of hand. You should have a plan on how to put your fire out before you ever light it and be sure it is out before you ever leave it.

The Rewards and Reasons to Geocaching

A year ago this week I discovered a hobby that would take me to so many interesting locations, I can't begin to describe them all here. I upgraded my pre Vietnam-era cell phone to a brand new smart phone with GPS capabilities and an application known as c:geo. After I set up my free account on the Ground Speak website, I was able to log in, on my phone and began seeing geocaches all around me!

I ventured out to a small roadside park The Hills of Hyland in a foot of snow and walked around staring at my phone until I came upon a knot hole in a small tree... bingo! A small plastic container wrapped in camouflaged duct tape contained many small trinkets that users trade out, as well as a log to sign. It was so interesting to think how many other people had taken the same journey and found this hidden treasure. I suddenly became part of a secret society of "geocachers". Thus became the addictive treasure. Suddenly I found myself walking through every nearby park looking in knot holes, under bridges and every other nook and cranny of public spaces. I soon found myself having to travel further to find new caches and discovering all kinds of hidden natural wonders.

One of the first such that our entire family took part in was Tree House, a very fun/unexpected discovery in a nearby state park. Many of these "hidden" treasures we have driven by 100 times and had no idea they were there. One thing that most every geocacher will tell you is that "they would have never discovered this site/location without geocaching". Another great example is an awesome water fall we discovered beside a major highway in Columbus of all places! While the cache itself La Cascada Escondida (The Hidden Waterfall) is pretty boring, the waterfall we discovered while looking for the cache was amazing! What a suprise to hear the roar of a waterfall while walking down a sidewalk in an urban neighborhood. One of Carly's favorite geocaches was Just Desserts Geocache which was a puzzle/multi-cache, where we had to find clues in a cemetery to find the final hiding location. The "cache" had cooking themed prizes, pretty cool! We also found "Freddy Kruger's" head stone! Would we have ever taken the family to see a cemetary in St. Marys, Ohio and see that without geocaching? Of course not!

After discovering my 100th geocache I felt I was ready to hide my very own geocache, and so Lily Pad Leap for Dummies was born. My favorite kind of geocache to find was one that required a long walk in the woods and an easy to spot cache, so I reviewed the local public parks in Google Maps and found the furthest spot from any road way. To date, only a handful of people have made the journey to the cache site, but I have had very good reviews, including this one:

"This. Was. Incredible! Especially doing it with 3-4 inches of snow on the ground. What a fantastic time. Of course when you start trekking in you think this is going to be a piece of cake. Well, let me tell you, after you spend about 15 minutes on the path... there is no path. And, if this was during the summer... well. All I can say is you best come with a football helmet on. You have to protect your noggin. This is one tough bushwhacking experience in the winter and I can only imagine the difficulty going way up in the summer.

Placed my feet in a stream once going through a little ice. No big deal I was ready for it. But then I got whacked in the face several times by small tree limbs. Fortunately none of them were nettles or thorns. I had my share of working my way through thorns and tightly packed trees, branches, downed trees... this was just too much fun.

Then, I arrive at GZ... or what I thought was GZ. Now remember, I have at least 3 inches of snow I am working with. So, the cache is supposed to be on a boulder in clear site in a small clearing... Right heh. I find a clearing and a boulder thinking this is it... and boulders are not that easy to find with the snow. Course I picked the wrong clearing and the wrong boulder. Thinking maybe the cache fell off I started clearing the boulder and looking ... no luck. So I backtrack and start combing the area. More trees, nettles, fun stuff.

I look around and see something that looks like a boulder, and its bigger than the other one. I reach it and slowly start to clear the top and woooohoooo the cache appears out from under the snow! What a relief. I was determined not to log a DNF. Needless to say I start yelling I was so excited. This was a great time, fun hike, and incredible cache. Thanks for the great time today. And I am quite satisfied being Third to Find. TFTC!"

I now have plans for a night cache, a tree climbing cache and an underwater cahce! But I figure I need to find a few more hundred caches before then. I would encourage you to get out in our parks and take advantage, after all, we all pay for them and we could use the exercise, right?!

While geocaching doesn't require a lot of special equipment, you can get some basic geocaching supplies and/or a GPS unit from our friends at Indian Lake Outfitters. They are the only place in Logan County that carries geocaching supplies and they can special order items in for you as well. We here at FastTrack Signs can also produce a variety of geocaching stickers should you need them.

The Ground Speak website tracks all your geocaching statistics, I thought you might be interested to know mine:

• You've found 117 caches (114 distinct) since your first cache find on 02/20/2010.
• You find the most caches in April and usually on Sunday.
• Find Rate 0.3324 caches/day.
• Longest Streak 5 consecutive days with finds from 01/02/2011 to 01/06/2011.
• Longest Slump 73 consecutive days without a find from 08/19/2010 to 10/31/2010.
• Best Day 8 caches in one day on 04/04/2010.
• Best Month 32 caches in April of 2010.
• Best Year 95 caches in 2010.

Happy caching!

This has been a guest blog post by local geocacher dennisschaub. Thanks to Dennis and Carly, of FastTrack Signs for introducing us to the wonderful world of Geocaching one year ago!

Deer Camp Cabin Signs

Looking for a unique gift idea or that perfect rustic piece to finish out the cabin or lake house? Check out these rustic customizable and personable license plate plaques.

Made by a local entrepreneur and outdoorsman, Tom and Max have turned a hobby collection of old license plates and barn siding into a great side business. They've created many rustic cabin style pieces including birdhouses, outhouses and potting sheds. They collect old wooden windows, license plates and barn slats with the vision of furniture in the heaping pile of what others would view as junk.  

We're excited to support other locals with vision and LOVE the new signs! We invite you to stop in and check them out for yourselves - we're taking orders.

Girl Scout Cookies with a Cause

I'm sure you've all heard the line, "Would you like to buy some girl scout cookies?" It's definitely been common conversation in our daily lives and it goes something like this...

 

"Hello, I'm a Girl Scout and my name is Bostyn. My personal goal is to sell 500 boxes of cookies. Our group goal is to sell 1,714 boxes of cookies so we can go on troop outings and overnights. You can also purchase cookies that we will donate to the Military serving overseas for our community service project."

So far this year, Troop 20556 has already taken several day trips with money they raised from last years cookie and fall product sales. Some of their trips have included a local corn maze, an educational day at the Air & Space Museum, two group parties and a visit to the Columbus Cchildren's Theatre and Spaghetti Warehouse. The girls have a few other trips planned this spring to earn more badges that include Archery and service with Relay for Life. All cookie proceeds stay in our community to help build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.  

The 2011 selection is provided by Girl Scouts of Western Ohio and Little Brownie Bakers at $3.50 a box. They've teamed up to offer the Lemon Chalet Creme, Trefoil, Do-Si-Do, Samoa, Tagalong and Thin Mints. If you're interested in supporting a local troop, we'd love to take your order or ship some boxes overseas on your behalf. Just choose from the list below and message us the details!

Lemon Chalet Cremes uniquely designed to feature Our Chalet, this delicious vanilla sandwich has a hint of cinnamon-ginger spice and a refreshing zesty lemon creme filling.

Trefoils are light and delicious with a delicate tasting shortbread that is delightfully simple and satisfying.

Do-Si-Dos are a  peanutty excitement and "naturally good"! Crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookies with cream peanut butter filling and no artificial color or flavor.

Samoas are chewy and rich! A tender vanilla cookie, covered with caramel, rolled in toasted coconut, and striped with a rich, chocolaty coating.

Tagalongs are wildly popular - tasty cookies topped with creamy peanut butter and covered with a luscious chocolaty coating.

Thin Mints are extra thin and extra minty. A thin wafer covered with a smooth chocolaty coating. Made with natural peppermint.

From all of us at Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, Indian Lake Outfitters and Troop 20556, we thank you!

Fish & Game Memberships

Are you looking to get out and enjoy a club or meet new people with the same interests as you? Instead of joining an on-line dating site, or heading to the local pub, consider becoming a member of your local Fish & Game - we can fix you up with a membership at Indian Lake Outfitters.

We are now offering memberships for both the Logan County and Indian Lake Fish & Games as well as the Indoor Archery Range here at Indian Lake Outfitters.  Fish & Game memberships are purchased for the 2011 calendar year and can be purchased for a youth, adult or family.

The Indian Lake Fish and Game is a community organization of over 100 sportsman & conservation conscience locals that assist in fish re-stocking projects, bird release projects, along with habitat & structure projects. This club was responsible for the introduction of Saugeye to Indian Lake which is now one of the major game fish that thousands of anglers seek each year.

In the past years the club has donated funds and equipment to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, offer the facilities to the local 4-H shooting group free of charge, hold Hunter Safety Courses, offer annual scholarships, and money to families in need.

Indian Lake Fish & Game organized and chartered in 1936 as the Indian Lake Community Club and hosted the 1947 Ohio State Trap Shoot in the same facility they use today. They are a very old community involved club focused on giving back to Indian Lake and supporting the future of the lake. They continue to host weekly trap shoots on Wednesdays as well as monthly shooting contest.

The Logan County Fish and Game offers a wide range of shooting ranges and catch and release fishing ponds for the entire family. With one of the few 200-yard rifle ranges in the area, visitors come from Columbus, Dayton, Lima and farther to site-in or to target practice. We also boast a trap range with 25 lanes, a pistol range and archery range.

Each club offers unique qualities making it an easy decision to be a member of both. For more information, contact either group individually or stop in to the shop (ILO) at 8081 State Route 366 in Russells Point to get your membership in person.  For your convenience, memberships for both clubs and the archery range can also be purchased from our web-site and your membership cards mailed to you.

Stick Figure Family Decal People

The craze has hit at Indian Lake Outfitters, Stick Figure Family Decal People are HERE! Not only can you showcase your family on the window of your vehicle, you can add your pets too. Better yet, show off your passion for hunting and "stick" your family next to a deer decal! Designed exclusively by the graphics team of FastTrack Signs, they've made available for you to choose from an adult man or woman, teen boy or girl, youth boy or girl, baby boy or girl, dog, cat or deer. The decals are available in the shop or on-line at www.indianlakeoutfitters.com.

To have your stick figures personalized, contact Dennis or Carly of FastTrack Signs at 937-593-9990 for more information.

Smoke Green with the Electronic Cigarette

Green Smoke...have you heard of it? It's an electronic cigarette, yep, you heard correct. A cigarette that's legal to smoke almost anywhere and runs on a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Like a GPS, cell phone or computer, you plug the battery into the wall when it's low. The battery also has a sensor so it doesn't deplete when not in use.

The best part about an electronic cigarette is the savings - on average, Green smoking enables you to save 60% more money when compared with tobacco cigarettes.  The nicotine cartridge holds enough nicotine solution for you to puff approximately 400 times! That's more than a typical pack of cigarettes. An electronic cigarette is a less harmful nicotine delivery device because there are no tars, carcinogenic substances, ashes, cigarette butts or second-hand smoke. Plus they don't cause fires, smoke or odors that get into clothing, furniture, cars or hair.

So far, so good, right? Well there's more. Green smoke has a large variety of nicotine levels and flavors. Each cartridge contains water, nicotine, propylene glycol (the same stuff that's in smoke machines) and flavoring. Liquid nicotine is vaporized into steam by an atomizer. This allows the user to inhale a vapor that looks and feels just like smoke.

The starter kit pictured above contains (2) electronic cigarette batteries, (5) nicotine cartridges, (1) manual and (1) home USB charger. Contact us for more details.

WARNING: This is intended for use by adults and not pregnant women or those sensitive to nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and may be dangerous to your health. This is not intended as a smoking cessation device. Smoking may cause lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema and complications in pregnancy.