I had to shake my head. These people wouldn't know a fundamental issue if it smacked 'em in the face. We all have our predilections and pet causes, but I was struck by the cliched realization that many folks' entire political belief structure is based around total party allegiance that stems from only one or two issues. It's understandable, and I don't expect that a pro-choice activist would be very pleased with Bush, but the relative importance of mild erosions in access to abortions seems to pale in comparison to the threat of the inevitable nexus of WMD and terror.

These folks agree about the fact that we are at war; they're just a bit confused about who constitutes the main enemy to their way of life; especially concerning the rights of women. If you bought what they were selling, you'd think that George Bush was on the cusp of introducing legislation that would institute mandatory burkha-wear in public schools.---Dean Esmay, A pro-choice Republican at the Kerry rally.

It was still a little tense this morning, till we had breakfast and lost more money at the casino. I had my zipper pull get stuck in some threads and had to use my knife, and slightly cut myself. Then the mirrors gave me a good rear view, which was enough to ruin the rest of my morning. After he'd played awhile and the casino got even for last year, Rich said "let's go caching." We did think that maybe it would be easier to find the last stage of the multi on a Sunday morning. It certainly was, around all the people driving here and there. It's beautifully camouflaged right in the pillar.

Then we went back to the River and tried to locate another, which is probably in a drain cover, but there was an artist right in the way. We then tried, on both sides of the Truckee River, to find our way to another, only to decide that the only approach appears to be a mile walk. As we were driving back, though, we passed Idlewild Park, where we knew they were having an Earth Day festival, so we decided to have a look.

This was a big deal! I'd thought we'd get some cache goodies, and so we did, but there were special giveaways as well. We saw people from all the nature groups, and the Kerry-for-President group which we gave a wide berth to, both them and the pro-abortion group. Rich got a hand sprayer for the hose. I asked for some coloring books and was also given a kite! We got flower seeds, and a free lightbulb. This was very interesting and really worth our time. I did spend $5 on a Nevada gem map.

There were lots of kid's activities, and they were making "mud pies" with cement and fancy colored rocks. What ever happened to mud pies? I used to make them but I don't remember my kids doing it, and certainly not the grandkids!

We spent about an hour there, stealth Californians, stealth conservatives, and had a good time. Then it was off to keep looking for caches.

In the newer suburbs to the Northwest, we found one on a sign that described how kitty litter is made, then another one in the same place we'd found one before. "You get it" I said to Rich since we were parked right next to it, and I just stayed in the car. Then we went back to find one we'd missed when we came in to town. This is a little known park, and the cache, with a bright orange lid, was visible. It's supposed to be a 3 hide. The thing came apart when we pulled it out of its log. We put it back together, and we found a piece of wood to put over it to make it a better hide. (I see someone found it later today and commented on the good hide, so I guess we did a good job.)

Then we went to "When Kermit Met Piggy." There are two travel bugs with the coordinates. We found Piggy last year but Kermit got taken to the other side of the state, so the cache owner posted those coordinates till the travel bug got back. We got to the parking place and look UP this huge hill, up, up, up... and so, up we went! 200 feet rise in .2 miles, though there were lots of switchbacks. It was hot, but I didn't have much trouble getting up. We found the cache, took a goat and left an Earth ball (not one we picked up at the festival, but one I'd brought with me.) Hee hee hee.

We started on highway 80, had lunch in Verdi, and stopped at the summit. Again, too much snow here. We usually pass too late to look for the cache, although we have had snow, then later mosquitos.

However, there's a rest area further down the hill, and there's no snow, so we went to that one. Who knew there was a history nature trail there? That part was easy, but then there's this HILL... it earns the 3.5 terrain. It's slippery, and I was really worried about coming back down. Rich found the cache and I had to walk over there, and I slipped and slid and scratched my hand. We left a pen set, and took a Kennedy half dollar. Then it was time to come down... I tried sitting and was in danger of sliding, but if I crawled down backward, I pretty much had purchase. Wow. So today we did 6 caches including two hard ones.

Back at home, thank you notes from grandchildren, and a very happy dog who is doomed to be disappointed tomorrow. I spent a lot of time online getting the caches posted and catching up with the news.

Glenn on journalism. I note that CNN people claim the press conference was bad for Bush. I don't think so. I was also amused at the constant woe, the wonder why Bush's numbers are still strong despite their best efforts the bad news. Mark Steyn elucidates:

A month of Richard Clarke, the 9/11 Commission, Bob Woodward, Muqtada al-Sadr, Fallujah and Basra, and a constant drip-drip-drip of conventional wisdom on the president's "vulnerability" from the Beltway to Hollywood to the Ivy League to that brave radio station in Plattsburgh, N.Y., that's now the flagship of Al Franken's Air America ''network'' -- and what happens? Bush's numbers go up and Kerry's go down.

Another six weeks of Dick Clarke's book tour, of snotty network reporters condescending to the president at his press conference, of the sneering Richard Ben Veniste and emotionally unhinged Bob Kerrey badgering Condi Rice at their hack hearings, of Bob Woodward and his unreadable book filling up slabs of CNN's prime time every night with irrelevant arcana about what did Prince Bandar know and when did he tell Woodward he knew it, another six weeks of things that make Bush ''vulnerable,'' and he'd be heading for a 49-state blowout over Kerry.

The Washington Post, no friends of Bush: Opportunism Knocks

The election is still six months away. But Kerry's reputation has been built over 40 years. And the voters seem to be sniffing it out.

Also, Richard Cohen, "Another bad month like the last for Bush, and the president will have his second term in the bag."