Can you believe it is May? I’m not in touch with my feelings enough to really analyze how I am doing. I seem to find deeper meaning in movie quotes that provide sanity and a sense of calm. I hum, “do the next right thing,” in my best Anna (Frozen II) voice or channel my inner Jean-Luc Picard and recite, “one impossible thing at a time,” from the new Picard series.

The kids have enjoyed a handful of scavenger hunts over the last few weeks. It’s like Easter without sneaking their candy at night, so it saves us calories. They just seemed so focused, happy, and most importantly distracted. Steve and I longed to feel that way, so we started thinking about a scavenger hunt for adults as we figured you might be game for a distraction as well.

If you are familiar with our site, you know that we strive to follow rules. To respect the Stay Home, Stay Healthy orders, all of the items on our list are mindful of that mandate. If you manage to do everything on the list, send us an email. We will randomly select a winner for (drumroll) an Outside Walla Walla sweatshirt! No proof necessary; your word will do. This activity is just meant to be fun and slightly informative for us. Ready?

A few years ago, I was trying to keep up with really hungry hikers and sick of all the wrappers that come with store-bought bars. I ended up finding my go-to cooking blog, Minimalist Baker, based in Portland, Oregon. Our current favorite is a simple five ingredient granola bar, although there are plenty to choose from. Perfect your trail-friendly recipe now. That way you are ready to pack your backpack when the time comes. Any recipe will do–just try something new.

I realize this is somewhat self-serving. Please engage as you are comfortable–leave a review, invite a few friends to follow the page, or share a link to the site on your feed. We appreciate your networking. We have lots of ideas about how to expand the site and look forward to folding in new points of view and expertise.

This one is tricky. Let’s start simple, perhaps a walking path. Explore the site and find a new-to-you adventure. Remember, access is not ideal right now. Many of the roads are undergoing repairs after the flood. Snow is still blocking roads to most trailheads at higher elevations. If you find a new adventure but that adventure is not accessible yet, consider the plan to go a completion of this task.

The wildflowers are blooming. The birds are returning. The pollinators are here. We find that adding a few new species to the knowledge bank a year really helps us appreciate our outings. As we train our eyes to observe, we like to start with objects that can’t move very fast. Currently, we are working on trees and wildflowers, leaving plenty of opportunity to study.

This eight week series is brought to you by the Blue Mountain Land Trust. The film festival is a production of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and focuses on inspiring environmental activism and a love for nature–through film. Each week, a new lineup of films is released. Outside Walla Walla is proud to sponsor this year’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival. The Blue Mountain Land Trust is a wonderful organization doing great work throughout the region.

That is a pretty doable list. We know everything is tough right now, so hopefully you had some fun. The icing on the cake (or granola bar) would be winning an Outside Walla Walla sweatshirt! Once you complete all five tasks, send us an email at contact@outsidewallawalla.com. We will randomly select a winner at the end of the month. Sweatshirts are sourced locally at T Walla Walla, so you can pick your favorite color and size.

Stay well. One impossible thing at a time.