Unofficial NotGISH Scavenger Hunt

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Hereby known as: Scavenger Hunt Summer 2023

I designed this hunt to coincide with the traditional week of GISH that I’ve been participating in since 2013. I’ve designed scavenger hunts for classes I’ve taught as well as one for my kids to do on vacation, which went pretty well considering their ages. It might also have done well because their vacation bags included snacks and money, but I digress.

Whether or not I’ve thought of life as a scavenger hunt, I feel as though I’m always on the hunt, on the lookout for different things to bring to my website with music playlists, photographs, thoughts, and information, and doesn’t that sound a little bit like a scavenger hunt with no list to follow?

I’ve been working on this hunt for several weeks, and hope that its participants enjoy doing it.

Below are some rules and information. Any questions can be directed to me as a comment on this post or through email at: kbwriting11@gmail.com.

How to Hunt

  1. This scavenger hunt is inspired by Misha Collins’ GISH Hunts, but it is in no way affiliated with Misha Collins, Supernatural, Random Acts, or the GISH hunts. This is not a charity hunt, and I will be collecting no money in regard to this scavenger hunt.
  2. There are no points awarded, however there is a random drawing that we will refer to as a prize.
  3. All participants are acting in their capacity as individuals and are expected to follow all local and federal laws. The items are open to interpretation; however, no interpretation will be accepted that violates the law or any other party’s civil or US constitutional rights.
    • No participants will be discriminated against or discriminate against anyone, in a protected category or not. We are ambassadors for good.
  4. I expect to add two items each day including on the 7th, which would be a total of 18 items. There may be bonus items.
    • All items should be rated PG-13, for all social media audiences.
  5. As I said earlier, no judging, no judgment. Purely for fun, but I will choose one winner RANDOMLY on August 10 at Noon. Prize to be determined prior to the drawing. Winner will need to provide a valid email address.
  6. To qualify for the random drawing, you must either post your item in the comments on that day (You have until the 7th for posting; it does not need to post on the actual day the item appears) or a link to your own social media/blog posting of the item, labeled with the day it’s for and item 1 or 2. Do not do anything illegal or violate any town/village/etc. ordinances. This is fun for you, and neutral for everyone around you.
    • While you may post your items anywhere, posting on any GISH related pages and media will not count towards the random drawing unless you also meet the posting criteria of #6.
    • Each item receives a “ticket” for the random drawing, so if you do one item, you’ll have one chance, five items, five chances, and so on.
  7. Do not do anything illegal or violate any town/village/etc. ordinances. This is fun for you, and neutral for everyone around you.
  8. I will be attempting to do all the items, but I will not be eligible for the random drawing.
  9. The hunt began this morning at 9am EDT and concludes at 11:59pm on Monday, August 7. That gives you NINE (9) full days to complete the items.
  10. Hydrate. Do Good. Be Good. Create. Laugh.

Item #2 coming up!

Unofficial NotGISH Scavenger Hunt Begins NOW!

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Twice daily, items will appear on site.

Official rules will be posted this afternoon, but no worries, this is for fun. No judging, no judgment. Just do it.

For anyone familiar with my yearly scavenger hunt traditionally run by actor and activist, Misha Collins, there is always a mascot, a hybrid of two animals creating a new one. I don’t have that kind of energy. The mascot for my last hunt was a beeline – a bumblebee/ cat hybrid.

Our first item is to create your own mascot for this week. Design them, draw them, photoshop them, name them. My first draft is below the cut. I’ll be back this afternoon with a new post containing the day’s second item.

Good luck and most important, have fun!

Item 1
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Travel – Schuylerville, NY

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In my ongoing research of labyrinths, as well as an impromptu visit to a gluten free bakery for my students, I discovered that the area of and around the village of Schuylerville, near one of my labyrinths is riddled with little shops, eateries, and a wealth of history that can be explored on a day trip through the area. Combining that with nearby Saratoga Springs (11 miles) and Lake George (about 30 miles), it is easy to make a weekend (or longer) out of it with fun things to do for adults and kids alike.

Hudson River Crossing Park Labyrinth.
Schuylerville, NY.
(c)2023

Schuylerville is located about 45 miles north of the state’s capital of Albany and was originally part of the Iroquois Federation; the land called Haudenosaunee and the Mohawk people.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: NotGISH Scavenger Hunt Coming at the End of the Week

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A preview of the Not-Greatest-International-Scavenger-Hunt!

(I do realize that what that says is NotGreatestInternationalScavengerHunt Scavenger Hunt, much like chai tea and ATM machine, but there are no grammar police in the NotGISH world!)

With the end (for now?) of the Scavenger Hunt formerly known as GISH, nee GISHWHES, colloquially known as Misha’s Folly, I miss it, and I’m a little bit sad that I opted not to participate last year, which turned out to be the last year (I guess, although Misha is mercurial, so we will see) and so I wanted to do a bit of a hunt here; for you.

And yes, for me, too.

Beginning on Sunday, July 30th, I will furnish two items per day for you to find, create, do, and overall still your neck out of your comfort zone, but not too far out; I’m not a hypocrite on neck sticking out, but I hope that you’ll use the 8 days that follow Sunday to do something extraordinary or at least something extra and perhaps ordinary.

You can share your items on your own blogs and social medias, you can include links in the comments section of each item I post or include the items themselves.

I don’t have the capacity for prizes, but I will choose one random participant for a “grand prize” or at least a “lovely prize” or maybe simply a “mediocre-I-didn’t-know-I-needed-this prize; what the heck is it?!”

If you want to get your mind in the scavenger hunt feeling, glance at my previous GISH items over the years by searching #gish on this site.

And may the gishes be ever in your favor.

(c)2023
Lindt chocolates and the Candy Taste Test.
(c)2020-2023

Book Rec (And a Bit More): Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur

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I’ve been really immersed in Native American spirituality and history. I have always been intrigued and felt kinship with Native American/First Nation people, being drawn to their stories, their history, and their lives since I was a child. It’s been something that has ebbed and flowed throughout my life, even with the insensitive and appropriated costumes of my childhood. I know better now, and I hope that in my past teaching in early childhood, I’ve lessened some of those stereotypical ideas as those children grow up and remember their experiences of the culture as best offered by an outsider and non-Native person.

I’ve recently mentioned attending a weekend retreat with Terry and Darlene Wildman and learning about the First Nations Version of the New Testament. It was enlightening and eye-opening, and I enjoyed the ceremonies we were invited to participate in. I’ve been a visitor and participant at the nearby St. Kateri Shrine when they’ve had those ceremonies open to the public.

I spent all of June reading the Daily Readings from the FNV New Testament; it really highlighted the beauty of Native American storytelling, and I felt that I was hearing some of these Scriptures for the first time and in a completely new way.

Which brings me to the most recent book that I’ve been reading: Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur. I must say that I started the book in a naive headspace. I was looking forward to her interviews with modern Native people across Turtle Island (North America), hearing about how they keep their culture and religious rituals alive, and while I’m aware (more than the average person) of the history of the US’s forced removal, forced assimilation, and truly what can only be called genocide of the Native Americans, I was still surprised by so many things in this book that took  me by surprise.

Author/Photographer, Matika Wilbur.
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Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha

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Chaplet of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
(c)2023

Since I’ve been sharing quite a lot about Kateri Tekakwitha, I thought I’d share this older picture from when I tried to visit her shrine in Quebec at the Kahnawake Village of the Mohawk Community. I had been searching for a chaplet of St. Kateri and was unsuccessful before my trip. I had planned to pray the chaplet for my Cursillo friend who was living his Cursillo weekend while I was away. Since I didn’t have a beaded chaplet, I drew one (left side), and brought that with me to pray at Kateri’s empty tomb, located across the street from the church of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

It was a very emotional and spiritual site, and just like in New York near the Mohawk River, I could hear the rapids from behind the empty, marble coffin, a sound similar to the sound near her baptismal spring at her Fonda shrine. I was there in contemplation for some time and prayed the chaplet from my sketchbook. Upon arriving home, I was able to locate a beaded chaplet, which I will pray today for St. Kateri’s feast day.

Kateri is the patron of the environment, fitting as Indigenous people are the caretakers of the land, as well as a patron of others including Indigenous People and ecology and people in exile.