cool_and_the_gang

I heard a story about it on NPR on my drive to work one day. It sounded like a blast (even though to balance the storythey included some comments by a park ranger who was opposed to caching) so I borrowed a GPS reciever that evening and headed off to a nearby cache. I found it on my first try and have been at it ever since. Liek El Diablo, I haven't attacked it with the passion of some cachers. I'll usually get a few locations for an area that I know I'll be in. If I have time to get to them I'll go, if not, I don't worry about it. That's why I've got only like 25 finds in 3 years or so. With a house and two active kids to raise there's not alot of time for it. But when we do go we love it!

Until they figure out how they can make money by leaving it in place, I fear that the developers will continue to eat away at open space until the entire continent is "improved" from coast to coast. Wait, let me put on my flame retardant clothing. (pause) OK - flame away. Actually, I'm involved with construction and so should support development and as a capitalist and defender of democracy and freedom understand the impulse of landowners to want to maximize thier profit from the value of thier land. My experience so far has been that it usually doesn't occur in a sustainable manner and has led to the ever decreasing number of green spaces and open vistas we enjoy. I wish that humans were a little more far sighted than we seem to be and I think that there is some measure of balance that we as a society haven't found yet. We will (or our kids will) miss it once it's all gone. On the positive side: There's alot more places for micros! Peace to all.

The forums can seem like a pretty unfriendly place, sometimes, but one can't take it personally. The real meaning of printed words is subject to alot of interpretation. If I get an e-mail that says "I saw you in a club the other night. NICE HAT!" I might interpret "NICE HAT!" in any number of ways even though the e-mailer really meant to compliment my hat. Complicated concepts can be verbally explored only with a long typed message. The brevity of messages might make messages seem more terse or short than intended and leave alot of room for speculation. But, then, there are many blantantly hoistile responses to posts. I think that these result from the anonymous nature of Internet interaction which leads to people taking risks with language and confrontation that they wouldn't take in a face to face social situation. Some people don't care how they come off or how they will make someone feel when they are hidden behind a screen name, an avatar and a monitor and making a comment to someone who could very well be around the world and whom they might (probably) never meet. Better to not take the forums too seriously being mindful that there are some people out there for whom the forums represent a significant aspect of life. For me, there are alot of other things to worry about or from which to derive satisfaction.

I lean toward it being a bad thing but I'm still on fence on this issue. I myself was turned on to Geocaching because of a story I heard on NPR about it so my own involvement with it is due to publicity. I'd like to think that I cache in a low key and low impact manner. Unfortunately, I don't think some others do and as Geocaching becomes more widely known and practiced I fear that what is currently an "unscrupulous few" will become an "unscrupulous many" and increase the suspicion and regulation of land managers as mentioned and debated elsewhere in the forums. Broadcasting it to large quantities of people puts the methods they employ outside of our control. I, myself, only mention it to people I know who I think will practice it, if they choose to take up the activity, in a manner as respectful and non-destructive to the environment and to the "spirit" of the sport (as I have come to understand it) as I do. But perhaps I (and we as a group) have no right to be so selective and judgemental about this and should, indeed, be prepared to take up bowling if it evolves in a manner that no longer makes it enjoyable. Like I said: Still on the fence.

Saw this on the comics page and doctored it a little to fit more of a geocaching theme. Maybe someone will get a chuckle out of it. With appologies and gratitude to Greg and Mort Walker. You can view the original here.

All of the 'whimp' jokes aside: It should come down to balance. You know, a Yin & Yang kind of thing. As long as the house is maintained and I spend quality time with her and the kids there is no problem with me going 'caching or doing any of the other things I like. Since our relationship is healthy, my wife is as understanding of my need for solitude and personal recreation as I am of her need for the same. There are other things we do together and other things we do with the kids. The answer is in finding balance, my friend.

Feel better? Or are you making up for the one word posts from yesterday?

You act of restitution doesn't count if you cut and paste! I assume that you typed each of those repetitions! Edited to include my own self imposed punitive repetitions: I will stay on topic. I will stay on topic. I will stay on topic...

Ken- Thankyou for your kind offer! That it was a good deal is true and the willingness to jump in and help is testimony to the friendship and connection that we all share through this sport. Unfortunately she would have been as far away from the UK as the US even if I had read this post in time. She lives in Japan. But thanks again for giving the moving of the TB some thought! Cheers -

I like the way dromomania fits with geo-caching. Sorry, I did'nt follow Cheesehead's lead. The post popped up a second before mine.

I changed it slightly to fit a little nicer. Here's my shot: Once a man from Pennsylvania sought a cache hidden in Mauritania. His journey was long but the way point was wrong and he ended up in Transylvania!

cool_and_the_gang is thinking about assuming the name of Jeremy Smurf

I had a bad feeling about it, too, which is why I raised the question. There would be nothing special about a TB's journey if it were simply riding around in the postal system. In thier enthusiasm for thier new sport I think my friend wanted to help a TB along in a big way. It's unlikely that she will travel to this continent anytime soon. If it is meant to be I guess the TB will to find it's way across the ocean another way. Such is the life of a TB! Thanks for your reply.

I live in the USA and coresspond via mail with a friend who lives in another country. Through this correspondence I have turned her on to Geocaching. If she finds a TB in her country is it permisible for her to send it via mail to me in the US for placement in a cache in this country (Assuming the owner it had no other goals for it)? This would give a forgien travel bug a boost across the Pacific that it might not have gotten otherwise but I question the part about it changing hands without being placed in a cache. I'll look forward to everyone's kind opinions on this so as to avoid an "international incident."

I heard a story about geocaching on NPR and I knew I was onto something cool! I borrowed an older GPSr unit from my father in law who got it as a gift several years ago and never knew what to do with it. I had no idea what I was doing or what I would find, but Miraculosly I found my very first cache on the first try. The kids and I have been hooked ever since !

The cache will be subject to "Cache Entropy" like all caches seem to be and the logs will soon read "Great Hide, we really enjoyed this one! Took new Fossil Watch, Left an expired Blockbuster coupon and pebble I just shook out of my boot." To extend the longevity of the cache quality (assuming you're not in the position to provide an endless supply of cool stuff) perhaps you could add only a few of the snazzy items you already aquired and list them on the description page. If the items are traded for fairly the quality of the cache will stay level. You could replace the junk trades with the remaining snazzy items as you perform cache maintenance and change the snazzy items that are listed. Or you can simply sever any attachment you have to the items and accept the quality of the cache as it evolves once the initial stock of neat items is exhausted. A somewhat difficult hide and remotely located cache seems best for this one. Good luck!

I will follow up on my plans to place what I think will be two cool multi-caches: 1) A model solar system (done before, I Know, but not in my area) 2) An architectural style tour I will also make more time for caching. Someone should save this thread and re-post it in December so we can all see how successful (or unsuccessful) we were at keeping them.

The whole "Men in Black" aspect that come to mind when you read the original post is humorous as were the many funny comments in the same vien. But giving Ohms26 the benefit of the doubt for a second: Is there any possibility that it is a promotional gimick similar to the Coca-Cola promotion with the homing device? or: Could it be that the beer company tracks thier delivery employees with such a device and one went AWOL with a truck load of BudLight? Perhaps they used the Geocache as a clever ruse to throw the Man off thier scent by hoping that an unsuspecting Geocacher would wear the flashing Bud Light pin and head in the opposite direction! That's so crazy it just might work! I, for one, am not taking any chances. If I find one of those in a 'cache I'm logging a TNLN!

"...what's the point of being an adult if you can't be childish sometimes?" - Dr. Who

Why limit the self-control to only a day? Why don't we all make a New Year's Resolution to conduct ourselves in manner that could mean (conceptually, anyway) that moderation wasn't needed at all? Seems like it would do us good to practice on line dispite the anonymity provided to some extent by the filter of our keyboards and monitors and screen names. It certainly couldn't hurt and might actually improve the forums. Who knows. Perhaps after cultivating this kind of mindset the improvment might spill out into the larger world: tolerance, civility and the golden rule could go along way in creating peace not only in our little world but the real world as well. Think Globally, Act Locally. But if it can't be permanent perhaps even just a day would be a good start. May every one enjoy the holidays they will be celebrating this season.

This is true. The number of wisemen is not revealed. Perhaps the tradition of 3 was started because of the number of gifts that they are recorded to have brought with them. OR: (this just occured to me, hence the edit) It could have evolved because of the numerous and mysterious occurances of the number three in the record of Christ's life within the New Testament (which I suspect is symbolic of the number of days Christ is reported to have spent in Death): 3 lays lost as a child, 33 years old, 3 nails use in crucifixion, to name a few. Anyway: The original post was a neat little tie in of Geochaching with Christmas. I hope that everyone enjoys (or is enjoying) a blessed celebration of whichever of several faith's seasonal holidays they will observe. May 2004 be a peaceful and happy year for all beings!

I haven't been warned so I'm still at 0%. I don't tend to be very controversial here so I suspect that it will stay there unless the Admins. start warning about boring or lame posts. Here's a question: Since several people have had thier warnings reduced as the result of meritorious deeds is it possible for me (or others at 0%) to get in on the reductions and have the warning meter register in the negative? That way we could "bank" some of the warnings. Why should the miscreants get rewarded for thier good deeds with a reduction in thier warnings while the rest of us goody two shoes get nothing?

Ditto! Thanks for the cool link!

I love my SportTrak map! So I think you chose wisely. It seems like theres an ever raging 'PC vs. Mac' type of rivalry that goes on. Garmin users will swear by thier units and Magellan users by thiers. For basic Geocaching there are many lower end models from a variety or manufacturer's that will do the job. I selected my unit on some basic features and a great deal that I found on the unit. I have not been disappointed with it yet. You are sure to enjoy the game. To start I would suggest learing to use the unit by, obviously, carefully reading the manual and then by marking way points in your yard or neighborhood and walking some distance away and then trying to "find" them several different times using the "goto" function. This will help you understand the limits of the accuracy of the device as well as the way the display operates while you are changing position. Then find some nice trade items (if you want) and hit the road or the trail or whatever and go after some of the easier caches in your area. You might also want to browse through older pages of the Getting Started forum for tips on many new comer's questions. Posting questions is helpful, too. You'll find this "community" very helpful, if not a little nutty. Welcome to the fun!