q22q17

All: I know a former co-worker who has always been interested in geocaching. He is helping a nature center get opened in the West Covina area, and he is looking for any geocachers who would like to help him with teaching about gps units and finding caches. Here is his original email to me: I'm currently opening a new tiny nature center in West Covina on March 8. There is sort of a small public gathering for the opening. I have multiple GPS units that I purchased for the Nature Center. I would like to have a mini geocache activity where families can leave their ID's and pick up a GPS and a information card and learn how to use the GPS and go find some "cache." This would be an activity that would have be less than an hour or so. I would like to reach out to the Geocaching community anyways; it would be a great resource for the Nature Center. And would hopefully, once determining the needs of the geocacher-community, can make the nature center a resource for them. For more information about the nature center, the website is here: http://www.sgmrc.org/galster.html The event is Saturday, March 8, 2-6 pm. If you would like to help him for any of that time, please email him directly at cwinkler@nhm.org (don't email me, cause I'll just refer you on to him.....) In addition to posting here, and on a couple other sites, I am planning on emailing through GC a few folks I know who have caches placed in that area, and may call it home. If you can help him out, he would love it, and it would be a great opportunity to introduce new people to geocaching.

tadpole379 - your kitty is adorable!!

All I can say is the magical creative genius of both CinemaBoxers and Fluttershy? These will be awesome coins!! Me? I want one in every metal and color!!

I'm definitely interested in the trackable. I don't buy untrackable coins.

My son and I were fortunate to have attended the Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles last May. We LOVED it. My son was given the chance to battle Darth Maul with his FX Light Saber. He was thrilled to pieces!! He is a huge Lego and Star Wars fan. He would love to get one of these coins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was able to pick up a couple of these on Landsharkz, I just love them! I love cat coins, cats, kitties, and I don't mind getting fur all over everything!! MEOW!!! Love these coins!

Too funny. Usually I see posts about TB owners complaining that people are moving their TB in directions opposite to the TB's goal. Now there is a TB owner complaining about "discoveries". I think some of these TB owners are just taking the whole thing way too seriously. I hope you don't think I was complaining, I was just musing, and posting here for other thoughts. Some TB owners do take things too seriously. I don't. I just am delighted when my TB's move, even if it is in the OPPOSITE direction of its goal. I just love seeing where people live, cache, pets, and life in general.

I have been known to post a note on the page that says: "A big howdy to all the watchers of this bug..... who are you?" And will sometimes get email replies. And sometimes, people watch your bug because they like the theme of it, i.e. Harry Potter, Star Wars, fire fighters, etc.

Sounds like the cache owner is misinformed. If I take a "trinket" from a cache, it's because I intend to make it into another travel bug!

Just curious on your thoughts here: I know that the "Discovered It" option became vogue for the many folks who have large coin collections and want others to discover them and not have to go through the whole grab and drop thing. But, now more and more cachers are discovering TB's instead of moving them. Some discover "just because" and others discover to pad their stats for some reason. Recently, I saw a TB log sheet that said that discovery logs would be deleted because the purpose of the TB was to move it and not discover it. I attended an event during the holidays where there was a list of the coins and bugs at the event, the list was shared so those who wanted to discover them could. Oy! I just know that some of you have thoughts about this here........... Because if I started deleting all the discovery logs on all my TB's as they come along........ I'd do nothing else!

Yes, I have had trouble with the WORLD and SEATTLE activation codes. If I interchange those, then it usually works. I have also had one instance where the actual tag and the copy tag were different "numbers" and the package label was different. I think they need to cycle through the current inventory to place another order before all of this will subside. Personally, and this is my own opinion, I liked the number only tags much better than these combo number/alpha tags. Some of the "new" tags have very rough edges.

Sure, if you can help them move toward their goals! When we go on trips, I like to grab some TB's in caches to take with me. We don't go very often, so I do look at the missions of the TB's in the TB Hotel, and go grab them for adventures.

As previously mentioned, discovering or grabbing your own TB does not pad your stats. So, to do so would mean you had some other purpose. I did discover one of my TB's in a cache in Utah, unexpectedly. I actually retrieved it, brought it back to California, to continue its journey. It was kind of funny to find one of my own in the wild though.

Yes, you are right. It will lower their TB's found count, by one. You need to weigh which is more important, the mileage for your TB or their find count. Or, another thing you could do, is enlist the help of the 3 people who helped move it. Good luck with that. My first couple of TB's were "starter" TB's. It took me a few to figure out how I wanted them to travel, then I started them from the closest cache to my house, then out into the world from there. Good luck!

Funny how you find them in the last place you look! Don't be so hard on yourself. Just post a note on each TB page or send a quick email, the owners will be thrilled that their TB"s aren't lost, then get out and place them. Have fun!!

I have made a few tribute TB's and placed them out in the world. I've had some try to find the geopigs, Lost Scouts, and the ever traveling MaxB on the River. Geopigs have sent a couple our way to try to find us too. I actually had a coin make it to me sent out by Rockin' Roddy. He changed the goal, and we re-released it for him. It's fun. Just let the person you know that it's traveling to, know what you are doing, so if it gets in their area, they can have it on a watch list. That way if a TB makes it to Los Angeles, you might be able to run get it before it takes back off to Tokyo! LOL It's all in the journey........

Of course! The first one is a really BIG deal! So, go for it. I hope it works. If it doesn't, then I'm a dummy! Email me through my profile (we will be traveling) and let me know how it goes.

I have had cachers do wonderful things for my TB's. Sadly, I have had to put out MANY to get only a few to do cool things. So, once I had a few visit some really cool places, I kept putting out more and more and now I have them all over the world meeting neat people and posting funny photos! Don't get into TB making if you worry about losing money, you will. It's all about the fun, not about the wallet when it comes to TB's. And, I've only ever released 2 geocoins. Both, on first pick up, never were seen again. My rule, keep the coins, release the bugs. But have fun doing it. Or else, I like what a previous poster does, move the ones you find, then keep those on your watchlist! It's like they are sort of, not really, but kind of, in a weird way, something like yours................

I held onto a military themed TB for awhile (several months), took it on "liberty" and even had it visit some military installations. Then, with the owners permission, I found the right spot to leave it, in between a couple military bases, and held my breath hoping someone would help it move. I really miss that TB, but my TB bag is lighter now that it's gone! LOL Another time, I held a TB for awhile because we were going to Yellowstone and had its photo taken with Old Faithful, which was one of the goals. When I was finally done with that goal, I released it in So Cal so it could go to Joshua Tree, and the next poster posted something rude like "this TB has been everywhere except where it was supposed to go." GASP! How rude? I just shrug, smile, and go caching. If you ever find any of my TB's, just move them.........

Just for the record, if you find any of our almost 600 TB's out in the world, I don't care where they go, even if a goal is stated......... as long as they move. I don't get to travel around the world, but my TB's have gone to amazing places and have met amazing people that have become life long cyber friends. So if you find one from q22q17, I don't care if you move it over 1000 miles in the wrong direction, post a photo of it, and I'll laugh, and thank you for helping it to move! Is it time for turkey yet?

Okay, I could be wrong, and some of the gurus here may be better at this than me, but here goes...... I think you would have needed to delete the drop log for the cache you placed it in while on vacation. By pre-dating the drop and grab at home, the "system" at GC doesn't see the pre-dated miles, because it's first real drop had already happened. The only way to catch it up, if it's that important (and this will take a fair amount of work on your part), would be to: 1. delete all the TB drop and grab logs 2. start over and drop it at home, grab it 3. then log it in and out of the caches it has visited with a NOTE (not a found it) on each of the cache pages, until... 4. it is in its current resting place. If your TB is in the hands of someone right now, tell them what you are doing so that they don't wonder how on earth you grabbed it from them. Then when you are finished, have them grab it back directly from you, or the cache they picked it up from. This SHOULD correct the mileage, if it's that important to you, and if you want to go to all that work. I would recommend you do it all in one sitting (don't start then finish another day). And be mindful of the dates. If you don't want to go to all that work, just have fun and be happy that your TB is on the move!!

Maybe email his local geocaching group to see if he's okay. Or email a cache owner in his area. Sometimes life, illness, or work gets in the way.

I don't mean to sound trite, but how about just ignore it and go caching? That is, unless it is your TB and you are mourning it's loss, to which I say, I'm sorry, but it happens.

Some cache owners do not realize that they have the ability to mark a TB (Jeep TB or geocoin) missing. And sometimes a gentle and polite prod from a cacher who finds the cache without a TB inside can help the cache owner go to the TB page, and list it as missing. That way, in the future, if someone comes to the cache and us expecting a GJTB or RJTB, they aren't disappointed. Although, this is part of cache maintenance, it's frequently not addressed or remembered. And, that's not the owners fault, per se. They just may not know. And, those who are new to the game, or sometimes don't want to log a TB just yet, will wait until they find the right place to LEAVE the TB before they grab it, then do the drop. That way, they don't get that pesky * on their account page that says they've held the TB for more than 14 days...........

Most TB owners are grateful that their TB's are moving along. It seems to me that TB's aren't as prevalent as they used to be (they get lost). If you visit a cache, you don't always have to post a note that you were there. If you grab a TB, you can retrieve it using it's tag number and then not have to post a note on the cache page. Some cache owners go in and delete all the notes anyway. If you can't place the TB while you are away, and believe me, that happens a lot when you travel and think you can find large enough caches and they are all micros....... bring them back home, but to help the TB with mileage or movement, perhaps put them in a different cache than where you found them, if you can. If you can't, that's okay too. Then, when you are home, take a breather, relax, and consider putting a TB hotel close to home. That will help you in the future if there are a lot of movables (TB's and geocoins) that need to come and go from your area. Have a great week (and holiday), however you may enjoy it!