Zuckerruebensirup

It's looking like a lot of people's weekends are already filling up. I've gotten a couple of responses from people who said they 'might' be able to make it, and will see how it goes (but that there aren't really any more convenient days they could suggest, either). Two people have said that yes, they'll plan to be there. One person has a commitment on Saturday, but could make it on Sunday (the 28th). I think that about sums up everyone who I had asked for an alternate date suggestion from. Do we want to poll those who've expressed interest in going, and see whether Saturday or Sunday works out better? Or (in the spirit of speeding things up) do we want to just make the original Saturday suggestion official, and submit the Event Cache announcement, since we seem to have several Yes's and Maybe's already? (Rusty made a good point that if we want to give everyone a couple weeks notice to fit this in their calendar, we had better get moving on it.) Either way works for me.

It's looking like a lot of people's weekends are already filling up. I've gotten a couple of responses from people who said they 'might' be able to make it, and will see how it goes (but that there aren't really any more convenient days they could suggest, either). Two people have said that yes, they'll plan to be there. One person has a commitment on Saturday, but could make it on Sunday (the 28th). I think that about sums up everyone who I had asked for an alternate date suggestion from. Do we want to poll those who've expressed interest in going, and see whether Saturday or Sunday works out better? Or (in the spirit of speeding things up) do we want to just make the original Saturday suggestion official, and submit the Event Cache announcement, since we seem to have several Yes's and Maybe's already? (Rusty made a good point that if we want to give everyone a couple weeks notice to fit this in their calendar, we had better get moving on it.) Either way works for me.

quote:Originally posted by Zuckerruebensirup: Web-ling, that's the same link as the one I just forwarded above. quote:Originally posted by (Confuzn aka John & Saxy aka Antoinette): Which is the same thing posted above on March 26, 2002 08:52 PM by us on this same thread! LOL! I guess it's true what they say about the third time being a charm. Oh, by the way...here's a link everyone might want to check out: http://www.brillig.com/geocaching/special.shtml

quote:Originally posted by Zuckerruebensirup: Web-ling, that's the same link as the one I just forwarded above. quote:Originally posted by (Confuzn aka John & Saxy aka Antoinette): Which is the same thing posted above on March 26, 2002 08:52 PM by us on this same thread! LOL! I guess it's true what they say about the third time being a charm. Oh, by the way...here's a link everyone might want to check out: http://www.brillig.com/geocaching/special.shtml

quote:Originally posted by Rusty: I have received a couple of positive replies thru email so I think this thing is a going to work. I've gotten a couple of postive e-mail replies, as well...but also a couple saying there are possible (or definite) conflicts with the date. I've asked for alternate suggestions, but they haven't had a chance to respond yet. quote: I'll post an event cache within the next few days so more people can see it. Saturday April 27th, 10:30 AM at the Lansing Mall food court. Let's not actually post the Event Cache until we've been able to pick two best dates, and then get a consensus on which of the two works best, ok? quote:Does anyone have an opinion of how long it should run? One hour, two hours? I think I should post an ending time. I'd say post it for an hour and a half (or however long you're willing to stay and wait for any late-comers if the rest of the group has left). If individuals want to stay later once they get there, fine. But 90 minutes seems like plenty of time to let everyone at least get there. quote:Does anyone think the mall will have a problem with a group of people meeting there? We can always buy some food to set in front of us. Nah, I can't imagine they would. I'm sure most of us will at least be wanting to buy a pop, if not a full lunch. I guess let's see what kind of head count we'll be anticipating...and if we end up with a really good turn out, then maybe we should consider asking for permission in advance.

quote:Originally posted by Rusty: I have received a couple of positive replies thru email so I think this thing is a going to work. I've gotten a couple of postive e-mail replies, as well...but also a couple saying there are possible (or definite) conflicts with the date. I've asked for alternate suggestions, but they haven't had a chance to respond yet. quote: I'll post an event cache within the next few days so more people can see it. Saturday April 27th, 10:30 AM at the Lansing Mall food court. Let's not actually post the Event Cache until we've been able to pick two best dates, and then get a consensus on which of the two works best, ok? quote:Does anyone have an opinion of how long it should run? One hour, two hours? I think I should post an ending time. I'd say post it for an hour and a half (or however long you're willing to stay and wait for any late-comers if the rest of the group has left). If individuals want to stay later once they get there, fine. But 90 minutes seems like plenty of time to let everyone at least get there. quote:Does anyone think the mall will have a problem with a group of people meeting there? We can always buy some food to set in front of us. Nah, I can't imagine they would. I'm sure most of us will at least be wanting to buy a pop, if not a full lunch. I guess let's see what kind of head count we'll be anticipating...and if we end up with a really good turn out, then maybe we should consider asking for permission in advance.

quote:Originally posted by Rusty: How about Saturday the 27th around 10:30 AM to beat the lunch crowd. That works for me. Anyone else?

quote:Originally posted by Rusty: How about Saturday the 27th around 10:30 AM to beat the lunch crowd. That works for me. Anyone else?

My suggestion would be to meet on the west side of Lansing. (Maybe at the Lansing Mall food court?) That’s about an hour from both Grand Rapids and Jackson. Also, there are several cachers in the Lansing/East Lansing area as well. Maybe if the get together was nearby, we could interest them as well.

My suggestion would be to meet on the west side of Lansing. (Maybe at the Lansing Mall food court?) That’s about an hour from both Grand Rapids and Jackson. Also, there are several cachers in the Lansing/East Lansing area as well. Maybe if the get together was nearby, we could interest them as well.

quote:Originally posted by welch: thanks Markwell, up to this point i was confused about what this post was about. I'm glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who didn't have a clue about this one. (I thought I missed something somewhere.)

quote:Originally posted by Rusty: I would like to meet some other area cachers over coffee or lunch at a fast food joint or maybe the food court at a mall. I think something in 28th st area on the SE side of GR would be local to many of you. How about splitting the difference between Grand Rapids and Jackson?

quote:Originally posted by Rusty: I would like to meet some other area cachers over coffee or lunch at a fast food joint or maybe the food court at a mall. I think something in 28th st area on the SE side of GR would be local to many of you. How about splitting the difference between Grand Rapids and Jackson?

quote:Originally posted by rusty: I figure it's easier to be forgiven than get permission. [...] Don't place any on Nat'l Parkland or designated Wilderness areas. If a park says stay on trails then don't head off to place a cache. I think if people would use a little common sense in placing and maintaining their caches we would have very little trouble from authorities. This describes my viewpoint perfectly. Although, after reading Don&Betty's note that they were specifically denied permission by the Michigan Audubon Society, I now wonder whether it's inappropriate for me to leave the last two caches that I just hid in the Baker Sanctuary south of Bellevue? (In my experience, a large percentage of things we ask permission for get denied, because "No" is the easiest and least risky answer. But for most of those same types of things, if I just go ahead and do them, once the authorities find out, they don't ask me to 'undo' them. Again, it's easier for them to let it go, than to make an issue of it...especially if it's something fairly small, and seems to be working satisfactorily.) When asking permission, the responsibility is on us for convincing them why they should allow an activity. When we do it first, and then get discovered...they tend to ask themselves why they shouldn't allow it. In a sense, it shifts the burden of proof. (Of course there are also the handful of authoritarian people who appear to enjoy weilding their power...and choose to deny things without explanation...just because they can.) I'd rather have us establish a precedent of having caches exist, and showing a history of no negative impact...in order to have some 'evidence' to provide as examples if/when permission is required. I'm curious, Don&Betty, why you've chosen to ask permission in advance for all of your caches (at least that's what it sounds like you've been doing)...and also, everyone's opinion of whether I should remove my caches, now that I have been made aware of a previous precedent by the MAS of disallowing caches? Has the 'ignorance is bliss' excuse been taken away from me...or since I haven't personally been told "no", is it fair for me to continue with my assumption that it's ok until I'm told otherwise?

quote:Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy: An hour earlier than what, though? That is, if this is our first exposure to the weekly geochat, how are we to know when to tune in? The regularly 'scheduled' chat time is 9:30 pm (ET), until whenever it breaks up. (But you're welcome to go there anytime.) Here's a previous thread that discusses the topic.

quote:Originally posted by Warm Fuzzies - Fuzzy: An hour earlier than what, though? That is, if this is our first exposure to the weekly geochat, how are we to know when to tune in? The regularly 'scheduled' chat time is 9:30 pm (ET), until whenever it breaks up. (But you're welcome to go there anytime.) Here's a previous thread that discusses the topic.

quote:Originally posted by Prime Suspect: I was trying to place a new cache last week, and apparently some guy though I looked suspicious. He kept walking up and down the trail while I was searching for a good hiding place. Every time he walked by, I had to hide the ammo box, and look like I was _really_ interested in whatever tree I happened to be standing near. When I was placing my Baker's Quarter-Dozen cache the weekend before last, I had placed my box in it's hiding place, and walked away from it and back several times to get an average waypoint reading...then I sat down at a nearby picnic table to do my caculations. I didn't notice this woman until she was almost on top of me. I have no idea what all she had seen (apparently at least my taking my calculator out and/or putting it back away. She walked up and asked me, "Excuse me, did I just see you put a turtle in your backpack?" "Nope," I said, opening my empty backpack for her to view (relieved that the camo-painted Rubbermaid container was already hidden...so I wouldn't have to explain the oddity). "Oh, ok." she said. "I've noticed some odd looking turtles around here in the past, and wasn't sure what kind they were. I thought you might be able to tell me what kind you had found." "Hmmm," I said, "Sounds interesting. I'll have to keep my eyes open for them." At that point, the lady took her leave, and resumed her jog. I thought her story sounded pretty lame. My suspicion is that she was planning to bust me for making off with a live turtle. (The sign at the entrance of this wildlife preserve explicitly states that there is no hunting or trapping allowed.) I think her story about the "unusual" turtles that she couldn't identify was just a cover story...the quickest thing she could come up with on the fly. After she left, I got to thinking that it must have looked pretty odd for me to be out in the middle of the woods...carrying an EMPTY backpack. I'm glad she didn't ask about that. The next cache I hid, I made a point of putting a few extra things in my backpack...water bottle, a granola bar, a hat and gloves, my camera and cell phone, etc...so I'd at least look semi-legitimate for having the backpack with me. But I wonder, in a situation like I encountered, would it have been better to simply speak up, and tell the lady exactly what I was doing...and show her the cache itself? Or is the average 'layman' likely to respond negatively to the idea...and maybe even go back and steal the cache later? (I'm not sure how much of my activity she observed...but I don't think she actually saw me hide the cache box. I went back this past weekend to check on things, and thankfully, the cache had not been disturbed.)

quote:Originally posted by ClayJar: (See, I'm not dead yet. ) How do we know you didn't send this message from the beyond?

quote:Originally posted by ClayJar: (See, I'm not dead yet. ) How do we know you didn't send this message from the beyond?

quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight: But since I've figured out that rural caches see much less hits, they don't nead all that much maintainece. If any. Rural caches may get fewer Geohunter hits...but I'll bet they have a higher rate of animal tampering.

quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight: But since I've figured out that rural caches see much less hits, they don't nead all that much maintainece. If any. Rural caches may get fewer Geohunter hits...but I'll bet they have a higher rate of animal tampering.

quote:Originally posted by The KGB: You would need a wireless PC to do that, everytime you take a step your coordinates would change, unless you were planning to stand in one place for a few hours or so, if thats the case, go for it. I could do this one, easy, KGB (being the Geocache, I mean). Whenever I get online, I frequently tend to sit in one place for a few hours or so. Sometimes it's difficult to even tear myself away to do some Geocaching.

quote:Originally posted by The KGB: You would need a wireless PC to do that, everytime you take a step your coordinates would change, unless you were planning to stand in one place for a few hours or so, if thats the case, go for it. I could do this one, easy, KGB (being the Geocache, I mean). Whenever I get online, I frequently tend to sit in one place for a few hours or so. Sometimes it's difficult to even tear myself away to do some Geocaching.

It just occurred to me that this discussion thread is listed under the "Unusual" forum. Are female Geocachers really such a minority that it's unusual to see us participating? We've heard from a lot of females here, but does anyone have any idea of the actual stats of the male vs. female Geocacher ratio?

Web-ling, that's the same link as the one I just forwarded above. But the additional commentary was nice.