FiveDollarGuitar

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am not sweating the swag at all. I am sincerely excited to do my part, and to do it creatively. Like I said, I wanna do this the way it is meant to be done, with a little heart. I am a crafty person anyhow, and I enjoy making stuff, so what a great way to share that stuff with the people who take the time to follow the hunt. No sweat at all. Mainly I mentioned it because I want to put a message out there to you cachers who have been doing this for sometime now (long enough to see how it has played out over one-ten years) that there are still newbies coming into this with a great wonder and respect for the game. Newbies with every intention of keeping the game going or even adding just a little bit summin summin new to make it just that little bit better. I would guess that in a game like this, the more people who set out to make it fun/creative/exciting the better the game will be for the community that is Geocaching. I will make my signature pieces because, well, because I want to. ; ) Hopefully some will want to take them home with them or pass them on!! Thanks for reading this Intemp, and for replying!

Thanks to you and Grayson for taking the time to both read that loooooong post, and reply!! great to meet ya both!

anyone who responds to this post of mine, if you don't mind could you tell me how long you have been geocaching? thank you.

Yes, it is true, when learning about geocaching many searchengine results will lead you to these forums. It is an excellent point you have made about the ton and behaviour of those posting here. Lucky, I am thick skinned and other then my introduction posts, I do not think I will have too much need for these forums. Maybe for questions along the way. I have learned, along with the things I wanted to learn, too much I could have lived my whole geocaching life without ever learning. The drama stuff, and rumors, and bickering. Personally, not my cup o tea. I plan on participating for the positive experience and if that means less or no time in the forum and more time outside hunting or hiding caches, well...... you won't see me crying. No matter where you go in life you will find good and you with find, well.... a little dusty and worn. There is both positive and negative to be had or to be. We all make our choice on which to be and which to be "in". While, like I said, I have seen and read things here I could have gone forever and a day without reading, it hasn't discouraged me from wanting to play the game, the way I think and understand the game was meant to be played. So "HELLO!" and thanks for having me here. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=248662 you can read my message to all post, if you like. much respect~ 5$

Hello Fellow Hunters and Gatherers!! I am thrilled to have been turned on to this game of geocaching (I did say thrilled right?) I guess I should first start with the "how" this happened. I received a phone call from a cousin recently who wanted to share with me the adventures she had been having; me: hello how the hell are you? her: ok, don't call me crazy. this is going to sound weird at first but it is really fun. all my friends thing I am a goofball for this, but ..alright, have you heard about this geocaching game yet? me: geowhat? her: geocaching (giggles) me: geocatching? her: no caching! me: geocashing? her: C... A.... C... H... I.... N.... G.... (poor girl, I made her spell it like four times!) me: uhhhhh, nope. her: so this is how it works (insert brief breakdown of the game) me: sounds really interesting. are you sure there are some by me (she is in the midwest, I am in FLorida) her: they are EVERYWHERE!!! me: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (ok just kidding, I wasn't scared at all) She proceeds to tell me about some of her cache hunting adventures. She told me about some travel bugs, and some kind of key chain collection thingy with keychains from all over the friggin place. I was intrigued. I come to the site, and enter in my zip (I suppose that is how all of you got started) and low and behold, YES caches are EVERYWHERE> and what is even cooler is that some are hidden in some of my favorite little scenic spots. Spots where I like to walk, or catch a sunset, or watch the manatees or other wildlife. Spots that I seldom see other people, or very few. I took this as a sign. You see, I was sitting just 2 nights before in a location, looking out over the bay (no dock for you song lovers, just a seawall) and unbeknownst to me there was a cache hidden less then 20ft from where I sat!! The next chance I got I gave it a go, and knowing the location so well, I had no trouble locating the stash, I mean cache. I checked the contents, read the log a bit, but I didn't log. I did leave some swag behind because it was fun to do that and I had read the "geocaching for dummies" briefly before heading out. Late that night while the rest of my household slept I went a hunting for as much understandable information I could cram. I watched youtube videos,read blogs, I more carefully read the "geocaching for dummies" log, I read forums here, I looked at maps, and I googled endless questions I had along the way. Granted, a fair percentage of these questions involved googling the acros/terms that you geocachers use!! Muggles.... HA! I think I get it. I mean I get it enough to play. I do not have a GPS, but I do have other means (as some of you well know these means, since i found them on forums and blogs about geocaching) I can see how a GPS is likely to become a necessary implement should I only get further into this adventure. I also am thinking (for now anyhow) the more "off the beaten path" or not PGs (see I did learn somethings) are going to be more to my liking. We will see how that pans out. I can already feel it as I drive through town...... "there might be cache there, or there or there!!!" maybe I might hit just a few suburban nano/micros, but I do like the fun-sized cache ideas! (meaning ones with swag and trinkets) While reading up on this game I came across several things I do not want to know about geocaching. Likely those things that are inevitable, but never were thought to be an outcome of the game. But we are humans, eh? For example, I learned of other cache sites and drama surrounding them. I heard of vandalized caches, or caches filled with nothing but garbage.... or worse! (I will touch a little more on this topic in the next paragraph) I want to say that anything negative I found about geocaching or it counterparts (friend or foe) discouraged me not one little itty bitty bit. I LOVE THIS IDEA! All I can think about is the possibilities. The possible places I will find that I didn't know were right in my neighborhood, new parks, new lookouts, new trails. I think about the awesome potential of art and sharing art. The information I found about signature items was so inspiring that I spent the last two days thinking A LOT about what I might create and share. The great joy of getting out in a time and place, and age (not that I am old, just busy) because I am pushed, "called" to do so by the adventure and the unknowns. Just like when I was young and the world was my playground. Even if discovering the unknowns means knowing after I found the cache it has been neglected or simply pillaged. I think I can live with that. I hope so. I do not want to ever find myself in a place as some posters seem to be after years of geocaching where they are a litttle miffed and discouraged by the lack of participation and friendly guidelines of the game. While reading the forums and other sites discussing caches I have discovered, particularly in my area, that some hub-bub has come about over cache swag being of a weaker, or just plain junk, genre. Well, my fellow local geocachers I give you my word as a unpaid free-member newbie that my intentions are to put as much "good" into circulation as possible. I want you locals to know that geocaching has inspired an outdoors girl with a missing of outdoors things to take back to the trails and back to her creative, imaginative, child-like wandering wondering ways!! I have decided not to go to anymore caches in the coming days. I designed and I am creating a signature stamp to seal all my signs into any log books. I will, in the mean time, also be working on some homemade signature crafts to add to all caches I visit. In the theme of environmental consciousness I will be making my trinkets and charms of at least a 1/3 portion recycled or gathered materials. Over the years I have collected many stones, and mini pinecones, and dried flowers, and various other odds and ends that have always been a symbol to me of the great world we have been given for each of our times. This world we all share, as it so endlessly shares with us. I have plans to incorporate them into my designs. Until the time that said stamp is finished, and my first few signature pieces are constructed I will not visit anymore caches. If I am to do this, I want to do it the way it was intended. With some thought, some care, some creativity, some love, and much respect. I hope that any of you who do find my signature pieces enjoy them. Keep them, or pass them along. I would really like to see one get to my cousin in the midwest (anyone with any suggestions how to help this to happen, please let me know) I look so forward to getting positively addicted to this game!! So geocachers, good to meet you all, thank you for being a kind cacher and MAY THE WORLD ALWAYS BE OUR PLAYGROUND!! much respect~ 5$ (ps, if you read all of this, you deserve a hug)