hide & seekers

I don't think there is an "average" geocacher; we're all different but with one thing in common. I'm female, just turned 36. Married but not until I was almost 33. The reluctant hubby is 40 (no, he was not reluctant to get married, just to geocaching sometimes). No, this is not a second marriage for either of us (get that a lot). No, we don't have kids. I work for an investment advisor so I've developed a strong urge to make more money for my retirement! The hubby is a union heavy equipment operator, mostly road work and bridge construction. I don't look athletic or outdoorsy, but I like hiking, biking, and riding my dirt bike. Yes, a real off-road motorcycle. I didn't learn how to ride until I was 32. Yes, I even race motocross sometimes. No, I'm not fast. The hubby likes hiking, biking, and riding his dirt bike too. We like to camp and own a travel trailer covered with motocross stickers. Our truck says "Eat Diesel" on the back. We have one dog, Zoe the German Shepherd, and one black cat with attitude, Shadow. The dog is afraid of the cat, not vice versa.

Hmmm, "Sorry, no gallery images are available." I am missing something? Guess voting doesn't really begin today after all.

Since each TB has its own page, it's easy to miss logging it, in my opinion. I think that if someone logs a cache that has a TB, some sort of alert needs to pop up, DID YOU PICK UP THIS TRAVEL BUG? If so, here's what to do. If not, go on about your day. I know there's forum posts on what to do with a travel bug and I know there's instructions on the geocaching.com website too, but if people have to really LOOK for the info, it's easier to ignore than if it just pops up in their face. BTW: I guess my stats are better. I've found 10 TB, all have been logged within the last month. My own two have just started their journeys so it's too early to tell.

I think gas prices have kept some people from venturing as far. I own a cache about 10 miles from my house, but about 15 or more from a decent sized city. I know that's close for some of you people, but not so much around here. It received an initial flurry of activity, but now hasn't been visited since 7/18. I put my first travel bug in it 20 days ago. I finally put a White Jeep in there. That sat there for four days before it was revisted by previous cacher. He even commented that he couldn't believe the Jeep lasted that long. My poor travel bug is STILL sitting there with zero miles (sigh). StarBrand, you say you think you're the only serious one for miles, and that just might be. But if someone is passing through your area, they might find your cache. I've been in two areas this summer that don't seem to have a lot of active cachers, but at least there were serious ones who placed caches. And I for one, really appreciate that. A friend introduced me to geocaching, and now I am slowly converting my husband. He's more into it now. He even asked me to look up caches for him and his buddies to find this weekend while on a trip. A couple of the guys thought it sounded really cool. A neighbor friend wants to try geocaching too. And my mom, every since she helped me find one. Take someone with you and you just might have a new cacher in the area!

AtlantaGal, that photo is just too cool! Here's my entry: "Traction" with a little bit of "Water Fording" and "Ground Clearance" thrown in

Zoe-dog says she'll offer her best unchewed pig ear!

Some good photos already! I like Jagman714's Up a Creek. Here's my Jeep photo for "Traction," but it fits along with the Water Fording and Ground Clearance goals as well. My entry for "Traction" I'd really like to win a new GPS. I bought ours for my husband and now he complains how much I use it! He's been hogging it when we're out caching together so I need my own now!

AuntieWeasel, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just know the HSUS is one of many animal organizations helping to rescue pets affected by Katrina. All are accepting donations. Choose the one you want. My donation was sent some time ago.

I guess that would be me huh? I have one in mind, I guess I will make it happen. somebody start sweetalkin'. Let me know what I have to do. Maybe I can do one in St. Joseph, possibly LaPorte County.

Hey, I just thought it was a funny story, wasn't asking for any criticism or advice! Yes, we are the land managers. No, they did not have permission to hide it. IT IS NOT A GEOCACHE. Just some kids playing their own version of the game. It probably will eventually become garbage. I will free to discard it at that time. There is no contact information. It is not listed on any website. No, I did not sign their log. I chose not to play their game. Lighten up, I just thought it was funny that a couple of teenagers did this.

My dad called me today to say he found a geocache today. I was surprised because he doesn't have a GPS! He was the site of a cache we placed, an old cemetery my family has taken care of for years, when he found it. So I went out there tonight to check it out. First I was thinking it might be a letterbox (nothing listed on their website), then I was thinking it was placed by a newbie, not knowing I already had one there. Nope, wrong on both accounts. The "cache" contained a letter of explanation saying they were just a couple of teenage girls who wanted to see how many people visited the "haunted" cemetery and how many signed their log and traded items. When I checked my cache, I noticed that they had signed my log! I decided they're probably harmless so I left their "cache." We'll probably remove it come wintertime though since it probably won't hold up well. I probably should find a new hiding place for mine too.

So sorry to hear about your little buddy. My husband lost his dog in 2003 and still misses her terribly. Here's what I did in her memory: Gretchen-dog, the Polish Shepherd

My husband is always asking me "what exactly are we looking for?" I, however, don't always like knowing what I'm looking for, other than the size. To me, that's part of the challenge. Especially on micros! What's everyone's opinion? Do you get annoyed when a cache owner doesn't include a description?

ohmygosh, I just looked up NudeCacher's profile and (gasp!) gallery. Glad I live a looooong way away!

AtlantaGal, I've been following some of the animal rescue efforts from Katrina. There's also many many people who refused to leave because they wouldn't leave their pets. My hurricane donation went to the Humane Society to help with their efforts. Just read some of the stories on their website, www.hsus.org. That'll get the tears going too! All the dog stories are great! I love to here about our furry geocaching partners!

Kathy, I think your idea of a special TB is a great idea! I looked up caches in Louisiana out of curiousity and the activity was (of course) eerily silent. BTW: I'm glad you mentioned the animals and pets. I made my contribution to the Humane Society (www.hsus.org) for Katrina Disaster Relief.

I got my girl Zoe (my caching partner Zoe-dog) when I adopted her from a junk yard. She was not a good guard dog for them. The business had placed an ad for a free female 1yr old German Shepherd. I went and saw her on my lunch hour. She was thin and scrawny and very excitable. The lady in charge of the adoption told me that from the people who had come to see her, one man wanted her to breed her and that another man wanted to get her and feed her gunpowder to make her mean. I was undecided at first but then Zoe decided to lay down on my feet when I tried to leave. That clinched it for everyone. The lady later told me Zoe was mine if I wanted her. She said Zoe had never done anything like that before and that she knew that Zoe wanted to go with me. That was 10 years ago this October. Zoe is now 11 and is still going strong. She was my companion when I was single, and now my husband loves her just as much as I do. Zoe loves going geocaching with me. My husband's late dog Gretchen never got to experience geocaching so we recently created a travel bug for her.

I've only seen logs of a few white Jeeps in my area. Some have been picked up and still remain in a cacher's hands. Others have left the area. I managed to get my first white Jeep today, but only because it was placed into my own cache today and I was able to send out my husband to pick it up. Since I felt a little guilty about getting it from my own cache, so I posted that I will move it along ASAP (I hope within a week) and I even posted that I'll be placing it back in one of my caches. I'd like other local cachers to have chance to log it and submit photos. I've even narrowed it down for them where it will go!

Can anyone recommend some caches in/near Turkey Run SP? Planning on heading that way this weekend. (yeah, another vacation!). I see there's one called Turkey Run Stash. Any others in the park? We might have to check out some of the covered bridge ones too. Years ago the reluctant hubby (then the exciting boyfriend!) and I camped there over a very warm Thanksgiving weekend. We spent a day driving around, finding the covered bridges. We had a really bad map so it was a pleasant surprise each and everytime we finally found one. I think we had more fun than if we actually had the good map! Kinda like finding the cache with no description, no directions.

. . . you dream about finding caches!

I've only found a handful of micro caches, but in my experience, it's not SEEING it so much as FEELING it. Nearly all have been a magnetic container of some sort. My husband found a bison tube with a tiny magnet simply because he felt the area completely and I didn't. We've also seen film canisters and other small tubes tied into shrubbery. My favorite micro was on a tree. The micro had a magnet on the back and a piece metal fastened to the tree so it'd stick. The container had bark glued to it so it matched perfectly.

I was a WG member long before I discovered geo-caching, although I was never obsessive about it like some are. I recently took a WG dollar from a cache in Ohio. I logged it simply as "got it at a rest plaza on the Ohio Turnpike" and didn't mention that I had found it in a cache. I am including the same dollar in a new cache I'm placing. The next person who picks it up can do with it as they wish. I don't see anything wrong with it. BTW: I'm also including in that new cache a paperback that I registered with Bookcrossing.com. Again, the person who picks it up can do whatever they want with it. Someone probably mentioned that the WG website does not endorse the marking of currency with the WG website or in any other way. They discourage it, in fact.

I try to take pictures of TBs if it is part of their mission. I don't always take pics just for the heck of it though. I'm getting ready to release two travel bugs of my own. The missions for both bugs request photos.

Thanks for the additions! We travel along the Turnpike twice a year, so now I have some caches to check on for the next time. Brady's Leap and Interstate Love Song are across the highway from each other. Plaza West does have a twin in Plaza East but it is disabled at the present time.

Well I never got any responses, but if anybody else is interested, I did manage to find three: "Interstate Love Song" Turnpike Rest Stop - West Brady's Leap Turnpike Rest Stop Plaza West