Rose_Thorn

Hubby is a reluctant cacher and shy of events but a biking event would probably drag him out of his garage. He now rides a Ducati ST2 and I ride pillion so I can admire the countryside and leave the overtaking up to him! (Best not to look anyway!) I was learning to ride his baby Duc (250) but was terrified of dropping it as I don't like to see a grown man cry, so I gave up.

My name sort of gives it away - I'm a female, half-hobbit/half-dugong. At times I have been mistaken for human but my liking for real ale, plentiful vegetarian food and basking in warm water gives away my true identity. I mostly cache with my Lakeland Terror, Sandy. However at times my son, daughter or hubby will accompany me as sometimes I need someone to hold the dog's lead whilst I get down to business. They each have their own caching ID, and will occasionally show a brief flash of enthusiasm for caching when it introduces them to a cool location they haven't visited before. To other female cachers who are afraid to go caching alone, I'd say - give it a go. In most areas you're more likely to get mugged going to the local shops than going out and about caching. Just avoid the local teenage boozing dens of an evening - the proliferation of lager cans and vodka WKD bottle normally gives them away. Exploring a new area by yourself is empowering - it'll give you a whole new sense of freedom!

Hi, thanks for the replies, Yes, I guess I am thinking mainly about the West Pennine Moors. Good idea about contacting the countryside rangers for the area, as certainly the rangers in Bury have been more than helpful when I have contacted them about placing caches in my locality. Now I understand about the United Utilites/North West Water thing as well - the signs were puzzling me I admit, so thanks for clearing that up!

Does anyone know what the NW Water board's policy is on placing caches? I know there are quite a few caches placed around some of their reservoirs and I just wondered whether permission was sought and given. Does anyone know to which department queries should be sent?

I sympathise, though I haven't had anyone pee on me since I was in primary school! But the insults and rudeness - I've had plenty of those kinds of encounters, whilst out caching, walking, cycling or just going to the shops and passing the gangs of chavs that hang around outside. It makes me really angry that they are so disrespectful. I've also had run-ins with youths/men illegally motorbiking on footpaths/bridleways because I tell them off! But one of them threatened to kill my dog if he saw us again - and on another occasion a youth rode into me deliberately whilst I was on my bicycle - fortunately only my handlebars got twisted. Then there was a man in a Suzuki Jeep who nearly ran me over when I told him he should not be driving on the footpath and I refused to get out of his way; youths who insulted me when I told them off for lighting fires in a forest; and men using air rifles on public open land, who gave me some verbal abuse when I told them I was phoning the police if they didn't move on. The trouble is I can't keep my mouth shut if I see people causing a danger to others or causing vandalism. But sometimes they just insult and abuse folks for no reason at all, as in your case. Obnoxious behaviour is a hazard that can be encountered almost anywhere these days, alas; at least if we meet other geocachers on our caching trips we can be pretty sure that they won't cause us any grief, as we are all such polite, civilised people!

I don't really know the answer but I wondered whether it might possibly be a sculpture type thing? I know a lot of places in the Lakes have random "natural" sculptures scattered around the place. The coins do look like they form a bark-pattern and also look as if they may have been varnished over. I know there are loads of coins in the pool at the foot of the biggest waterfall at Aira Force but I think they are there because of superstition. I've often fancied wading in and grabbing a few handfuls but only in my more mercenary moments

Can't believe I missed all the fun - I live just round the corner from that lane! If I'd known I could have got hubby with the Land Rover to tow you out! I often walk down the lane with my dog but have been avoiding it for a while because it has been TOTALLY WATERLOGGED - but then you know that now

Yes, good thinking, because trees don't normally hop.

As I stare out of my window at the rain and the cloud covered hills, I wonder if the weekend will be dry, and if so, how much more likely it is that I shall venture out in search of new caches? I have to admit that clear, dry weather does encourage me to go further afield on caching trips, because I don't really like driving to new places in bad weather. On the other hand, if it's pouring with rain, the carrot of a cache is likely to get me out of the door when really I would rather just stay warm and dry stating, "I think the dog is too tired for a walk today..." If I do going caching in bad weather (it seems to be bad more often than not, actually) I feel very guilty about getting the logbook and cache contents wet - try as I might, it's hard to keep those water droplets out of the cache. I often try to use an umbrella to squat under whilst I open the container and sign the log, but it's tricky with only two hands! It must look funny to passers by as well - they must wonder what on earth I'm up to squatting under an umbrella in the muddy undergrowth! Of course the advantage of an inclement day is that fewer muggles are around, generally speaking. Retrieving and replacing a cache unseen can be decidedly tricky on a hot summer's day in the Lake District for example. So, folks, how about you? Is it a case of "Never mind the weather, Never mind the rain, As long as we are caching, Whoops we go again?"

No, didn't get co-ords for my pressies - however, I did get a bonus from work - all the unclaimed lunchboxes that were cleared out before the start of the Christmas holiday - yippee, look out for more Lancs caches soon!

Hehe...well. thanks to Langden my new cache no longer has to bear its shame! I now have a dilemma myself - write Christmas cards or go out caching....hmmm, let's get those co-ordinates on the GPSr then....

Just wondering, because I put a new cache out over a week ago and no-one has found it yet...it's not like it's out in the backwoods or anything...although...actually, it is Bury...

Or did the cache find the cacher...? A cache with A.I. perhaps!

My hubby is G3OBI and my son is M3ORK but they haven't been active this year. When we were out in the mountains in the Lakes as a family they often put out a call on their handhelds and contacted people mainly through the Appleby repeater or by line of sight. It's just a case of fitting in all the hobbies and other things have taken over now. I passed the foundation exam a few years ago but never got round to getting a call sign and I've forgotten everything I learned now!

My daughter says we have to put up the Christmas decorations next weekend, so maybe I should leave my Santa Dugong until then..but at the school down the road they are having their Christmas fair today, and yesterday I saw a tree with lights on it whilst out caching, so...

BUMP!

Yes, add it to your cache descriptions if you feel the need. It's the compensation age, isn't it? No, it would not stop me seeking your caches because I wouldn't dream of blaming the cache owner if I had an accident trying to find a cache anyway! It would be my own dadgum silly fault, and if I had young kids with me, I would assume total responsibility for their safety as well. People are all too ready to blame other people for anything and everything these days.

Hi Just a plea that people who took coins and TBs from the event will log them. My own dear Litter Bug TB, bless his little heart, is one of these, and I don't know where he is now. I will not sleep until I know he is safe and sound and on his way to another cache...

You could have your ashes buried at a mystery place by a caching friend, who could then send the co-ordinates to all your relatives with a request that they find the cache...er, ash...location to pay their respects. Then at least one of them might be converted to geocaching to carry on your good work in the field.

Having a cannine caching companion seems to be mostly a positive experience for people! Yeah, on the whole I would rather have Sandy with me than not, except for city centre caches where her excited barking would definitely attract attention and give the game away. I wish I could train Sandy to sniff out Tupperware - would have been very useful on quite a few occasions, notably "Allo, Allo, Allo" which took me four attempts to find! (Hidden in heather on top of a moor covered in heather!) If there was a meaty treat in the box, she would have it in no time...but so would every other carnivore within a mile!

Old

Yikes, I meant fairy cakes not tooth cakes! Okay, tooth... ...pick

Cakes

I really enjoy going for walks with my dog and looking for caches at the same time. Having a dog with you is a great disguise when you are hunting for a cache - no-one looks on you suspiciously if you're poking around in bushes because they assume you're looking for your dog's toy or whatever. Likewise, you can pick up a small dog and cover up the cache on your lap when muggles come along! In addition, you feel safer in remote or dark places with a cannine companion. However, my mad Lakeland Terror, whilst a good companion, is also a complete pain when it comes to opening up the box. If it has anything remotely like a soft toy in it, she goes mad trying to claim it as hers. If I take too long signing the log etc, she starts barking hysterically and gives away my location! Also, if I have to enter a field with cows/heifers/bullocks in it, she acts like a magnet and they all come running over to see what she is! And as for taking her in a rowing boat to try and find St Herbert's island cache, that was a disaster! She barked and yapped and tried to get into the lake all the time, and bit my hands as I tried to stop her. At one point she leapt in and I was afraid she would get pulled under by the current or something. You'd have probably heard my curses from the lakeshore! So, what about your caching mutt? Boon or bane? She's so cute though, eh?

I don't actually take much notice of difficulty ratings, but I can see that the terrain ratings would be important for people with limited mobility or families with very young children. I think that specific comments on terrain in the description are helpful if there is anything remarkable about the cache location - like you have to wade through water or it is mostly VERY muddy or steep or whatever. If it's on an army firing range, that is helpful to know about in advance too!