angevine

Well, just to play devil's advocate for a moment, you're making an assumption –– that it's being done to promote people's egos -- and I'm not sure that that's necessarily true. Many people feel that they want to leave something of themselves behind. I'm one of them: I'm still trying to locate a source that I can afford of the signature items I'd like to leave in caches. Cards can serve the same end: to leave something personal of/about yourself behind. I don't think that the cards will ever be as overwhelming a presence as you seem to fear, and as I say nearly every day, everyone plays the geocaching game a little differently. A lot of people play it in ways I find appalling. Does it make sense to try and change them? Might as well tilt at windmills. Enjoy geocaching the way that you like to do it, and if you don't like signature cards, don't read them; do what you like to do, and move on. -- Jeannette

One trusts that the class, whatever it was, explored all sorts of different caches. There are almost as many ways to play as there are geocachers. I hope the instructor had the expertise and the good sense to give them a taste of everything -- micros, deep-woods-hike caches, puzzle caches, multis, etc. It certainly would not be a good introduction to the hobby to only show one way it's done, and a real disservice to all the myriad different caches out there. -- Jeannette (working on her own next multi as we speak)

I think it's a grand idea, though the practicality of it may prove difficult. One of the major things I've learned through geocaching (and it became a great life-lesson) is that you cannot send things out into the world and expect them to behave the way you want them to. Nor can you expect *people* to behave the way you want them to. Try it, by all means; but don't be disappointed if it never comes back. - Jeannette

Yeah, I'll admit that the first few times I found a golf ball in a cache I thought it was strange – I'm not a golfer and I couldn't imagine that there are that many golfers out there geocaching. But very quickly I realized what you're reading in the responses here: that a number of people do really like them. I'm fine with that, but I have to say that I still think it's a little odd. The only swag I really consider lame is something dirty and/or broken. To me, that shows a lack of respect for the cache, the cache-placer, and other cache-finders. *Very* early on I stopped even looking at/for swag. I do pass along travel bugs and so on, but the way I play the game, it's about the search, the find, and the log. Jeannette

The reality is that some caches are placed with more care than others. A lot of times it seems as though the hider didn't take the time to get a really good reading, or to create a "better" (obviously a subjective opinion) hide. I also once pointed out a problem to someone whose coordinates were *clearly* off, and that person reacted defensively. In other words, I'm not sure that you can assume that everyone will take any criticism as constructive, especially if you're not very careful with your language. To me, a DNF is indeed a call to recheck the cache myself; but, again, none of us can assume that anyone else plays the game the same way that we do. I'm reminded of that nearly every day ... in geocaching, and in life. -- Jeannette

Well, actually, there *is* a point. There was a memorial service a week or so ago for someone on Second Life who recently died (in real life) of a rare form of Parkinson's. I was interested because my father-in-law died in January, and had been suffering over a period of years with his decreased mobility and abilities due to Parkinson's. One of the things mentioned at this service was how much this person's life had been enriched in the last year of his life by his participation in Second Life. Through it, he participated in many things he could not do in real life, including sailboat racing. Before we're too quick to judge others and to say how something "should" be done, perhaps we can think of those who cannot access "real" caches, cannot hike through the woods, cannot use a GPS because they cannot leave the room they're in. I spend a great deal of my time outdoors, and am not advocating that anyone abandon that for any kind of virtual world. But maybe when you're out there enjoying this wonderful spring weather you could spare a thought for people who can't, and give them room to geocache in whatever way works for them. If I were ever incapacitated physically, I hope that this community would not tell me I was doing it wrong if I wanted to continue to geocache online in SL.

Whether or not the cache finder should have posted that note, and whether or not Scott should have responded to it, that's all really "eye of the beholder" stuff. What I find interesting (and unfortunate) is that it echoes something what many of us have felt at one time or another about a number of activities -- "you think this is *fun*?" Okay, so maybe we don't "get" it -- but why then does it seem to raise so much strong emotion? Why do people feel the need to take that extra step and *insult* the person who *does* enjoy the activity? That kind of response, bordering on visciousness, implies that there's a lot more going on there than just dismissing an activity in which one has no interest. I remember clearly a time when I had that reaction. I was in my mid-twenties and was dating someone who really liked going out to clubs -- night after night after night. And I tried to keep up, because I really did have a crush on this person. Finally one night we're sitting at this table and cannot talk because of the level of the music and the lights are giving me a headache and everyone around me is a little (or very) impaired, and I nudge my companion and yell, as sarcastically as I can, "So this is fun -- why, exactly?" Part of me really wanted to know. And part of me was looking at a scene that I obviously didn't fit into and needing to feel superior to it, somehow, precisely because I didn't fit in. The fact that I didn't want to was irrelevant: I didn't belong, and that made me uncomfortable. And people do odd things when they're uncomfortable. Like lashing out at the people who *do* feel comfortable. If I can't belong, then I'll say it's not worth belonging. We see it on the playground all the time. And adults do it too, they just try to be more subtle, more sophisticated about it. But it's the same thing, really. The reality is that most of the time, people who urge you to "get a life" are simply projecting: they're the ones who, in fact, need to get a life.

I've tended to stick to travel bugs with caches (probably because one finds a great deal more of them in caches than one does geocoins!), but there are a lot of other things you can do. My husband, Paul "NotThePainter" Cezanne, has a number of terrific coin-logging ideas. He has one you can log if you meet him on the trail; another you can log if you buy him a beer (this in deference to our three-times-yearly geo-event, Bread and Roses, held at an Irish pub!), and the "I'm-as-crazy-as-NotThePainter" coin for those who meet him out on a first-to-find run. He also gives out unactivated geocoins for the FTF on each of his notoriously difficult puzzle caches. I'm actually as we speak purchasing my own first unactivated geocoin: my book, "Open Your Heart with Geocaching," is coming out in May, so at our June Bread & Roses event I'll be happy to share the coin with anyone who buys a copy of the book! (For those of you not attending, you'll also be able to log the coin if you send me proof-of-purchase from your local independent bookseller or whatever online book source you prefer. Yeah, some people will cheat. I'm not naive, just hopeful.) Jeannette (angevine) Manchester, NH & Provincetown, MA

I love night caching, in the same way that I love reading scary stories -- it gives a little frisson, an adrenaline rush, that you don't generally get when you're caching in the ordinary manner. One of the things that I find extraordinary is the way one's vision changes. As a driver, I've always felt I had poor night vision. But out in the woods, with just the pencil-thin beam of light, it feels like what's in the light is sharp and focused and amazingly clear. No peripheral vision, of course; but an extraordinary experience all the same. Jeannette "Open Your Heart With Geocaching" www.JeannetteCezanne.com

I remember, both the first one I found and the first one I (sort of) placed. Bitter cold winter day, and my husband (NotThePainter) and I chose to do one by the Charles River -- yikes! But the thrill of finding it (especially as we were about to give up) was terrific, and I get that same frisson now when I first catch sight of a hidden cache. I was consulting for Rational Software (now part of IBM) in Lexington (Mass.) and found the lovely little spot that became NotThePainter's "Bridge Over the River Something" cache. There was a thrill in that, too: finding a wonderful place and then sharing it with the geocaching world. It's one of the most magical parts of geocaching, to me: being able to experience a place that someone else thought was beautiful, or important, or touching in some way. Jeannette "Open Your Heart with Geocaching" www.JeannetteCezanne.com

I see that you wrote this response in 2005, Jeremy. That may have been true then, about the goal being to explore the outdoors. But the first time a micro went on a lamp-post in a Wal-Mart parking lot, it's changed for a lot of people. There's nothing adventurous or outdoorsy about Wal-Mart. And the fact that these caches are routinely approved says to me that the goal hs shifted somewhat. Frankly if it's a choice between geocaching on Second Life and hopping in and out of a car in parking lots, I think I'd choose the former, despite what my book says about geocaching enabling people to explore the outdoors. Jeannette www.JeannetteCezanne.com

As others have pointed out, this will probably not be allowed. But even if you do make it a multi, you can still have a theme running through it that could reflect the "treasure trail" idea, especially if you're creative. Maybe go from rainbow to rainbow until you end up at the pot of gold? Something like that? If you're doing it just so people can rack up numbers -- well, then you're really going the "lame micro-cache" route. But if you're doing it as a creative whole and a potentially great adventure, and you can clear it with your approver, why not? Jeannette www.JeannetteCezanne.com

We *are* a community, whether we acknowledge it or not. And the way that we behave affects everyone in the community. I have come across caches that were clearly poorly put back in place, with minimal effort to hide them; but I've also come across many that had been re-hidden with care. How cachers behave vis-a-vis the public is important to all of us. Cachers who ignore posted signs, who are rude to people who ask them what they're doing (or inarticulate in explaining geocaching), who don't follow CITO precepts as they go about seeking caches can be as detrimental to the hobby as those who place questionable caches. I always go in with the expectation of finding something wonderful. After all, the person who hid the cache is inviting me into their world, bringing me to a place that is significant to them in some way (beautiful, interesting, etc.), and I'm honored to be able to share that. It's not a bad attitude toward caching ... or life! Jeannette www.JeannetteCezanne.com

My name is angevine. I grew up in Angers, France, and a woman from that region (Anjou) is known as an angevine (a man is an angevin). Those of you who studied French history will remember the Angevin kings, who were from Anjou. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Made a couple of mistakes in choosing it: 1) although in French the first "a" is lowercased, I should have uppercased it; has created some confusion; 2) I didn't stop to think about how people might pronounce it. It's actually pronounced ahn-ge-veen, not that it's obvious to others, as I found at my first geo-event when I was referred to as ange-vine (to rhyme with fine), which sounds a little like someone from a country-western song. But such is life.... Jeannette www.Jeannettecezanne.com

My husband (NotThePainter) and I (well, mostly him) are involved with the virtual world site of Second Life (in fact, he maintains a review site at SecondSeeker.com that tells new members places in SL they might like to visit – NotThePainter does it all!). Since Second Life has activities that parallel many in real life, we've been wondering if there's any geocaching going on there. At one point while online I thought I saw someone belonging to "SL Geocachers," which indicates that there is some geocaching going on, but I'm not sure how to access information about it. I'd love to hear more about it ... and perhaps find my own first Second Life geocache! Anyone here have any information? Jeannette (Sherpa Voyager in SL) www.JeannetteCezanne.com

Oh, yes! I'm very fortunate in that I work for myself, and mostly from my home office. I own a company that provides business/marketing writing and editing services (www.customline.com), as well as doing a significant amount of writing on my own. So I'm either working at home, or traveling to a client site or to research a book or article. Either way, it's perfect for geocaching! As long as I am available for occasional conference calls, and get the work done, *when* I do it is pretty much up to me. Now if I could just get enthused about becoming a first-to-find hound! Jeannette www.jeannettecezanne.com

I'm a lurker, and *seriously* have no right to be. I've been part of geocaching since 2005. I host three geoevents every year (Bread & Roses, in Manchester, NH). I cache more than it looks like on my account, since I generally forget to log my finds (though I do write nice long notes in the logbooks!). And I even have written a book on geocaching. So you'd think I'd have something to say here. However, it wasn't until recently in a conversation with my partner NotThePainter that the topic came up. I mentioned a thread I'd been reading in the forums, and he said, "What did you say about it?" "Nothing," I confessed. "Ah. You have the time to tell me about it, but you don't have the time to communicate with the actual people involved." I do so hate it when NotThePainter is right. But he is in this case. So while I'm a current lurker, I promise to start contributing more! (Okay, Paul?) Jeannette www.jeannettecezanne.com

I'm trying to find a happy medium in what I carry. It's really easy to go too far in one direction or the other. Right now I'm using an old European army rucksack, and since I go in the woods quite a lot, I do carry safety gear. Knife, flashlight, first-aid kit, bug spray, space blanket; all that is non-negotiable. And water, too, of course; and a couple of energy bars. I stopped carrying a lot of things I used to have, but that's no reflection on me -- my caching partner, NotThePainter, and I tend to bring compementary things. If we ever got separated, it would be a Bad Thing indeed. I will say that I tried over-the-shoulder messenger bags and it just felt uncomfortable. The backpack-rucksack model works much better for me. That way I can put it on and then forget about it. NotThePainter has found that the packs with hydration units in them work well for him (and I have to say that often I find it easier to drink from his pack than to haul out my own water bottle!), and that's something I'd recommend to anybody. Camelbak makes some nice ones. They're really small for cycling, but there are larger ones that can carry quite a lot. His is from Backcountry.com -- they have great products and in addition are an ongoing sponsor of our Bread & Roses geoevents in Manchester. Check them out, please! Jeannette www.jeannettecezanne.com

Absolutely! I'm still at the proposal stage now, so a few weeks is fine. I truly appreciate it! --- angevine

Perhaps I hadn't considered the "new experiences" angle of it. That's very interesting. (For me, it's been the camaraderie -- I'm not a "joiner" by nature so don't have much experience of groups of people who do something, and it's been a bit of a revelation to get to know so many people through the activity. When we gave our first geo-event I was astonished at the number of people who came!) What were some of your best, most memorable, most enriching new experiences via geocaching?

I'm working on a book that will look at geocaching in a broader perspective – as a way of enriching one's life (through a deeper appreciation of the outdoors, of friends, of family, of solitude, of nature, of whatever it is that geocaching helps you appreciate more). You can also look at it as whether geocaching helps you connect more – to your own sense of spirituality, or God, or your inner self. Do you find geocaching an enriching experience? If you do, and you're willing to share your experiences/thoughts/meditations with me for the book (you may choose to be named or to have your name changed), please email me at angevine@aya.yale.edu. If you have something you'd like to share here, also, please go ahead! My husband, NotThePainter, tells me that for him it's partly competition and partly a walk in the woods. But I've always felt that it's made me more appreciative both of the earth and of the creativity of my fellow geocachers. I'd love to hear what you think. Thank you! Jeannette Cezanne (angevine!)

I know that many people find this a non-issue; but, frankly, it would break my heart if I created a cache and someone "found" it before it went live. I'd probably stop geocaching altogether. For me, part of the joy of creating a cache is the excitement and anticipation of watching it go live, waiting to see when someone will follow the directions, waiting for that first log. All of that would disappear with a pre-find. Personally, I think it's a rotten thing to do to soemone who has gone to the trouble to create a cache for your caching pleasure – it's a slap in the face, saying I don't give a d*** what you want, I'm going to go ahead and do what *I* want, to take what isn't mine. I know that there are different ways of geocaching. But this is a real good way to discourage people from playing. Jeannette (angevine)