idajo2

Craig . . the "you're okay" part is incredibly good news! The losses are replaceable .. you're not!!

Please join the Washington State Geocaching Association - Southwest Chapter - for an early spring Cache In Trash Out event at Vancouver Lake Park. Rain or shine, helping prepare the park for a busy summer season will be the goal of the geocachers who are teaming up for some much needed trash clean-up and general spiffing-up in this heavily-used park. Time: Saturday, April 30, 2011, 9:00am-12pm Please plan to arrive by 9:00. The Clark County Department of Public Works will provide parking fee waivers for geocachers attending this CITO event; additional information regarding the waivers will be posted as the event date approaches. Place: 6801 NW Lower River Road, Vancouver, Washington From the main entrance, turn left - drive around the roundabout into the parking area. The "base of operations" will be located in the picnic area between the parking lot and the water. Look for the WSGA - Southwest Chapter - banner and the CITO Flag! Additional information may be found here: INFO We hope to see geocachers in the Southwest Washington/Northwest Oregon areas there!

Southwest Washington CITO site FOUND. Once details are finalized, I'll post additional information. Jo / idajo2

The Washington State Geocaching Association (WSGA) - Southwest Chapter - will be holding our first 2011 CITO event on Saturday, April 30th - in conjunction with many thousands of geocachers around the world. I had hoped to schedule the "official" CITO/Cache in Trash Out event at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge; unfortunately, the Refuge will not be scheduling volunteer activities in April and May so another location is being sought. If you have a location suggestion (park/trail system/lake/campground/recreation/river area) that could benefit from an enthusiastic group of volunteer geocachers who will gladly help with clean-up, restoration and/or rehabilitation PLEASE let me know and we can go from there. It's important to remember that we need to collaborate with organizations/landowners/overseers in order to schedule an event - suggestions are encouraged as soon as possible!! Many of our local cachers have hides located in southwestern Washington parks/woodland areas/river or lake locations and have noticed adjacent areas that really could use some clean-up/fix-up help. CITO events are one way geocachers can say "thanks" for the fun we have! Many thanks! Jo / idajo2 WSGA Southwest Chapter Representative

Please add: Saturday, February 19, 2011 - WSGA - Southwest Chapter - CENTRALIA MEET 'n' GREET (GC2MX8X) Many thanks!! idajo2

Howdy and welcome back to the area! My name is Jo; my nick is idajo2 and I'm the 2011 WSGA (Washington State Geocaching Association) Chapter rep. Part of what I do, as a Chapter Rep, is host events and organize activities (CITO, etc.) for geocachers in the southwest part of the state - including Longview. I posted quite a bit of "events and activities information" to the WSGA Forum just yesterday! I hope you'll take a moment to click on the link and look it over! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Registering on the WSGA website is free and I can be reached from there, from here or from gc.com. I hope to hear from you soon! Jo/idajo2

Mark was my friend; I'll miss him. My heart aches but I know that he is no longer in pain; for that I'm grateful. Go with God, my dear, and rest in peace.

What a nice tribute to Brian . . I've just arrived home after attending the memorial service in Kenmore . . it was very well attended and - as I feel it should be - filled with special memories, hugs, tears and laughter. I spoke with Tee and Laurie on my way back home to Ridgefield and they both felt the small memorial gathering in Sumas was a very meaningful time for all who attended.

I'll be there as well.

A memorial is a wonderful idea. I always associate Brian with Lord Hill park - it was near his base of Monroe, we celebrated his #1000 there (see pic earlier in this thread), etc. I agree - Lord Hill Park was the first thing that came to my mind too. It seems very fitting to hold it outdoors in a beautiful park that he liked. One of the aspects I love most about geocaching is the inclusiveness that goes hand-in-hand with the activity we all love. Regardless of age, physical condition, athletic prowess (or, in my case, the lack thereof), size, shape, ability or (again, in my case) disability - geocaching has something to offer everyone. When Brian and I cached together he was, without fail, thoughtful and attentive to the need for location/terrain with easy accessibility. I absolutely agree that Brian would love the fact that his friends want to gather together to celebrate his life in a location he loved. However, my suggestion is that - if Lord Hill Park is chosen - location, parking and terrain be taken into consideration so ALL who wish to attend may do so - without undue hardship.

What a very very sad time this is for Brian's many friends, for his family and for those of us who kept him (always) in our thoughts and prayers. My heart aches but I believe Brian is now at peace and free from pain - for that I am very grateful.

Glenn, I feel certain that the National Distinguished Elementary School Principal from Washington award is not given by the National Association of Elementary School Principals without considering the stellar qualities that define excellence. Your enthusiasm, your passion for teaching (and learning!), your belief in, and support of, today's youth reflect your dedication to education. Congratulations. Jo Dunn / idajo2

Well now, that was a whole lotta FUN! I reported for my 8am to noon shift at the Convention Center and was directed to the "funny guy in the big hat" at a table close to the registration area; before long I found myself in a big funny/wizardy hat (!) holding a magic wand (the Conference theme was "Magic") and having a terrific time!! One of the many reasons I love caching is that it affords me the opportunity to meet folks and share my er. . . enthusiasm for the hobby. The NCCE Conference was the perfect venue .. I met teachers who cache, I met cachers who teach and I met teachers who - as a result of their short intro to Geocaching at the Conference - WILL cache and will encourage the young minds they encounter to experience all of the fun, the learning experience(s) and the challenge Geocaching represents. I can't let this opportunity pass without a mention of a huge bonus I took away from this volunteer experience. I was truly honored to spend time with people who have chosen to step up to the plate and teach our young people not only the "three R's - Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic" but life/coping/social skills as well. The dedication to education I saw reflected at the Conference was truly amazing . . and watching GEMs interact with the young people who came to our table was truly humbling. A natural-born teacher/principal is a joy to behold and GEM's is one of those . . thank you, GEM's, for allowing me to be a part of this fun and educational experience! I'm looking forward to being invited next time! Thanks to WeightMan for suggesting I volunteer this year .. I'm glad I took him up on the suggestion!! Additionally, thanks to another volunteer, Steve - who teaches in Sequim, for joining me in the "photo op" . . complete with hat 'n' magic wand!

I can do Friday - 8 to noon. Please let me know where, how and what! Jo / idajo2

Geocachers, world-wide, woke this morning to find geocaching.com up and running. Jubilation reigned! What we didn't see were the long hours (and hours!) of worry, waiting and work that it took to bring it back online. Elias, thank you. I know how much I am looking forward to my time away from work next month. If I got called back, for whatever reason, only to find that I was going to have to work - literally, around the clock - to deal with an emergency - well, I'm sure you handled it with grace and aplomb; I hope you're sleeping as I type! Jeremy, bless you - your tweets were invaluable to so many. I often sit in Clayjar's IRC channel, #geocache. Cacher-after-cacher passed through the channel, yesterday, hoping for information, answers and reassurance. Thanks to your frequent updates, we were able to pass your information along (and, I hope, reassure!). I know you had several sleepless nights. From what I've observed over the years, the Groundspeak gang is a close-knit, dedicated group. I imagine there were many more folks - behind the scenes - who were integral parts of the disaster recovery team Thanks to you all.

Hi Anna . . I'm not much of a poster so I hope this appears in the correct format. I made mention of this outstanding multi-cache a while back and it's definitely worth repeating: The multi-cache I find myself visiting . . over and over again . . is Kubota Garden. Kubota is a tucked-away gem in Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood that offers those lucky enough to visit the opportunity to immerse themselves in a spectacular blend of native Northwest plants and Japanese garden design. Regardless of season, Kubota offers a restful and relaxing refuge set amongst streams, waterfalls, bridges, hills and valleys. WeightMan gave careful consideration to his placement of the six waypoints; the result is a spectacular tour of the Garden that leaves visitors looking forward to experiencing the changes that winter, spring, summer and fall bring to this meticulously maintained Historic Landmark. I've been to Kubota three four times in the past few years; I've joined fellow cachers on their visits and will be returning shortly with my sister in tow! When you visit, perhaps we'll meet on the Red Bridge! p.s. If I could imagine the *best* cache ever it would be very much like this one - a blend of beauty, historical significance and a desire to perpetuate the experience! I think you, and your children, would enjoy Kubota . . you don't see many gardens like it - anywhere! idajo2

Oh my!! Was it something I said?!?!?! I can't think of anyone who has contributed more to this obsession - with the sole intent to make it a quality experience for one and all. My best wishes are belated but most sincere; you'll be (very much) missed.

The multi-cache I find myself visiting . . over and over again . . is Kubota Garden. Kubota is a tucked-away gem in Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood that offers those lucky enough to visit the opportunity to immerse themselves in a spectacular blend of native Northwest plants and Japanese garden design. Regardless of season, Kubota offers a restful and relaxing refuge set amongst streams, waterfalls, bridges, hills and valleys. WeightMan gave careful consideration to his placement of the six waypoints; the result is a spectacular tour of the Garden that leaves visitors looking forward to experiencing the changes that winter, spring, summer and fall bring to this meticulously maintained Historic Landmark. I've been to Kubota three times in the past few years; I've joined fellow cachers on their visits and will be returning shortly with my sister in tow! When it's your time to visit, I'll look forward to meeting you on the Red Bridge! p.s. If I could imagine the *best* multi-cache it would be very much like this one - a blend of beauty, historical significance and a desire to perpetuate the experience!

2008 Toyota Yaris . . took delivery in early October (2007) and it'll soon be hitting 10,000 miles! My 60-mile RT commute racks up the miles in a hurry! Commute mpg is running in the 30-32 range and highway about 41 mpg - I can't complain - I needed an economical car and that's what I got! The good gas mileage makes weekend caching jaunts a bit less traumatic but I still feel the pain when I fill it up! I love caching in my little TB on wheels .. it turns on a dime (gotta love those u-turns!) and parking isn't often a problem. The only problem I've encountered is when I need to be in "stealth mode" . . . I park this overgrown Christmas ball at the end of a road and it rarely goes unnoticed for long.

While riding to a geocache, What to my surprise. A little Nash rambler was following me, About one third my size. The cacher must've wanted the FTF As he kept on tooting his horn. I'll show him that a fellow cacher is not a guy to scorn! *BEEP*BEEP* *BEEP*BEEP* My horn went *BEEEEP*BEEEEP*BEEP*!! (with sincere apologies to The Playmates)

Echo & R.T. made a valid point about the value of past logs when paperless caching - I often rely on past finder's logs when it's just me 'n' my PDA. As a (relatively) new cacher, I LEARN from logs; having the benefit of another cacher's experience at a cache site can be invaluable. It was from a past log that I learned about a wasp's nest at a trailside location - that didn't deter me from finding the "4-sting cache" but at least I was forewarned! Previous finders often mention issues/concerns that didn't exist when the cache was published, i.e., downed trees, snakes (!!), water issues, road closures, and "next cacher please bring a new baggie/pencil/log sheet" container needs - among other things! I look forward to the "tips-n-tricks", the humor - limericks count! - the humanity and the unique perspectives fellow cachers share in their logs. Not unlike the Forums, eh? You asked, "Is it wrong not to log your caches . . ?" Dr. Seuss said it well, "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the one who'll decide where you'll go."

YEEEHAW!! Congrats on your #1000+, Troublejv! . . and congratulations to you both on completing the Alphabet Soup Challenge!

I've done my share of skirt-liftin' and enjoyed them all - I can say that for 99.99% of the all caches I've done! I cache because I love caching - all kinds, all containers, most locations. HOWEVER, liftin' this particular skirt has to be the all-time sooper-dooper-heart-stoppin'-pulse-racin' skirt-lifter of all time! Be still my heart! idajo2

Okie-dokie . . to clarify (since I obviously missed the fact that *sets* won't be available)! My initial order will be: 2 - 48 North Chapter 2 - Cache-Cadian Chapter 2 - Inland Empire Chapter 3 - Puget Sound Chapter Online ordering via PayPal/credit card/et al would be great! Any chance of that happenng? Lastly, when the time comes, if you need to pull together a "bagging 'n' slapping a label on" crew . . I'd be happy to help.

$33.00/set Go for the gusto!