saxdiva and mr. vibes

Well... our story is kinda boring and self-explanatory. I'm second from the left in the front row... the woman with the big saxophone. Mr. Vibes (the smiling guy behind and to the camera's right of me) is best known as a vibraphone player, but in this particular group he plays that trombone he's holding. -Leanne (saxdiva)

47. No situation is so bad that it can't be made worse by having wet, squishy socks.

Hi there... I understand what you're getting at, and the only reason I didn't e-mail you myself is that I'm also fairly new at all this and I didn't know whether it was really an issue, or if I was just being weird about it, so I wanted to get a few other opinions, first. Sounds like the jury is definitely out on this one, so I had pretty much figured last night that I'd let well enough alone. No worries, but thanks all the same for editing those posts. I think I look at it as something akin to websites that post the solutions for puzzle caches (and that's probably not a great analogy, but it's the closest I can come to explaining it). I haven't seen a single DNF on this cache, so I don't think it's any harder than I rated it, and I'd like other finders to be able to enjoy the challenge, too. The metal container *IS* glued in... the top is threaded and should be the only part that unscrews. Thanks for the heads-up, though... I'm going to run the cache-hounds out there this afternoon and take along some steel wool, just in case the threads have started to oxidize on me. Naw... don't shoot yourself. I'm working on getting official permission to place a series of caches at the State University I teach at, and I'm gonna need some people to go find them. They'll mostly be caches of this general type (with a couple of ammo cans mixed in for TBs and trades), and I'm having a lot of fun designing the containers, so I hope you'll have a look once they're out there. Cheers, and welcome to geocaching! -Leanne P.S. BTW, forgot to compliment you on the website... nice design!

Okay... just an etiquitte question here: I have a micro that I put a fair bit of work into assembling. It's a park-and-grab, but I wanted to camoflage the container well enough to make it fun. The idea itself isn't original, but I haven't yet run into one of these around here yet, so I thought I'd give it a try. I put a good hint into the cache description, and because of that I didn't think it was necessary to add a spoiler pic to the cache page. Well, one of the cache's finders has put one on their own webpage, and although my first reaction is to be a bit bummed about that, I want to make sure it's not just me being a whiny spoilsport before I e-mail them and ask them to remove it. Am I overreacting on this one? BTW, If anyone wants to see what I'm talking about, just check my newest cache--just be aware that it TOTALLY kills the hunt if you're a SoCal local. Thanks, Leanne

No kids of my own, but I took a friend's 12 Y.O. daughter caching last summer and she was immediately hooked, even though our first attempt was a multi that we ended up taking a DNF on. The second--which we found--was an ammo can in the woods, and I think that was the clincher. If she didn't live on the other side of the country I'm sure I'd have another cache partner. Turns out, though, that I'm getting a niece or nephew (we'll know tomorrow) next May. Babysitting? No sweat... just get Auntie's hiking boots and we're off! -Leanne

I've got one of those, too. Here's Dexter (left) and Punky (right): On a cache hunt, they currently function as "cover," but I've thought about seeing if I could teach them to sniff out caches. The problem is that the one with the better nose (Punky, the Springer Spaniel) would usually rather chase squirrels and rabbits than help me with something... I just don't carry that much sway in my household. The Australian Shepherd (Dexter) would drag himself across the desert for me, but the little one-eyed beast can grab a scent so much faster that he might as well not even have a nose. By the way, Punky is totally blind from congenital retinal dysplasia, and she lost the left eye to secondary glaucoma. Since she's never had vision she doesn't appear to miss it, and still manages to get me in trouble with the mailman (he was coming up the steps once as I opened the front door, and she decided to seize her chance... literally!). -Leanne

I usually explain it as a treasure hunt for geeks. People who know me seem to get that right away. -Leanne

Also, keep an eye on the GPS garage sale forum. Lots of people are upgrading this time of year, and you might pick up a deal on a used GPSr. Or, borrow one. I've got a spare I use for double-checking hide coordinates, and I'd loan it to someone as long as they were nearby and could get it back to me (or come along) when I hide a new cache. -Leanne

Hey, Randy, I'm pretty new, too, so I know your pain. The problem with easily-findable caches is that they get muggled, so it's necessary to hide well. My best recommendation is to find a more experienced cacher in your area and team up for a day. This game gets LOTS easier once you've found a few. Hang in there, Leanne

...which is an excellent reason to make sure you have a pair of gloves handy. Well-hidden caches also sometimes come with security-guard spiders. Have fun! -Leanne

Aww... sweet of you to take that guy in. You may want to look up the Labrador Retreiver rescue organization in your area and see if they know this guy... rescue groups often get contacted when purebred dogs go missing. Plus, if you can't find his owner, they should be able to help you find a great new home for him. If you can't locate a Lab rescue or have any other questions, drop me an e-mail... I'm with a national Springer Spaniel group, and some of our Texas folks might know the Lab people out your way. Oh, and Merry Christmas! -Leanne

It all depends on what you're doing. If you're doing urban caches, the list Bill and Tammy posted, plus a cellphone if you like to carry one, should be enough. A bare minimum is the GPS, spare batteries, writing instrument, gloves, and a small flashlight. I'd strongly recommend a basic first-aid kit, as scrapes and bruises come with the territory. Also be sure you have I.D... cops seem to enjoy talking to geocachers from time to time. Trail caches? I used to backpack a bit and still do a fair bit of hiking, so my list of stuff to carry is based on what I'd need if I really screwed up and got miserably lost, forcing myself to spend a night on the trail. At an absolute minimum, I'd carry all the things mentioned above, plus water, bug repellant (with DEET), a small first-aid kit, a map of the area and compass, and some way of dealing with an emergency... maybe a cellphone (if you can be reasonably assured of having coverage), or at least a whistle or mirror. It depends, again, on where you're going and the time of year. Also consider a rain poncho... they're about a buck at a surplus store, and only weigh a couple of ounces. My whole kit is less than three pounds. Hope this helps, Leanne

I tend to get attached to bugs I come across... to the extent that most of them end up on my watchlist. One bug I met here in California is quite a globe-trotter, and I'm thrilled to see it continue logging the miles. Who's on your watchlists? My favorite bug: Ribena Bug Cheers! -Leanne

I had the same problem... someone told me about geocaching, and I was so eager to try it that I ran out and grabbed a couple before I had a GPSr to work with. It's the first telltale sign of the addiction. Definitely get a GPS, or borrow one if you can. You might have a look and see if any active cachers live near you and would take you along on a hunt. It's a lot easier to get the hang of that way. Welcome and have fun, Leanne

Same thing happens here. I bear the responsibility for getting us into this, and he joins me on about 75% of the cache hunts I do. Good thing, too, since he usually spots them. It's usually me who posts in the forums, though. -Leanne

I'm mostly a bari player. Doesn't that pretty much guarantee me a flogging? Oops... back on topic...

Only five? Heck, I bet I can beat THAT...

At the time I was racking up DNFs 1-3, I had no idea why I couldn't find it. All I knew was that it seemed to have been found WAY too recently to have vanished by the time I got there. Okay, I get all that. In my case, however, I didn't have anything useful to report, and since the cache was just a few blocks away, I figured I could always take another stab at it--remember, I was there FOUR times for a 1/1--and see if I had any better luck the next day. If I'd been unable to get to the cache because of a closed road or trail, or if I knew of any other problems along those lines, I'd not only log the DNF but I might even follow up with details in an e-mail to the cache owner. As it turns out, however, this was a case of a noob who didn't think to check the stupid coordinates in the GPS before making three unsuccessful attempts. While I was happy to 'fess up to that in the end, it still seems like that would have not only cluttered up the cache logs, but also sent the owner on a wasted trip to check on it. And knowing this particular cache owner, if I had logged three DNFs on his 1/1 micro, he would have been out there ready to replace it. So... perhaps this is a major rule violation, and I should be flogged. But it does suggest to me that there should be room for at least a little common-sense interpretation on this...

On a somewhat unrelated note... When entering coordinates by hand into a palm, how do you add the degree symbol? Is it necessary for the palm to caculate distances between caches? Thanks... I return you to your regularly scheduled debate.

But I never miss an opportunity to share my misfortune with others...

I've been thinking about a cache, inspired a bit by one placed by tozainamboku. Here's the deal: I live less than a block from the foot of a small mountain (maybe a hill... I dunno, but it *looks* like a mountain from where I sit), and there's a LOT of caches right here in the immediate vicinity. There's also a lot of houses, and a lot of people, which, unfortunately, also means a lot of litter. Now, my house has alleys on one side and in the back, and I was thinking it might be cool to stick a trash can back there, make it a cache, and make the rule for logging that you have to make a deposit in order to log the cache. I'd just have to check with the city if this is okay, and since it's right behind me, I can empty it every day. I'd also keep it stocked with bags in case people needed supplies when setting out to cache in the area. My question is... what are the potential problems with this idea? As long as the city allows it, the only ones that come immediately to mind have to do with muggles dumping stuff into it and making sure it doesn't start costing me extra in terms of trash pickup. Would any of you visit this cache? Thanks in advance, Leanne

Okay, first off... I'm still pretty green. So DNFs, in my case, could be the result of some REAL boneheaded mistake. Here's an example: there's a guy near me who hides a lot of micros in my neighborhood. Love 'em or hate 'em, these micros have been a HUGE help to my search skills, and he's been very encouraging as I learn the ropes. Anyhow, there's one cache... a 1/1, that took me four, count 'em, FOUR attempts to find. It was his usual M.O.--a film cannister velcroed behind a guard rail (at a stunning viewpoint I didn't know existed), but I couldn't find it to save my life. I was thinking about posting a DNF, but it had been recently found, so I didn't want to drag him out to check on it. He's one of those cachers who*really* keeps tabs on his stuff. Long story short, it was--in my opinion--a good thing I didn't log those attempts. After #3, I figured out I've had the wrong coordinates in my GPS all this time--I don't know why I didn't check it. Argh! After correcting them, I was able to make the find in about five minutes, which includes the time it took me to walk the block and a half from my car. In this case, would it have made sense to log every DNF? Cheers, Leanne

Also, be sure you take some cool waypoints. I cached in Scotland, France, Italy, and Greece on a recent trip, and for some reason I think the waypoints I set make neat mementos. Then again, maybe I'm just a total dork. -Leanne

Wow. You folks who cache in northern climes this time of year are the bomb. Right now it's about 68F and sunny in LA, and I don't go back to work (or at least, not on a "schedule") until January, so I'm trying to squeeze in as much caching as possible. Our mountains will start getting snow in the coming weeks, so I'm thinking it might be fun to try hunting in them once it comes. It sure beats being up on the trail when it's 95 degrees out and loaded with snakes... -Leanne

Ditto here. I finally got around to going paperless last night--I had been thinking it would be cool to not have to waste reams of paper, but when I took to writing down cache information in a little notebook I keep with me, I would often wish I had the previous logs... there's gold in them thar comments. Soo... I looked into paperless caching, and lo and behold, I had an old Palm m125 sitting in a drawer that I hadn't used since I quit my last job (every time I looked at the Palm, it reminded me of all those stupid meetings I absolutely LOATHED going to, and all the other cutthroat bastard middle managers I was supposed to get along with, and how I hated having to bring all this crap home with me, and no, I'm not bitter at all about ANY of that...). So I took a few minutes, downloaded a trial version of Cachemate and then bought a copy, and was loading caches into the PDA in less than an hour. Now if I could only find the dang sync cable that came with my Garmin Legend... anyone know if you can buy those separately? I'm really getting lazy about entering stuff by hand. -Leanne