honeychile

I feel that I've failed if there are multiple "not founds" on my caches. I want them to be hard enough to be challenging, but not so difficult as to make people mad. For me, I like it when the difficulty of the find is inversely proportionate to the difficulty of the hike. If I trek 3 miles one way up a mountain to find a cache, it makes me mad to find a micro in a snake hole. After a long hike, I wanna sit down with a big fat ammo box full of treasures. (BTW, I also want world peace.) On the other hand, if the distance is 400' from the parking lot, then I expect to spend some time looking for the micro in the snakehole. Regarding the ecology issue, I have to agree with Canadazuuk. Multiple people doing a scorched earth hunt for a micro in the woods can really tear up an area. If I were a land manager, I would welcome geocaching and traditional caches, but I wouldn't permit micros in wooded areas. But back to the original question. I like to be sneaky, but sometimes I'm limited by the area. I recently bought an ammo tube that I planned to strap upright to the trunk of an evergreen, above eye level. But when I got to the park I'd chosen, there were no evergreens large enough to support the tube. Darn. Had to do the typical roothole thing. I made it a multi-stage to add to the difficulty. I've had good luck making insulation foam stumps that fake out innocent passersby, but really don't fool geocachers for too long. And the dollar store sells fake rock key hiders that work nicely in a multi-stage. The hardest one I've found lately was on a multi-stage hunt for a number of black film canisters. There was a huge hollow tree that matched the coordinates, but I looked several times and saw nothing in that tree. Closer inspection (as I was desperately looking everywhere I had already looked for the fifth time) revealed the film canister hanging inside the hollow tree, suspended with fishing line. It was nearly invisible against the dark inside of the tree. Definitely one of those forehead-slapping moments.

Nothing can stop plain ole meanness in the cases where folks appropriate bugs as trophies or otherwise steal them. But ignorance can sometimes be cured. I like Seth! and Markwell's Travel Bug Sheet which accompanies the bug. It's big enough to be very obvious and has all the instructions needed to properly log the bug. I use clear contact paper to laminate it and it can be rolled a bit so that it will fit into any medium sized cache. It comes in two sizes, too, one sized for a sandwich baggie. If one of my bugs goes missing for too long a period of time, I grab it (using the tracking number I filed away) and put it in the Travel Bug Graveyard. If it later appears, it can be resurrected and the graveyard log deleted to keep the mileage accurate. Lately I have noticed several bugs traveling without their dogtag, accompanied by the Travel Bug Sheet only. I don't know if these are replacement bugs (good idea!) or if the owners felt the metal dogtag made the bug too tempting, but the Travel Bug Sheet is sufficient to log the bug.

Wow! Thanks noticing, BenPid and for the plug, Marinor! It's gratifying to have folks so far away interested in my little button enterprise. Please feel free to take a little at my online shop:http:bumblebuttons.com. The buttons are small, flat, and relatively inexpensive, making them useful for cache trade goods. I also do custom work. One day I hope to visit the UK and find some of these great caches I keep reading about!

Top Cat let me know that Pizzaman (Jerry) had a massive stroke and died on May 17th. His wife let Top Cat know how much Jerry enjoyed being a part of the geocaching community. Following is the obituary: David Gerald (Jerry) Dilda Sr., beloved husband, father, and friend, passed away at the age of 57 May 17, 2003 at Carolinas Medical Center. A native of North Carolina and son of the late CJ and Ann Dilda of Wilmington, NC, he was a very active member of the Disciples of Christ. Mr. Dilda graduated from New Hanover High School in 1964 and married the love of his life, Carolyn Cecil Dilda, on November 6, 1966. He joined and served in the US Coast Guard, specifically as an electrical engineer. In 1982, he started up a small business based out of his home in order to be "around all the time to help the kids grow up." An avid gardener and excellent photographer, Mr. Dilda was a man of many talents, including woodworking, geo-caching (pizzaman), and camping. With a voice that always carried his cheers for his children above the crowd, he enjoyed life with an enthusiasm and honesty that was contagious. He was not only his family's backbone, but also a pillar of strength and character for his friends and community. A true Southern gentleman, he will be sorely and deeply missed by his family and friends. The world has truly lost a brilliant man. Jerry was the loving husband of Carolyn Cecil Dilda for 36 years and a proud father of two sons, David Gerald Dilda Jr, 33, and his wife Tonya Dilda and Darin Rowlin Dilda, 27, and of one daughter, Kimberlee Anne Dilda, 23, and two grandchildren, Robert David Dilda, 13, and Kayla Marie Dilda, 7. Also surviving is his only brother Larry Dilda of Mesquite Texas. Funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday, May 20, at 2:00pm at First Christian Church, 1200 East Blvd., with the burial following at Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Huntersville. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7pm Monday, May 19, at Hankins & Whittington, Dilworth Chapel, 1111 East Blvd. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to The First Christian Church Scholarship fund,1200 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203. Arrangements are in the care of Hankins and Whittington-Dilworth Chapel, online at hankinsandwhittington.com. Published in the Charlotte Observer on 5/19/2003.

Greetings! I'm involved with geocaching in the Piedmont Triad area (Triad Geocachers). Look forward to hearing from you.

Sure, Becky, I can do that. Email me with details (which hiker, what gender are children, which background you like) and I'm sure I can come up with something you'll like. Thanks for asking!

I was so intrigued with the sport and have derived so many hours of fun from it that I wanted to "give back" in some way. I wrote to Jeremy volunteering for anything that could be done at a distance. I figured, if anything, I'd be answering a stack of routine emails or helping people with html on their cache pages or something like that. So I was surprised when he appointed me as an approver. He told me that I might find it to be a "thankless task" and sometimes that is true; but I have also had the pleasure of "meeting" so many fine people. I'm constantly amazed (and inspired) by the creativity out there, too. I take being an approver seriously because this sport is being re-created all the time and decisions we make now have tremendous impact on how the sport is played, whether our natural resources are protected as we play, and whether we find favor in the eyes of land managers who sometimes determine where/how we play. Jeremy is very democratic and often allows the geocaching community to make decisions on important issues, so the development of the sport is not limited to the approvers or other small group. My own "wisdom" is so limited that I'm glad everyone has a voice as the sport develops.

What a generous bonus! I hope Gabriel makes it to North Carolina!

Wal-Mart offers a very inexpensive pack with a hydration system that is just the ticket for my short day trips. It's only $29.95, has waist and sternum straps, so it doesn't shift around even if you're making a good pace (or riding a bike). I can't remember the brand name, but I'll update this post later with it when I get home. I remembered being a little surprised to find it at WalMart because it's the same gear brand that the rangers use in the Blue Ridge Parkway system here in North Carolina. NEWSFLASH - I'm editing this message to add a link for this pack at campmor.com (same price as Walmart). You can see all the specs at this site. What I like best about it is that is very narrow -- I hate wearing a full pack when it's hot and my back can't breathe. It has ample room for most items you'd pack for a day trip, with multiple pockets that hold a variety of items including a small inner pocket with pencil slots and mesh pockets for small items. It also has an expandable pocket (great for tucking in the rainslicker or jacket that might be needed). The pouch holding the water is insulated so that the water stays cool for a long time. The water pouch is easy to fill (the mouth of it is about like a 2-liter soda bottle and it holds about that much water). It's easy to clean, too. It's small enough to tuck into a full pack if you're backpacking for several days and need a smaller day pack for outings when you set up camp. Despite very different body types, my husband and I each have one of these packs and find that the straps are adjustable enough to fit both of us comfortably. We use these packs exclusively for geocaching, and keep all our gear loaded and in the car for those "just in case" geocaching situations. We usually stop at a 7-11 and fill up the packs with cold water before we head out, emptying them at the end of the day. Despite its low price, this small pack has a lot of features some of the big boys in hydration packs offer for a lot more investment. It's a great option if you just want to try the concept without having to ante up a lot of dough. [This message was edited by honeychile on May 05, 2003 at 11:39 AM.]

Yesterday, I received the following letter from the Director of Parks for the Beeson Road Park, where we worked so hard last weekend: * * * April 28, 2003 Dear Vicky, I want to sincerely thank you and all the volunteers you brought to Kernersville last weekend. I really cannot put into words my appreciation for your efforts at Beeson Park. We are working in conjunction with the Kernersville Police Department to correct the dumping problem at Beeson Park. Still, for every bad in the community, there is a good. And the Triad Geocachers is the good. We started an "Adopt a Park" program about a year ago. We have a couple of committed groupsthat have jumped in and done tremendous work to help us out. If the Triad Geocachers would like to adopt one of ur parks, we would love your help. John Edwards, our Landscape Specialist, coordinates the program. His number is 996-7489. Once again, thank you for all your efforts. Sincerely, Jim Pryor, Director Kernersville Parks & Recreation * * * Good job, Triad Geocachers!

Triad Geocachers (in Piedmont North Carolina) held their first CITO event on April 26, 2003. People from several cities (Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Burlington, Ashboro, Pfafftown, High Point, and Greensboro) converged to give a helping hand to a newly developed park. We're not talking plain ole litter here -- this was an illegal dumping area, full of the nastiest kind of trash imaginable (including dirty diapers and syringes). What a change our efforts made! In a relatively short period of time, the mess was bagged and hauled off to the dumpster. Because it was dumping (as opposed to regular litter), we came prepared with rakes, shovels, and wheelbarrows, along with trashbags. We filled the truck with bags over the cab! But the pleasure was all ours. How often do we get to invest a little sweat in something that really matters? The crowning part of the event was after we had picked up and raked, a small box turtle emerged to scope out the new, cleaner landscape! We cheered to see evidence that the natural environment in that area will be able to quickly recover if the dumping can be stopped. [This message was edited by honeychile on May 03, 2003 at 05:04 AM.]

I hope we can always geocache on public lands and in parks. But I can see a private geocaching park working, too. Pick up your list of geocaches at the gate and pay your fee for the day/weekend. Picnic areas, maybe even camping. All caches placed and maintained by the management with some simple finds and some sneaky evil stuff. All caches are themed and contain cool stuff you might really want, along with signature items left by others. Being private land, they could do things regular geocaches generally cannot (the YoHoHo cache could be actually buried on an island in the river that runs through this great geopark). Log on the internet at the clubhouse to claim your find. Maybe I could finally find my Inspector Gadget cache there. And then I woke up. Anybody got a few hundred acres for Six Flags over the Ammo Box?

I make 2.25" buttons (and also sell them here). They're small, lightweight, flat, and fit in most caches. Whenever I place a new cache, I make up a dozen custom buttons especially for the cache. It's fun to make custom buttons for events, too, and adds a little something special to the occasion.

TriadGeocachers (in Piedmont North Carolina) held their first CITO event on April 26, 2003. People from several cities converged to give a helping hand to a newly developed park. We're not talking plain ole litter here -- this was an illegal dumping area, full of the nastiest kind of trash imaginable (including dirty diapers and syringes). What a change our efforts made! In a relatively short period of time, the mess was bagged and hauled off to the dumpster.

How about - Cachet -

I wasn't able to reach the city's park manager personally the first time around, and, with much trepidation, left a message on his voicemail requesting permission. He called me personally later in the afternoon and his opener was, "bless your heart!" I followed up with a letter reiterating our conversation (date, time, where we'll meet, etc.) and will have a copy with me on the day of the clean-up, just in case the info didn't trickle down to all personnel. I know it may sound a bit like looking a gift horse in the mouth for park authorities to insist on getting approval prior to doing a good deed for the park, but whenever a group converges on a park for an organized purpose different from regular use of the park, it's probably best for the park officials to be in the know about their activities.

As the first stage of a multi, I painted a coiled snake on a round flat rock, putting the coordinates on the back of it (my daughter said I should add a hint that a change of undies might be appropriate gear to pack). When I was searching for a place to put the main cache, a black snake rolled out of somewhere and he and I did the back step boogie for a few anxious seconds. Talk about poetic justice, sheesh!

Several months ago, BRDAD posted a hilarious message about a geocaching magazine that might include a Girls of Geocaching section. He swiped a photo of fellow-geocacher Rosie for his premier issue. Later, when Rosie (an army photo-journalist) was called to action, I posted an update about her service. Rather than revive that old topic that had lots of other stuff in it, I thought I'd post this on its own -- to tell you that Rosie did make the cover of a magazine! See below: Here are a couple of other photos:

Dusty Jacket has started a stampede...others have written about getting their dogs on buttons. So I came up with a "semi custom" button where you can choose the background and the breed of dog. It's about halfway down the page under "Canine Companion Buttons."

I use a hodge-podge of various techniques and programs, but I assemble everything in Adobe Photoshop where I can work in layers and move things around (i.e., change my mind). Photoshop makes it easier to handle the complicated gradients that I really like. I also work fairly large and shrink the piece down when I print - on an HP color laser jet with halfway decent resolution. The hardest thing for me is allowing for the backlit computer screen which makes a stained-glass window out of every design, but which sometimes fails to print as vividly.

Wow! What a nice compliment, Flask! But no need to beggar yourself -- there's a 6-button minimum, but you can mix and match buttons. Just add any set of six (or more) to your shopping cart and when you get to the "comment" section on PayPal, let me know what assortment you want. Thanks for looking -- all of you -- I appreciate the business more than you know!

I'm sorry you had problems. Sometimes if a filtering system is set super-paranoid (typical for companies that don't want employees goofing off on the internet or visiting unsavory places or parents trying to safeguard children), it will not allow any masked/forwarded urls to be accessed. I have several domains and two hosting packages. Bumblebuttons.com is piggy-backed on one of my host accounts. This is not an unusual way to set things up, because I want you to be able to type in something simple to visit my site, rather than a longer string of text. However, the unforwarded address is http://justbeeme.com/bumblebuttons/index.html. That should work fine with your system. And when your system administrator calls, tell him to log on and buy some buttons from me!

I can only make 2.25" buttons right now. Maybe in the future, I'll be able to get a 1" machine. A 1" button offers a pretty small "canvas" for a design - probably just a word or two or maybe the geocaching.com logo is about all that would fit. I'll let you know when/if I'm able to do other sizes.

Regarding the "Girls of Geocaching" issue of the magazine , I thought some of you might be interested in what "Angele's sister" is up to these days. Her name is Rosie and she is an Army journalist in the XVIII Airborne Corps. Right now she is serving our country very much in harm's way as her job requires her to get in the middle of the action and take photographs. You can see two of her photos here and here, giving you a pretty good idea of the kind of action she's involved in (btw, I imagine she was annoyed to be identified as a Marine in those credits). One of her photos was chosen as Fox News' photo of the week. Finally, here's a photo of Rosie (she's the one on the left) that might be a better choice for the Girls of Geocaching issue. You might say a prayer tonight for the safety of our geocaching gal. Hats off to Rosie. [This message was edited by honeychile on March 31, 2003 at 03:07 PM.]

Yes, the 2.25" buttons have a metal base, with the color-laser printed graphic on top, and a piece of clear mylar over that, all smushed together through the miracle of button technology There's a pin on the back - you can wear them or put them on a hat, backpack, or display them elsewhere. I make special buttons as part of the trading items for all my caches. Making a short run of a special button is no problem. Someone purchased earth day buttons this weekend for their group's "cache in, trash out" Earth Day activities. I was happy to be a tiny part of that.