Sierra Rat

I downloaded and installed Firefox and didn't have any problems. During the install, it will ask you if you want to set Firefox as your default browser. Since I didn't have any experience with Firefox, I clicked "No". Firefox may indeed be a better browser than IE7, but I've been using IE for a very long time and know my way around it quite well; I don't know Firefox at all, yet. Firefox will also give you the option to copy your favorites (bookmarks in Firefox) over to the Firefox program. I would suggest doing that, it will give you the opportunity to play around with Firefox a little more. On another note, I'm surprised how few people have come to this forum to complain about the inability to do pocket queries along a route. Either very few people use this option, or few people come over to this forum when they have a problem. With so few complaints, it looks like a fix will be slow coming and I guess I'm still not sure where the problem lies (IE, Google Earth or Geocaching.com).

Maybe the web-master(s) own Mozilla stock. I also have some theories about the "grassy knoll".

You say that like it's a bad thing. I can't imagine any reason why someone would want to switch back to IE If you'll pardon the pun, " the devil you know is better than the devil you don't."

I thought I would give it a try, so I downloaded and installed the beta version of IE8. Still no go on getting a pocket query along a route. Guess I'll keep using FireFox for now.

Last year our granddaughter came out from Texas to visit us for a few weeks. I took her out geocaching and she really enjoyed it. This year she is back (now eight years old) and still has an interest in geocaching so I set her up with her own geocaching ID (Orange Eater). Her grandmother and I took her out tonight to find a night cache in the woods (Lassen National Forest) and she really enjoyed that. But to her it really didn't matter if it was night or day because she is blind. On the way back from the cache find, she asked me if I thought there were any other blind cachers. I told her I would ask and that is the purpose of this post. Do any of you know of any other cachers who are blind. I think she would be interested in hearing about their experiences caching. Thanks, Sierra Rat

Same Problem, I thought it was my new virus protection program causing the problem. Seems like the webmaster needs to make a fix if there is a conflict with IE7.

UPDATE I tried the RTV silicone sealant and it really didn't hold very well, plus the glue in other areas along the band started coming lose. Base on the relies to my earlier posts, I called Garmin today and asked about their sending a new band and the glue template. Well, as they say, good news / bad news. The customer rep told me that they will send parts to repair the eTrex Vista, but not the eTrex Vista C. The Vista C must be sent in to have the repairs made. The good news is that, while my unit is now more than one and a half years old and out of warranty, they will do the replacement without charge.

I had the same problem with my Vista C. I emailed Garmin, and they sent me a new band, and the double-sticky tape to adhere it. The tape is die-cut to fit exactly around the sides. It was real easy, Garmin didn't charge me, and it hasn't had the same problem since. Dave How has it been since you made the replacement?

I have an Etrex Vista C and the rubber that runs around the side of the GPSr is coming lose around both sides near the top. The original Vista C that I had was sent back after I had it for 9 months for the same problem. The unit was under warrantee and Garmin replaced it with a refurbished unit. Now, 9 months later, I'm having the same problem with this unit. Two issues; first, the unit is no longer under warrantee and I really don't want to keep paying to repair the unit every 9 months and secondly, I don't want to be unable to cache for 3-4 weeks while I wait for the unit to be repaired. Have any of you experienced this problem and does anyone have a fix, other than sending the unit back to Garmin? Thanks for the help, Sierra Rat

When I do a search for caches, click on the ones I want and then try to down load the waypoints, I only have LOC file format as an option. How can I get GPX as a file format option for these downloads? Yes, I am a premium member and I can get GPX as a down load option for pocket queries but not while doing a direct search. I've looked at my profile options and searched the forum, but can't find an answer to this. Thanks for any help, Sierra Rat

Thanks to all who replied to my question. I have to agree with all of you about if I don't want additional clues listed in the logs I should say so up front in the cache description and if I have a problem with a log, I should let the logger know first. I guess I was just in a pithy mood on the morning of my post because we had another snow fall that morning, which meant 1) I had to shovel the driveway and 2) no caching. Again, thanks for the replies and keeping me a little more rational.

Thanks for the information and the link. I down loaded the new file and updated my Vista C. Hopefully they really did made a correction for Daylight Savings Time (they did in the 2.70 ver for the Vista Cx) and just didn't include the fact in the update description. Guess I'll find out next March

I've noticed that Garmin has updated the software version (2.70) for the Etrex Vista Cx, but not the Vista C (which is a discontinued model). The new sfotware version corrects, among other things, for the U.S. modification to daylight savings time. So far, there is no such update for the Vista C. I was wondering if anyone has tried to update their Vista C with the 2.70 Vista Cx software to make the daylight savings correction? Thanks

There is a new cacher in my area that likes to post additional clues in their logs to caches they find. For example, there is a cache in the area that is hidden next to a stone wall. It took me a lot of poking around before I discovered that the cache was in a rock type hide-a-key container next to the wall and not in the wall itself. When this cacher found the cache they posted, "I threw the cache out of the way because I thought it was in the hole not the rock itself". In fairness, the post was encrypted, but I still don't think cachers should provide additional hints to other peoples' caches. In one of my caches that is located near a self-serve gas station, this cacher logged, "I've always been a fan of superman." This too was encrypted. Well, this narrows the search down to the phone booth. I have since deleted this post and send an e-mail to the cacher explaining the reason for the deletion and told them to re-log the find without any clues. I'm curious as to others' opinions on cachers providing additional clues in their logs.

The thing is, I didn't get this geocaching and I didn't knowingly contact the poison oak. I do know where it came from, however. About two years ago, my uncle took down some oak trees on his property and I took the wood for firewood. At the time, I was very careful because of the poison oak on his property. Well, I've finally gotten down to that level of wood in the stack and had forgotten where this wood came from. When I carried the wood into the house it got on my forearm and... well, you know the rest. On the positive side, the tomato trick has worked great so far. The itching and weeping has stopped and now my wife has tried it with positive results. Since we didn't have any green tomatoes, I used a red one and it was effective. So cachers, here's another remedy to try on your poison oak. Again, to everyone, thanks for all of your comments and help. Cachers are the greatest!!

Good question, but yes I'm sure its poison oak. I've had it before as a child in southern California. Also, it started out on my forearm and since I slept with my arm over my wife's back, she now has it on her back. I'll admit that at first the tecnu seemed to reduce the redness and swelling in the morning, but by the next day it was back to blistering, swelling and itching. about a half hour ago I tired the tomato as someone else had suggested and so far its seems to help. My wife it taking a wait and see approach. May have to go into town and get a banana; the shot will be the last option. Thanks to all who have replied.

I've looked in the forum for an answer, but haven't found this topic addressed anywhere else. What have you found to be the best treatment for poison oak? I bought a bottle of tecnu skin cleaner and applied the lotion shortly after the rash appeared. So far (two days), this product has been fairly useless. Have any of you found an effective treatment for poison oak?? Thanks, Sierra Rat

If 35 - 50 is old, then I guess I must be dead. But at 61, I'm still walking around and geocaching.

I have always used my middle initial (R.) when signing my name. When I've been asked what the R stands for, I've replied "Rat" and have gone by the nickname "JackRat". When I started this hobby I found out there was already a "JackRat and the Brain." When I went to find my first cache, my wife went with me and who should have logged in just before we got there?? Yup, JackRat and the Brain. My wife thought I had been there earlier with so one else and wanted to know who the "Brain" was. I told her it must be another JackRat and I got an icy "Yeah, SURE, like there's another JackRat!" Anyway, we got that cleared up and since my old nickname was already in use, since my wife still considered me a "Rat!", and since we live in the High Sierras I took the handle "Sierra Rat."

Just curious, if you arrive at a cache site and another cacher is searching the site, is it appropriate to search the site also or should you leave and come back later to search? I live in a rural area so I don't run into too many other cachers, but I did the other day and was wondering which approach is appropriate.

When several caches in my area went missing after one person found them I did a little research. So far, out of 200 caches this person has found, 12 have gone missing right after he found them. There are a additional 22 that, while not yet identified as missing, have not been found since this person located them. I guess what I'm asking is do any of you consider this be be a problem or an I being pararoid? It's not that I think this person is walking off with the caches. I think they just aren't being careful when muggles are around or aren't being careful about rehiding the caches. I would apprecaite any comments the rest you might have. Thanks, Sierra Rat