curiouskangaroo

I was able to pick up one of the earlier TBs (id 26!), released by Jeremy way back on Sep 29, 2001. Deadly Duck: Anger It had an amazing history - it was taken from Washington to Holland, and then someone else took it right back to Washington again. It was then placed in a cache that the National Park Service removed... but the bug survived because the NPS was kind enough to mail it back to Jeremy! When I eventually picked it up, I moved it all the way to Australia on my honeymoon. Sadly, after only a few more moves in Australia it was placed in a rebuilt cache which had been previous destroyed by gardeners. After a short period this cache was destroyed and the bug's twisted travels had to come to an end. Nearly 24k miles in just a little over a year. I'm glad to have been a part of it, but sad it couldn't go further.

Oh, I agree, the odds against it are very high. Although I've been caching for two years, this is my first released travel bug... but I know what to expect from reading the forums. Very few bugs really get anywhere near their goals. But, hey, it's fun to just try. I'm not going to get wound up over it - wherever it goes, it goes. But without a goal, there's nothing to shoot for.

Yep, I put it on the instructions included with the bug. I'm actually not really sure the goal is possible. I think it would take an awful lot of coordination across the country beforehand to make it work. But we'll see!

Just wanted to note that I've released my first owned TB into the wild. It's named Phileas Figg (it's a LEGO mini-fig) TB4610 and - like his namesake - has an 80-day goal: to cross the USA (from East to West) in 80 days. Now, this normally wouldn't be too difficult, but the key is: it must be done with NO AIR TRAVEL. The various film incarnations of "Around the World in 80 Days" have usually included some form of air travel (like a hot air balloon), but no such travel is in the actual book. So I think this will be quite a challenge... but it would be amazing to see if it would work. I started Phileas off in the New York metropolitan area, at Nadiasmirnoff's Stash (GCJ5GC), which was a cache established just this April. His goal is San Francisco (the actual target geocache is yet-to-be decided: I'll have to talk to a friend in SF first). I'll start the clock when he's first picked up. If you come across him, please help him along!

I just wanted to mention the sad passing of a really amazing bug. This is one of the very first travel bugs ever (launched by Jeremy!) and has had quite a bizarre history (boomerang trips to Europe, travel via US Mail courtesy of the National Park Service, etc). Sadly, it now seems to be over for Deadly Duck: Anger... Deadly Duck: Anger When I saw him listed in a nearby cache, I knew I had to meet this element of travel bug history! And as mean as he was to me, I still am glad I met him. A moment of silence, please.