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Scratch Ankle

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Everything posted by Scratch Ankle

  1. Don't count on it being gone yet. I had one picked up by a similar cacher (couple weeks joined and then out). He ignored my contact but a year to the day later he dropped it in another cache saying he just found it. But the sad part is he was the second person to find it and when he dropped it off it was picked up by someone who also hasn't dropped it off again. My advice is wait awhile - July isn't that long ago.
  2. I always carry a pen. Except last Thursday when I left mine laying on the counter after signing the credit card slip. Except last week when I lent it to someone who failed to return it. Except last month when I leaned over and it fell out of my pocket. Except when the pen ran out of ink. Except when the paper was too wet or of a material that wouldn't take the ink. Except for that time when I got soaked looking for a cache and changed shirts at the car and didn't move the pen. Wonder if someone would put a high dollar reward for catching him without a pen.
  3. A fir tree is easily spotted by all the PETA people screaming bad words and throwing red paint on it. for the humor challenged
  4. I don't post DNFs like that, but I do post DMFs after searches that weren't thorough, because it's for my own records as much as anything. If my DNF logs are going to be treated as NM logs, I will probably change and stop using DNF at all. I don't want to receive these nuisance emails and I don't want to trigger them for others. There are those that claim to post just like that. I personally don't post a DNF unless I finished looking. If I spend 2 minutes looking and a terrible downpour starts and I leave I post nothing since even just a note doesn't add anything useful and since I didn't really search a DNF is not appropriate to my way of thinking. If I spend 2 minutes looking and a bear arrives to help look I would post a note rather than a DNF as that is useful information for anyone that actually reads logs -- I very seldom do. If I look as well as I can that day I post a DNF. That's a legitimate Did Not Find. Generally I look at logs to see how many DNFs are there and if they are interspersed with finds I read them looking for logs of admitted throw downs or to determine if they appear to be legitimate finds. I don't get out often and don't see a point to wasting time looking for throw downs or caches that aren't there. DNFs that weren't actually searched for at GZ could have me ignoring good caches. And now it appears we have an algorithm that uses those DNFs as a reason to create an alert.
  5. Let's compare this thread to the ones about logging DNFs where people comment that if they plan to go to look for a cache they will post a DNF if for whatever reason they didn't actually even go to GZ.
  6. It isn't just an issue of being stolen. The method of attachment has a bit to do with whether that cute fuzzy pet stays attached to the TB. If it breaks it becomes separated and will be mistaken as swag. No theft involved in that case.
  7. A TB placed in a PMO cache will, in theory, be moved by that premium member someplace. No guarantee that it goes to another PMO which removes whatever protection that might provide. And that's assuming that premium members never are responsible for one disappearing. Placing them in only out of the way caches may reduce the chances of muggling but it also reduces the movement of the TB which is the purpose of a TB. One would think that a game designed around this would attract players who would have an interest in following the design. Obviously, one would be wrong. If you leave your wallet on a seat in McDonald's you are not one bit surprised that it disappeared never to be seen again. If you leave it on a church pew you would probably expect it to be returned intact but a relative's friend found out that isn't to be relied upon either. Once you turn a TB loose it is not safe no matter where it gets dropped. It relies on the kindness of strangers and in this world the reliability of even friends seems to be dwindling.
  8. I usually read the cache description as sometimes there is interesting information there and some of it helpful in locating the cache (but seldom the logs beyond a quick scan for DNFs and NAs). That's done sitting at home on the computer and will print it out. Of late I have started using my phone and c:geo when we are out wandering and the notion takes us to look for something close. I very seldom try reading the description and just start looking for GZ using the coordinates. Too much effort for old eyes and fat fingers to deal with that little screen. Not having a lot of success with the smart phone either. And I've found that GZ is sometimes quite different between the ETrex 20 and the phone.
  9. Cerebis1, I don't believe you get me yet. The point of the hyperbole of checking to make sure that a TB not listed might be in the cache leads to the silly idea of even daily maintenance still not getting an accurate inventory because one dropped off and logged on a smart phone at 3:00 might be picked up at 4:00 and not logged until the next day (or even at all) means the inventory is going to be inaccurate until checked again by the CO and corrected. Any idea that an accurate inventory is even possible is a pipe dream. If the CO does monthly maintenance on October 1 and the TB listed on the inventory is there but picked up 2 hours after he checked and not logged (maybe never again), the log is inaccurate until November 12 when he checks again and updates. So is he fair game for complaints for not maintaining an accurate inventory until a month later when he does his monthly check? How about the cacher that looks to pick up a TB showing on an inventory and finding it gone. He doesn't know that it was picked up 15 minutes earlier -- is the CO fair game for complaints about inaccurate inventories? If you are in business or work for one, even with a computerized inventory system that deducts inventory at point of sale you will never have an accurate inventory if you rely on what the computer shows. UPC codes get messed up requiring manual entry, product gets damaged requiring manual deductions, returns are made requiring manual adjustments often, stuff get stolen, new stuff comes in and has to be added manually, and so on. At best, the inventory in the store is a guide to what the computer thinks is there based on the information made available to it. Just like the inventory of a cache is a guide to what GC thinks is there based on the information that was made available to them. In both cases, the only reasonable assurance that an inventory is correct is a physical count and at that point -- and only at that point -- is it correct. Maybe. As soon as the contents are open to the public it again becomes nothing more than a guide to what should be there because errors are able to begin creeping in just as soon as someone can actually touch the inventory and start making changes. Now in a business you are paying people to do what they are supposed to do and some don't or don't do it correctly. This is a game and for the sake of enjoyment and fair play we ought to do what we are supposed to do and we have ample evidence that some don't or don't do it correctly. It is just the way it is as it is in every other aspect of life. I have seen a lot of complaints about people who don't put out caches and how they are freeloaders. Why would I want to put out a cache when I am leaving myself open to complaints about inaccurate inventories, quality of the swag, quality of the cache, quality of the placement of the cache, and on and on and on. This is not a professional sport -- it is simple game. If you are reaching the point of anger over an inaccurate inventory I submit your enjoyment level is dropping significantly. I would suggest the same thing I suggest to people letting a TB go and getting upset over the results when people don't do what they are supposed to do. Sit back, open a refreshing beverage, and take a deep breath because you got no control over what others do or don't do and it just ain't worth raising your blood pressure into unhealthy ranges over this game.
  10. I guess I wasn't clear and what you said about "that's too weird" is just the point I was making. If the one is a mark of a good CO (keeping inventory cleared of TBs not there) why isn't keeping the inventory updated to includes ones that are there also the mark of a good CO. If a cacher only goes to a cache because a TB is there then why should the cacher miss a cache because the inventory doesn't include the ones that are there. Both situations exist because of a failure to log. I don't expect a CO to do either and I never look at the inventory simply because it isn't accurate nor is it an important part of the game to me. People are supposed to log TBs and move them and log them when they do but the point is that people don't always do what they are supposed to do even when we're talking about LAWS as opposed to RULES of a game. All the hoopla over the inaccuracies of the inventory isn't worth the rise in blood pressure - it is a game not a matter of life and death.
  11. I referenced a TB that was picked up in the second cache it was placed in and was in the hands of the cacher for a year and finally placed in another cache only to be picked up several months ago and not logged. It was marked missing by the CO and I assumed gone. It got dropped in another cache also without being logged and picked up by someone the other day who did log it. So why shouldn't the CO of that cache be castigated for not checking the cache to find out that there was a TB in it and not on his inventory? If a CO should make sure that the inventory doesn't list something not there why shouldn't they make sure that something that is there is listed? People historically don't do what they are supposed to do. For example, we have speed limits posted all over the highways but they are generally ignored as are stop signs, turn signals, are laws requiring licenses and insurance coverage (2 out of 3 times I've been hit were by unlicensed, uninsured drivers), and so on. We have police to enforce these LAWS and can't manage to stop the violators. How do you expect someone to enforce RULES in a GAME that has no referees? Or should we start paying people to do so and still not manage to get the job done any better than it is now?
  12. Out of curiosity and assuming that "safe" cache isn't affected by weather catastrophes, new construction, fire, animals, etc. -- will the next guy that picks up the TB be as conscientious about placing it? I have a cache near me that it well hidden (I didn't find it the first time) but it has been muggled a couple times as it is very public (found a used condom in it) so I wouldn't drop a cache there. I do plan out where I put a TB and would weed out caches that appear to have a history of being muggled. However, my concern is putting it where it can be found and moved on hopefully where the owner wants it to go. If it's "safe" it may not be moving. When a TB gets released it's no longer safe.
  13. Ever had a fish take a lure and drag it into the brush and hang it up to where you lose it (fish and lure)? But it still comes down to I took an action putting my stuff at risk. It isn't always some cacher "stealing" the TB. I lost someone's TB for about 6 weeks once. If I hadn't found it finally it would have disappeared forever but it wouldn't have been "stolen". Then there is the maintenance crew that trimmed trees at a rest stop that caused a cache to disappear that contained my TB. Not much chance they did it with malicious intent and I wouldn't put any money on the whether there was actual permission for the placement. Animals mess with caches, young muggles find them and have no idea they are messing with something they shouldn't, muggles who should know better mess with them. And so on, none of which are cachers at fault. Then, of course, there are those cachers at fault either through carelessness and ignorance, those that start and quit the game, and those that simply take it because it's interesting. When it reaches the point where you have to place blame for a loss of something you put at risk of loss then I submit the cost of playing the game exceeds the fun of it for you. And it sounds like the OP has no fun playing the game anymore. If you want to play you spend your money, release the TB, take a deep breath, and get a refreshing beverage and hope for the best because there is nothing you can do about what happens after that.
  14. When I started messing with TBs I read up on them and one thing I figured out before ever releasing one is that they are going to disappear. But my wife was interested in being able to follow them in their travels so I bought several. I gave one away to new cacher to try and I still have one in my possession that is going to be a key chain trinket for my wife since she lost interest in trying to follow them. Sitting in caches for months on end, not being logged when picked up, cache disappearing, someone holding it for a year, or the innumerable visit logs just didn't return any enjoyment for her. I went into it with my eyes open and with the low return of enjoyment we're cutting out losses early on and with no hard feelings. At least with fishing when I toss a $5 to $10 lure into the brush where the fish are there is a return in enjoyment for the lures I lose. At least there's enough to keep me at it for 60 years. But there really isn't much difference in tossing out a fishing lure or tossing out a TB since I took something that was mine and put it out where it was at risk of getting lost. I did it myself and I don't expect Geocaching to make it up to me for the loss of a trackable any more than I expect the sporting goods store to make it up to me for the lures that get lost in the brush. It's simply the cost of playing the game. When the cost exceeds the enjoyment get out of it.
  15. TBs disappear and that's all there is to it. I had one I placed about a year and a half ago. It moved to one cache 40 miles away, was picked up and logged, and then nothing for exactly 1 year when it was placed in another cache a short distance away. A short time later the CO of that cache marked it missing from his cache. It has not been logged as picked up and I expect it's not going to be. If the cost of them is a big issue to you I'd advise you to drop out of the game as they are going to disappear and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Lots of folks pay attention to the inventory which lists TBs that are supposed to be there. I never bother looking as it is seldom accurate and I'm not really looking for TBs anyway. If they are there I'll move them on but I don't go looking for them.
  16. We don't have much interest in swag although the wife gets excited about something once in a while. Occasionally we'll move something from one cache to another and that the reason for taking something. We don't cache often and many caches don't have swag but when I leave something we often left $1 coins. Lately I've started dropping the cedar cut outs from Christmas ornaments I make on a scroll saw - angels, Wise Men, Bethlehem, stars, etc. Recently started making rings out of coins and dropped one of them in a cache.
  17. With some discussion on here about archiving caches after a low number of DNFs and the stir some of that caused I would think folks would be cautious about DNF. Then there are those that don't bother looking for a cache if there are a long list of DNFs that aren't read for explanations just noted as to number. If I arrive and do a thorough search I DNF. If for whatever reason I get interrupted and don't search until I'm finished I do not log anything. If there is a interesting or useful story to it - like a bear sitting at GZ - I'll make a note but not a DNF
  18. 9 continuous hours of use seems like you shouldn't have anything to complain about as far as battery drain.
  19. I use an Etrex 20 (Garmin) with AA alkaline. I am just on my second set of batteries after 3 years. I don't use it a lot as we don't spent a huge amount of time caching -- we only have 95 finds and quite a few DNFs. When we do cache I use my car GPS to drive to the cache site. When I arrive at a parking spot I turn the Etrex on until I hit Ground Zero and then it's turned off so it has little duty cycle for caching although several of the hikes to GZ entailed a couple places where we hiked a couple miles. I also use the ETrex on the boat sometimes. You didn't say what a day of caching consists of and how much you have it turned on but if you do like I do I suspect you might have an issue with the unit. Hopefully it's as simple as changing a setting to match the type of battery you're using as was suggested above.
  20. Drop down to the post "TB forgotten for 5 years!"
  21. If it makes you feel better, I just got a message that one of mine was dropped on 4/20/16 by the guy who picked it up 4/20/15 and had not responded to my contact. I chalked it up as a lost cause but I had also done so on another one that reappeared after a long time and was marked as missing by the cache owner and a cacher. It was picked up much later by someone who retrieved it from that cache where it was missing but eventually disappeared for sure when maintenance at the cache site destroyed the cache. Losing trackables is the cost of playing the game and there is literally nothing you can do once you release it. Take a deep breath and sip a refreshing beverage and enjoy them while they last.
  22. Losing trackables is the cost of playing the game. I had one I released that was picked up almost immediately and placed in another cache 50 miles away. That was picked up on 4/20/15 and nothing else even after a note to the cacher so figured it was gone. On 4/20/16 - exactly one year later - the trackable was dropped with a note that the cacher "just found this". Had the same kind of thing happen with my other one for many months and it reappeared but eventually completely disappeared due to maintenance where the cache was placed. The annoying part of that one was that it finally moved from Michigan to Texas on it's way to it's goal in Arizona and was picked up by someone who posted they would move it on it's way and promptly dropped it off back in Michigan. All that to say don't get stressed about your trackables. There's nothing you can do about it so sit back and take a deep breath and sip a refreshing beverage.
  23. I believe what ZepplinDT is trying to say and isn't coming across is he does not like hints for Guardrail Hide #875645 where the guardrail is 10' long, there are no buildings, signs, other guardrails, or anything else except road for 5 miles where GZ is obviously the guardrail. But the CO likes the motto for an embalming school (not in the area either), "it is better to give than receive" so he sticks that in the hint. That sounds like it has something to do with the cache but it has nothing at all to do with it.
  24. You can't delete the message because Groundspeak doesn't allow it. Who knows the reason for that foolish idea. I doubt there will ever be an explanation other some BS response.
  25. Since this is my first instant message and have had no interest in using it I wasn't up on how this works. I find that I have spam with a very suspicious link and I am not allowed to delete it. So I can accidentally click on since it's there if I ever use the instant messaging. Pardon me if this doesn't strike me as absolutely stupid. I can delete emails and do so regularly especially things with dangerous links for simple protection. But you guys -- geocaching -- feel like I need to keep myself exposed to this link so you won't let me delete it. Don't [tell me] about I can hide it -- I don't need to have it around at all. I didn't hide the dead mouse I found in my basement yesterday, I got rid of it. I didn't want it around stinking the place up and I don't want this around to cause potential problems. How about you just disable my instant messaging if this is the best you can do!
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