LuLilac

I just got a fancy new phone and so I now have the newer version of the ap. Not only are TBs not listed in the caches, but when you find a cache there is no option to dip or drop a TB. I read that Groundspeak decided to leave tbs off the new version because it was too common for listed tbs to be missing and the finding cachers would be disapointed. But, really, it only takes a few clicks to see when the tb was dropped and how many people have visited since. I think it is pretty easy to tell whether the tb is likely to be there. For me, that is part of the challenge. This might be an old conversation for some, but just thought I'd ask. I find the lack of tb listings making me go grrrrrrrrr... LuLilac

I was going to show off the FTF log on my puzzle cache, but frinklabs beat me to it! http://coord.info/GC5TP9J

I just raised it from a 2.5 to a 3.5 because I think it might be harder than I originally thought? I don't know. How do you rate the difficulty of a puzzle cache?? Lots of people skip the caches that require a lot of time, especially Multis or Puzzles. If I can't figure out a puzzle cache, I'll put it at the bottom of the stack. Maybe I'll look at it again if I think of a new approach. Otherwise, there seriously are a buhzillion other caches to choose. Give or take. Your cache is a 3.5 difficulty, so you expect infrequent finds. Right? Anyway, I can't figure it out. Cool theme, and the Find log is great!

http://coord.info/GC5TP9J I created my first mystery cache! One person has found it and wrote a great ftf log, but no one has found it since. Is this normal for mystery caches? I'm concerned my puzzle is horribly flawed. :/ Lulilac

Thanks!

So, how does Sculpey Clay hold up as a TB traveler? I want to sculpt something, a severed human finger to be precise, and, while I could do it in regular clay (I'm a potter) I think sculpey would be less likely to break (?). Any advice?

My Pig made it to Yuma, Arizona! whoo hoo! http://coord.info/TB663NP

http://coord.info/TB663NP Minnesota Phatz, the evil pig minion, is within an hour and a half drive of his goal! He left Minnesota in January and is now in Arizona, just a hop and skip from Yuma! Whoo hoo! Now, someone will probably take him to Hawaii or something. Go little pig!

Wow! That is impressive! Yours could be the first to reach its goal!

Minnesota Phatz and Lackey Crossing started their race on New Year's Day. I am very excited that my TB Minnesota Phatz http://coord.info/TB663NP is now in TEXAS! Whoo hoo! He is on his way from Minnesota to Arizona. Lackey Crossing, http://coord.info/TB5C2MZ, is still in Arizona (it is probably too smart to head to Minnesota this time of year.) It is heading south (!) but also west (which is the right direction.) Hee hee! Sherry

Mine was poor Squiggly, who vanished quickly. http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=4794130

Sounds like fun! Count me in!

A new person took one of my trackables and included its 'secret' code in his cache log yesterday. Should I send him a nice note asking him to modify the log? While I'm at it, should I ask if he needs help logging it? It is just his second find and it appears he was out with a more seasoned friend. I don't want to be pushy. I don't like the code being out there in public. Lulilac

I brought Patty's Mr Bill home to his goal cache this weekend. Hopefully, someone from the family will fetch him.

It is driving me crazy when my TB is dropped in a cache and the very next person to find the cache does not mention a TB in his/her log or create a log for it. Then, when the SECOND finder also doesn't mention or log my TB, THEN I start to freak out a little. Has my TB gone missing already? If you see a TB in a cache when you find it, is it normal not to mention it in your log unless you retrieve it? I can understand why you wouldn't log it as 'discovered' as that is a bit of a pain. If the finder is new like me, I fear that they have taken and won't log it. I also live in fear of hovering muggles or cachers from the Dark Side. I picture someone laughing maniacally over a hoard of sad lost trackables tucked away in their sock drawer. It is so tempting to send a message to that cacher asking: did you see this TB in the cache when you visited? Like, I want to do this the next day. But would that be too pushy and a little crazy? I know. I need to chill out and remember that they were lost the moment I released them into the cachosphere. But it is hard. KjeriKaye (formerly Lulilac)

You just described most power trails. Sadly, Groundspeak seems to be okay with the practice... I am new, but Throw Downs along Power Trails sound horrible. Maybe instead we should just let people log the litter they find along the trail. If that Mountain Dew can near the waterfall is ever actually picked up by someone to recycle, you could just toss a new one in its place and get your smilie for the find. If there isn't enough trash strewn about the forest, just toss a few plastic baggies and there you go. Smilies for everyone. So: what are positives about 'Power Trails'? There must be something. Lulilac (Nooblilac)

Are there 'cultural' difference in the geocaching communities across the US and Canada and, well, the world? For example, there is a topic here about 'beacon' being a Minnesota/Wisconsin term for what is called in other regions a 'likely hiding place.' Another topic mentions that cache containers are always wrapped in plastic bags in his area, but this practice isn't common elsewhere. Which region/s have the best caches? Which region/s have the best cachers? Lulilac

I posted in one of the million other topics addressing this issue. Since this seems to be the Mother Of All Ghost Trackable Discusion Topics, I thought I would put it here too. I would like it if the pocket query added an option for filtering out inactive TBs. For example, you could choose to only see TBs which had some sort of action (other than a note) logged within a given amount of time, say the last month, or maybe ones that are still 'fresh' - in caches that have only had like three logged finds since the TB was dropped. This way, the TB listings on the site would remain unmolested AND a person could be directed to living breathing TBs more easily. Lulilac

I would like it if the pocket query added an option for filtering out inactive TBs. For example, you could choose to only see TBs which had some sort of action logged within a given amount of time, say the last month. This way, the TB listings on the site would remain unmolested and a person could be directed to living breathing TBs more easily. Lulilac

Thank you so much for that link. I still haven't actually found this cache. The 'beacon' is big and a little prickly. I might get a small army and some gloves to help me scare it out someday.

Where you do you buy your swag SLASH tradeables? I just walked int Ax-Man the other day (a fun and weird surplus store) and saw it with brand new eyes. What is the best swag or tradeable you have found or put into a cache? How long does it take a cache full of fun swag to devolve into a gravesite for broken happy mean toys? :? Lulilac

Thank you for the advice. I just put a note on the TBs page.

I was excited to retrieve a trackable yesterday because I knew I could get it to its goal! I looked more closely at its page, and saw that it was released in 2004, so I was even more happy about being able to finally get it home. Here is his page: http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=73662 'Patty's Mr Bill' was released as a way to distract Patty from the hardship of going through chemo. A lot of cachers, especially the one who had him before me, really bonded with Mr Bill and his mission. There are several pictures of Mr Bill on his various adventures. I looked at the owner's profile, and they last visited Geocaching.com in 2005. I sent them an email anyway, just in case they still use the same email address, to let them know that Mr Bill was close to his goal and would get there in about two weeks. On a very sad note I did some googling and found a obituary for a woman named Patty whose personal information seems to match Mr Bill's Patty: her partner has the same first name, she lived near the goal cache for Mr Bill, she grew up in California where Mr Bill was released, and her age might be about right (there is a picture of her on Mr Bill's page.) The Patty in the obit passed away in 2009 after a 7 year battle with brain cancer. So now I have Mr Bill and he is close to where Patty or her family was going to pick him up. However, his owner is MIA and Patty herself may have passed away. This silly little trackable might hold some meaning for her family. OR it might mean nothing to anyone other than the cachers who have helped it to its goal. Once I have gotten Mr Bill to his goal, should I try to see if I can find a way to contact Patty's family? I don't know for sure if she is the woman in the obit. When does this sort of 'research' turn into stalking? What do you think? Lulilac

So - still a relative newby and a bit obsessed with trackables. When a TB gets dropped in a cache near me, what is the appropriate time to wait until I give in and go retrieve it? Someone just visited town and dropped a heap of TBs (well, 7) in a park near me about a week ago. I confess I've already retrieved two of them and discovered two of them. There are three more in a cache I had found previously and I sort of want to retrieve at least one of them, but is that excessive? In another case, I retrieved a coin from a cache and left a TB. Someone who must live near by the cache left a note taking my TB (nice to see it starting to move) but he dropped two more TBs. This place isn't too far from my regular environs. Is it too weird to run up there to retrieve on of these 'new to me' TBs? Also, I've seen people log, "Saw TB but didn't have one to trade so I didn't retrieve it." Do you need to trade TBs or can you just take the TB (so long as your log it and move it along to meet its goal?) It seems unfair to the TB to just leave it there if you can help with its mission. But maybe this seems unfair to the Trackable Vulture that I have become. Also - do your friends and family think you are crazy? Do they ever stop thinking you are crazy? Takk, Lulilac

I'm excited about TB and just ordered some from the store. Should I be selective as to what kind of cache I start them off in? Would a cache with a higher difficulty rating be better? I would expect that more difficult caches would be discovered by experienced people who would be more likely to log them and pass them along, rather than someone (like me) who is only doing this casually. I am a super newby who just started searching for caches two weeks ago, so I probably don't have the skills to find the more difficult caches. Should I wait to place my dog tagged items until I'm more experienced? I am very exciting about living vicariously through silly little items and have a thousand ideas for 'missions' for them. Takk, Lulilac