What is a guardian?

[+kfao]

 I see it all the time in the description.   Thanks in advance  KFAO

[+kunarion]

11 minutes ago, kfao said:

 I see it all the time in the description.   Thanks in advance  KFAO

It’s good to ask the Cache Owner, the name shown at the top of a cache page.  Sometimes it’s hard to guess what they mean.
 

What’s the context?  Where is the cache icon?

 

A guardian is a sentry or protector.  Wild guess, it’s a guard rail.  Other guess, it’s a term for Cache Owner, but again, context.  A cache isn’t often hidden on a Cache Owner.

Edited March 16, 2022 by kunarion

[geoawareUSA9]

Whenever I see it, it usually is some critter that is hanging out on or around the cache - big spider, toad, iguana, whatever.

[+cerberus1]

Maybe a sentence or two from one of those descriptions you see all the time will help in figuring it out.    

Like geoaware, we usually see "guardian of the cache" when someone notices a critter somewhere around it. Often a pic included.

If you're seeing it "all the time" than it's probably another hint (as kunarion says) for a guard rail cache...

[+Mudfrog]

On 3/16/2022 at 5:32 PM, geoawareUSA9 said:

Whenever I see it, it usually is some critter that is hanging out on or around the cache - big spider, toad, iguana, whatever.

 

This is what we've always encountered. It's sometimes in the cache description but we see it mostly in cacher's logs. Sometimes a critter of some sort moves in close by after the cache is placed. 

[+kunarion]

5 hours ago, Mudfrog said:

 

This is what we've always encountered. It's sometimes in the cache description but we see it mostly in cacher's logs. Sometimes a critter of some sort moves in close by after the cache is placed. 

 

Is that a regional thing?  Cachers finding my caches have never used the term "guardian" to say that there was an unspecified creature, even if it's a plastic fake animal that is supposed to be a surprise.  They type what kind of thing it is.  In the case of an actual live critter, I'm also specific about what it is.

Or is it in reference to a creature that was previously mentioned in the logs?

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by kunarion

[geoawareUSA9]

1 hour ago, kunarion said:

Is that a regional thing?

 

I've seen it in Alabama, I've seen it in Oklahoma, I've seen it in west Texas, and I've seen it in Virginia. I don't remember if I've seen it in Georgia.

[+kunarion]

1 minute ago, geoawareUSA9 said:

 

I've seen it in Alabama, I've seen it in Oklahoma, I've seen it in west Texas, and I've seen it in Virginia. I don't remember if I've seen it in Georgia.

 

If my cache acquires a "guardian", it's usually a very creepy spider.  They're not guarding much longer when I find them (sometimes inside a somewhat tightly closed bird house cache, spider web and all on the container inside).

 

But as to vagueness in animal identification, I did see a picture of a caterpillar on one of my Micro caches.  The critter was identified as a "little fellow". 

[+cerberus1]

1 hour ago, kunarion said:

Is that a regional thing?  Cachers finding my caches have never used the term "guardian" to say that there was an unspecified creature, even if it's a plastic fake animal that is supposed to be a surprise. 

 

We've seen it more on photos than cache logs.  From NY to TN, so happens often enough to notice.   

[+barefootjeff]

12 minutes ago, kunarion said:

 

If my cache acquires a "guardian", it's usually a very creepy spider.  They're not guarding much longer when I find them (sometimes inside a somewhat tightly closed bird house cache, spider web and all on the container inside).

 

Around here it's often one of these (Alectura lathami):

 

 

But yes, it's much more likely to see the "guardian" reference in logs than in the description.

Edited March 18, 2022 by barefootjeff