A Bad Day Geocaching...

[+Agent Okie]

What a bad day Geocaching. I do not have a gps but I do have 46 finds and was planning on finding 4 more this afternoon after work. I went to another town to and tried to find the first one before my meeting. I was there in my business clothes wandering through the weeds checking the trees and pushing thorns down in the middle of nowhere. I didn't find it, so after about 20 minutes I went on to the meeting.

 

The second cache I searched for was an easy one, until I discovered I had left the printout at home. I searched for about 30 minutes from memory, but never found it. There were lots of people walking around so I decided to move on.

 

The third cache was a well-known statue on a college campus. The cache was supposed to be in the center courtyard. There were only 5 large bushes and and a dozen plants. There were several large lights and other assorted power supply sources around. I figured this one would be easy. When I arrived I hadn't expected what I suppose is the geocacher's nightmare...park benches. Who put's parkbenches in front of a 40 ft statue? Well, you guessed it, there were a half dozen people parked on the benches and they looked awfully comfortable. I searche the area casually around the back of the statue and on the other side of the benches but...never found it. I even walked casually up to the statue to "read the plaques" and looked there but to no avail. I finally decided I would move on to the last planned stop.

 

The final one was a shoe in. It was in a very small park, near the creek, at the base of the largest tree. Easy right? Well, I spent another 30 minutes checking out every tree that looked like the largest tree and never found it. I bet I covered about a quarter mile of woods on both sides of the creek. I was so upset that I didn't find it.

 

So I'm 0-4 for today's search. Funny though, I really enjoyed spending some time by myself enjoying the parks. The search is really the best part. One happy note, I found a letterbox this morning that I didn't know was near my first find. I went back, followed the clues and went right to it. I also found a hole near the letterbox with a small baggie in it. I flipped over the bag and it said..."Close but no cigar. Keep looking over there!". LOL! I found that really funny.

 

Sorry, not really a question or a topic. Just wanted to share my frustration. I really need to get a gps!!!

 

[+crzycrzy]

Wow.

 

 

Try ebay ?

[+Prairie Dog]

If you've already found 46 caches without a GPS then you obvisouly are very patient and have good searching skills. With a GPS in hand you will save sooooo much time and energy. Just out of curiousity, If you don't use a GPS are you really a Geocacher?

Good luck with the rest of your finds.

[+briansnat]

I always say a bad day of geocaching is better than a good day of having your eyes gouged out by a hot fire poker.

Edited May 4, 2004 by briansnat

[+nfa]

Hi,

 

Just to follow up on a comment another member made...why don't you have/use a GPS unit? is it a choice, or is there some reason you do not (cannot) use one?

 

NFA

[+Red Clover]

I agree a bad day caching is still a GOOD day. We found 7 in Atlanta (an hour away) Last Saturday had to quit early cuz I "broke" my ankle. Now that the swelling has gone down the new xray's dont show any breaks thank goodness.. but still sitting in the mud w/ a rapidly swelling ankle and trading while in pain was more fun than any day at work!!!

[+Agent Okie]

...why don't you have/use a GPS unit? is it a choice, or is there some reason you do not (cannot) use one?

 

I don't have a gps for one reason only. Money. I know I can get one for about $100, but right now I am focusing all my funds on getting out of debt. I changed jobs about a year ago to being self-employed and generated a bit on the old credit cards. Business is picking up, so I expect to have one soon. I don't want the ETREX so I'm holding out for something bigger and better. I really can't wait. I can only imagine how much quicker things will move along.

 

It goes slow now, but it makes the find all the more rewarding.

 

[+Agent Okie]

I logged my 50th find! I found a newer easy cache in an empty field near where I was on Thursday evening. It was an easy find and I did it wearing a tie! I decided to go out of my way a bit and pick up a virtual, the last one in Tulsa I hadn't found yet. I knew where it was, I just didn't take the time to do it. This gave me 48 finds.

 

I was sitting in my office reading the forums yesterday, and checking out the cache list and it dawned on me. I had taken a couple of pictures of locationless caches that I never logged. So I searched my computer and there they were. I logged our local school mascot, a Red Zebra, which I think is one of two in the U.S. I also logged our local eternal flame for find #50! I am just too excited.

 

Now, I'm working on how to get a gps despite my financial situation.

 

Happy Geocaching!

 

Edited May 7, 2004 by Agent Okie