Lost And Found

[+wildlifewriter]

Here in Norn Iron, it's said that you can often find a cache which Wildlifewriter has visited by following the trail of discarded equipment. It's true - I do tend to lose things while out and about: boots, cameras, tools, gloves, hats (any number of hats), compasses and an eTrex Legend (!) have all been abandoned or mislaid during some expedition or other.

 

My hiking and geocaching stuff never wears out – it just gets replaced at regular intervals.

 

This is a problem. GPS receivers are now specifically excluded from my insurance policies. Staff at Millets start recalculating their sales bonuses as soon as I enter the shop.

 

So it was no surprise, the other day, when I returned from a maintenance visit to one of my own caches; only to find that a belt pouch containing torch, SAK and most of my rechargeable batteries, had gone. These are expensive items, (I've still got the receipts) so I thought: “Aha! - there'll be a track log in my (recently replaced) GPS. I can go back over the same ground and find the things...”

 

This weekend, the weather changed from horizontal rain to a steady drizzle - which is as good as it gets in Ireland, in January - so I pulled on (brand new) boots and headed for the site. It's a pleasant enough walk along the river to this cache. Birds were singing in a half-hearted fashion and, on the bank, I saw a Moorhen jumping up and down in the undergrowth. Loony behaviour by Moorhens is not unusual and I thought nothing of it.

 

Walking down an existing GPS track isn't as easy as it sounds., and a good idea is to look up from the screen from time to time, in case a tree has moved since you were last there. Fortunately, it wasn't a big tree and I sort of bounced off it. As it turned out, this collision was a stroke of luck because the missing item was only a few feet from where I fell over.

 

On the way back along the riverbank, I noticed that the Moorhen was still there, and still acting the fool. On closer inspection, it was clear that the unfortunate creature was tangled up in some discarded fishing line so, ignoring the provisions of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981), I grabbed it and cut it free with my SAK. The bird showed its appreciation of this kindly act by treating me to a painful peck on the thumb and a string of vile Moorhen oaths, before pitching into the water and swimming away. Still and all, I arrived back at the car park feeling reasonably chuffed at, for once, having managed to recover some lost property.

 

At which point I discovered that my car keys were missing...

[+MarcB]

lol

Did you manage to find you keys in the end?

MarcB

[+Team Ullium]

I can heartily sympathise with you WLW

 

Though in my case my geocaching expeditions trails can be easily retraced by the amount of blood I leave behind me...not personal items

 

Though like most I have dropped a few things myself in the past... I have miraculously managed to retrieve most of them, more by good fortune than anything else!

 

The worst case of losing keys I ever experienced was when I had been entrusted to all my in-laws keys while they were on holiday...these were not only their house and garage keys but also all they keys associated with their business premises. I dropped the lot plus my own keys (car keys included) somewhere on the Rannoch Moor and despite many hours of searching I never found any trace of them!!

 

It dropped my already low low standing with my wife's parents to an even lower level...as unbelievable as that might have been

Edited January 10, 2005 by Team Ullium

[+Lost in Space]

The worst case of losing keys I ever experienced was when I had been entrusted to all my in-laws keys while they were on holiday...these were not only their house and garage keys but also all they keys associated with their business premises. I dropped the lot plus my own keys (car keys included) .......

I could tell of a certain incident in a Sacramento car park involving "Dad", (aka The Hornet),........but modesty forbids..........

 

[+wildlifewriter]

Did you manage to find you keys in the end?

MarcB

Eventually.

 

Having got them, I made sure that I had EVERYTHING accounted for and packed in my daysack, before driving away.

 

Then (ten minutes later) I drove back again - to pick up the daysack.

[+Lance Ambu]

OK - personal items do appear to be problem, Wlw.

 

BUT as you are better at finding other peoples' losses - my cache for example.

So here is a solution - give me all your gadgets etc, I'll give them back on loan and then if you do lose them then at least you will be able to find them again

[+The Bridge Bandits]

I try lose the Wife, but she keeps following me home.

I'd be obliged if we can keep this a secret, Thanks.

[+Tupperware Hunters]

i think all wives have gps built in what a bugger

[+wildlifewriter]

BUT as you are better at finding other peoples' losses - my cache for example.

It was your flamin' cache where I lost the eTrex.

[+Lance Ambu]

D'oh!

[+Omally]

I remember having mittens on elastic as a kid: maybe you could invest in some sort of utility-belt along the same lines?

[+Lance Ambu]

He could have saved his dinner money,

if it hadn't been in the mittens,

which weren't tied with elastic ...

[+Omally]

hahahahaha!

[+E = Mc2]

lol

Did you manage to find you keys in the end?

MarcB

I drive for Greyhound and once 'lost' my keys whilst leaning over the toilet in the back of the bus. Thankfully, one of the mechanics was able to retrieve and clean them for me.

[+wildlifewriter]

I try lose the Wife, but she keeps following me home. 

I'd be obliged if we can keep this a secret, Thanks.

I've met your wife - and why she keeps following YOU home, I can't imagine...

[+Torry]

... and to think, I'm happy if I can just lose myself in the thrill of the hunt.

 

Perhaps wildlifewriter should avoid such enthusiasm?

[+The Forester]

I've met your wife

Yuck!

 

That sort of post is what gives the internet a bad name.

[+wildlifewriter]

That's quite enough.

 

Closed.