[Az-Geocaching] Failure and Suggestion

[Jerry Nelson]

This game itself is so new that we are all newbies, although I suppose
relatively speaking, someone who has been doing this close to a year or
more is considered an old timer.  Those who are very new may not have
noticed the "geocachers' etiquette" link on the snaptek site so visit
http://www.azgeocaching.com/etiquette.html?gsc=8a2e851bf9c215e62974ea6cad
d4f8fc
if you haven't seen it.  Even though the last paragraph is still a bit
controversial it states the reasons quite nicely for posting timely
"can't find" logs after one try.  

I love the idea of a "cachers code" to identify others.:o)  I also would
enjoy seeing more accounts of experiences like below.  Can anyone here
write fiction?  A story with a geocaching theme would have a small but
certain audience.

Jerry
Offtrail


On Sat, 24 Aug 2002 09:26:13 -0700 "Joanna Strohn" <joanna@msn.com>
writes:
> As a newbie, I was under the impression that a "no find" is a 
> failure. Thus
> I didn't log last weekend's failure. I will log this weekend's 
> failure (no
> find) when I finally find the cache.
> 
> Early this morning I put together my cache pack. It's essentially 
> the same
> as my dog pack except I've added the GPS, pen and paper, notes, and 
> some
> goodies. Put the leash on Sargeant and headed off. At the parking 
> area saw a
> man and dog and instantly wondered if he was a cacher. A couple 
> words polite
> conversation. Wished there was someway to find out if he was a 
> cacher
> without asking directly. Thought of another group I belong to where 
> there's
> an identifying phrase.
> 
> So my suggestion is:
> 
> When someone sees someone who may be a cacher, comment:
> 
> "It's a nice day to cache some rays."
> 
> With the response:
> 
> "I hope I cache something!"
> 
> Or some such ... what do you guys think?
> 
> Went to where I thought the cache was. Instead of a solo homeless 
> duffle,
> the owner was sitting beside it. Oh oh. Casually walked past as if I 
> was
> simply walking the dog. I was puzzled. Since my failure the cache 
> had been
> found. Was I looking in the wrong place? I walked around. Hm. Maybe. 
> I
> decided I wasn't into climbing or walking through a lot of sand. 
> Wished  I
> had my hiking pole and decided to add it to future search gear. I 
> decided to
> head back to the car and take a differnt approach.
> 
> I think I stumbled as Sargeant pulled as I prepared to cross the 
> street.
> Fell heavily on both knees, palms, face. Lay there in the road 
> stunned and
> hurting. Pulled myself to a sitting position and felt sick. Gathered 
> my GPS,
> broken prescription sunglasses, pack-out trash bag, and scooted to 
> the side
> of the road. The thought of putting pressure on my shredded knees 
> was not
> appealing so I simply sat, trying to calm myself and do a check of 
> the
> damage.
> 
> Homeless came along and asked if I needed help. I was grateful for 
> the hand
> up. Returned home to clean my wounds.
> 
> Cache kit will be expanded with hiking stick =and= first aid kit. 
> Maybe
> tennies and jeans rather than sandals and shorts too!
> 
> To the plus: I am dyeing the silk handkerchiefs I plan to leave when 
> I do
> find a cache.
> 
>   -- WingRider (Stubborn 'R Us)
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Az-Geocaching mailing list
> listserv@azgeocaching.com
> http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching
> 
> Arizona's Geocaching Resource
> http://www.azgeocaching.com
>