Guardian of the Cache

We finally had a chance to go geocaching this past weekend. We took a long walk in the Mac Johnson Wildlife Area, near Brockville, known locally as the Black Pond. It wasn't that the cache was really all that far from the parking lot, but there are lots of trails and we kept picking the wrong one.

Once we did get to the right area, which was near an old farm house foundation, we found muggles lurking about. It was such a lovely day that there were lots of people on the trails. However, there was a lady and two boys hanging out in just the wrong spot for us to go snooping about. We explored the ruins, and sat on a nearby bench waiting for them to move off. But they didn't seem to be going anywhere and I thought that perhaps they were geocaching too, and that they were waiting for us to move on also. So we walked by them and I stopped to look at a couple of interesting things (where I figured the cache might be hidden). Sure enough, I spotted it, but couldn't call attention to that.

We wandered further along the trail and around another bend. We were waiting again. Just when I decided that we would just declare this a found cache, even if we didn't get to look inside or sign the log, the group finally wandered off.

When I went to move the bark and sticks hiding the jar, I saw something that I thought at first was one of the toys that should have been inside the jar. A little snake. Cute I thought, and in such an appropriate place. But oops, it wasn't a toy. Luckily I rather like snakes so that didn't bother me. I thought I'd better log this guardian of the cache though, just in case someone else needs to be warned.

I had to laugh

Knowing that we were invited to a Thanksgiving feast at Loon Lake, between Wesport and Kingston, I looked up a few geocaches before leaving. I couldn't believe what I saw on my screen. There, before me, was a map showing the exact location of where I was going. There was a geocache right there, and it apparently has been for an entire year! Well, we had a wonderful feed, and before we left we took ourselves down to the site for a quick find of the smallest cache we've found yet. This was just a waterproof match box, with no room for treasures. There was just a small log book rolled tightly inside, to sign and date as to when you found the cache. Still, it was a fun find, and we will now be watching for cars that stop there, and finally understand what they are doing there.

Wesport International???

While heading to a Thanksgiving gathering, we stopped by the Westport Airfield. There were some friendly people there, putting a plane in the hanger, who told us to take a look around, but not to wander onto the landing strip.....just in case someone decided to land at that time. We found the cache and then had a little snack on their picnic tables. While using the facilities, my hubby got a chuckle out of the sign posted above the toilet. I'd post a picture of that, but I think it would be too small to read, so I'll quote it here:

"NOTICE: Those pilots with shorter pitot tubes or reduced manifold pressure please taxi closer to the ramp. The next pilot may not have float equipment.

P.S. Please check that gear retracted and flaps up prior to departure."

Ingenious

Last weekend we hunted down a series of caches that were hidden by a man who doesn't just put something under a log or behind a rock. He creates clever hiding spots that look like they belong where he puts them. Sometimes this means screwing something to a building, or hinging the lid on something that wouldn't normally have a lid. These caches are sometimes right out in the open, and the trick is to get at them without drawing the attention of those going by. I think he must really scout out an area and then sit and make devious plans on how to place a cache so that you won't think to look there, or if you do, you have to come up with some sort of distraction so you can get at it. We found several, but there was one we didn't find. There was a gentleman sitting in the park watching us the whole time. He probably wondered what we were up to as we wandered back and forth and poked at things. Rest assured, we will go back and eventually find this one too.