This blog has now been superseded

As I have been unable to find a way to link this blog site with my Other Rambles one, I have created a new On the Prowl blog at that location. If you wish to follow my geocaching adventures, please go to the new Yabut-On the Prowl site here and book mark it. Thanks for your continued support.

Not Quite Easter Eggs

I live in a tiny village, but even here there are four caches available for those who want to look for them. I’ve found a couple of them before, and even another that no longer exists. Easter Sunday was a really nice day to go for a walk, so I took my hubby and headed out.

The first one we looked for (GC26GHY) was what they call a multi cache. That means the way point that is given is not the one where you will find the cache itself. We had to check out a sign at the given way point, find all the numbers on it and then do some mathematics using them. Finding all the numbers is not as easy as it sounds, but we managed, and got the math right too. We know that because the nice person who was giving the clues gave us a way to know for sure that we were arriving at the correct numbers without actually telling us what they were.

Then, that’s where we ran into trouble. One of the numbers would tell us the distance to the cache in metres, while the other was supposed to give us the bearing to the cache in degrees from True North. It said to project a way point on my GPS to calculate where the cache was located. Uh huh. Some of you may understand that but I sure didn’t. I’ll be having to consult my manual to see if my GPS model even does such a thing. I could have tried to walk in a circle, but between the canal and the river, I’m sure I would have drowned in the process.

Never mind. We’re brave souls and we set out to find it anyway. We have enough experience at this that we figured we’d have some idea of where to look.....or at least in which direction to look, and hope we’d find a logical hiding place along the way. What I found was that the beavers had been very busy since my last walk in that area. While I was checking that out, my hubby poked about in a few places, and then found the cache using what he referred to as "man sense." Lovely. I am the registered member of www.geocaching.com, by the way, and I just log him in as +1 after my caching name when we find a cache. So hey, he may have found it, but I’ll still get the credit :)

The other cache (GC1NWQ6) was also nearby. I had looked for it for a few moments last fall, when I first learned about it. I followed the clues and looked where it should have been and it wasn’t. I wasn’t dressed for the adventure so decided to come back someday and look again. I did, and since I didn’t find it where I had expected to previously, I handed off the GPS to the hubby and he went right too it. And yes, it was right where it should have been! It was NOT there when I looked. But I could see where some smart #@$ may have put it just to make things more difficult. Or maybe that’s where it actually belongs and some lazy person didn’t put it back there this time. Either way, we (he) found both caches that day, but it did wet our appetite to go hunting again soon.

Christmas Caching

I know I have not been good about keeping this blog up to date, but I have to tell you about the latest one.

About the time I would normally turn off the computer and head for bed, I read an e-mail telling me where all the latest new caches were. I couldn't believe it. There was a new one just down the road from me, and nobody had found it yet. I had never had a first to find, and I had never gone geocaching at night. I don't normally go geocaching once the cold weather sets in either. So, when I told the hubby to grab his coat, he looked at me and said, "It's eleven o'clock!" But he could see by my eyes I wasn't about to wait for morning and take a chance someone else would find it first. No way. It was December 23rd, and to me this was like a Christmas present I just had to go find.

It was a lovely evening, and it was amazing how many people we passed on the street. Mind you, most of them were walking dogs. We had no trouble locating the cache, but anyone not looking for it wouldn't likely just come across it accidentally. My very first first to find, and there was no special surprise for me to take home. There were several travel bugs and geocaching coins in there though. Normally I'd make off with one of them but since I won't likely be venturing out again until spring and the mosquitoes arrive, I thought I'd better leave them for someone else to help along their way. Still, I was happy to have this little adventure. I believe it was placed by the local Girl Guides and I do hope they enjoy watching some of their treasure move across the globe soon.

While I won't be out hunting treasure for a few more months, I have started a new blog at www.otherrambles.blogspot.com . I the rambles may be about where I go, or what I do, or just may be me rambling on about whatever is on my mind. I hope you follow me there as well.

A Few Weeks Back

We had a lovely day out with my son and his family at a beach where we have not been for many years. On the way home, we stopped to find a new cache hidden at the Rideau Ferry Yacht Club.

To Perth and Back

A friend wanted my hubby to check out a truck for him in the Perth area, so it was suggested that I map out a route and we make an afternoon of it. I never have to be asked twice!
The first stop of the day was at a business establishment that has given permission for the cache to be hidden there. Good thinking since there is more than one kind of treasure to be found at this location, if you happen to venture inside the store. (GC1V41B)

We traveled up Hwy 7, towards Ottawa a wee bit, then off onto a side road. The cache was placed for the McDonald and Caswell families, who founded farms in that area in the early 1800’s. It’s an interesting place for a cache, and I’m glad we took the time to go in that direction. (GC267EX).

Then we backtracked through Perth along Hwy 7 and went off to Glen Tay. I’m declaring this my favorite cache of the day, (GC154A1) as there are lots of interesting sights along this road, and in this tiny village. If my own village gets too much more citified, I might happily move there.

We continued along this road, to the Rideau Ferry Road. We kept our eyes pealed for Rock Island Road, and then went down that. I was glad I had a map to help me find my way to the cache. It was so nice to be coaxed down this back road to find this interesting roundabout. (GCY405) Mind you, I’m all for climbing rocks and checking the GPS later.

Kemptville

We had a nice visit at Tim Hortons, with a lady from Kemptville one day, and she mentioned how she knew others, besides us, who went geocaching. She thought it sounded like fun, and thought she wouldn't mind trying it sometime. A week or so later, I discovered a new cache very near her home.

It was the first time I'd ever walked along the Kemptville Creek, and as always, I was thankful to whoever decided to coax us down this pathway. One end of the path comes out very near this lady's home, so next time we get a chance, we may just knock on the door, and take her for a little walk, just so she can see how it's done. Maybe after that, she'll be interested in joining in on the fun herself. It's a great excuse for a little exercise and fresh air.

Napanee

Before heading home from Kingston Kicks, we took a little diversion up to Napanee. The first stop would have a spectacular view as sunset, but it was definitely the wrong time of day for me to try getting a picture from that point.

Two of the caches were at graveyards. At the first one (GC15CY7) it was a matter of not being able to see the forest for the trees. When you have a preconceived notion of where to look, you often don’t see what staring you right in the face.

At the other graveyard (GC15CT1) contains a crypt with grapevines and raspberry canes, but that looks okay. There was one other grave that was totally uncared for, in the midst of all those that must have been under perpetual care. It stood out as it was totally overgrown with vines and other wild vegetation.

There are lots of nice trees, but no "pictures" at the Fairgrounds (GCJNBB). On the other hand, there is a really nice picnic spot near a smaller park where we found a working interactive sundial (GC15CQR). The cache was a micro though, so, while normally you just get to sign the log, I actually found some interesting beads in there.

The best cache of the day was along the Napanee River. (GC165J4) First you had to find how to get to the park, and then you had to follow a trail to the cache. This was much more the kind of geocaching I like to do. The hint told us to look out for bugs, and that was an excellent warning as they were definitely hungry in there.