TARDIS / THE KEY TO TIME TRAVEL
BACKGROUND:
This Cache plays homage to one of my and the Seeker’s favorite shows, Dr. Who. Coincidentally, 2013 also celebrates Dr. Who and its 50th anniversary. The currently untitled 50th anniversary special is scheduled to air on November 23, 2013 and has been described by its producer as a, “love letter to the fans.”
This is our very first Cache hide. Well sort of a hide. The cache itself should be easy to spot once you get in the area. After all, it’s a TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension(s) In Space)….. :) What is Dr. Who? What is a TARDIS? Read on my friend……..
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television program produced by the BBC. The program depicts the adventures of a Time Lord – a time travelling, humanoid alien (Gallifreyan) known as The Doctor. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time travelling space ship. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box (It’s bigger on the inside), a common sight in Britain in 1963, when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, The Doctor faces a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help ordinary people, and right wrongs. Now, on to the find. :)
You will not need any tools for this Cache. Everything you need to prove yourself worthy is already there. You may or may not have to navigate some thorny vegetation to reach GZ, just sayin. Bug spray might also be a good idea, and check for tics. To reset Cache, you may have to jiggle it. It’s our first build and is lacking in some areas. :) Now, onto the story……….
THE STORY:
The TARDIS has landed, but The Doctor is nowhere to be found. This is good and bad news for you. You see, the TARDIS holds treasures, treasures beyond your imagination, beyond the perception of your mind, and it’s just waiting there for you. The bad news is the TARDIS is a very smart and loyal soul. She only trusts The Doctor and does not reveal her treasure to just anyone. The good news is The Doctor is off on one of his time dimensional adventures, so you will not have to worry about him returning anytime soon.
To gain access to the treasure the TARDIS holds, you must prove yourself worthy to the Time Lords. Once you prove yourself worthy, the treasure will be revealed to you.
I always imagined the TARDIS to be larger. Or, maybe it’s us that are giants and the TARDIS is “normal.”
A special prize is waiting for the FTF on this Cache from Kermit and the Seeker’s. You may do with it what you wish. You have proven yourself worthy. Thank you for joining our little adventure, and don’t forget, ” run you clever boy and remember………..”
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE DOCTOR:
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... timey wimey... stuff."
"Don't blink, don't even blink, blink and you're dead; They are fast, faster than you can believe, don't look away, don't turn your back, and don't blink. Good luck."
From the fourth Doctor. “ Homo sapiens… What an inventive, invincible species. It’s only a few million years since they crawled up out of the mud and learned to walk. Puny, defenseless bipeds. They’ve survived flood, famine, and plague. They’ve survived cosmic wars and holocausts. And now, here they are, out among the stars, waiting to begin a new life, ready to out-sit eternity. They’re indomitable, indomitable.”
ABOUT THE PARK:
This Geocache is located in the almost 80 acre Scheidegger County Forrest (Dane County). A permit to place the Cache in the Forrest was applied for and approved by the Dane County Parks Commission.
Previous to being a park, the property was owned by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and utilized as a shooting range from 1941 to 1992 and was formally named the Abrahams Range in Honor of Dane County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Reynolds Abrahams. The plaque for Chief Deputy Abrahams was moved to the New Dane County Sheriff’s Office training facility in the Town of Westport.
Walter R. Scheidegger, a longtime Dane County resident who loved the area, bequeathed upon his death in 2001 over $500,000 to the Dane County Park Commission for acquisition and maintenance of park lands. A portion of this money was used to purchase the land now named Scheidegger County Forrest, and develop it for public use.
In Article III of Mr. Scheidegger Last Will and Testament it states:
“I give all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate to the Dane County Parks
Commission of Dane County, Wisconsin for the use by it in the acquisition and
maintenance of park lands in the area of the communities of Riley, Verona and
Mt. Vernon where I was born and raised. I state my preference, but do not
require, that this gift be so used in the Town of Verona. It is my hope that this
bequest will be remembered as a gift from me to succeeding generations of
Dane County residents who will be able to enjoy the natural beauty of my native
land.”
During the construction process for Scheidegger Forrest, a portion of the top soil needed to be screened for lead bullets from its shooting range days. Approximately 60 barrels of lead were removed from the property.
The park itself is open from 5am to 10pm. There is no playground equipment however there is plenty of open space for little ones to run around and a shelter to have lunch if so desired. The walking trails are well groomed and wide. Hiking and foraging for berries are on the list for approved activities at the park, among others.
Dogs are allowed in the park but are required to be on a leash no longer than 8’. You also need to purchase a permit prior to bringing your dog to the park. The permit can be purchased through the Dane County Parks Department.
PLEASE NOTE – There is a solar powered water fountain at the park however as of the time of this posting, it is out of service due to unsafe water. The well it feeds from is being chlorinated to remedy the issue.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The following information is not directly related to the cache itself, but is still cool in my opinion. The Seekers and I have helped to back a Kickstarter project (the project is considered fully funded and no longer taking backers) that celebrates the 50th anniversary of Dr Who, by sending a TARDIS, complete with blinking light on top, into Low Earth Orbit. This is the same orbit as the International Space Station.
Mission DW50 is scheduled to launch in November of 2013. The TARDIS itself is a scaled down version of the actual TARDIS and is expected to orbit the Earth for approximately three years before re-entering Earth atmosphere and vaporizing. The TARDIS is equipped with a camera that will be taking photos of the earth as it orbits.
The mantra of Mission DW50, “Keep Calm and Orbit On.”
Thanks for reading, are you ready to prove yourself? Now, off with you on your GREAT ADVENTURE !!!! :)
Kermit and the Seekers