DO NOT REMOVE THE STAMP OR INKPAD. THEY STAY WITH THE CACHE!
This is my my first letterbox hybrid cache, but likely not my last. I thought the area could use some. Only your signature in the logbook is technically required to log a find on geocaching.com, but I would suggest bringing along a personal stamp so you can leave your mark. For those unfamilar with the way letterboxes work, you are assumed to have a personal stamp and a book you use to collect the stamps of all the letterboxes you visit. You stamp your book with the cache's stamp, while stamping the cache's logbook with your personal stamp.
I have varied from tradition somewhat in the hide. You'll see what I mean once you reach ground zero. Normally these things were buried under a pile of rocks next to a pond or some other scenic spot. The cache is hidden next to scenic pond that sometimes serves as a fishing hole to the locals. But I dispensed with the rocks. Since spiders are a theme of this one, I decided to play Spiderman once I got to my desired location.
I love Halloween. To the very core of my being. It is never too early to start thinking about it, and planning for it. There must be a lot of us in the geocaching community, because I notice a lot of Halloween-themed caches everywhere I go. I tend to seek these out once September rolls around.
I've been thinking the last couple of years about the imagery and iconography associated with Halloween. It is particularly rich compared to other holidays. Spiders and spiderwebs are strongly associated with the season, and with spookiness in general. Are you afraid of spiders? Arachnaphobia is one of the most common irrational fears directed towards animals. But unlike other such fears, such as the fear of snakes, the imagery of spiders has somehow stuck in the human imagination as a symbol of fear, as opposed to mere danger. Spiders are a vital part of the natural world, but there is just something — alien — about them.
The container is large enough to serve as a travel bug hotel, and I've dropped a couple of my own to get it started. There are more than a few old, black, gnarly looking trees in these woods that I find absolutely beautiful. This is one, and there is another in a cache just northwest of here that I'd recommend checking out. Pay your respect to this old tree, and maybe the spiders will leave you alone as you make your way to the cache.