Let's see if your burgling skills are equal to that of a humble hobbit!
Many folks, whose knowledge of Middle Earth is limited to what they've absorbed from movies such as The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings, don't realize that Bilbo Baggins was a burglar of great renown, long before he met up with Thorin Oakenshield and his band of misfit dwarves. Due to their diminutive natures, and naturally inherent stealth, those rare hobbits who actually appreciated a bit of adventure, like Bilbo, made for excellent burglars. Other skills common to hobbits, which made them great at burgling, include high dexterity, allowing them to pick practically any lock, an internal compass, allowing them to triangulate locations on the go, and the ability to solve complex algorithms, in their heads.
How else do you think Bilbo, a hobbit with no readily apparent source of income, could live in the affluent section of The Shire?
As you are no doubt aware, the wizards of Middle Earth were a most meddlesome lot, constantly poking their rather long noses into the business of others. Over the millennia, they would oft hire hobbits to "obtain" some odd bit of treasure, or magical artifact for them. Gandalf did this so frequently, he had a drop box hidden just outside The Shire, where he would leave instructions for Bilbo, for his next bit of burgling. Bilbo would check the box every month or so, and when he found something from Gandalf, he would close up Bag End, and hit the trail.
In the movie, folks assumed Bilbo was shocked when Gandalf introduced him to Thorin as Bilbo Baggins - Burglar For Hire. But the truth was, Bilbo was rather cross. He had managed to keep his occupation a secret from the others in The Shire, and he was afraid that now word might reach the Proudfoot and Sackville Clans, which would cause him no end of bother. Since Bilbo went to live with the elves in The Undying Lands, the wizards have lost their favorite burglar. Are you willing to step into that role, to help Middle Earth?
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is three fold:
1 ) Go to the posted coordinates, and locate Bilbo's drop box.
2 ) Check to see if Gandalf left you a mission.
3 ) If so, complete that mission.
Happy hunting!
Since this is a 5/5, you should expect to be out there for a while. Please plan accordingly. Please leave the stamp in the cache. It is not a trade item. You must sign the logbook, to claim a smiley on this cache.
Many thanks to the Florida Forestry Service for issuing permit # CB22-01 for this cache!