A Carbon Based Life Multi-Cache
JessupFamily: It is with sadness that we disable this cache. We no longer live in the area and maintenance became to much. Thanks to all who have pursued the hunt. It has been 11 years since Carbon passed and we still find it difficult. We were fortunate to have had such a dog in our lives.
Happy Caching.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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in our disclaimer.
A regular cache in 3 different dog friendly parks in College
Station. If you happen to have a friend who is a dog, please bring
him along for the walk!
Carbon is an element. It is the most abundant element on Earth and
present in everything that is alive and also in many things that
are not. It is found in bacteria, fungi, plants, people and even
dogs. It is also a girls best friend – being the highly structured
component of diamonds.
Carbón, in Spanish, also means charcoal. Pronounced as “car” +
“bone”, it is the quick burning result of partially burned trees.
It is used by people around the world to cook their meals on. It is
also used by men in this country to prove to their wives that they
still have a functioning Y chromosome.
Carbón was also the center of my universe. Carbón was neither an
element nor charcoal, but rather a 33 pound dog. We met when he was
a tiny puppy while I was a brand new Peace Corps Volunteer in the
Dominican Republic back in 1995. I hadn't planned on getting a
black dog, I'd picked out the white puppy in the litter, but by the
time I arrived back to pick the puppy up, this little ball of fur
was what I was given. I had no name for him, so back at the Peace
Corps office, puppy in tow, a fellow volunteer suggested the name.
Carbón quickly became the main focus of my life while a volunteer,
giving me someone to talk to and someone to talk about in my
gradually improving Spanish. He taught lessons in animal rights,
responsibility and unconditional love to my fellow neighbors who
had never seen a pet before. Their dogs were starved and abused in
the most horrific ways – so perhaps my little black puppy helped
change a few minds in his native land. We walked everywhere to do
any work or get sugar or whatever. He was a very in shape little
doggie.
Carbón returned to the United States with me after my service was
completed and went to graduate school, too. I studied botany, so
did Carbón. He went everywhere with me. He helped me teach classes,
went on field trips with the students, went on countless plant
collecting trips and kept me company on the long drives back to my
parents farm. We went hiking together in Colorado (even met a bear
on a trail) and he loved the mountains and camping. While on those
road trips we'd get hungry. He decided that the most amazing
American junk food was the french fry. I always got a bigger size
so that I could share with him and we ate many a fry while driving
down a lonely interstate highway. Carbón also screened my dates for
me. The few non-dog loving men that met Carbón never stayed. It
wasn't until I got the Carbón seal of approval did a man remain in
our lives. He knew what he was getting into, Carbón is the love of
my life (though the man has proven himself to be Carbón's equal).
Carbón also loved squirrels! There are no such creatures in the
Dominican Republic, so upon his arrival to Texas, he found them
very fascinating. He discovered that he could chase them and thus
began the new obsession with his life. Every morning, he would run
to the door so that I could let him out. He would run to the tree,
barking and tense with excitement, then run to the trees in the
back yard making sure that no evil invader was on the ground. He
managed to kill one squirrel in his life, and he was very proud of
that moment – I was not quite so impressed.
Carbón unfortunately developed cancer... and a very long story
short, went through chemo and radiation. While difficult, it bought
us 4 more years together. He then later developed hepatitis and
went through 3 rounds of problems with it. He survived the first
round long enough to be the best dog in our wedding... but a few
short months after that, he left to chase the squirrels in the
trees in the sky.
Carbón loved life, loved going places, loved long walks with a
good stick or tennis ball, loved french fries and loved being with
me. He taught love and acceptance and living in the moment and what
it means to truly be a friend.
So, in the spirit and tradition of my most amazing first love, my
husband and I have created this cache. This is a dog themed cache!
Each leg is in a park that Carbón loved to visit and so are dog
friendly. Please – BRING YOUR DOG! (If you don't have a dog, that's
OK, too.) The first two legs require dogs on a leash, the last two
this is optional. This cache is not easy, as many parts of Carbón's
life were not. It's a bit of a walk, just the way Carbón would have
liked it. It's also in a few different locations that you will have
to drive to – an adventure that Carbón would have loved. In the
final cache is a camera, we ask that you take a picture of your dog
so that I can post them on the website. There is also a small photo
album with some pictures of Carbón... you are welcome to add a
picture of you and your dog (4x6 size). Also, please remember to
bring water for your dog to drink, the last 2 legs are a good walk
and a bit away from clean water sources. Trade items in the cache
are dog related, so please bring dog themed stuff (no food, chewies
or treats please).
If you don't know what poison ivy is... please go to this site...
I've tried to place the cache away from the itchy stuff, but it is
still along many of the trails. Dogs can and will get the oil onto
their coats and then rub it onto you, so be sure you know what it
is and give your dog a good bath if he happens to get into it.
Poisonivy.aesir.com
Finally, please love your dog (or cat) and throw a few fries to
Carbón's ghost the next time you're out to eat.
Thanks.
Carbon has Travel Bugs! See where they are at by referencing TB #s
TBKR8V, TB194MT, TB18YHZ, TB18W1P.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Uvagf:
Trareny: Jurer qb fdhveeryf yvir?
Fgntr 1: fdhveery unovgng
Fgntr 2: Sbbbbbber!
Fgntr 3: gur Fcvevg bs gur gerrf
Fgntr 4: guvf bar'f gbb rnfl sbe n uvag!
Lbh zvtug svaq gur pnpur snfgre vs lbh unir n znc!
uggc://gvalhey.pbz/wy3kw