The derecho of August 10, 2020, caused extensive damage here, and I am sad to say that the enormous pine tree this cache was previously hidden on snapped at the base. It narrowly missed this spot when it fell. I searched for hours, picked up perhaps 200 pine cones, but was never able to find the old container.
This old listing had so many favorite points, and so many memorable logs, that I could not bring myself to archive it. So, here it is in a slightly different location (it IS at the posted coordinates now) but still a puzzle/mystery.
Use the last 4-digit number you find here, subtract 1901 to get a three-digit combination to open the small container lock. The log is within. BYOP. Be gentle with the container, please, and use the button on top to release it.
Please do not leave the cryptex inside any of the display containers, but if you would like to leave something small for Ian, that would be wonderful. Please do not open the displays or put anything inside, just leave the object nearby and contact me to take care of it for you. Thank you.
Portions of the remaining listing are obsolete as of September 2020.
The cache is NOT at the posted coordinates, but it is nearby. Please do NOT disturb anything in your search ...it's not necessary to move anything more than some bits of tree bark. Bring your own pencil to sign the log. I find it helpful to bring along a tissue or two as well.
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This cache is dedicated to the memory of my son, Ian, and was placed on the 14th anniversary of his birth, May 6, 2013. The cache coordinates will bring you to Ian's grave site, a peaceful place near the summit of Oak Hill Cemetery. One day I too will rest here in a plot adjacent to Ian's.
Whenever I visit, I remember the morning of October 8, 2012... a beautiful Fall morning with hundreds of dear friends standing on the hillside while a pair of bagpipers played a touching farewell to my son who loved his Scotch/Irish heritage.
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When you reach the posted coordinates look to the west, and just a little to the north. Ian's grandparents, Delmar and Edna McFate, rest there about 60 feet away and their graves are marked by a single, shared memorial stone.
The cache is wedged behind the bark of the old evergreen tree nearest the grave of Ian's grandparents. You'll find it on the north side of that tree, between 3 and 5 feet off the ground. Be careful removing and replacing the cache as the bark is very fragile.
The container you seek is a metallic green bison tube with a log scroll inside. This container was originally hidden in a beautiful plant that was provided for Ian's funeral by the Iowa Geocachers Organization and its Board of Directors, many of whom were in attendance for the visitation and funeral services. The IGO directors listed three bible verses on the original log, but a replacement is now in place so the verses are no longer there.
The City of Tama has granted permission to place this cache in Oak Hill Cemetery. Please be respectful of this hallowed place and avoid visiting whenever services are being held in the cemetery. There is a trash can near the road a few feet north of this location. Please help us keep Oak Hill clean by picking up and discarding any trash you find during your visit.