Pyewagon

Wahooo! On a day of finding the caches with clues for the final, Allanon, JCar and I were successful in logging the culmination of a job very well done! I admire you for the work that went into this series...it definitely shows. As I stated in a couple of other logs, I'm not a puzzle solver, per se. I did contribute to the solving this series, though, and enjoyed it more than I thought I might. I don't know that it will change my stance on puzzle caches, but I'm slightly more interested in finding the solutions to the puzzles I haven't even looked at in the past.

This is a fine hide, a fitting end to the series. More important to me than the cache, though, is the trail that led my friends and me to the hiding spot. You see, I love paths. Damp, winding, fern-covered, moss-hugged paths. Their metaphorical significance has very special meaning to me. I'm overcome by an overwhelming sense of peace when I'm walking a path like this one. There's apparently a view from the trail that I didn't see, but my experience of just being in the moment was blissful, nonetheless.

These are the magical, hidden places that I fall in love with, but would never know they exist if not for other cachers who realize that they, too, are in a special place. To share its location is to share a rare gift. I'm grateful to have helped my friends solve the puzzles. grateful that they invited me, the flake, on a day of caching with them, grateful for being so very alive in a place that is just as alive.

So, the well-done cache is a very nice bonus, but I hope you'll pardon my saying that I found an even more impressive treasure...the glorious path that reminds me to stay true to my own path. Thanks muchly for brining me here. Namaste'.

I do believe that this morning was the foggiest day I've seen since I've been here. Allanon and I were up early for a day of "elevensies" with JCar, fulfilling the requirements for the Baker's Dozen challenge. I kept thinking that the fog would lift eventually, but it wrapped itself tightly around every tangible surface, fearing the warmth of a sun that would eventually bring its demise. There's something magical about a dense fog. It smooths the hard edges from everything in sight. It disguises the mundane. It forces one to look only at what is immediate, creating a heightened sense of awareness of all things.

As we made our way to the first stage of the cache, I could only just make something out in the short distance past the water's edge. Only by squinting could I see a blue heron perched atop a post. It looked ghostly, sitting there, unmoving. The whole thing felt very surreal, like being in a painting. I stopped to take a few pictures before the three of us began in earnest to look for the cache. JCar made the find and passed on the coords for the next leg.

I had to pause again to take a couple of pictures which have become favorite shots of the thousands I've taken since I arrived in the Pacific Northwest. Rarely can one look directly at the sun, but on this morning, the glowing orb was as soft as the heron in the water. It seemed to hang there, giving the fog a few extra minutes to revel in its existence. Allanon and JCar were quickly moving away from me, but I was caught up in the moment and didn't want to leave it behind.

Realizing that it's hard enough to keep up, let alone catch up, I made my way in the direction the guys had gone. Eventually, we made it to the cache, but only after I was once again sidetracked by nature's splendor. Normally, I'm terrified of spiders, but the fog that had wrapped itself into a web caught my eye. Luckily, the spider was elsewhere, so I was able to really study the bejeweled work of art. Truly and awesomely inspiring, that something as humble as a spider can create such a magnificent masterpiece.

More pics taken, I caught up the guys who had just finished signing the log. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this cache. Not the hide itself, particularly, but for the opportunity to be here and experience Mother Earth's majesty. This, my friend, is why I love caching, and I thank you for making it possible on this mystical morning.

Oh...on the way back to JCar's car, he kiddingly (I hope) asked me to leave my camera at home next time. 🤭 I hope he changes his mind when he sees the pics. 😌

I'm going to blame subliminal messages on my not being the one to find this one. While driving by the cache site, Allanon and JCar both mentioned where the cache was hidden. I was sitting in the back seat, listening to them talk, without adding much to the conversations. I mean, I'm just a silly girl, after all. Anyway, they were discussing the way in which they believed the cache was placed.

After parking and making our way to the cache, I was thinking I knew where the cache was going to be, but my GPSr certainly wasn't pointing to where the guys had been talking about. Now, were they throwing me a red herring deliberately, to keep me from being the one to spot the treasure first? That would be just like a couple of mean boys, after all.

Okay, maybe they just thought the cache was somewhere where it was not...I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since they were nice enough to allow a girl into their cache clubhouse for the day. This is one of those tricky hides; you can be looking right at it and not realize it until your brain tells your mind, "Hey, you, it's right there!"

Signatures squeezed into a full log, the cache was rehidden and we were off again. Here's to boys who sometimes allow girls to play on the same field. 🙂

JCar has found 300 puzzle caches?!? 😮 The mind boggles! I'm only just past finding 300 caches, full stop. To each their own, though...for me, caching is the thing I do for the treasure hunt of the cache alone, not the finding of the coords. And, that's okay...the world is a diverse place. And caching with puzzle-solving friends who give me the coords without my having to find them adds flavor to the diversity of my life. Still...300 puzzle caches. Wow.

Like most of the other caches today, I wasn't the one to do the actual finding. I don't know why that is, exactly. Well, sometimes it's because I'm too busy taking pictures and drinking in the emerald scenery. But other times, it's just because I'm not looking in the right place. Or because Miss Maggie MeriGold, who tells me I should just put her in an old folks' home, is tired and confoozled. JCar eyed the cache after a few minutes of looking. I had to paint his digital portrait to commemorate his 300th solve. That still blows my mind.

Thanks for the cache.

Thank goodness Allanon likes Sudoku and JCar likes puzzles, else I'd be clueless (pun intended). As Allanon stated, the birdies were acting very strangely, refusing to give an accurate reading on our GPSrs. While it's true we should trust the devices that guarantee our success playing this silly game (most of the time), there are instances where we need to stop looking at the screens and start looking at the surroundings. Think like a cacher. If I were hiding a cache, where would I hide it? Because, chances are that that's where the cache will be.

This is a nice little spot. On making our way to the hide, we spotted one Steller's Jay, and then its mate. They didn't approve of our presence much; they screamed at us before flying off away. I'm very fond of Steller's Jays, even if they are representative of their species in their bossiness. Their color is remarkable, and they always make me think of the first time I saw one. Years ago, I lived in a little house on the beach on Whidbey Island, and because I fell in love with the area then, I came back. Back to the land of Steller's Jays, majestic mountains, and wonderful cache hides in places I'd never find by myself. Thanks for the cache. 🙂