Pyewagon

I usually don't go for puzzle caches. I like to cache "on the fly", and don't take the time to look at or solve puzzles and store the solutions for later. However comma...Allanon and I were out with a puzzle fiend, JCar, on a brisk day of caching for his "11 finds" day of the Baker's Dozen challenge. Allanon asked me to solve the crossword beforehand, so we were ready with the coords.

I have a cache hide like this in South Carolina (adopted from me by a gracious cacher). Well, it's not exactly like this. In fact, the only real difference is that, just when you think you're getting really close, you find that "you can't get there from here". That was the case when we realized there was a fence between the three of us and the prize. Oh, that's right; there was a dog between the three of us, and the fence.

Now, I'm just sitting in the back seat like a little kid, asking questions like, "Which one are we doing next?" I leave the driving up to the driver, busying myself with my GPSr to avoid being a naggy backseat driver, which I can be if I'm paying attention to the road. 🤭

No problems; JCar soon had us on the prize side of the fence...which needs mending, apparently. Or dog #1 has a twin. No worries, he left us alone and we soon had the cache in hand, log signed, clues for solving the final noted, and off we went. Thanks for the cache; this was a fun series.

Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear...here I am, late in logging caches again! I'm playing catch up so I won't have 13 cache logs to write in addition to the ones I plan to find at the second Pokey Plodders event this Saturday, hosted by none other than the owner of this cache.

This was the first stop before meeting up with JCar for a busy day of caching; this was his day to find 12 caches to meet the criteria for the Baker's Dozen Challenge. I'd just managed to find the PQ I'd run the night before and the satellites had settled into orbit on my GPSr a mere seconds before we parked to find the first cache of the day. Allanon was right behind me, but I grabbed the cache before he could. Log signed, he rolled it back up while I was trying to convince the horse in the pasture next to the cache that the grass was greener on my side of the fence. He wasn't buyin' it.

Thanks for the cache.

I was there! I remember! However comma...I'm just now remembering to log it, not quite halfway through logging caches I found tomorrow. Uh oh...I'm getting silly again, writing when I don't feel like writing. I mean, come on...how can you log caches you haven't even fund yet? I haven't gone caching with Allanon and JCar tomorrow yet.

Stop!

Okay.

This was a nice event. I've never been to Discovery Park, but I do understand the frustration of not being able to place caches in particular areas; I played a very small role in battling the South Carolina government's efforts to ban caching altogether . And I understand that some areas are meant to remain more pristine than others. It is my experience that cachers are more gentle with Mother Earth, however. I've never seen a single cacher litter, but I've seen many of them pick trash up on their way to or from a cache. We play outside because we love the outdoors, and as such, we nurture that which nourishes us. I hope that The Powers That Be will take this into consideration when working with cache delegates to allow caches to be placed here once again.

I liked the introductions, FrodoB. I believe this is the first event where that was done, and it was nice to hear from the few cachers in the area whom I've not yet had the chance to meet. And how nice that there are more and more new cachers all the time. By George, I think we're onto something.

Thanks for the event! See you on the trails!

I've lived in the PNW long enough now that I should own a good pair of boots. But, noooo...that would leave caching an empty experience, utterly void of the sensation of freezing, soaked feet. Of course, when one is wearing worn-out shoes to which Odes are dedicated, there's not a lot to keep the weather and water out. However comma...what cacher worth their salt hasn't been exposed to the elements? Or blackberry bushes? You can experience them both when searching for this cache, providing you look at the right time of year. Like the time I was there. 😛

Allanon, WeightMan, Wrlwnd, and myself strolled in a leisurely fashion toward the cache, until we realized that it wasn't going to be as leisurely as we thought. When the sidewalk ended, the caching began. Water, water everywhere, and more than a drop to fill your shoes! Well, heck...once the feet are wet, there's no turning back. Wrlwnd spied the best approach to the cache hide, so he retrieved the cache and brought it to where we could all sign it. I have to wonder what passersby might have thought had they seen us; Santa and some very unusual elves, in the middle of a marsh in the winter, looking for treasure. 😎

Making our way back to the cachemobiles, we encountered a woman walking a basset hound. He wasn't sure of the guys, but he sure took an immediate liking to me. He was a sweetie who soon warmed up to the guys when he realized they were with me, so how bad could they be? I think she probably walks him in this area frequently, as she seems pretty familiar with the surroundings. So, future seekers, if you see a basset hound, approach slowly and you'll amke a new friend.

This cache will be memorable for me, for more than the toesicles. I cached with Santa! And perhaps even more special, I not only cached with him on the left coast, I had cached with him on the right coast, before I moved from South Carolina. It would have been nice if another of our friends who had cached with us on that day, E = Mc2, could have been with us for this find. Just like that day back in April, 2005, Santa came back to my house for a nice cuppa tea.

Thanks for the cache. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but it made for a nice afternoon with friends old and new. 🙂

This was the third find for the day after attending the first Pokey Plodders event in the wee small hours of the morning. The troupe that had attacked the rest of the caches on the Hill had already passed my intended route to this one. I started my way down, and I think Allanon either called or called out to the rest of the cachers down the trail, who doubled up to join me in the find. Actually, they'd soon overtaken me...by this point in the cache hunting, I was pretty tired and walking much slower than my cohorts.

No matter...I brought up the rear, as usual. I started looking in a spot where the cache wasn't...it wasn't far off, but Miss Maggie MeriGold must have been tired, too. She eventually straightened up and told me I wasn't where I was supposed to be. I joined the other cachers in crossing a small rivulet, making my way carefully to avoid a drink for which I wasn't exactly thirsty.

I made it across well enough, took a couple of steps up the muddy hill, and splat! Down I went. Luckily, I fell uphill, so there wasn't far to go. I wasn't hurt, my camera wasn't damaged, and I was able to right myself and make it up the hill to the cache. By the time I got there, there was no finding for me to do, as it was being passed around from one cacher to the next. 'Tis okay...I'm used to being last. Kinda takes the fun out of actually finding the silly things, but the camaraderie of friends and spending time on trails with friends more than makes up for it.

Cache rehidden, the party of plodders made their way back to the vehicles waiting to ferry them back to the starting point, where they had embarked in the morning. I met up with Harriet and Teperky, who were hiding a cache to commemorate the launch of the Pokey Plodders; I rode with them to the other side where we joined the rest of the party. Thanks for the cache.