SERPENTINE

I am planning to write a few short blogs this time instead of trying to pack everything into one long one as I have been wont to do. Somebody referred to it as 'schmozzle' in her blog...

On Monday, the four of us (remember, we had Alice and Erica with us...) went to the Serpentine Fen Bird Sanctuary, a place we had not been to before.

The weather did not quite know what it wanted to be like when we left, but as the day went on it turned out not too bad until later in the afternoon when it started to rain.

The place is a sort of wetlands with a dike running through it and along the Serpentine River. It has 6 caches in it so we thought it might make for a nice day. And so it did. We had some difficulty with one of them but then were joined by a fellow cacher, Fryertuck, who helped us but to no avail. Later on in the day we ran into him again, and by that time he knew where to look, having run into yet another cacher. So you see that the network was really working that day.

But before we finished this one, we had to return to the car to eat. Some people really need their food at set times to avoid headaches and such while others just go and go...like in goinggone maybe?

This also meant that we had to return to where we had been before. In the meantime it had started raining so two of us opted for staying in the car while the dedicated ones among us, to wit Erica and I, dressed up for the weather and went to claim the cache. Erica, of course, had no choice, for she had to sign the log. I had a choice, but I choiced not to pull age...

After returning to the Jeep we decided to call it a day and headed home.

Geocaching 101

A week ago we had the Abbotsford Geocaching 101 event, organized by us and some other local cachers in our club house. This event, under the auspices of the BC Geocaching Assn. is done yearly in several places throughout BC. Its purpose is to give new cachers a chance to meet with experienced cachers, to learn a few of the basic tools and tricks involved, get a taste of caching, and so on. The veteran cachers use these events as a meet and greet where existing ties get renewed and new ones started. And this event can be logged as a 'Found" so you even get a smiley for it.

We were pleasantly surprised by the turn-out. We probably had a crowd of some 60 people with a nice mix of 'old' and 'new'.

We had planted a couple of new caches in the park behind us so we went out in bunches of new and old to find them. As they say, a lot of fun was had by all.
This event was attended also by Erica (PelikanKru) from Winnipeg who had arrived the previous day to help us celebrate my birthday. Somehow she managed to stay out of all the pictures we took.

On this day her sister Alice also arrived from Hamilton with the same idea in mind. She too showed up briefly. Alice is very much in love with caching since we introduced her and her family to it last summer, but they have not yet made the full commitment and spend the $400 and get a GPS...

And just so you won't forget whose birthday it was, here is the proof in the pie...

Happy Birthday!

Can a person wish himself a happy birthday? Too late! I just did.

It is turning out to be a great day even though I did not sleep so well last night. I am sure you are all thinking that it was a case of 'one more sleep and it is my birthday'.

Well, that was not what this one was about. The real reason is not hard to guess for those who follow this blog. Of course, it was caching related.

Last night we were quietly watching Peter Mansbridge doing his National thing, including his interview with Harper and the always fascinating At Issue Panel. I don't think very highly of the CBC, or any TV station for that matter, but Peter is a class by himself, imho.

During a break I do what one is supposed to do: amble over to the WR. On my way back to PM I take a quick peek at the computer screen and exclaim...well, you can guess what I exclaimed...yes, that's right: 'O shoot!' Five new caches showing.

'Put your boots on, dear.'

Nary a protest nor the question 'Why'. Just body rushing through air...

Two minutes later (well, sorry okay, but we had to read the cache pages, download to GPS and Palm; put boots on, clothes too, so don't call us slow pokes, please) we are on our way and trying out the Turbo feature on our Jeep...it worked well!

Three minutes later we park. Fifty seconds later we have the cache in hand. Two minutes later we are back in the car, on our way to the next one, less than a km away.

Arriving, we see something like the grown-up version of the burning bush...a pine tree with light moving around inside it. Of course, that light belongs to no other than our fellow crazy night FTF hunter (last week he did one at 2am) TESKELLY.

'That you, Kelly?'
'Of course!'. (tone indicates: 'stupid question'...)
'You found it?'
'Course!' (tone unchanged...)
'We found the other one.'
'Okay. This is my second one.'
'Okay. Good for you. We won't bother then.'
'You guys want to sign this one?'
'No, we need to keep a few available for a day we can't go too far afield. We're off. Good night'.

So off we are, much more sedately through the quiet winter night.

'There were two other caches...'
'Yes, but they were tree climbing caches. Not tonight, or maybe not ever...'
'Oh. You turned chicken?'
'No, of course not, but it is nearly midnight!'
'It is midnight every night some time... Okay, lets go home and have another look at them.'

At home sanity returns to the mind that was temporarily lacking same.

Instead I send a email to another cacher and invite him to join me tomorrow at first light. No response. He is probably on the road trying for FTF's.

I go to bed. Wake up at three, a normal occurence, nothing to do with caching either...

There is a response email. A message from a very frustrated cacher who had missed all the action the previous night, very unusual for him.
I email back saying that I will be available for calls anytime after six. Go back to bed, set the alarm. Wake up at 4:30. Not an uncommon...well, you knew that already. Check email. Nothing. Of course not!

Go back to bed. Actually sleep a bit. Wake up at 5:50. Neutralize the alarm so the other half of goinggone will not wake up.

Shower. Coffee. Dial number of Les. Let it ring once. If he is awake he will hear it but hopefully it will not wake up his family. No response. Of course not!

Ten minutes later try again. Bingo!

'Meet you in Clayburn Village at 7.'

We get to the area. We cannot locate the cache. It is white so there is a chance we might but we don't. So we pick the most likely tree and up goes Les...way up until he spots it. I guess that means I have to say 'Bingo' again now I have started this thread.

He comes down safely. Off to number two. We park in a sleepy street and head for the trail, ladder under arm...Nobody phoned the police as far as we know.

At the tree we spot the cache. Same procedure repeats itself.

I am back home a little after 8 where a very surprised and still sleepy caching partner greets me, totally surprised that she never noticed anything until she woke up a few minutes ago, but not in the least feeling guilty...
But I have to give this to her: she was more interested in my adventures for the first few minutes than in the fact that she was looking at a birthday person who had just spent the 'one more sleep and it's my birthday' night rather sleeplessly...

But then she made up for that momentary lapse in the priority thing-ah-muh-jiggy...

Party Time?

Just a quick little update on the fact that sometimes we find more than just caches.
Mom especially is very good at finding 'caches' left by dogs which gets her very upset every time but we always find some water to clean her boots. This week it was the ocean that served as the supply depot. I have no picture of this...good thing, right?

Also this week, while caching in White Rock, I found a cache of a different type. The picture tells it all.



I guess some young people were having a bit of a party in this park when they suddenly had to get rid of their booze. My assumption is that the night following it snowed and they never came back for their booty or couldn't find it back. To top this all off, the next day I found some more of the same in a different location.

As you know, I have lost all kinds of things during caching: glasses, cell phone, stick, and more. The following picture, which I am under orders to include, shows that I am only a hat away from loosing my head...



Hopefully soon I will able to post the picture that won the BC Geocaching Caching Photo Contest, taken, of course, by no other than Mom...hopefully...please...or perhaps not...please...for we'll never get more than two caches done in a day from that day on because...'wait a minute dear, I need to take a picture...'




Which one would you pick?

Welcome KCNEL

Yesterday, Saturday Feb.7, we took Casey and Nellie caching for the very first time in their life. They had been really looking forward to it during the last couple of weeks and especially Nellie kept asking about what to take and what she could expect. There isn't a whole lot one needs to tell a new cacher, so I basically limited it to 'good shoes' and 'warm clothes' in case it looked like the weather would be cold. When she kept asking if that was really all I told her to also bring her hipwaders so as to be ready for crossing a stream or two.


She did not react positively to that, either because she doesn't have any and didn't want to get them, or because she couldn't visualize herself in a pair. She said she would cross barefeet and pants up instead. If you know how Nellie would sometimes walk through the barn rounding up the cows you will have no trouble believing that she would actually do that.

We had a wonderful day with them. It was not warm but the sun was out and we went to the Chilliwack River area where we went last year for my birthday. We took them to some caches that we had done already as well as some new ones (for us). Casey got the hang of it quite quickly until irlpguy threw us, almost, for a loop with one of his specialties which I cannot divulge here in the interest of other cachers who read this blog and may want to do this cache one day. They wouldn't want to know what the cache is like until they have tried it or found it, of course.


As we traveled east we found more and more snow on the trails, and then we came to a cache where we could have used a blowtorch to get it out of its frozen hidey-hole. That's when we decided to call it a day, fearing that further up it would be worse. So those have to wait for my birthday this year. You can join us if you like...

When we got back to the road we found that we were actually quite close to another cache so we walked up yet another trail to have a look for one more find. That's when we found a garbage bag with three young trees in it on the trail, and a short way up a couple with a shovel. Quite incredible in this time of 'green' awareness people ransacking the forest for their garden, at least we assume that's what they were doing. They denied all knowledge of the garbage bag and had some kind of sob story to explain the shovel. We should have taken their picture and their licence plate number but that would probably not have gone anywhere so we didn't bother.

To make us feel better, Nellie found a cache, her first one, so we all rejoiced and headed home. Casey is determined to get himself a GPS so he can take his grandsons out; Nellie is not so sure she wants to do anymore slipsliding in the woods (of course, in spite of all her questions, she came woefully unprepared as far as footwear is concerned).

It was a fun day. It always is fun to go with other people instead of just the two of us. But not many people are available, so it remains a rarity. But again, if you feel an urge...You can ride in the Jeep which worked like a charm on the snowy and icy forest roads...

Five Ways to Stop a Cacher and More to Stop the Garbage

Yesterday and today we were near and around Lynden, WA. The weather was beautiful and the countryside peaceful and great to drive through.
One of the caches we did today is Five Ways to Stop a Cacher. I had never seen a sign at an intersection that actually says 5-Way. But as the picture shows, they do exist and at this point there were five such signs. Okay, so you already guessed that. Fine!

As the picture also shows, we found the cache, adding one more reason for a cacher to stop...get it? Good!

Like I said, it is a pleasure to drive through the Watcom County area. However, there is one thing that really takes away from the fun. I am not saying this to preach at our southern neighbours, but they are so badly in need of recycling laws and places to bring their stuff instead of throwing it every which where. As one of the pictures shows, it can get very bad. But there is no incentive for people to pick up their junk like we have it. That, of course, is still not a reason to just dump it wherever, but it certainly would help.


Think what you may of homeless people and hobos, they clean up an incredible quantity of recyclables. You see them coming into the Return It places with garbage bags full of cans and bottles. Those places actually hand out those bags to these people to go out and fill them up. Cities should really thank them for their service, especially Langley where within the city limits you will not find a can or bottle. Quite incredible!

Last week we were in Surrey on a schoolyard. We picked up for at least $10.00 worth of cans, and felt a little guilty for doing it, because there is no doubt that sometime during the day some homeless person would have come by to pick them up.

What you do find everywhere, including Langley, is Tim Horton's (note the apostrophy, please!) and Starbucks' garbage. When will we have a government that has the guts to make it a law to put a return fee on Icecap and other plastic containers that litter the landscape and that don't get picked up by the hobos because there is no return fee on them. And while they are at it, the government I mean, they can also outlaw drive-by's to stop the exhaust fumes polluting our atmosphere...So there! Anybody have Harper's cell number? Could you call him?

Does anyone have Obama's cell number? Could you call him? He is the one 'who can' so there is no longer a need for a can here and a can everywhere!

I'll end with this picture of our new cache mobile. If you have very good eyes, you may be able to see the eagle in the tree in the background. We saw lots of them today and they continue to take our breath away.

Go Climb a Tree

Has caching entered a new stage here in the Valley? One cacher in Chilliwack (geo canuck77) has decided to elevate, literally, the game somewhat by placing caches into trees. Now caches in trees is nothing new, but they are always within reach of a person of average height. They are mom's strong point while I can not ever find them, perhaps because my sense of colour is somewhat off and everything blends in too well.

However, geo canuck has given the whole idea a different twist. You now climb into the tree, often 15 or 20 feet up. Sofar they have been nice big, safe trees, but not the kind that you just kind of walk up into, you know. like Zaccheus.
The bottom branch is high enough to motivate the first cachers to arrive at the first one of this series to go back home and get a ladder. Of course, it did not help that irlpguy is not as nimble as he used to be now he is retired...

This first cache was attempted in a blazing snowstorm, in darkness, and as the attack was planned and executed more and more people arrived, even titelines from Abbotsford. If you know what driving from Abbotsford to Chilliwack is like in a snowstorm, you either admire their mental fortitude or wonder about their mental stability. But we all know, an FTF is an FTF, and more than once have we ourselves been described in various forms of not very flattering language when the topic of our crazy FTF adventures comes up.

The first Tree Climbing cache was found and FTF's were claimed. Which brings me to an interesting point. It is becoming quite common for FTF's to be shared by two or more parties, and I say more power to you. I even feel a little ashamed that I have not shared some of our FTF's with the person who was there with me at the same time...sorry TK and BR...But I was not aware of it at the time that one could do that. For think, if there have been 100 new caches in the past months, there must be at least 140 FTF's relating to same. What must people think...? Or is it not important to always ask ourselves, 'What must people think'? I would think so!

When the next Tree Climbing caches came out, we found that one of them was right across from where Alfred and Kirstin live. This discovery was grounds for a great idea: why don't we go visit them and have Alfred do the climbing?
As the picture shows, that was no hardship for him and a nice way out for us.
When that first one was in hand, we suggested that he might want to do another one...? So off we went to the old base where he went up a tree again and delivered another cache into our hands. Thanks, Alfred. Don't get out of practice, we have a few more coming, including the final which apparently is in one of three trees...

Then the day came that we wanted to go out to clean up some more in Chilliwack and right into our path to Little Mountain was another Tree Climbing cache. Knowing this, we had put our puny three foot stepladder in the Jeep...if others bring extension ladders, why can't we. We stopped and looked at the tree...The bottom branch was perhaps seven feet up? Eight? After placing the ladder, I tried to get my leg over it, but even stretching beyond my limit was not enough to complete that feat. That left us no choice but that the other goinggoner get up on the ladder and then use my shoulder as the next step up. Did she blink? Did I hear loud protests? Neither!!!

On the ladder, on my shoulder, and up she went...

Intelligence never being in short supply when we go caching (we like to believe) we had determined before she went up where the cache was. Twenty (?) feet up? No matter, she reached it, opened it, reached for her pen and, oops, found it missing. Three deft throws and one deft cache, make that catch, later the log was signed and the journey down to terra firma began and was completed without my cell phone having to come out to dial 911. Was one of us just a tiny bit proud of her daring feat? You bet! Was one of us rather proud of his brave-hearted partner? You bet!

A remarkable thing was that several people walked or drove past, the tree being pretty well next to the side walk of a fairly busy street. Did anyone questions what we were doing? Never! Did people driving by stop to take pictures or at least hang out of their windows and honk? Not a one! Did someone phone the Parks Board or 911? Think of another N word!

All of this goes to show that even after 1000 caches there are still new things to learn and experience, a fact we do not rue. Instead, we look forward to further feats and accomplishments. And we are so thankful that we have the health and time to do all this. Won't you join us sometime in February like you did last year?

As you can see, I managed to spread the pictures around...thanks, Ed...!

Weather Woes...

Most cachers in our area had no choice but to take an unwanted three to four week break from caching because of the weather and all the snow we had. Today, there is still a lot of snow around in some places, but the roads are clear and the sun has been shining in some parts of the Fraser Valley, mainly the Abbotsford area and east. West of Abbotsford was souped in by fog for 21 days.
One day last week we decided to start caching again and decided on the Watershed Park in Delta. Bad move! We were in the fog all day while back home everyone was basking in the sun, behind their kitchen windows that is.
Friday the fog finally lifted in Surrey so that's where we went on Saturday. It is true, there was no fog, but there was not much in the way of sunshine either and still a lot of snow in places.
We have not really come across anything very exciting in the way of caches except for one series that I will talk about in the next post.

As you can see, I have posted three pictures. I wish there were a way in blogger to place them in different areas than just at the top. If someone has some ideas about this, please let me know.

And they said "He is a hobo."

This week and last week I did most of the caching on my own. The good half of goinggone had so many other things on her plate that she had no time to come along.
One of those days I spent in Coquitlam. For one cache I ended up in a small park that was situated right behind an elementary school. Moments after I got there the bell rang for recess and all of a sudden there were more kids than trees in the park. And it did not take long that they spotted me.

"Look, there is a hobo". " A hobo, a hobo. Come look at the hobo!"

The word spread like wildfire. Before long I was being stared at and commented on and analyzed by at least 150 kids, all at a safe distance of at least 80 feet; make that 25m...Some kids found it too scary to stay; they ran. Others took their place. It was an ever shifting group of gawkers and hobophobes! And I, instead of tactfully retreating, just stood there, watching the spectacle with what I am sure was a beatific smile on my weathered face...

But I did get a little scared as it went on. What if the principal or one of the teachers comes out, witnesses the commotion, and phones the police? Not that I had done anything illegal, but sometimes non-illegal people get picked up to tell their story away from those that have been upset by their mere presence.

In addition to that, it is true that I looked probably more like a hobo than a civilized city dweller. My coat had picked up lots of green from wet trees and branches; it would not surprise a lot of people if I told them that I slept in the woods in this garb...Neither is it surprising that people jump to conclusions.

I mean, what does it take anyway? I have a daughter who would regularly proclaim to all in view and within hearing, "I do not know this man. I am not in any way related to him. Quit looking at me. I am someone else, okay...!"

Then a little miracle happens. A boy, say he is ten years old, comes out of the crowd and walks up to me. He does not look scared. My smile had won him over!!!

"Do you live here in the forest?", he asks.
"No", quoth I, "I live in a house just like you."
"Then why are you here?"
"I like the woods, just like you do."
"Oh."

And away he walks and announces clearly to all present,
"He is not a hobo."

I did not really hear any sighs of disappointment, but they were in the air...they kind of wafted among the trees...Now there was no hurrying back inside and tell the teacher; nor wait impatiently for school to end to get home and share the horrible news about the hobo.

The hobo that almost was.

Of sun, snow and caches.

The weather channel had one of those awfully red screens yesterday, warning us that we would get snow! That is a big thing for them, for once or twice they have been caught totally off guard by not predicting snow, and then we would get a dump with all the consequences of that: cars not being able to make it uphill, cars in the median on the freeway, etc. It ain't ever happening again that we have snow and not having been told about it.

You in snow country know how you talk about snow in BC and that we don't know how to drive in the snow, and how we call two inches of snow a lot of snow. But you probably don't know (and it is true, you cannot know everything...) how we sit here in amazement every winter when the news and the weather channel show us all those pictures of cars in ditches and on top of each other and stuck in the city and all that...we say to each other: did you know that so many people from BC moved to the Prairies and Ontario? Poor sods, not knowing how to drive in the snow...not even with all those experts around them, not even with all the practice they get...

Anyway, the weather channel is not ever going to be accused of not predicting snow for this region. So now they will put up the red screen and tell us that we may have severe weather, to wit 2 inches of snow...never mind how likely or unlikely that may be.

We did not get any snow where we live, but they had some in Vancouver and Victoria, so they can proudly say to the folks in those towns: See, we told you so! Ha!

Today it was invigorating but rather windy weather, especially enjoyable inside. But after noon we said, "Shouldn't we go out for a bit? Aren't there any caches left nearby that we have not found?" So we thought of some: on Sumas Mountain. We took the truck, and a good thing we did.

The first cache was at Gate 1, just after we got off the pavement. It was howling up there, and it was a good thing we found the cache rather quickly so we could get back into the truck.

Then we had to go way further up the mountain. The gravel road started to show snow and ice. The driver, she switched into 4wd. The truck, she did just fine!
We got to Gate 2, parked the truck and stepped out into the snow. We took time to take pictures to prove that I am not telling no tales either.

We found also this cache quickly. Good thing!
Then back down the mountain to do one more in the McKee area where it was colder than up on the mountain...more open to the wind, I guess.

In all, it was an invigorating adventure, and we feel great now that our hands have thawed and we have had a warm meal. Who said caching had to be boring, eh?