Friday, June 27, 2008

Can you find me?

Can you? Or do you just want to stand there with your hands on your hips and say "its right there according to the GPS!"
Today was just a funny day.
I decided to take a board Wapahani Kid #1 out with me, while Wapahani wife and kid #2 got their hair cut. We decided to stop by and grab a few caches, our first was called 'protect & serve'.... Arriving at the location, I knew it well. I spent time here as a kid watching my cousins KART (gokarting) its actually the entrance to the F.O.P. lodge and a softball field, the KART track is back farther.
I figured we could grab this one and move on. We arrived, logged the COORDS and they matched, but wait. The location had been cleared, and on top of that new debre from recent storms had been piled. Looking at the place date, its 2 years old, and the last cache found was 3 months before. No good. We looked around, but both of us decided that it probably wasn't here and we would move on.
So, scratch that one.

Moving down the road, back to the greenway. The old C&O of Indiana railroad is now the Cardinal greenway, a very popular bike/walk trail through Muncie. Its also home to several current and archived caches that beg to be had.
We decided that a short walk would net us a nice cache and move on. We parked and walked the short distance south on the trail, arriving at the location, we looked all around. The GPS locked on a location which appeared to have been muggled. We dug around and even pushed over a few plants. At this point, Wapahani Kid #1 decided to look around the other side of the trail. So, I kept looking and what should I spy? Nope, not the cache, but 2 druggies pushing their dope. I decided that since they saw us, it was best to move on. I grabbed Kid #1 and we headed back minus a cache.
Another good learning example for kid #1.

We decided to make our planned stop, and while doing so, we could grab another cache after finishing this one, just by walking.
So, we trek the 2 blocks to the cache. The owner of this cache sent me an email after I logged a DNF, telling me the cache was just moved and gave me the new clue. So I figured that we could grab it and move on. WRONG. Upon arrival, it was a muggle paradise. The term "we look like freaks" came from kid #1's mouth, to which I replied "heck, then we fit in here!". We looked and after a short 5 minutes decided to retreat. The eyes became such that even if we had found it, I wouldn't have logged it because it would have given up the location. While I am pretty sure I spotted it, I will wait until a better time comes to grab it.
So we moved on.

I had noticed the "2for1 special on wyes" had been repaired and we decided that a quick grab could be had. We stopped and I jumped on this one, it was a grab and sign, replace and move. The choochoo led by a nice GEVO was nice to hear, but without having kid #2 it was rather pointless. Kid #2 just loves "ChugChugs"...
So, "What now?" came from Kid #1's mouth.... I said "another cache?", she said "sure" so down the road we go.

We arrive at site "Wilson Field", the old Wilson Middle School's track and football field, which is now a garden for the public housing and a mulched walking trail. Very nice, quiet area. We went right to the COORDS, but it was very heavily grown. We looked, each taking time to search. The bottle if there was well camo'd into the area. Funny, but a bird in the bushes sounded much like a cat crying. Kid #1 even said "is that a cat!" funny, but no cache, no glory.

Arriving back at the cachemobile, I said "this sucks!" So far too many DNF's and only 1 find. And it only got worse.
While trekking toward the next cache, Wapahani wife called and we met them at the Curly Coo, or Cooley Park to try and grab one more. Alas, NOTHING. This cache was placed 3 years ago and hadn't been had in hand for several months. This is another highly muggled zone and noted for it. I'm guessing that, that factor, plus an absentee owner won't see this one found again!

Finally, the rain started to fall, we decided to head on home. 1 find, atleast we got something.... but Can you find me? Apparently only one of you!