The Boss Lady was given a Kindle electronic book reader as a going away gift from her old job. I have been messing around with it this week and today it hit me. With the 3G wireless acess built in, this bad boy would make a great geocaching companion.
You can view cache info and log visits while on the trail. You can even pull up a basic Google map of the hide site. Heck, you can even write up your blog post trail side.
(I did not post this from the trail, but I did post it from the Kindle. Honestly, I did not even carry the Kindle with me today since I am still worried about breaking the wife's new toy.)
Friday, October 2, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
'Cache maintenance
I was out on a hike early this morning, enjoying the cool of the morning, so I decided to stop by our two geocaches to make sure they were still in good shape.
AtHomeFam 1st Hide is a small cache, in a modified Altoids tin. After we placed it I read that the tins do not work long term, because they rust too quickly. But this one is less than a half mile from our house, so I decided to leave it and just check on it once in a while. When it comes time, it will not be much hassle to swap out a new tin.
AtHomeFam 2nd is about a mile further up the trail, but the site is right along the trail for my usual Sunday afternoon "Cigar Walk". The geocache is an old peanut butter jar that the kids helped me camouflage. Unfortunately, the jar is just big enough that it seems to collect all sorts of trash and paper scraps inside. I removed the trash and as I was setting the container back in it's hiding spot I realized that there was a geocoin in the bottom of the jar.
I remember seeing it on an earlier visit this summer, so I brought the coin with me, to hopefully get it moving along again. Hopefully today I'll get out to find a nice, busy spot for the coin In honor of Spec. Michael J. Wiesemann.
AtHomeFam 1st Hide is a small cache, in a modified Altoids tin. After we placed it I read that the tins do not work long term, because they rust too quickly. But this one is less than a half mile from our house, so I decided to leave it and just check on it once in a while. When it comes time, it will not be much hassle to swap out a new tin.
AtHomeFam 2nd is about a mile further up the trail, but the site is right along the trail for my usual Sunday afternoon "Cigar Walk". The geocache is an old peanut butter jar that the kids helped me camouflage. Unfortunately, the jar is just big enough that it seems to collect all sorts of trash and paper scraps inside. I removed the trash and as I was setting the container back in it's hiding spot I realized that there was a geocoin in the bottom of the jar.
I remember seeing it on an earlier visit this summer, so I brought the coin with me, to hopefully get it moving along again. Hopefully today I'll get out to find a nice, busy spot for the coin In honor of Spec. Michael J. Wiesemann.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Catch up time
It has been too hot to geocache all summer long. Almost 70 days in a row of 100+ temps, so the kids and I have stayed inside as much as possible.
We went on a road trip to California back in June and early July. I did a little geocaching along the way, but mainly I hit a couple close to my Aunt and Uncle's house in San Clemente, California. We brought back one travel bug, Eyela the Travel Bug Elf, from the trip.
The bug stayed here at the house until today. The Princess had carried away the Bug and little elf fairy that was attached to it. Once the Travel bug turned up last week I realized that we needed to get it back into play ASAP. This morning I walked to the closest cache to our house and dropped the Travel Bug Fairy in. I hope she makes some good miles now.
For my birthday Father of Five sent me a Travel Bug tag of my own to activate. I have been thinking for a while about what to send out into the world attached to my Travel Bug. This morning I decide to make a little wooden chicken to release to the Geocaching wilds, but I broke the chicken before it was finished.
I decided to go with a simpler design and I found a left over wooden wheel from back in my toy making days. Once appropriately decorated, stained and clear-coated, it was time to release my own Travel Bug.
I was going to release Rolling Along from Austin, Texas by leaving it in one of my own geocaches. Instead, I went in search of a hide that I could not get to last Spring. Tallyran Temptation turned out to be a tough hide, but I found it and dropped my Travel Bug off for another 'cacher to move along for me.
Hopefully the travel Bug and I can both keep on rolling now that the summer heat is starting to dissipate.
We went on a road trip to California back in June and early July. I did a little geocaching along the way, but mainly I hit a couple close to my Aunt and Uncle's house in San Clemente, California. We brought back one travel bug, Eyela the Travel Bug Elf, from the trip.
The bug stayed here at the house until today. The Princess had carried away the Bug and little elf fairy that was attached to it. Once the Travel bug turned up last week I realized that we needed to get it back into play ASAP. This morning I walked to the closest cache to our house and dropped the Travel Bug Fairy in. I hope she makes some good miles now.
For my birthday Father of Five sent me a Travel Bug tag of my own to activate. I have been thinking for a while about what to send out into the world attached to my Travel Bug. This morning I decide to make a little wooden chicken to release to the Geocaching wilds, but I broke the chicken before it was finished.
I decided to go with a simpler design and I found a left over wooden wheel from back in my toy making days. Once appropriately decorated, stained and clear-coated, it was time to release my own Travel Bug.
I was going to release Rolling Along from Austin, Texas by leaving it in one of my own geocaches. Instead, I went in search of a hide that I could not get to last Spring. Tallyran Temptation turned out to be a tough hide, but I found it and dropped my Travel Bug off for another 'cacher to move along for me.
Hopefully the travel Bug and I can both keep on rolling now that the summer heat is starting to dissipate.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Long time, no 'cache
I managed to hit three finds in a row this evening after dinner. It has been a long time since I even tried to geocache, that I decided to take the winner's way out, and I quit while I was on a roll.
I almost slid down the hill, into the creek at Pickfair.
Then I almost missed Pickfair 2, right across the street.
Driving home, celebrating to quick wins, I decided to try WTH - Keebler's Cousin. I have tried this 'cache once or twice before, but this time the car wash next door was closed, so the muggles who hide from the boss all afternoon were not out.
This weekend we are heading out of town, so I hope to add Hill County and Bosque County to my find list on the Texas Counties Geocache Challenge
I almost slid down the hill, into the creek at Pickfair.
Then I almost missed Pickfair 2, right across the street.
Driving home, celebrating to quick wins, I decided to try WTH - Keebler's Cousin. I have tried this 'cache once or twice before, but this time the car wash next door was closed, so the muggles who hide from the boss all afternoon were not out.
This weekend we are heading out of town, so I hope to add Hill County and Bosque County to my find list on the Texas Counties Geocache Challenge
Monday, April 13, 2009
Missed another county
On the Saturday before Easter, we were all heading out to the country for family get-together at a cousin's ranch. So of course I scouted the nearby 'caches. Then it hit me we would be really close to a county I have not geocached in yet.
On the way in the kids were excited to get there, so we did not detour. On the way home the kids were tired and it was raining, so we skipped the nearest Burnet County hide, even though we were less than 5 miles away.
W\Instead, we made one quick grab on the way home, in Williamson County, between rain showers and called it a day.
On the way in the kids were excited to get there, so we did not detour. On the way home the kids were tired and it was raining, so we skipped the nearest Burnet County hide, even though we were less than 5 miles away.
W\Instead, we made one quick grab on the way home, in Williamson County, between rain showers and called it a day.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Maybe I should just stop now!?!
Found 5 in a row this morning and picked up a Travel Bug. Spent less than 2 hours at a local park that I never had explored beyond the pool/playscape.
No fails, nice location, nice morning!
No fails, nice location, nice morning!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
'Cache block
There is a vacant lot just down the street from our house. Last year that lot and a few others random pieces of undeveloped land were incorporated into our neighborhood park/trail system. The vacant lot is a nice, prime geocache spot, but I hesitated to place one there since there are neighbors on either side of the property. No need to worry anyone with random 'cachers coming and going all the time.
Anyways, someone placed a 'cache down in the creek, behind the vacant lot this week. It was listed late last night on geocaching.com and a popular 'cacher in the area found it some time after 10pm. The Princess and I walked down to find it this morning before school. We ran into another hunter while we were in the field. but it worked out fine. He let The Princess make the find and even let her pick a Travel Bug out of his supply to leave in the new gocache. We scored a STF (Second to Find), which isn't as cool as a FTF (First to Find), but MUCH better than a STFU (you will have to google that one yourself...)
This afternoon, while I was waiting for The Talker to get home on the school bus, I noticed another new geocache popped upon the website, so the kids and I headed over, hoping to make our first FTF. We made the find, but missed the FTF buy an hour and a 40 minutes. (The FTF was nice enough to log the time he made the find at the site. - He just hadn't made it back to his computer to log the find on the website before we left for our hunt.)
And who beat us to the site? Turns out it was the same geocacher who was so nice to The Princess this morning. So I'll hold off being mad at him. For now.
And since I am turning up the competitive side of this sporting event up a little, let me tell you that I am now back in the lead! Unless of course, you are holding back on a couple of more logs, just to mess with me.
I need to remember to do that sometime.
Anyways, someone placed a 'cache down in the creek, behind the vacant lot this week. It was listed late last night on geocaching.com and a popular 'cacher in the area found it some time after 10pm. The Princess and I walked down to find it this morning before school. We ran into another hunter while we were in the field. but it worked out fine. He let The Princess make the find and even let her pick a Travel Bug out of his supply to leave in the new gocache. We scored a STF (Second to Find), which isn't as cool as a FTF (First to Find), but MUCH better than a STFU (you will have to google that one yourself...)
This afternoon, while I was waiting for The Talker to get home on the school bus, I noticed another new geocache popped upon the website, so the kids and I headed over, hoping to make our first FTF. We made the find, but missed the FTF buy an hour and a 40 minutes. (The FTF was nice enough to log the time he made the find at the site. - He just hadn't made it back to his computer to log the find on the website before we left for our hunt.)
And who beat us to the site? Turns out it was the same geocacher who was so nice to The Princess this morning. So I'll hold off being mad at him. For now.
And since I am turning up the competitive side of this sporting event up a little, let me tell you that I am now back in the lead! Unless of course, you are holding back on a couple of more logs, just to mess with me.
I need to remember to do that sometime.
Friday, March 20, 2009
A rough start to the 'cache day
I had about 10 geocaches I wanted to checkout this morning, while I had a little solo time. I should have known it was going to be a tough morning when I went 0 for 4 on my first efforts. I ended up scoring three finds and bypassing one because kids were building a clubhouse in the woods nearby. I missed one final time and packed it in for the morning.
I did find a cool coin, TBI's Traveling GeoMire Geocoin. The owner wants it to travel to visit fire stations and firefighters, so we will look for a good spot quickly.
I also picked up a cool wooden coin that inspired me to start my Texas County quest.
I did find a cool coin, TBI's Traveling GeoMire Geocoin. The owner wants it to travel to visit fire stations and firefighters, so we will look for a good spot quickly.
I also picked up a cool wooden coin that inspired me to start my Texas County quest.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Our second hide
On Wednesday, The Princess and I placed our second geocache, AtHomeFam 2nd.
This 'cache is a small peanut butter jar, camo-ed with black duct tape and hidden in the hollow of a rock. It is not a tough hide at all. But it is bigger than our 1st, so maybe we will see some cool stuff go through here.
This 'cache is a small peanut butter jar, camo-ed with black duct tape and hidden in the hollow of a rock. It is not a tough hide at all. But it is bigger than our 1st, so maybe we will see some cool stuff go through here.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Geocache rescue/rebuild
Last week we had several days of rain. Our first geocache stayed dry inside, but the camouflage job did not hold up. It was our first effort at a hide, so we will chalk up our effort with natural camouflage to experience. There is probably a reason all of these other hides are camo-ed with plastic tape and containers...
A really cool 'Cacher emailed me to let me know about the status of the hide, so we set out this morning to make some repairs.
To stick with our theme, we added a little natural camo at the end, but the basic material for hiding this cache are more simple (and hopefully more reliable). We covered the entire thing in good ol' black vinyl duct tape.
This geocache is much easier to find now, mainly due to a metal rim on the can that we did not cover. I may go back down soon and try to disguise that, too.
Since we have the tape handy, I started prepping our second geocache this afternoon. Hopefully we will have it hidden by the end of the week. It is bigger, so we will have to search a little harder for the perfect spot.
A really cool 'Cacher emailed me to let me know about the status of the hide, so we set out this morning to make some repairs.
To stick with our theme, we added a little natural camo at the end, but the basic material for hiding this cache are more simple (and hopefully more reliable). We covered the entire thing in good ol' black vinyl duct tape.
This geocache is much easier to find now, mainly due to a metal rim on the can that we did not cover. I may go back down soon and try to disguise that, too.
Since we have the tape handy, I started prepping our second geocache this afternoon. Hopefully we will have it hidden by the end of the week. It is bigger, so we will have to search a little harder for the perfect spot.
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