[Bennycams]

VioletScorpio wrote:

Hello, I have been Geocaching since 2015, but just joined the WGA a couple days ago after the West Bend Cache Bash. (I got my 400th find in Regner Park this past weekend). I live in West Central Wisconsin and don’t see too much about the WGA (more about the MnGA) since I am on the border of WI. I hope to do my best in promoting the WGA more in this area. Amie (aka VioletScorpio)

Welcome Amie!

I’m also a member of the 2015 class of new geocachers! We’re still relative newbies compared to most, I think!

I have a cousin in Prescott! At least, I think she’s still in Prescott.

And, CONGRATS on 400! I just got 400 last October, and am almost to 1000. I think meeting members of the WGA and other cachers since the start of the year has motivated me to get out there more. Of course, living in SE WI, where it’s hard to find a good spot to hide a cache with all the ones out there, helps too!

Happy caching! Cami, aka Bennycams

 

[Bennycams]

Congrats, everyone! Be better at looking at your mail than I was! I’m still waiting for the person I gave my extra Halo Top to to activate it, so now I’m worried that if they never do, it’ll look poorly on me.

[Bennycams]

I was only looking at it because I got bored at work. The majority of the ones I’ve seen before are 4 or 5 T, or require climbing a tree or a cliff. None of that is currently in my repertoire of physical abilities. Probably why I haven’t found enough of the “real” caches to make me one of the Micro Haters.

[Bennycams]

Okay, I was being purposely vague in case I did get this published, so as not to give inside information for an FTF, but here goes –

The property in question is owned by the Brewers organization. It is a walking path that on one end leads to/from the Molitor lot, and can be accessed by the nearby neighborhood on the other. After getting nowhere trying to talk to someone on the phone, and no response from an email inquiry on the website, I enlisted the help of my Season Seat Holder ticket rep. He spoke with people in Security, Miller Park Operations, and Guest Relations, and CCed the Director of Security in his response, which included the my emails about the general location being on the other side of the freeway from the ballpark itself. Looking at the credentials of the Director Of Security – over 26 years as a police officer, has been teaching defense, arrest, and tactical response for almost 2 decades – I’m guessing they definitely won’t budge on the security issue.

So, I guess it’s back to the drawing board. Again.

[Bennycams]

Noonan wrote:

To go back to what your question was – if the cache was built specifically for that location, or has a puzzle based around the location, maybe. I have a puzzle designed and in place but haven’t been able to contact the person I now know I need to contact in order to activate the cache.

The cache itself is a bison tube, so something I can easily use in another location. I wanted the cache to draw people to that location, because I like the view from it. The view is actually a little better a few yards away, but doesn’t really work for a hide.

[Bennycams]

Color me completely embarrassed –

HQ sent me another robot. And, before I had a chance to activate it, I found the first one. The envelope was among others waiting to be shredded & recycled. It was an ordinary letter envelope, and the top part of their address label was covered up by the barcode the USPS puts on all of the mail. I never saw it as anything special. There was no mistaking the second one, though, as the address label had the geocaching logo on it.

So, I sent them a reply telling them I wanted to send one back, I just needed to know which, and where to send it. Why? Because I was only supposed to get one, and to keep both would just validate the opinions of the more experienced cachers that cachers like me don’t care to play the game fair. I’ll get lumped in with all the armchair loggers, geocoin hoggers, and whatever types cause y’all to make your caches Premium Member Only caches, even if they’re just skirt-lifters.

 

[Bennycams]

I did send a message to HQ, and they asked to confirm my address so they can send me another one. So, I guess they kept a few in reserve? I’m going to wait until I get home from work tonight, and if there’s no robot, I’ll respond.

I’m a good TB foster mama. I record grabs & drops right away. When 2 TBs I placed along with one of my own became likely victims of the fires in southern CA back in October because the cache was in the park that got hit the worst, I was the one who contacted the TB owners, not the CO. I grabbed one I didn’t intend to because the homemade tag & chain both needed replacing, so I took it to help out. If I see a cache is supposed to have a TB but doesn’t , I make mention of it on the TB’s page. I’m good at following directions when it comes to TB missions, so if HQ tells me they expect a TB they send me to be activated & released within a certain amount of time, I’m going to do so.

I’m actually wondering if it got delivered to my next door neighbor by mistake. I live in a 3 unit building, and there’s a duplex next to us. The house numbers only differ by the 3rd digit. I don’t know enough about the neighbors to know what they would do if they realized it. If that’s what happened, and they either kept it or tossed it, at least it wasn’t something I paid money for.

 

[Bennycams]

The Happy Hodag! wrote:

Who all has seen The Geocaching Vloggger’s video this morning? He has issued the Geo Challenge of the month, and that is to write a log of 250 words or more. Need more incentive? There are prizes involved.

Piece of cake. I did a 100+ word log for a skirt-lifter I found in the Dells this weekend. I can do 250 on a better quality cache. 🙂

 

[Bennycams]

Okay, so as of today, May 7, I have yet to receive my robot. I did, however, get a nice reminder email from HQ to active it, as I agreed to do when entering the drawing for it.

I’m also a worrier, and I’m afraid that if it never comes and they think it did, I’ll be automatically disqualified from any future drawings. Or, that my response to their reminder will be seen as an attempt to get a second one. I don’t want two, just the one I’m expecting. I have the attachable item ready to attach. I just need the tag it’s supposed to attach to.

(I suppose if the robot never comes, I can attach the item to a different TB. But, I made it specifically for an ice cream dispensing robot, and it just won’t be the same with another tag)

 

[Bennycams]

While I did do the “TFTC” only logs earlier in my caching, I’ve since tried to say at least a little something about the experience. Even on power trails, I’ll at least say, “Out caching on a beautiful day…” or something similar. What I need to start doing is saying something when logging trackable visits for TBs that aren’t mine, instead of just batch logging them or doing a “.” when logging them through the app. That, and start making the ones for caches I give favorite points to more legendary.

[Bennycams]

Am I the only one still waiting for mine? I’m seeing a lot of photos on geocaching.com of people who’ve both placed one, and who have retrieved one out of a cache. I have my item ready to attach – where’s my robot?

[Bennycams]

And, here’s exactly what the email said regarding the trackable –

What to do when the trackable arrives:

• Open the package and do your happy dance!
• Activate the trackable online and create a fun mission. Note: If you do not activate your trackable, we’ll be back in touch with a reminder.
• Take photos with the trackable and show us how you “find your childlike wonder.”
• Upload photos to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter using the hashtags #cacheusifyoucan #sweepstakes to share your explorations.
• Drop your Halo Top Creamery Robot trackable into a geocache and send it on an adventure, whether it’s in a local park or on vacation in a deliciously exciting location.

[Bennycams]

awhip80 wrote:

Hmmm…nope, didn’t see that portion of the rules. I wonder how many others will miss it? Thanks for bringing it to my attention. So my guess is, after the game’s end (July 3rd), these little guys are fair game for HamFam to come and swipe? 🙂

You know there are ways around that, right? One, treat it like a geocoin and let a proxy do the walking. Two, put it in a seldomly visited cache, wait it out, then go retrieve it. Or, if you want to be really sneaky about it, create a brand new geocaching account, let that “newbie” grab it, and then mysteriously disappear like a lot of newbie cachers do these days. :}

For the record, I’m too much of a rule-minder to do any of the above. I’ll release mine like I’m supposed to, hope it’s taken good care of by its traveling companions, and maybe hope to reunite with it some day. Hey, I met up with my first TB 15 months after I released it (& in a completely different state), so it can happen.

 

[Bennycams]

HamFam wrote:

 

What is a Halo Top Creamery robot TB? Follow up question, let me know which cache you release it into, so I can steal it.

Back on April 3, HQ sent an email with the subject “Kids shouldn’t have all the fun.” Inside was a link for those interested in getting a Halo Top Creamery sponsored TB that looks like a cute robot, kind of like last year’s Magic The Gathering promotion. Or, I’m guessing the classic Jeep promo bugs. That was before my time, though, so I don’t know how those were doled out. These were supposedly at random from those who declared their interest.

And, I have to get mine before I can release it! 🙁 I’m jealous that Bartrod got his so fast! Maybe they’re waiting until I finally release the TB I made with my Mary Hyde code…

(On a related note, was I the only one hoping they’d do a repeat of that for those of us who completed Planetary Pursuit?)

 

[Bennycams]

Saw the headline for another article on this and immediately wondered if it could have been a poorly designed geocache –

http://wnep.com/2018/04/25/tale-of-the-tape-duct-tape-wrapped-around-utility-pole-has-residents-asking-a-lot-of-questions/

 

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