[Ray]

I suppose this is the end of the origami in green.

Double kudos for the two of you from the two of us… T&tb

[Ray]

we happen to know that she didn’t walk to all of them. We watched her shinny up a tree for one and then return on her [however]. In any case, we believe she earned every one of them. Not bad work for a flatlander. BIG kudos Lucy.

[Ray]

More information on Group Sites can be found at: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/reservation/group.html

[Ray]

Before we all get carried away with what might be the coolest place to camp, we need to consider a couple of practical aspects of planning the event.

1. How far [long] are you willing to drive with 1, 2 or three tots in the back seat crying and begging “are we there yet?”

2. Our volunteers have been coming from SE Wisconsin, how many will be willing to drive, how far, two or three times before the event to get it setup? Yes volunteers! they don’t get reimbursed for gas or time.

3. How many newbies are going to be willing to drive 5-6 hours to camp out with a bunch of people they havn’t even met? I’d bet that if we hold the campout in Ashland or Superior or even in Eau Claire, we wouldn’t need to worry about finding a campsite to accomadate more than 75 people.

Trudy & the beast will be there, no matter where in the state it is held. Until now, we haven’t been able to contribute during the set-up. This is something we would like to do, but if it is any further away than Mirror lake or Hartman Creek we will not be able to.

I only make these points because 85+ percent of our membership lives within a area between Kenosha, Madison and Green Bay. Our best service to the greatest numbers would be to go to Bong or to Kettle Moraine south. But we have consistently stayed to the left margin of this area to accomodate WGA members in the more sparcely populated parts of the state. There is nothing wrong with this other than it is impractical and if we stretch the practice any further it might prove to be self-defeating.

[Ray]

Rollin like a steam locomotive goin down a 5% grade with a full tender and the boiler perkin full out. There aint no stoppin ’em now; get the cows off the track. They are headed for 3K by the the first of May!

Kudos, ecorangers. We are proud of you.
T&tb

[Ray]

I am thankful for Torke’ Coffee that gets my motor started and all our friends here that make it worth while.
tb

---

Happy Thanksgiving,
Trudy

[Ray]

Somebody asked me about this thread over the weekend. Here it is.

[Ray]

Trudy has been thinking about getting a new car.

[Ray]

T&tb planning on 9:00 a.m.

[Ray]

It is a brave act to come forward as Auntienae, Bushwacking Queen and Earth angel have. They have grown from this experience and I hope the rest of us have as well. Rumor mills are very destructive to all involved. The only way to qwell these vicious rumors is to hear out both sides. To set the record straight. These ladies have shown an other mark of character that should be pointed out. Not one word of blame has been placed by them. They have taken responsibility for their actions. In retrospect, their error has taken a more trivial dimension. Please accept my heartfelt appology for taking a less than neutral position without hearing the whole story. You three have shown a strength of character that is admirable.

“To err is human; to forgive is divine.”
— Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

[Ray]

Tami,
We know how hard this is for you. You have our admiration and respect for coming forward to set the record straight. Please rejoin us on the trails with the knowledge that we understand, that we have made errors in judgement ourselves and we do not want this to be anything more than a lesson in our own frailties.
T&tb

[Ray]

Grayhounders response sounds a bit like Andy Rooney.

I have sent a very short e-mail to each of the individuals implicated here. I hope It doesn’t sound like an accusation, because it is in response to hearsay. My intent was to let them know that they are indeed implicated. This was to give them a chance to respond. I had hoped that that response would appear here. Personal e-mail response is acceptable.

I have seen two so far one is a rationalization, neither and admission nor a denial. The other is a lengthy, emotional maintenance of innocence. The second response makes me believe that we cannot be too quick to convict. We need to hear the other side. If and when they are ready.

~tb

[Ray]

It seems that Trudy & I are late to come to the realization of who is involved. Personal e-mail and phone calls we have received in the past day all name the same 4 ladies. It seems that it is nearly common knowledge.

You may as well confess, apologize and start making amends.

[Ray]

When I think of geocaching, I think of the good times and great places we have been to. Seeing Grousetales post reminds me of a cache or six we teamed up for last fall. If you have yet to get to a cache by upnorthdoc, you are in for a treat. One two-part multicache comes to mind. Geoffnsara made up the rest of our team. Sara had been hitting these caches HOT, Hooty-hoo this Hooty-hoo that. We managed to find the first WP ahead of her, but she was back in form for the second. At the second, we found bear claw scratches in THE tree so we were watching our backs as we logged the find. Lil Otter had been there in may, we saw her log and Natloh2’s log in September. After logging the find, we went back to the cachemobiles, sucked down some badly needed water, listened to some of the Seahawks-Packers game and talked of the day’s activities. We found that cache as a team. We were all there. Lil otter didn’t get to 3000 caches in a divide and conquer deal nor did Natloh2 find over 1000 in this mode. Each of us made the trek. each of us has our memories of that cache, that day. We can share those memories with one another because we were there.

What memories will YOU be able to share.

[This message has been edited by Trudy & the beast (edited 11-12-2004).]

[Ray]

Several months ago Trudy & I retired a half dozen caches in Sheboygan County. A friend of ours hadn’t had the opportunity to visit those caches. Would it be acceptable for me to write his name on the retired logs and then call him to let him know he could go ahead and post the finds? How would this be any different than what has been going on?

This is no different than cheating on an exam. A few years ago there was a runner that registered for a marathon and then during the race started at the last mile when the rest of the pack got there. Would that be unethical? Are these the values we want to teach to our children?

The rules of this game are rather simple. Somebody hides a cache, A second party finds the cache. When the second party finds the cache, they get to log in the logbook and on the web page. The second party has earned the right to count the find. Counting the find without walking the walk is insulting to the cache hider and to those cachers who have a legitimate find.

For those of you that would subscribe to this new thinking on geocaching, what does your count mean. On how many of your last 400 finds did you actually hold that cache in your hand or just see the container.

When I hide a cache and make a challenge for you to find it; when I determine the level of difficulty do you feel that sitting at your computer and create a bogus log is what I have in mind? How would this be any different than creating bogus hides and letting my friends log their finds?

This isn’t bickering, this is an attempt to cauterize a festering wound that has been made in our sport and our community.

some more of my $0.02
tb

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