Have you ever had one of those days that was supposed to be great but ended up being a huge pile of....well you get my point.
Not too long ago our TC sponsors hid a cache in our honor named "One for the Nav" NW of Big Cedar Oklahoma in the Ouachita Forest. The Winding Stair Area of the Ouachitas is amazingly beautiful. We were very honored to have a cache named after us and were counting the days until the opportunity would arise for us to go hunt it. When my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday I immediately replied "Lets go hunt that cache!"
I've been looking forward to today for over two weeks. It was going to be perfect. Even the weather was going to be a comfortable 70 degrees on my perfect day. Just my wife and I out hiking in the woods and getting to hunt a cache named for us. Perfect.
After the kids were on the bus we started our journey. We stopped along the way for some McBreakfast and just talked. That's a treat when you have four kids and before I knew it we were almost to Big Cedar. I enjoyed watching the cache get closer and closer on the GPS and felt my excitement grow as I made the turn onto highway 63 in Big Cedar. That's when the car died.
I thought for the briefest of moments that just maybe I could get it started again. However the sound of metal grinding informed me that we were not going to be driving anywhere soon. We were lucky enough to have a nice couple stop and let us use their cell phone to call a wrecker. We ended up hanging out at a very nice memorial to JFK alongside the highway for about two hours before the wrecker arrived and brought our broken car and ourselves back to the house. I also discovered that in my excitement to leave this morning I accidentally left our camera on top of the car. Just another little nugget of joy to add to my perfect day.
So now we're on foot for who knows how long. Most likely, barring a miracle, a least a few months. I know sooner or later we'll be back in the game though. I hate my birthday! LOL.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
I Hate Winter!
I hate winter. Really. I enjoy being able to get outdoors and not be covered in ticks or tangled in vast amounts of undergrowth, but it's just not the same. My wife hates cold weather and just refuses to be out in it. It's also not too good for our kids to be outside in the cold as we usually have one or two rounds of some form of illness cycle through the house every year at this time. So far so good though.
I have had a few opportunities to go out by myself but I've discovered that I just really don't want to!? Which kind of surprised me. I always thought I'd hunt down any cache given a chance to do so but apparently that isn't true. If we can't go together then I'm just not very interested. The fun for me is when we go out and spend time together. I love it! We have a blast geocaching.
We were lucky enough to attend the "Cache Ca$h Dash Bash" held in Paris Arkansas. The event is hosted by paris1time and is in my humble opinion one of the two best events in the state. The second being the ArkGeo 2008 Annual Social and CITO the following day. That may be biased though since we LOVE camping. LOL.
The event was great and it is amazing how rejuvenating attending an event can be. Living where we do there are few geocachers and few geocaches. There is no community and therefore it's kind of hard to get motivated to hide caches knowing they will rarely get visited. That's going to have to change though. Not because I believe that we really need more caches out there, (I wasn't kidding when I said they are rarely hunted) but apparently some geocachers (ahem...Pat and Jerry) planted the bug in our fourteen year olds' ear that there needed to be more geocaches around Scott County. So as of this post, six days after the event, he's bugged me about it multiple times EVERY day! So just a note to you guys, I will get even. LOL. Needless to say I'm trying to get more hides out there. NEVER underestimate the persistence of a teenager.:)
We've been doing a lot of geocaching in Fort Smith recently and have had a ball. There are some really good caches there. We're trying to boost our numbers in order to reach 100 finds before I die. LOL. If everything goes as planned we should have 750 (hopefully more) by the end of 2009. That's the target anyway. It's easier now with the kids a little older. They're more involved in the hunt which allows us search for the smaller caches more often. They LOVE finding micros. Still not as much as the larger caches with "treasure" but they are enjoying it more.
We're in the preliminary stages of planning some events this year. We have a location for a CITO picked out and that looks to be a go so far. We want to host another CITO but we'll have to see. We're also thinking of hosting a "Meet and Greet" type of event most likely in Mena. I thought that would be a good way to get everyone in this area a chance to meet and hopefully build a community. Irregardless, it's going to be an awesome year full of fun. Once it warms up that is. I hate winter.
I have had a few opportunities to go out by myself but I've discovered that I just really don't want to!? Which kind of surprised me. I always thought I'd hunt down any cache given a chance to do so but apparently that isn't true. If we can't go together then I'm just not very interested. The fun for me is when we go out and spend time together. I love it! We have a blast geocaching.
We were lucky enough to attend the "Cache Ca$h Dash Bash" held in Paris Arkansas. The event is hosted by paris1time and is in my humble opinion one of the two best events in the state. The second being the ArkGeo 2008 Annual Social and CITO the following day. That may be biased though since we LOVE camping. LOL.
The event was great and it is amazing how rejuvenating attending an event can be. Living where we do there are few geocachers and few geocaches. There is no community and therefore it's kind of hard to get motivated to hide caches knowing they will rarely get visited. That's going to have to change though. Not because I believe that we really need more caches out there, (I wasn't kidding when I said they are rarely hunted) but apparently some geocachers (ahem...Pat and Jerry) planted the bug in our fourteen year olds' ear that there needed to be more geocaches around Scott County. So as of this post, six days after the event, he's bugged me about it multiple times EVERY day! So just a note to you guys, I will get even. LOL. Needless to say I'm trying to get more hides out there. NEVER underestimate the persistence of a teenager.:)
We've been doing a lot of geocaching in Fort Smith recently and have had a ball. There are some really good caches there. We're trying to boost our numbers in order to reach 100 finds before I die. LOL. If everything goes as planned we should have 750 (hopefully more) by the end of 2009. That's the target anyway. It's easier now with the kids a little older. They're more involved in the hunt which allows us search for the smaller caches more often. They LOVE finding micros. Still not as much as the larger caches with "treasure" but they are enjoying it more.
We're in the preliminary stages of planning some events this year. We have a location for a CITO picked out and that looks to be a go so far. We want to host another CITO but we'll have to see. We're also thinking of hosting a "Meet and Greet" type of event most likely in Mena. I thought that would be a good way to get everyone in this area a chance to meet and hopefully build a community. Irregardless, it's going to be an awesome year full of fun. Once it warms up that is. I hate winter.
Monday, January 5, 2009
January's Featured Geocacher
We were lucky enough to get an interview with this month's featured geocacher Gaddiel. Gaddiel is currently serving as the Past President of the Arkansas Geocachers Association. Geocaching since 2002, Gaddiel can be seen on the trail with is wife "Orange Danish" and their daughter "Lil' One." Gaddiel has been instrumental in helping organize ArkGeo and has volunteered a great deal of his time to promoting geocaching in the natural state.We appreciate Gaddiel taking the time to allow us to interview him and for everyone who leaves comments on our posts. We hope everyone has a wonderful new year!
How did you hear about geocaching and what was your first hunt like?
I believe I first found geocaching.com on another web site I was using to trade paperback books. We didn't have a GPS at the time, of course, but I was able to borrow one from a co-worker. On February 23, 2003, we went on our first hunt. Well, actually, there wasn't much of a "hunt" to it. It was a virtual cache and we already knew where it was! The cache was Old Ferry Cache, hidden by cachecrazies. That day, in the cold and the rain, we discovered something that would give us years of enjoyment and cheap entertainment!
It may seem odd now, but we actually started geocaching several months before our first find! How? Well, although it goes against the generally accepted procedure these days, the first thing we did when we got our hands on a GPSr was to go and hide a cache! (We didn't know any better at the time. Please don't take our GPSr away...) We hid a cache at Woolly Hollow State Park in June of 2002 and called it Wild & Woolly. Even though we had permission from the local ranger, at that time, the state park system didn't even know what geocaching was. Little did we know that about three months later, the state parks system would issue a blanket ban on geocaching in all Arkansas state parks. This action, as you probably know, played a big part in the creation of Arkansas Geocachers Association and eventually to the Arkansas State Park system's current policy to allow (and even promote) geocaching in almost every state park in Arkansas. But I digress...
How did you choose your nickname?
I wanted to have nickname that had some biblical significance, so I chose "Gaddiel", one of the scouts that first went in to the land that God had promised to Israel back in the book of Exodus. Gaddiel was an an explorer-type of guy, so I thought it would be appropriate. My wife chose OrangeDanish because she loves those Pillsbury orange danish rolls. (Plus, I probably remind her of that chubby little Poppin' Fresh guy on the commercial... Hmm... on second thought, I'm not that ticklish...)
Geocaching with a family offers its own rewards and challenges. What advice would you give for a family just starting out in the game?
We always cache together as a family. One thing we've learned is to let the kids set the pace for the day. When we start to push too hard, it stops being fun for them and the day usually turns sour. Just relax and enjoy each hunt and let the little ones explore at their own pace. For us, the time we spend geocaching together as a family is way more important than racking up the numbers. Smiles on a face are always more valuable than smileys in a logbook.
What type of GPS do you use and what other gear do you use to help you find a cache?
We have two GPSrs, both old. Since our Garmin eTrex Legend has started having issues, we usually use a Magellan SporTrak Pro. Recently we also have been using a TomTom Navigator ONE to help us with the in-car navigation, which has been working out great! Occasionally, when we have time to plan, we will use Microsoft Streets & Trips on the laptop to plan the most efficient route, but most times we don't go to that much trouble.
What is your favorite type of cache? (puzzle, multi, etc.)
I love creative, urban micros. My wife loves caches hidden on long hikes to remote locations. Our daughter loves huge containers, no matter the location. We all like to work on puzzle caches together... so... Hmmm.. I guess we love them ALL!
What's the funniest thing to happen to you at a cache and which one was it?
I'll never forget what happened at "Abby's Cache". As we got within about 50 feet of the cache site, a bug flew in my ear. This thing started burrowing and would not come out! I spent several minutes shaking my head and doing some kind of crazy dance trying to get it out, but it just kept going deeper. Apparently, it went all the way to my eardrum, because every time the thing would move, it sounded like a thunderous waterfall inside my head. I remember thinking about that scene from one of the Star Trek movies (Wrath of Khan, maybe?) where they put that worm in that guy's ear and it burrowed into his brain... AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!! This went on for a good 15-20 minutes. I just kept banging my head against my hand and the little devil finally came out. It's truly a wonder I didn't give myself a concussion... Well, anyways, the cache was an excellent hide and after a lengthy search, we stumbled upon it and came away with a cacher's delight: another smiley.
What is one of your all time favorite caches and why?
"How Do You Measure Up As A Cacher?" Some caches are just plain fun! It's obvious that lots of planning went into this one. Ingenious design and flawless operation.
Do you have a certain cache on your "wishlist" and why?
"Land of the Lost". This one tops our list because of its scenic location and unique geological formation. It also looks like it's not too difficult.
What other hobbies do you have?
Reading, golf, watching movies with the family, and computer games.
Where do you see geocaching in the future?
I suppose the game of hide-and-seek and the intrigue of getting clues to go and discover a hidden treasure are almost as old as humanity itself. We just started calling it "geocaching" in the last decade or so. Geocaching, in some form, will probably continue to exist for many years. However, we may find ourselves having to change the way we play the game. Since its inception, we have seen increasing restrictions on geocaching as time has passed. I would say it's pretty likely that we will see that trend continue, at least until geocaching evolves in some way to compensate.
Oh, all right. I'll be more specific. In 10 years, we'll be using three-dimensional coordinates to search for non-physical caches that contain "virtual" trade items, which can be exchanged online. To unlock and "log" the cache on site, one will simply verify one's identity using either fingerprint or DNA analysis... There. Is that "Star Trek" enough for ya'? :-)
Friday, December 26, 2008
December's Featured Geocacher
Well, better late than never! This is the second installment of our monthly featured cacher. The inaugural "interview" was very well received and we appreciate all the great comments. So without further adieu, we'll introduce the featured geocacher for December: goatsandvettes!
With the roar of horsepower and the smell of burning rubber,
goatsandvettes sped into the geocaching world in February of 2008. A resident of Fort Smith, goatsandvettes can be found tearing up the asphalt from cache to cache along with jay jay55. If you've been geocaching in Fort Smith then you've probably experienced this duo's creative and fun hides. As much fun as their caches is reading their online logs explaining their misadventures while geocaching. Enough of all that, we better get to the interview before goatsandvettes speeds of again!
How did you hear about geocaching and what was your first hunt like?
TheCLB told me about it. First cache was Tramlaw Kelley Hwy. Pulled into parking lot she said, IF we had a gps with us, it would be point that way and then as we drove thru parking lot she said now it would point that way. Pulling into ground zero was asked where would you hide a cache..after several incorrect guesses, finally the the term skirt lifter was explained. Soon I was signing my first cache and hooked.
How did you choose your handle?
From a combination of two cars I own. An 2005 Pontiac GTO (the GOAT) and a 1977 Corvette (the VETTE) which became goatsandvettes
After your first find, what about geocaching has kept you interested?
Being raised in the country I enjoyed getting out and hunting (though I haven't hunted anything alive for a long time).This hunt gives you a quarry that is so stealthy, impossible to hear, blends in with the surrounds and hides in plain sight, knows few boundaries around existing amongst us in the city or country. Can watch you in silent laughter as you hunt, prod, and poke for it. Be within inches of you and invisible. Survives all elements from freezing winters to egg frying summers. The night hunts are some of the most fun. Where else can you walk around in circles in the dark, with a flashlight in the middle of the woods and not be considered strange. Well, at least not strange by other geocachers.
Of all your hides, which is your favorite and why?
If you mean hides, as in one I put out, that would be some disassembly required. Took a while to figure out how to assemble and make it difficult and fun to take apart but easy to reassembleg almost anyway and it still work for the next cacher.
If it one I found, it would be one I found earlier and then took JJ to to find. The Dock of The Bay. A beautiful lake, stars above, a cool night, and she found the cache and I found the Caching Partner I will spend the rest of my life with.
What is your favorite type of cache? (traditional, puzzle, multi, etc..)
I like all of the caches for the most part. I enjoy the challenges of multi's such as Curve Appeal or the infamous "gill specials" but like those micro's in the middle of a busy muggle filled area. I like the urban ones as well as those in the woods. The woods ones are best at night when your caching partner hears "lions and tigers and bears" lol.
What was the most embarrassing thing to happen to you while geocaching?
When after numerous attacks upon JJ by "Man Eating Armadillos" and "is that a bear" or "are there coyotes out here.. wild things live in the woods", (she's a city girl), I was "Scared by a little baby bunny rabbit that took off as I was about to retrieve a cache". Might as well make it public knowledge as JJ logged the "attack of the bunny rabbit" on the cache log.
Geocaching, is it a game or a sport?
Both, a game where you can use strategy, the knowledge and skills you have and you learn, and you get to keep score, but also a sport where you can "hunt" in the woods", where you can explore the sides of mountains, hike and climb into the locations. I think Geocaching is both.
What surprising thing have you discovered about yourself through geocaching?
That this is one thing I prefer to not do alone as other hobbies but to do with someone (ie JJ) anytime day or night. I am surprised that I will traipse through the woods at night in the freezing cold to look for a cache and enjoy it laughing all the way and actually get up earlier to go to a "Meet and Greet" then to go to work and be happy in doing so.
What GPS do you use?
I use a Garmin Etrex Legend HCX for when I get out to locate the cache. I use a Garmin Nuvi 260W loaded with caches and logs to find the way into caches via roads.
Do you have any geocaching goals and if so what are they?
Just to place more caches, find more caches and keep looking for and placing more challenging caches.
We'd like to thank goatsandvettes for taking the time to answer our questions. As always if anyone has any suggestions feel free to let us know. We'd love to hear from you! We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and have a happy new year! Happy Caching!
With the roar of horsepower and the smell of burning rubber,
goatsandvettes sped into the geocaching world in February of 2008. A resident of Fort Smith, goatsandvettes can be found tearing up the asphalt from cache to cache along with jay jay55. If you've been geocaching in Fort Smith then you've probably experienced this duo's creative and fun hides. As much fun as their caches is reading their online logs explaining their misadventures while geocaching. Enough of all that, we better get to the interview before goatsandvettes speeds of again!How did you hear about geocaching and what was your first hunt like?
TheCLB told me about it. First cache was Tramlaw Kelley Hwy. Pulled into parking lot she said, IF we had a gps with us, it would be point that way and then as we drove thru parking lot she said now it would point that way. Pulling into ground zero was asked where would you hide a cache..after several incorrect guesses, finally the the term skirt lifter was explained. Soon I was signing my first cache and hooked.
How did you choose your handle?
From a combination of two cars I own. An 2005 Pontiac GTO (the GOAT) and a 1977 Corvette (the VETTE) which became goatsandvettes
After your first find, what about geocaching has kept you interested?
Being raised in the country I enjoyed getting out and hunting (though I haven't hunted anything alive for a long time).This hunt gives you a quarry that is so stealthy, impossible to hear, blends in with the surrounds and hides in plain sight, knows few boundaries around existing amongst us in the city or country. Can watch you in silent laughter as you hunt, prod, and poke for it. Be within inches of you and invisible. Survives all elements from freezing winters to egg frying summers. The night hunts are some of the most fun. Where else can you walk around in circles in the dark, with a flashlight in the middle of the woods and not be considered strange. Well, at least not strange by other geocachers.
Of all your hides, which is your favorite and why?
If you mean hides, as in one I put out, that would be some disassembly required. Took a while to figure out how to assemble and make it difficult and fun to take apart but easy to reassembleg almost anyway and it still work for the next cacher.
If it one I found, it would be one I found earlier and then took JJ to to find. The Dock of The Bay. A beautiful lake, stars above, a cool night, and she found the cache and I found the Caching Partner I will spend the rest of my life with.
What is your favorite type of cache? (traditional, puzzle, multi, etc..)
I like all of the caches for the most part. I enjoy the challenges of multi's such as Curve Appeal or the infamous "gill specials" but like those micro's in the middle of a busy muggle filled area. I like the urban ones as well as those in the woods. The woods ones are best at night when your caching partner hears "lions and tigers and bears" lol.
What was the most embarrassing thing to happen to you while geocaching?
When after numerous attacks upon JJ by "Man Eating Armadillos" and "is that a bear" or "are there coyotes out here.. wild things live in the woods", (she's a city girl), I was "Scared by a little baby bunny rabbit that took off as I was about to retrieve a cache". Might as well make it public knowledge as JJ logged the "attack of the bunny rabbit" on the cache log.
Geocaching, is it a game or a sport?
Both, a game where you can use strategy, the knowledge and skills you have and you learn, and you get to keep score, but also a sport where you can "hunt" in the woods", where you can explore the sides of mountains, hike and climb into the locations. I think Geocaching is both.
What surprising thing have you discovered about yourself through geocaching?
That this is one thing I prefer to not do alone as other hobbies but to do with someone (ie JJ) anytime day or night. I am surprised that I will traipse through the woods at night in the freezing cold to look for a cache and enjoy it laughing all the way and actually get up earlier to go to a "Meet and Greet" then to go to work and be happy in doing so.
What GPS do you use?
I use a Garmin Etrex Legend HCX for when I get out to locate the cache. I use a Garmin Nuvi 260W loaded with caches and logs to find the way into caches via roads.
Do you have any geocaching goals and if so what are they?
Just to place more caches, find more caches and keep looking for and placing more challenging caches.
We'd like to thank goatsandvettes for taking the time to answer our questions. As always if anyone has any suggestions feel free to let us know. We'd love to hear from you! We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and have a happy new year! Happy Caching!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Camouglage
Wow. Is it getting closer to Christmas already!? It's been such a hectic time. Doctors visits, birthdays, and everything else that makes the holidays so crazy. We celebrated my nephews birthday this weekend. He was of course spoiled rotten again. LOL. Why my sister believes an eight year old needs an iPod is beyond me.
We've been hiding caches like fiends the past couple of weeks. We've hidden four Terracaches (two virtual and two physical) and an ALR geocache. I was really nervous about the geocache we hid but it seems to be well received. That will teach me for reading the GC forums too much. LOL. Our ALR cache is a challenge I dreamed up named Calliope's Challenge. In order to log the cache you must find thirty consecutive caches and have an online log length of fifty words.
We had both my nieces and my nephew over at the house all day today. All the kids just love hanging out together. My oldest niece even helped me paint an ammo can which gave me the idea for this post.
I enjoy painting caches we are going to hide. I'm not very good at it but I believe it adds something special for the finder to have a camouflaged ammo can waiting. I even leave a little note on the cover of the logbook thanking them for hunting our cache. I try to stock them with really good trade items. We can't afford much but thanks to A to Z in Alma we at least have some nice toys. Hardly anybody ever lists what they trade so it's hard to tell what most cachers think of the trade.
Anyway, I thought I would talk about how I camouflage an ammo can and maybe get some input from anyone reading, especially if they have never attempted it before. I'm interested in getting better at it so any input would also be most appreciated.
We buy our ammo cans from a scrap metal dealer in Glenwood, AR. He literally has hundreds of 50cal cans that he sells for $1. Pretty sweet huh! The downside is you have to look through them (which he encourages) and sometimes mix and match lids. So the first step in preparing an ammo can for a hide is to check the rubber seal. Without that the can will allow moisture in and ruin all the contents. The second thing to look for (in older cans) is holes. The best way to do that is simply hold it up to the light while looking in the interior for any light a hole may let in. Now that you have a can in good condition it's time to paint!
The first step in camouflaging a can is sanding off any rust. You'll want to be sure to do that outside since I was told some older cans used lead based paint. I'd err on the side of caution and wear a mask or at least be outside when you do this. Once you've sanded all the rust off go ahead and cover the can in a coat of primer. I do this to protect the can (hopefully) from rusting any further.
Once you've let your primer dry cover the can in the primary color you wish to have. I usually use OD green or brown. I use the Krylon camouflage paint mostly. Their oD green is a little light compared to some darker ones made by BLP Mobile Paints that I sometimes get from the army surplus but they dry very quickly and can also be used on plastic which is an added bonus. You could use a cheaper version of brown though. It would just take longer to dry.
When that's dry then you need to paint the secondary colors of your camouflage. This really depends on what you want. For this can I randomly sprayed light beige (ColorPlace..cheap at Wal-Mart) and then went back over part of it with some Krylon camouflage beige. I also reapplied some OD green in some places I felt were too light. I try to stay away from the edges when using the lighter colors. You can also get shades of your color choices by varying how close to the can you hold the spray paint. This takes some practice (I'm still working on it. LOL.) but it is worth it.
Next I'll choose some leaves and/or grasses to use. This again depends on where you're hiding the cache or just what you have available. I use some small maple leaves I picked up in the crafts department at Wal-Mart. I've also used grasses form a nearby field and leaves from a neighbors bush (shhh..don't say anything). Just anything you want would work. First I'll hit the edges of the can with black and then lay whatever material I'm using on the can and Highlight around it with the black. I really recommend the Krylon black since it dries faster and you won't get any streaks from moving your material around but you can use the cheaper stuff, just be real careful! Keep repositioning and spraying until you have the look you want. Remember that the lighter colors will darken after a couple of hours. Don't be afraid to experiment! You can always repaint the can if you're not happy with it. Here's what I ended up with:
The lighter colors darkened some after a few hours and I was really pleased with it. You can affix a geocaching label to it or make a stencil and spray one on there. Which is what I do. You can download a PDF at Sissy-n-CR's website. I just bought some blank Mylar sheets at Wal-Mart and, using the copy I printed from their store, laid the template under it and cut it out with an exacto knife. It works okay. I'm going to buy some later. Just so I don't have to cut anymore out. They have both Geocaching and Terracaching stencils available so check them out.
Well that's all I've learned so far. I keep experimenting and so far I've made a lot of improvement. I've also had some abysmal failures. You should have seen how my attempt at digital camouflage came out. Ugh! LOL. It was horrid. I'm currently working on trying to paint an ammo can to make it look like bacon!? I'm almost there. Happy Caching!
We've been hiding caches like fiends the past couple of weeks. We've hidden four Terracaches (two virtual and two physical) and an ALR geocache. I was really nervous about the geocache we hid but it seems to be well received. That will teach me for reading the GC forums too much. LOL. Our ALR cache is a challenge I dreamed up named Calliope's Challenge. In order to log the cache you must find thirty consecutive caches and have an online log length of fifty words.
We had both my nieces and my nephew over at the house all day today. All the kids just love hanging out together. My oldest niece even helped me paint an ammo can which gave me the idea for this post.
I enjoy painting caches we are going to hide. I'm not very good at it but I believe it adds something special for the finder to have a camouflaged ammo can waiting. I even leave a little note on the cover of the logbook thanking them for hunting our cache. I try to stock them with really good trade items. We can't afford much but thanks to A to Z in Alma we at least have some nice toys. Hardly anybody ever lists what they trade so it's hard to tell what most cachers think of the trade.
Anyway, I thought I would talk about how I camouflage an ammo can and maybe get some input from anyone reading, especially if they have never attempted it before. I'm interested in getting better at it so any input would also be most appreciated.
We buy our ammo cans from a scrap metal dealer in Glenwood, AR. He literally has hundreds of 50cal cans that he sells for $1. Pretty sweet huh! The downside is you have to look through them (which he encourages) and sometimes mix and match lids. So the first step in preparing an ammo can for a hide is to check the rubber seal. Without that the can will allow moisture in and ruin all the contents. The second thing to look for (in older cans) is holes. The best way to do that is simply hold it up to the light while looking in the interior for any light a hole may let in. Now that you have a can in good condition it's time to paint!
The first step in camouflaging a can is sanding off any rust. You'll want to be sure to do that outside since I was told some older cans used lead based paint. I'd err on the side of caution and wear a mask or at least be outside when you do this. Once you've sanded all the rust off go ahead and cover the can in a coat of primer. I do this to protect the can (hopefully) from rusting any further.
Once you've let your primer dry cover the can in the primary color you wish to have. I usually use OD green or brown. I use the Krylon camouflage paint mostly. Their oD green is a little light compared to some darker ones made by BLP Mobile Paints that I sometimes get from the army surplus but they dry very quickly and can also be used on plastic which is an added bonus. You could use a cheaper version of brown though. It would just take longer to dry.
When that's dry then you need to paint the secondary colors of your camouflage. This really depends on what you want. For this can I randomly sprayed light beige (ColorPlace..cheap at Wal-Mart) and then went back over part of it with some Krylon camouflage beige. I also reapplied some OD green in some places I felt were too light. I try to stay away from the edges when using the lighter colors. You can also get shades of your color choices by varying how close to the can you hold the spray paint. This takes some practice (I'm still working on it. LOL.) but it is worth it.
Next I'll choose some leaves and/or grasses to use. This again depends on where you're hiding the cache or just what you have available. I use some small maple leaves I picked up in the crafts department at Wal-Mart. I've also used grasses form a nearby field and leaves from a neighbors bush (shhh..don't say anything). Just anything you want would work. First I'll hit the edges of the can with black and then lay whatever material I'm using on the can and Highlight around it with the black. I really recommend the Krylon black since it dries faster and you won't get any streaks from moving your material around but you can use the cheaper stuff, just be real careful! Keep repositioning and spraying until you have the look you want. Remember that the lighter colors will darken after a couple of hours. Don't be afraid to experiment! You can always repaint the can if you're not happy with it. Here's what I ended up with:
The lighter colors darkened some after a few hours and I was really pleased with it. You can affix a geocaching label to it or make a stencil and spray one on there. Which is what I do. You can download a PDF at Sissy-n-CR's website. I just bought some blank Mylar sheets at Wal-Mart and, using the copy I printed from their store, laid the template under it and cut it out with an exacto knife. It works okay. I'm going to buy some later. Just so I don't have to cut anymore out. They have both Geocaching and Terracaching stencils available so check them out.
Well that's all I've learned so far. I keep experimenting and so far I've made a lot of improvement. I've also had some abysmal failures. You should have seen how my attempt at digital camouflage came out. Ugh! LOL. It was horrid. I'm currently working on trying to paint an ammo can to make it look like bacon!? I'm almost there. Happy Caching!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Carving Up Some Fun
The Thanksgiving holiday has passed. It's always a little saddening to see it go. Relatives only seen at this time are making their journeys home as my wife begins her yearly ritual of inventing new and interesting ways to use leftover turkey.
We spent some time at my wife's aunt's house for the holiday. For the second year I was asked to carve the turkey's. They always prepare two of them. My wife has a lot of relatives. I should first explain that her family is a very traditional southern family. So carving the turkey isn't a chore, it's a place of honor. I felt honored and enjoyed my labor as an endless line of my in-laws paraded by and with a wink would try to grab a quick piece without my wife's aunt noticing.
What does all this have to do with geocaching? I dawned on me as I carved away that we geocache like I carve a turkey. I debone it completely. I even save all the little bits in a separate plate to be used for sandwiches later.
That's how we cache. Like a large piece of turkey, we enjoy the caches which always lead to a unique area and an adventure. We can't overlook the others though. Absolutely not! You see while that little piece of turkey may not seem like much all on it's own, taken together with all the other pieces you have the makings of another adventure. At the very least, you've got a fantastic "day after" sandwich! Now who doesn't love that.
On another note we're getting excited about some really fantastic locations I've been interviewing some locals about. I have a list of no fewer than four waterfalls to check out. If I can find them. LOL. We do love exploring so it will be fun anyway.
On the topic of exploring Arkansas. There is a fantastic program that airs on AETN entitled "Exploring Arkansas." Just as the name suggests, it's a weekly program that highlights fun places to explore and discover in our state. I highly recommend it. They even aired a segment on geocaching. Now how cool is that!! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and as always; Happy Caching!
We spent some time at my wife's aunt's house for the holiday. For the second year I was asked to carve the turkey's. They always prepare two of them. My wife has a lot of relatives. I should first explain that her family is a very traditional southern family. So carving the turkey isn't a chore, it's a place of honor. I felt honored and enjoyed my labor as an endless line of my in-laws paraded by and with a wink would try to grab a quick piece without my wife's aunt noticing.
What does all this have to do with geocaching? I dawned on me as I carved away that we geocache like I carve a turkey. I debone it completely. I even save all the little bits in a separate plate to be used for sandwiches later.
That's how we cache. Like a large piece of turkey, we enjoy the caches which always lead to a unique area and an adventure. We can't overlook the others though. Absolutely not! You see while that little piece of turkey may not seem like much all on it's own, taken together with all the other pieces you have the makings of another adventure. At the very least, you've got a fantastic "day after" sandwich! Now who doesn't love that.
On another note we're getting excited about some really fantastic locations I've been interviewing some locals about. I have a list of no fewer than four waterfalls to check out. If I can find them. LOL. We do love exploring so it will be fun anyway.
On the topic of exploring Arkansas. There is a fantastic program that airs on AETN entitled "Exploring Arkansas." Just as the name suggests, it's a weekly program that highlights fun places to explore and discover in our state. I highly recommend it. They even aired a segment on geocaching. Now how cool is that!! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and as always; Happy Caching!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Earthquake Ridge Trail
My wife and I were lucky enough recently to spend some quality time together hiking the Earthquake Ridge Trail near Mena, AR.
Fall in Arkansas is a wonderful time to get out on a trail. The weather is perfect. If you're lucky enough to catch the colors at their peak it's an experience you'll never forget.
After our morning ritual of getting the kids ready for school we made our way
south to the east end visitors center of the Talimena Scenic Drive. There is a phenomenal trail system here that hikers can use to enjoy short hikes to several miles by combining different trail loops. The Earthquake Ridge Trail is also one of the best mountain bike trails around. Well, so I've read. I'm 100% positive that if I ever biked a trail I'd probably kill myself.
It was a perfect clear, cold, sunny morning when we started down the trail. We began from the visitor center and hiked counter-clockwise from the trailhead sign. The first part of the trail has a lot of ups and downs and can get your heart racing a little at times.
There were a few colors left on the trees which we enjoyed as the trail wound its way north near the highway. I really didn't care for the trail being within sight of the highway but thankfully there was little to no traffic on a Tuesday morning but it could be a nuisance in the warmer months with all the tourists. It would ,however, be ideal for someone who is looking for a nice day hike and isn't accustomed to being in the woods. Which actually may have been the intention of the trail builders. I did get an awesome picture of my lovely wife and another of some scenery before the camera batteries died.
We stopped at the point where the trail crosses the highway and turns south to listen to what must have been 50 blackbirds flying around among the trees just across the road. They were making an amazing racket and we enjoyed siting on the guardrail and listening to their chaos before a motorcycle came by and spooked them off.
The western side of the loop was a much easier hike and there were some interesting rock formations along the way. Nothing spectacular but worth the visit. The colors on this side were much better and seemed to be peaking in a couple of spots which made for some beautiful scenery. We stopped and climbed up a small ridge to sit back and eat a snack while taking in the scenery.
We were having a fantastic time but all too soon we came to the end of the northern loop and had to end our hike there. We wanted to do the southern loop but we had to go check out some resale shops in Mena which turned out to be a very serendipitous adventure in itself. We plan on returning this weekend and taking the kids along the Orchard Trail which is another at the visitor center and is an ADA accessible trail. It is paved and has interpretive signs and benches along the way. Depending on how the kids are doing along the hike maybe we can loop down the Carriage Trail and back to the parking lot. Hmmm...maybe I can bribe them with some McDonald's. LOL.
On another note I wanted to thank everyone for their feedback on our little "monthly cacher' feature. We've selected the geocacher for December via the tried and true name from a hat method and will be contacting them shortly. If anyone has someone they'd like to nominate, ideas for questions, or anything else of note just drop us a line. Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving, or as the kids say "Happy Turkey Day!", and Happy Caching!
Fall in Arkansas is a wonderful time to get out on a trail. The weather is perfect. If you're lucky enough to catch the colors at their peak it's an experience you'll never forget.
After our morning ritual of getting the kids ready for school we made our way
south to the east end visitors center of the Talimena Scenic Drive. There is a phenomenal trail system here that hikers can use to enjoy short hikes to several miles by combining different trail loops. The Earthquake Ridge Trail is also one of the best mountain bike trails around. Well, so I've read. I'm 100% positive that if I ever biked a trail I'd probably kill myself.It was a perfect clear, cold, sunny morning when we started down the trail. We began from the visitor center and hiked counter-clockwise from the trailhead sign. The first part of the trail has a lot of ups and downs and can get your heart racing a little at times.
There were a few colors left on the trees which we enjoyed as the trail wound its way north near the highway. I really didn't care for the trail being within sight of the highway but thankfully there was little to no traffic on a Tuesday morning but it could be a nuisance in the warmer months with all the tourists. It would ,however, be ideal for someone who is looking for a nice day hike and isn't accustomed to being in the woods. Which actually may have been the intention of the trail builders. I did get an awesome picture of my lovely wife and another of some scenery before the camera batteries died.We stopped at the point where the trail crosses the highway and turns south to listen to what must have been 50 blackbirds flying around among the trees just across the road. They were making an amazing racket and we enjoyed siting on the guardrail and listening to their chaos before a motorcycle came by and spooked them off.
The western side of the loop was a much easier hike and there were some interesting rock formations along the way. Nothing spectacular but worth the visit. The colors on this side were much better and seemed to be peaking in a couple of spots which made for some beautiful scenery. We stopped and climbed up a small ridge to sit back and eat a snack while taking in the scenery.
We were having a fantastic time but all too soon we came to the end of the northern loop and had to end our hike there. We wanted to do the southern loop but we had to go check out some resale shops in Mena which turned out to be a very serendipitous adventure in itself. We plan on returning this weekend and taking the kids along the Orchard Trail which is another at the visitor center and is an ADA accessible trail. It is paved and has interpretive signs and benches along the way. Depending on how the kids are doing along the hike maybe we can loop down the Carriage Trail and back to the parking lot. Hmmm...maybe I can bribe them with some McDonald's. LOL.
On another note I wanted to thank everyone for their feedback on our little "monthly cacher' feature. We've selected the geocacher for December via the tried and true name from a hat method and will be contacting them shortly. If anyone has someone they'd like to nominate, ideas for questions, or anything else of note just drop us a line. Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving, or as the kids say "Happy Turkey Day!", and Happy Caching!
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