CacheCrazy.Com

So, another new year is here! Where does the time go? I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

2012 was an awesome year at CacheCrazy.Com World Headquarters here in the beautiful mountains of northeast Pennsylvania! New Honorary Authors, great articles by all and a dedicated readership who I'm certain enjoyed every bit of it.

I will try my very best to reflect back over this year past year and highlight (via hyperlinks) for you what I felt were the best in developments, happenings and posts. Sounds easier than it really is because there were so many great moments it's hard to consolidate them into one post but, here goes!




The year started out with BigAl 437 recovering from eye surgery. Smithie23 offered his geocaching confession and I introduced our readers to our newest Honorary Author, Ann who shared one of her adventures with us. January was also the month when we met our dear Honorary Author, Heather as she described the perils of geocaching and Dan shared his view of The Geocachers of Children's Television much to our delight! Erika Jean added another fine addition to her series, "Excerpts from ErikaJean.com" for all of us to enjoy and Dave D brought down the house with two tunnel posts in secession, The Screaming Tunnel and Blue Ghost Tunnel. I offered an update to my tending to ducks post to keep all informed and I was happy to offer a great post on Extreme Geocaching!  All in all, this was a great month for CacheCrazy.Com and a great way to start off the new year!


Bloodhounded nominated and selected as one of the final three contestants for Geocaching.com Geocacher of the Month? This was a huge honor and started the month off perfectly! It truly turned a "Rebel Cacher" into a respectable member of the caching community. And, even though the Packers lost the Super Bowl to the NY Giants I couldn't help but feel sad for Smithie as he mourned the loss of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da and made a confession that he is an FTF hound and why he caches! Meanwhile, Heather offered some tips on Muggle Distraction and Kim shared the deep dark secrets of what was in her geocaching bag! Little did I know that my Valentine's Day post would be one of the most popular posts of the year and I introduced our Honorary Author, George as he provided a crash course on how to Wherigo. There were 29 days in the month this year and Hedge offered his version of a Geocaching Treatise to top off the month. And, if that wasn't enough, we also celebrated one year of CacheCrazy.Com (in it's current form).  BIG Month!

                                                                                                                

BigAl kicked off the month with his awesome review of The Leap Day Event that he attended and had us all were wishing that we could go to Buttermilk Falls with him! Kim offered a few great posts but The CGW Train post and her travelbug and mobile post were awesome! Heather told us about her geocaching with history and Smithie defended the urban hide. I explained why I haven't been geocaching and told a story of a geocache maintenance surprise that really blew my mind! Erica told us about Arizona's oldest geocache and smithie told of his other passion genealogy which I think is fascinating. Our friend Shell from LoveMyGuinness offered two outstanding posts on the sport of geocaching and a caching day gone bad.  A very busy month with so many great articles!

                                                                                                                

In April we introduced CacheCrazy.Com's free geocaching logs made by George and have had over 400 downloads to date! Smithie introduced us to Munzee and wrote an excellent article on Private Property geocaches. Dave D took us on two totally awesome epic geocaching adventures to GC Headquarters and to the original stash but introducing all of our readers to his new daughter, Abigail was the best! I introduced our readers to Miragee and her first post with us and tufelhundin talked about a travelbug graveyard of sorts. Jamie also made her debut at CacheCrazy.Com and one of the all time favorite posts by BigAl was posted in April. He took the time to offer an in depth discussion on Lyme disease and the tick invasion. All in all, a super month!

                                                                                                                

Dave D kicks off the month with an excellent post on the art of logging and added another great post on Indian Folklore Edition. BigAl had some BIG news to share with the world on BigAlJr1693 and Kyo-Kat and share he did! He even found time to post a two part series in Got a Map I and II. Great stuff! Jamie returned with a great family fun post and I shared a live camera feed on an Eagle's nest in Monday's are for the birds. Dan talked about a geo trout fishing derby which was awesome and shared his spring gobbler story with us. George showed us his world wide flash mob efforts that looked like a lot of fun and Johnnygeo told us about the dangers of lamp post caching and caching safety in general. Heather added another great post on the Then and Now series which I personally love.  Smithie told us the tale of two rocks and shared a great chicken recipe with us to top it off.
NICE!

                                                                                                                

JUNE 2012 Featured post ~ Geocache Launch Party and Cool CacheCam Video

As the weather got warmer you would think that things would cool down at CacheCrazy.Com, right? Wrong! Check out Kim's caching Lake Michigan and hot dogs! That is living right there may friends! Big Al told us about poison ivy and how to identify it in Leaves of Three and his wife, craftimom writes about a milestone for them both! Grandpa Thrifty was introduced to our readers as was Josh who tells his tale of a geobash that he attended with his family. Dan shared his adventures at the Philadelphia Zoo and I puplished my secret Buffalo Chicken Wing Recipe.  Heather adds another entree to her Clever Caches collection and Dave D shows you how to make a clever geocache of your own. Hedge offers some snarky geologs we would like to see and Connie from MrsMamaHen.com shared her first FTF!  Smithie has a great story to tell about a cache he found and then found it again and we wrap up with a fun little geocache maintenance story that I wrote. Wow, what a great month!
                                                                                                                


BigAl started off July with a great post on the best DNF ever while Dan wished us all well from Morocco! I explained why the 4th of July isn't really Independence Day and Heather explains the ins and outs of why and how. DctrSpott surprised me with a great post with the Sheep Mountain Disaster and Smithie was busy rattling off several great posts and told us about the best cache he never found, showed us a cool unique cache container and shared some of his wedding adventures in Myrtle Beach, SC. Miragee offered two outstanding posts and awesome pictures during her adventure geocaching with Dillweed and she visited two historic caches in southern CA. I introduced our readers to Sonny and he offered his post on their geocaching vacation and I also introduced Nishollow who is an artist in his own right with his crazy cache containers. We also had celebrity status when BigAl437 was on TV and wore his CacheCrazy.Com Author hat proudly for all the world to see. I loved that! I had a similar personal experience when our blog was selected and featured as The Blog Of The Week on a regional televised Internet reviewer! That was awesome! Otherwise BigAl couldn't find his own cache, Heather took us on a walk on the canal side and Dave D announced that Aliens have landed in Denmark! What a wild month!


                                                                                                                

The month starts off with Jamie sharing a nice little story about a mushroom and BigAl and family head to the big city to meet with a doctor. Smithie tell us about his milestone cache while on the Trilogy Of Terror tour and then takes us on an adventure to do six cache types in one day! Dan takes us on an adventurer close to home with a rails to trails geocache family fun day and I did a pretty cool DIY of a bird nest cache that was well received. We featured the Outdoor Adventure Magazine which was a CacheCrazy.Com exclusive and Connie contributed an awesome photo collection of an old Gold Miners Camp. She also rolled out her series of  Monday Morning Adventures with MrsMamaHen that carried over several weeks. Speaking of morning adventures, Ann showed us one of her geomornings and Dave D came back with two great "tunnel" themed posts in "Tunnel Of Light" and "The Mosier Tunnels". Wait! That's not all! Smithie talked about the benefits of a premium membership at GC.com, BigAl pointed out the finer details of why patience is a virtue and I shared my typical morning. Yes, an action packed month and don't forget to check out the featured post on the Trilogy Of Terror which was a CacheCrazy.Com organized adventure with Dan, Smithie and myself. Great times they were, great times.

                                                                                                                

Right out the the gate I did a post of a group of folks who coordinated an effort called Space 2081. The goal is to place one cache of every type and every difficulty and terrain rating, pretty cool right? Monday Morning Adventures continued right through the month and Ann was back at with a short but sweet caching day afield. I checked into some antics that Nishollow was up to and BigAl took us all to Florida on his family vacation that just wouldn't be complete without grabbing some geocaches, 50 geocaches to be exact! We paid our respects to 9/11 and  Dan talked about his experience while bumping into a few rookies. Kim stole the show with two fantastic articles on the historic Mineola Hotel and the Crystal Lake Park District Geocache Series! While BigAl was showing us how to turn a fire extinguisher into a clever cache container, DctrSpott post a surprise astrological adventure on Cassiopeia. I asked everyone to please log those DNF's and Smithie was surprised that his cache survived a recent flood. Finally the month ended with Heather's moving story in Lee's Memorial Travel Bug Journey. Man, what a month! There was so many great features that my Google reader was smiling from ear to ear!

                                                                                                                



Dave D kicked off the month by taking us to South Mountain State Park to geocache the High Shoal Falls. He also gave us a great education on Ziplock bags and there uselessness. I did some geocaching alone and blogged about it of course while George shared his photos of caching in San Francisco, CA. The Tangled Mermaid shared a touching geocache love story with us and smithie had a message to sotp bullying that was well received. Kim gave us an education on pathtags and Bigal and I both talked about the beautiful leaves and the fun time that you could have geocaching at this time of the year. The last ten days of the month were reserved for Fright Week and I had to select 10 out of 22 entries of frightening stories by awesome authors. Some of the runners up were Kim's, Mineola Hotel and Lounge and Heather's, The Big Black Hairy Monster Under My Table (which I still owe them prizes for, sorry guys:). There were so many great stories I would check them out if I were you. This was a special month for me in many ways and an unbelievable display of the talent on the CacheCrazy.Com author team!

                                                                                                             

Oh what a November to remember! We started off the month by publishing some of the stories that I loved such as Dan's, "Was it You??" and BigAl's, "Faceless Lady" and a few more. Heather submitted a story of sports activities that a pensioner might employ or not and Tony offered his insight on trail mix. Veterans Day has a special meaning to all of us and Lea from Indulge Thyself offered a great article on our military working dogs. Smithie addressed the Munzee madness gone stale and Ann took us on a Riverside Autumn Walk where she had some fun and adventure. Kim posted a great article on all different types of cache containers and I showed our readers how to make a mushroom cache container. BigAl showed us his sensitive side while he and his wife took part in a Romantic Cache, he was obviously very proud of his son's first buck and he took the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Dan shares a hunting season tradition with us and DctrSpott takes us on an adventure out west that is sure to please. Dave D shared some tools of the geocacher, I predicted the future of geocaching and smithie talked about his geocaching slump that at one time or another, we could all relate to. Without a doubt a great month at CacheCrazy.Com.

                                                                                                                

With the holiday's quickly approaching and our schedules getting very busy all of a sudden some friends stepped forward to assist in posting fresh content everyday! Jenny from Jenny Goes Geocaching posted an article on miro managing and an awesome two part story of a multi cache in Bangor, Maine. Our friend Sonny from Life Outside My Door posted 10 tips that he has learned over the years while camping. Smithie said goodbye to challenges in, "Kiss That Frog Goodbye" and Dan offered his hunting story of bagging his buck this year. I posted a story I wrote awhile back on the worst geocaching day ever and talked about the location of a cache in relationship to how much action the cache will receive. BigAl asks a question for you to answer in, "What Would YOU Do?" and I make a bold announcement that I believe in Santa Claus! BigAl does some night caching on 12/12/12 that looks like a lot of fun, Dan and I get into a geocaching feud and we top off the month with Heather showing us ways to get yourself invited, save on gifts and have a nice CHEAP Christmas! Does it get any better than that I ask you?

                                                                                                                

Well, there you have it! One full year of fun and adventure all wrapped up in one post just for you! I'll leave it up for two days so you can really explore it and have fun but come Wednesday it's back to business bringing you all the best geocaching, outdoor adventure, fitness, family fun and some great food too that you have come accustom to here at CacheCrazy.Com. We are very eclectic so I'm sure you'll find something you like but if you have any ideas or suggestions please send me an email at Bloodhounded@gmail.com and I would be happy to hear your thoughts. Thank you all for your support and we at CacheCrazy.Com World Headquarters look forward to another wonderful year finding adventure everyday!
Happy New Year!
Bloodhounded

This is some fun advice from our very own Honorary Author, Heather from her personal blog, The Ramblings of a Mad Pensioner. Please also keep Heather in your prayers as she is currently in the hospital and away from the people that she loves this holiday season. Get well soon "Skinny"! 
BH 

Well it's almost here again and us pensioners will be suffering all the stresses that this time can hold, so how can we reduce the worry and costs and get through that Christmas period unscathed.

Stage 1. This should be where your going to spend the day, it's quite easy really, choose a relatives that have the least children and when they say, "Well Granny what are you doing for Christmas this year". Just look down towards the ground and mutter softly, "I don't think I will bother much on my own, perhaps I might get myself a pork chop for dinner". Bingo your in, as they should be taking pity and invite you round to spend the day with them.

Stage 2. Now presents shouldn't be a problem, remember that pack of 7 pairs of socks you got for £3 from Matalan, well thats 7 years of Christmas's taken care of for your Son/Son-in-Law. The bottle of lavender smelly you got at the charity shop for 50p will do nicely for your Daughter/Daughter-in-Law and don't forget an old jigsaw puzzle marked suitable for up to 5 year olds will do for any youngster in the family over 9 years old.

If you buy a book from a charity shop that has a writing inside such as, from Ethel, just mark it again so it reads, Merry Christmas from Grandma and Auntie Ethel, the kids won't know there isn't an Auntie Ethel, will they. Wrapping the presents shouldn't be to expensive as we all remembered to collect last years paper off your gifts and put them away after making sure it's ironing and folded carefully.

Stage 3. On the day arrive just before Christmas dinner, you don't want all that fuss with the kids that goes on in the morning. Eat as much as you can leaving just the sprouts on your plate, at the right moment say, "I just can't eat any more, could you save it for me in a bag to take home for another day, I do like a bit of cold turkey", of course there isn't any meat on your plate, but they should make up a good dogie bag for you to take home.

Stage 4. The boring afternoon should be endured as it's worth the time and effort, finish any tipple you have quickly so that when they offer you another glass you must say, "Oh no I mustn't I will get all tipsy, won't I children", making sure you thrust the glass out in-front of you to be filled again. If the little kids get annoying, just close your eye's for a moment, they will be told to be quiet as Granny is sleeping, watch television out of other eye that they can't see.

Stage 5. Grasp the earliest moment when they ask if you want taking home, making sure you have a very large dogie bag of food, asking politely if they have given you any Christmas cake and minced tarts.

There you go a super Christmas and plenty of food for Boxing Day, remember to iron that wrapping paper for next year.

I'm not quite sure where this year went.  It feels just like yesterday I was sitting here, blogging about all the great caches I found in 2011.  I was able to get out caching practically every day, and in the process, was regularly awarding "favorite points" for awesome caches and cache experiences.  As I approached 2012, I had the 1000th cache milestone in my sights.  My GSAK stats were telling me it as a possibility in 2012.  The mild winter we had in the northeast made for prime geocaching conditions.  Compared to other winters, I found a decent amount of caches, and I was able to continue that good luck into the spring.  Unfortunately, a series of events occurring, pretty much all at the same time, during the summer have forced me into a self-imposed semi-hiatus on geocaching.  Trust me, I'm still scouring geocaching.com looking at all the awesome caches still being published.  I still work feverishly on cache puzzles (right, Harold?).  I just haven't had much time to get out there and actually search for caches, save for the quick one, here and there.

As a result of my dormancy, I've had a tough time coming up with a year-end retrospective, as it was.  It's funny how finding a cache can jog your memory on other similar caches you've found in the past.  The problem is, when you cache infrequently, some of those caches seem to slip in between the cracks. Even caches I found six months ago feel like it was ages ago.

That being said, a few caches stand out, to me, as memorable, for one reason or another.  It would have been a tall task to drum up a top ten list.  Therefore, I'd like to reflect on three caches which, to me, stood above the rest this year.

In no particular order...


GCV8GK-Pour Me A Cold One by trail hound

This is a Traditional Cache hidden in Sussex County, New Jersey.  This was a tricky hide, as it was well camouflaged in the woods.  Finding ground zero, however, was only half the battle.  In order to sign the logbook you first needed to figure out how to retrieve the cache container.  I will not give away the methods used, but I will say you need to needed to use the nearby (liquid) resources to bring the cache container within reach.  And, oh yeah, you needed to be quick about it.  There was a method to it, and I figured it out in time.  Not the first time.  Or the second, for that matter.  This cache was an inspiration for a new cache I conjured up in my head. (Right, Harold?)  Unfortunately, that's where the idea has stayed.

The cache IS there-somewhere!

GC3AFBY- Ript2Shrds- Satan's Crack by -Ript2Shrds-

If you weren't part of the 2012 CacheCrazy.com Trilogy of Terror, you missed out on a great time.  As part of the group caching experience, we went on a short, but STEEP hike up this boulder formation just outside of Hazleton, PA.  We managed some tricky maneuvering up, across, and down the boulders in order to make the find.  (As I'm writing this on a snowy and icy morning, I'd hate to see what that hike would be like on a day like this.)  Plunging into Satan's Crack with some of my finest and newest friends make for a fun summer's day.  The scenery was breathtaking, and the water was refreshing.  This is what it's all about!  I can't wait to see where we decide to go in 2013!

Our Fearless Leader!

Picturesque view.

WELCOME TO THIRSTY THURSDAY!!!

Last week I gave you the following two scenarios to think about. I hope you did think about them. Here is what happened.



This first one happened while I was in the United States Air Force.

I had been working at the base for quite some time and I was now working the day shift of 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. One day I was coming out of our office building and I was heading to my car when I saw something laying on the ground. I was still a good ways off and it appeared to be a wad of money that someone had dropped. As I was approaching it I started thinking about what I would do if it really was money. Would I pocket it and act as if it never happened? Would I try and find out who it belonged to? Would I just walk on by?

Well as I got closer I realized it was not a wad of money; it was some trash. I walked right on by toward my car. (I was not into CITO at that point.) I began to think how it would have been best if it had been money to try and find out who lost it. But then again maybe no one would have seen me pick it up and I could by something for myself. Hmmm.

As I got closer to my car I noticed something laying on the ground. No, it wasn't a wad of money, but it was a very nice hunting knife. It was somewhat long, and very sharp.

Then my thoughts came back to me. What should I do? I knew what I would do if it had been money that I found, but this was not money.  Should I just pick it up and get in my car? Should I try and find out who it belonged to? What should I do?

I picked up the knife and went home for the day. The next day I went to work early even though it was my day off. I met with each shift throughout the day and told them what I had found. I then told them that the person who had lost the knife could talk to me later about it. The stipulation I gave was that in order for them to be able to get it back they had to describe it exactly to me.

Pretty soon I started receiving calls from guys who said it was theirs. I would ask them to describe it and they would say "well it's about 5 inches long with a black handle." Sorry, was my answer. Another one said "it's double edged with engravings on the blade." Sorry, was my answer again. I don't remember how many calls I received, but none of them could describe it to me. There was not even one who was remotely close.

After enough time passed my commander said I could keep it since no one could describe it. So I kept it and I still have it to this day. By the way, if you call me and think it's yours you'll have to describe it exactly to me. And the picture above is just that; a picture of a knife. Hey come one now you didn't think I'd post a real picture of it did you?

This second scenario happened here at our local Walmart.

It was approaching Christmas time and my wife and I were out doing some shopping for the kids. We had picked up some items for them and were actually heading to another area of the store when it happened. I looked down and laying on the ground in the isle was a wad of money. Yes I'm back to the money thing again.
My wife saw it too.  I picked it up and counted it. There was a lot of money there. Then I began to wonder what should I do with it. Hmmm.  Should I just put it in my pocket? It is Christmas time and we sure could use some extra cash. Or I could consider it a gift and buy some other things for the kids they really need.  Should I try and find someone nearby that might have dropped it? But there was no one around. Should I take it to the Customer Service Center and turn it in? Who would know if I kept it? What should I do?

After looking at the money, and counting it once again, we decided to take it to Customer Service and turn it in. It was the right thing to do. I just hope that whoever lost it went there to see if it had been turned in. Maybe they did and maybe they didn't. I was sure of one thing, I was happy with what I did.

I hope you had a great week and I hope you'll do what's right if you find yourself in a situation like I did.

Not a Santa in the physical sense but more in a magical way. A mysterious way that has no explanation. Kind of like my beliefs in Jesus and God. I've never laid my hands on them, or have seen them with my own eyes but, I just know they're there.
I just know it!

Christmas magic has many forms and has reviled itself to people all over the world in many different ways. Some in receiving the gift of their health, while others found the unexplained unravel right before their eyes. A paranormal phenomena or Christmas magic? You don't believe me?  Well, don't take my word for it, just listen to these people just like you and me tell their stories.

If you missed yesterday's post, scroll down and ketch up, we'll wait.
Join us now to do what Jenny says, "put this multi to rest". Let's do it!

On Wednesday, my husband and I planned an early anniversary celebration since we both had to work on our actual anniversary.  We each chose a place to eat and a couple of activities to do.  I'm sure it won't surprise you to know that I chose geocaching as one of the day's events.  Really all I wanted to do was to finish the Battleship series I had started a couple weeks prior but we actually ended up doing six that day.

Armed with both the GPS and the c:geo app for my phone, we trekked into the woods looking for the cache that had previously alluded me.  Both devices led us to within six feet of each other and that's when we began the search.  We went in opposite directions, walking in somewhat of a circle.  We lifted logs and rocks, finding more bugs than anything else.  Thankfully there weren't any bugs to make the hunt any more frustrating than it already was.  

After about fifteen minutes with no luck, we widened our search.  Brad reminded me that because of the container we were looking for, it would have to be hidden in or under something fairly large.  It wasn't long after hearing his advice when, lo and behold, I found it!  Brad came running over to help me remove the container from its very clever hiding place.  



The contents of the cache were pretty decent and in good shape.  We ended up taking a Marvel Superheroes race car and left a Matchbox shaped ice pack.  Brad was impressed with the amount of time and effort that the owner of the cache put into this hide.  He's now trying to think of a series of his own to put out :) 

Hey, Jenny is back with another great post about Multi Geocaches! So, it seems only fitting that it be a two part series, right? Join her in Bangor, Maine as she tackles a tricky multi in this two part weekend special. Enjoy!


Occasionally, instead of doing a traditional geocache, I'll get a little bit of ambition and decide to do a multi-step geocache, or multi for short.  A multi requires the finder to go to several locations to collect clues that will lead you to the final cache, which will be in a traditional container.  Sometimes, each stage of the multi will have a container, other times you will be looking at a landmark or other object.  

Last week I started working on a multi that required you to answer true or false about questions on a 5x5 grid.  It was set up like a Battleship grid so I didn't necessarily have to find all 25 locations, just the places where you would get a "hit."  I ended up having to only visit 19 of the squares.  

What I enjoyed about this multi was that although you had to travel to several locations, they were all in a condensed area of Bangor.  I got to see areas that I wouldn't normally visit and learned some things about my city that I didn't already know.  

My first stop was one of Bangor's notable buildings-Thomas Hill Standpipe.  This historical fixture was built in 1897 in a mere six months' time.  People used to be able to go inside to visit but in 1940 a young boy fell between the stairwell and the tank and died of his injuries.  Now, the Standpipe is opened once a season.  Actually, tomorrow is the date of the summer sunset tour.  For more information, click here.   
Although school's not in session, I visited both Husson University and the University College of Bangor to see if I could get any hits on my Battleship board.  Stepping onto the Husson grounds brought back many memories.  I didn't go to college there but when I was a Junior in high school, I had an opportunity to attend Dirigo Girls State.  Girls State gave young women an opportunity to participate in and learn more about government.  To say this program wasn't for me is an understatement.  I dreaded every session and lecture that I attended.  I'm still glad I went though, because I did enjoy spending time with my friends and feeling cool for being on a college campus.  

I was very happy that my hunt for clues took me to Cascade Park.  The day was a hot one and I was able to walk past the fountain and let the mist cool my face.  Families were sitting in the shade sharing picnic lunches and others were strolling along the walking paths.  It's not uncommon to see a wedding taking place here in the summer.  The fountain, flora, and fauna make for a beautiful natural background for any occasion.  There actually used to be a regular geocache on one of the walking trails but it has been disabled for a few months now.  This was one of my favorite stops of the day. 

Now that I've sunk the battleships, I can take my clues and go find the final cache.  I know the location and have tried looking for it once with no luck.  This heat isn't exactly encouraging and sweat in the eyes makes it difficult to look for anything.  On some cool evening this week, I'll make my way back out into the woods so I can finally put this multi to rest.