Geocaching

Open Sesame. 

Let’s get the sensible bit out of the way first…

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We have a cache in our area that has over 150 favourite points, it’s well known for being a unique one and it’s been on my watchlist for quite some time.
Located about an hours drive away I’ve been tempted to visit several times but never quite made the effort. All I needed was a reason to visit the area.

Incidentally Mr muddy has wanted a dog forever. I’ve always agreed we could and then firmly got my way, by not actually getting one. 😉 

Realising that he’d been fobbed off for the last 20 years, he’s been looking recently at pups for sale online. With regular reports of cute pups for sale around the country I could always find plenty of reasons to not drive umpteen miles, just to see a man about a dog. 

Then he found some locally. Oh poo. 

Then I realised it was local to the super duper cache.

Marriage is about compromise right? 

‘Sure we can go and see the puppies dear, and  whilst we are there I know just what we can do…’

My strategy for the day involved a flying visit out of the county whilst the kids were at school. Sure they’d miss the great cache but they’d also be smitten for cute, fluffy bundles and smuggling out puppies in their coat pockets. Not good.

So with kids deposited at school, off we went, puppies duly visited, very cute. Let’s go…

Then the realisation that for once I’m not getting my own way. (Ouch)

Which one do you want? Mr muddy asks. 

Putting me on the spot. 

It would seem not getting a smelly mutt puppy is not an option.

‘Err The one that’s a cat…?’

So I compromised. By choosing the biggest and naughtiest one. 

That’ll teach him! 😉

Setting off with the feeling of what the heck have I done, this cache had certainly better be a good one. 

I should probably point out the super duper cache involves going into somebody’s garden. Being not the biggest fan of people, and quite a private cacher, puppy panic started to combine with geocaching nerves. Imagine all the things that can go wrong…say you get the wrong house? Say someone comes out to watch and you can’t find it? What on earth am I doing?

I whimper at Mr Muddy that maybe we’ll just park up and see. 

Check the coast is clear and ensure it’s infallible. 

Or hide. Hiding seems a very good option at this point.

The cache itself is a multi, involving collecting some numbers before making your way to the final location. 

The first stage takes us to a block of garages. Not remotely overlooked and so I relax a little. We quickly find the numbers we need and I work my magic to give us our next location. It’s quickly apparent the new cooordinates are taking us to a nearby house. 

Oh heck, and bloody Nora, just as someone is leaving it. 

All I can do is hiss at Mr Muddy to keep walking. Yes I am A wimp, we know that already. 

As we walk towards the car though I spot something significant by the back door. As we loiter around in a completely obvious and suspicious manner until the coast is once again clear. Then summoning up all my bravery… I send Mr Muddy to check out what I’ve spotted. 

My hunch was correct and he returns with a key. A label instructs us to retrace our steps once more. 

Having heard of the cache previously I know what to expect. At this point Mr Muddy is under the impression he’s going into somebody’s garage to find a Tupperware box. 

  

Feeling mostly like burglars (or should that be forty thieves?) we open up the garage, glad to be in a secluded area, mostly due to the fact that as he opens up the door I actually jump up and down in giddy delight. 

No Mr Muddy you aren’t looking in the garage for a geocache, this is the geocache. 

The door opens up to reveal an Aladdin’s cave of treasures.

  

Greeted by a Geo Wall on which to make your mark. 

Which of course I duly did.

  

Mr muddy in all his long suffering muggle state even had to admit he was seriously impressed, yet also slightly bemused as to why somebody would go to such lengths.

Because us geocachers are awesome dear, obviously!  😉

  

The rear of the garage/cache filled with toys for children to exchange. 

The effort the owner had gone to really is quite incredible. 
  

  

Ironically a giant box of toy puppies to trade, of which we grab one each for the kids. More puppies. Awesome.

The cache also a haven for rather large trackables. The most notable a travelling pallet. 

  
 
Surely nobody would be stupid enough to move that on?

*Ahem*

What can I say, I had an event to attend and my sense of humour is pretty warped.

 I paid for it though, the journey home full of panic. Puppy panic and Pallet panic. What have I done? 

Needless to say the cache got another favourite point from me, a great cache which was well worth the visit. 

For those of you more puppy inclined…
  

He’s called Basil, is every bit as crazy as expected but he’s certainly making his mark on the family. I’m sure we’ll get on famously, as long as he earns his keep sniffing out geocaches. 😉

33 thoughts on “Open Sesame. ”

  1. That is one of the most AWESOME Geocaches I have ever seen! I too wonder why someone would spend money per month to keep something like this up but I wish it was in the USA! congrats on Basil! He is a cutie and will make an excellent Geodog!

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    1. The kindness and generosity of some people just blows me away some times.
      When you make it to the UK you’ll have to add it to your list… 😉

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  2. Wow, what a fantastic day – a puppy and a geocache! Welcome to Basil from a fellow caching dog (even though we’ve not been out for yonks) – I bet he can’t wait to become a trackable!
    Anyway, *jaw drops* O M D that is absolutely the most wonderful geocache! If we are ever over your way, er, wherever that is… we’ll definitely look it up! You’re somewhere near Cambridge so it’s an hour from there… don’t worry, mum has a dreadful memory and will have forgotten about the garage by then!

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    1. It’s in Essex so if you are ever passing….
      Please tell me the puppy days fly past in a blur?! I’m looking forward to long dog walks in the future but this last week has certainly been an eye opener! Ha!

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      1. Ah.. can’t say I’ve ever been to Essex, but there’s always a first time.
        BOL maybe not quite a ‘blur’ – just remember that what goes in must come out… so after every meal and drink, off you go outside with Basil and keep asking him to go wee or poo or whatever you folk with kids call it! Me, I go out for a ‘Teagan Tiddle’ or ‘Teagan do poos’…. very embarrassing when pals are around. And read everything you can about puppies! You did read up on them before you picked him up of course… He looks like he’s going to be a big pup so you will have to be careful with the running and jumping and stick to the 5 minutes per month walks even though he wants to go for miles… tee hee. Ah, you’ll have such happy puppy memories to look back on when he’s older and the kids must be over the moon with him… if they’ve forgiven you for not taking them on that geocache and only bringing back the one puppy!

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      2. Teagan do poos! Classic!
        I’ve pretty much read the entire internet on puppy care – oh boy! in fairness he’s doing quite well with the pee pads – he knows to wait for praise when he gets it right, he’s also got the sit command nearly Sussed so hopefully he will be a good chap to train.
        The kids adore him, just not the over excited nibbles.

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  3. Amazing!!! I just love people, this is so fab. I really didn’t see that coming.
    Crumbs, good luck with the puppy…I do love dogs and i bet he’ll have a great time being a companion on your adventures…but a puppy, isn’t that almost as hard as a newborn baby!?

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  4. Firstly, Basil is very cute – loving his neckerchief! Secondly – well, amaze balls. And I never use that term! Love that you write on the wall and the pallet is awesome. Read that part out to Sam who said ‘bloody hell, who’d take that?’
    Then I read further… ‘Oh! She took it. Clare bloody took it!’
    Haha, just brilliant!!

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    1. Ha! Yep daft enough to take the pallet, then a few days later take it to a geocaching event in a local pub. Oops!
      We were at my mum’s the other day and he just appeared with the neckerchief on, so cute!

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  5. Aww Basil is gorgeous. Coincidence tho’ when you asked a bit ago for name suggestions I thought of Basil. We used to have a budgie called Basil.
    Haha I would have been so scared of opening someones garage door.

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  6. Chuckled to myself all the way through that post. Sounds like something that might to me. Handsome pup Basil is! If we ever across the pond that cache will be on my to do list (hey, Mrs Bream works for an airline, it could happen!). Maybe one of the most creative I’ve heard of. Love the pallet!

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    1. Certainly makes a change to a magnetic nano stuck on a sign post. 😉 The cache owner must have a very understanding wife, so generous of them to do that.

      An international geocaching trip sounds like a fine idea.

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  7. What an amazing cache. I would totally have chickened out but then I would like a puppy so that day would have been a win for me anyway 🙂 Do you call him Baz?

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  10. The cache was a good one but I’m with your husband on the puppy! We’ve been thinking about getting a dog for ages but it never seems the right time. Plus we both work during the day (although I’m part-time term time) so I’m not sure we’re particularly set up to look after a pup. Would still love a dog though 🙂

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  12. OH.MY.GOD!!!!!

    Seriously best cache ever and I am just DYING because I want to me just that awesome too!!!!! Now i just need to get a house with. Big enough garage for my own crap AND. A spare mini style one for a giant cache!!!!!!

    I think a trip to the UK is in order….if only to see that one geocache. Maybe hubby will STOP making fun of me. 🙂

    Basil is adorable! Please tell me Mr Muddy and the Muddy kiddos are on poop patrol! That’s how mine avoided a dog so far. “Fine….we can get a dog but you are responsible for cleaning up ALL its poop messes in the yard” made getting a pooch not quiet as appealing…. Oh darn 😉

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    1. Ha, I love that you are mentally moving house so you have a cache like this! 😂
      This is the bit where I write what a cutie Basil is but you read in-between the lines that I’m a bit fed up for having to give up work and leaving the house for a few weeks. 😉

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      1. I mentally started moving house when I realized that I will have two teenage boys in an itty bitty ranch house with ONE shower. Sure, we are going to be finishing the basement this summer and that will give more Lobeable space in the eats to come but….3 stinky boys in just one bathroom? Ummmm…lol. So….now I just need to make sure I have room for an EPIC cache like this! Imagine the people from all over the world who go to the geocache bash that’s nearby! I can imagine them flocking to see it!!!

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      2. And curious….how does a cutie new puppy make you give up work and leave the house for weeks?

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      3. He’s a mix of breeds known for destructive behaviour when left for long periods so can’t be left alone until he’s a bit older. Luckily I only do supply teaching so taking a few weeks off is an option. We are house bound until he’s finished his vaccinations though, I’m going stir crazy!

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      4. Wow. Things are different over there! We buy puppies with shots OR they can get them after but we never really had to stay home with them for vaccination reasons. I would be going stir crazy if I was you!

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      5. He came with no vacs, a few more weeks until the next lot are due. Now leaving him for short periods but it’s fair to say I’m going slightly insane! 😁

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    1. Having a puppy is every bit as hard work as I imagined. Hopefully he’ll calm down a bit when he is able to leave the house a bit more.

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