A SUNDAY OUTING

Sunday the 3rd was a lovely March day -- at least, if you looked out the window. The wind made it feel cooler than 50. But Mike suggested we get out for some (what else?) local geocaching, and I'm always ready to record the beauty of the day according to its season.

Saturday evening we attended a geocaching event -- the wedding of members of the local club. Yes -- really -- the wedding was an official geocaching event and during the ceremony, a cache outside the building was activated in honor of the couple.

Some people are really into geocaching, you know. And I hear you saying, "We know -- Mike, for instance." But Mike's interest is moderate compared to some others. I think making one's wedding a geocaching venue is "over the top," but on the other hand, I could appreciate the affordability of the scenario for a couple who enjoys geocaching. The wedding supper was a potluck. (We took my "non-garlic" cheese grits.) And the bride and groom are just as married as any other.

Other "over-the-top" geocaching examples? One couple told of how they just finished placing 75 caches along a country road in our region. Hmmmm. I don't think that's much fun. That's geocaching for the numbers instead of for the experience of an interesting hide. It also doesn't leave much room for others to place caches in that region. Our imaginations don't all work in the same way. Variety is good -- and all that.

"What do you do when you aren't geocaching?" I asked one of the "over-the-toppers," a retiree. He didn't have much to say. He and his wife know what's happening in the world of geocaching. It is what they do. I wonder if they will still be doing it in ten years? Maybe -- maybe not.

As with other forms of social media, the interaction can be just as negative as it is positive. Diehard cachers have been known to pull out suddenly through disagreement with other cachers. The world is wide. Opinions abound.

Oh! -- but I digress. Sunday Mike, Nellie, and I went out to pick up a few local caches, finding five of six, I think. Cachers at the wedding gave us hints to one we've been seeking for a year, and now we have it. We also found the one placed in honor of the bride and groom.We were clueless about that the evening of the wedding. We were in wedding mode -- not geocaching mode.


And on this outing, Mike used his iPhone instead of the GPS. He wished for the GPS once, but I know he enjoys sharing his comments with the other woman (Siri). KW

[The first picture was taken from the west side of Valley View. The others were taken from Vineland Cemetery. The sun and shadow contrasts were fascinating -- so typical of March in this region.]