We closely examined the geocaching scene for quite awhile in 2003- looking for the annoyingm issues that normally invade most organization. You know- side issues: the tendency to over organize, developments of social forums and evidence of plain old nastiness. We didn't see much to be alarmed about. We observed some very sensible young people that seemed to want to positively direct the sport in a light fingered way to interface with the outside world. I would use Teams AI and ShadowAce as examples. Almost in concert with the divisions and pettiness of our times; sadly, our community is seems to be changing for the worse. A pity. And, in a loud voice I want to yell: KNOCK IT OFF! Cord of team Doublebogie6 On 10/10/07, Lisa G. wrote: > > I just started geocaching last year. I'm probably not what most would > call a "serious" cacher...I don't go out every day, or week, or > sometimes even month. I have small children, so it's not always the > easiest thing to just grab and go. That said, we've had a number of > glorious weekends spent up in the high country. Sometimes we do an > overnight trip. More often we'll pack up the car early with a picnic > lunch, get to Payson in time for breakfast, cache to our hearts content, > stop at whatever beautiful place the caches lead us when we're hungry, > cache until the kids can't go anymore (remember, they're little!), stop > for dinner, get the kids in PJs and drive home. It is the best family > time we ever have, and the kids have gained an appreciation for the > beauty of nature that they would never have gotten otherwise. Just this > weekend we drove up to Payson and my 5-year-old kept commenting on the > view. How many little kids care about a view these days? Caching > taught him that. Yes, they (and I!) love the thrill of the hunt, and > them moreso the prizes, but the experience together is the real > "treasure", IMO. > > I didn't find out about HR until a couple of days before it happened > last year, so I couldn't get it together to go. I remember thinking how > cool it sounded. I kept looking for a price on the website, and didn't > find one. I just couldn't fathom that it was free. My next thought was > that it must be really lame (although it didn't sound like it). The > more I heard and read, the more I realized that it was just a really > awesome even put on by people taking caching to the extreme. And I felt > guilty for not even having a cache yet (still don't, but I'm working on > some ideas). I told my husband that I wanted to do the event this year. > > This year comes around and I see a fee. And I think, "oh, man, with the > time, effort, and $$$ it must take to put this thing on, I'm not going > to be able to afford it this year". Times are hard at work; I'm in > danger of losing my job. Then I see the fee. If I pre-register, it > will cost me $35 for my family of four. That's nothing. I spend that > on one night at a sit-down restaurant. I spend that on *gas* driving up > to the high country (if I take my truck). I think the fee is affordable > and reasonable, and regardless of the actual cost involved to put on the > event (and I know there is one), I think it's fair to compensate a > modest amount for what I know must be a considerable amount of time > involved in setting up the event. I know how much time it takes me just > to prepare to get a family of four away for an overnight trip; so I know > many more hours than that go onto the people who put on HR. > > But, I'm not a serious cacher. I'm just a mom with a couple of kids who > enjoys the opportunity to get out with her family for an (increasingly > rare) form of non-electronic entertainment. > > -Lisa > "PoledraDog" > ____________________________________________________________ > Az-Geocaching mailing list listserv@azgeocaching.com > To edit your setting, subscribe or unsubscribe visit: > http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching > > Arizona's Geocaching Resource > http://www.azgeocaching.com >