Word of the day and the GOWT banner

hon·or·a·ble [on-er-uh-buhl]
–adj
1. in accordance with or characterized by principles of honor; upright: They were all honorable men.
2. of high rank, dignity, or distinction; noble, illustrious, or distinguished.
3. worthy of honor and high respect; estimable; creditable.
4. bringing honor or credit; consistent with honor.

At the beginning of the year (2007), when GOWT, our geocaching club, basically split into two groups, property that belongs to GOWT remained in the hands of former GOWT officers that now are firmly commited to JAG.

There have been numerous attempts over the past five months to recover the original GOWT banner from the person who is essentially holding it hostage. People have offered to meet the person anytime, anywhere to pick it up. People have offered to drive by the holder's house and pick it up (just leave it outside).

JAG is full of apologists for this individual.

One question that was asked: "Why are you so obsessed over the banner? You appear to have a new one."
My answer to this is simple: "We have a new banner that was purchased for GOWT by one of its members, but it in no way excuses the fact that the original one is the property of GOWT and needs to be returned. We can not afford to buy a new banner every time a member (or former member) chooses for whatever reason to keep it."

There are a few people who are members of JAG who have attempted in vain to help us retrieve it and we appreciate their help. Most members of JAG do not appear to care. Perhaps doing the honorable thing is not as important as kissing up to the dishonorable folks who are considered to be the leaders of their group. Maybe door prizes are more important than dignity.

There is little else we can do if the people holding the banner continue to refuse to give it back. We can only hope that at some point in the future enough of the JAG membership decides that self-respect and honor are actually worth something and will assist us in seeing that the banner is returned.

As for those who may hope that we simply give up and forget about the banner (and the membership card equipment, for that matter), it will not happen. I will continue to remind people through this blog and face-to-face. Honor is important.

Note: The original GOWT banner has not been seen at an event since January of 2007.

The 1st Annual JAG Ice Cream Social

Ice Cream Social by jimmylogan & B@shful (GC12CPM)

I didn't want to go. For many reasons. First, when the event was announced several months ago, I flat out stated that I would not be attending any JAG-sponsored events. I was quite serious at the time, but as time passed I realized I didn't want to miss hanging out with cool people just because of something that to me personally wasn't really that big of a deal. I realize that others feel differently. Second, I really don't get enthusiastic about events - I'm not really a very sociable person, although I have been trying.

The week before this event, Prontopup hosted a 1k event in Dyersburg for pcsenn. I had read on the JAG forums about the apprehension many JAG members had about attending that event. Some of the apprehension I understood, some I just laughed at. In fact, when I read Dolphin's accounting of Titansfan's 1K event earlier in the year I laughed so hard I almost wet my pants! Anyways, B@shful and Jimmylogan showed up and I was glad to finally meet them. They were kind enough to lead us over to Cache Raider by Canoe Guy (GC13MFQ) after the event and those of us who hunted it had a great time. After meeting them, I started to give some thought to attending the Ice Cream Social.

Normally when I travel a good distance to an event I hit the road early to hit as many caches as I can. This day - I left late. I had tried unsuccessfully to carpool with some Memphis folks that I had thought were going to the event.

It was a beautiful day for an outdoor event. The drive was great and I had no problems meandering my way to Dyersburg. I arrived at the event location around 1:15pm, not too late. As I looked over to the pavillion, I saw a good-sized crowd of folks - lots of kids, too. I paused only briefly before walking over.

I did what a lot of people do when they get to an event, I looked around for people I knew and felt comfortable talking with. I saw 76Stinger sitting at a table with tiger130, leigh421 and Abiectio so I went over to say hi and talk for a bit. Then I located the nametag table and talked to B@shful for a bit while signing the log and putting on my nametag. I looked over at the table with the door prizes - quite impressive.

My friend tnicemgr (now The Shadow) came over to where I was standing and we talked for a while. I hadn't seen him for a long time and was glad I got to see and talk with him. I enjoyed meeting Salamander60 and talking with him for a bit. I also ran into Canoe Guy whom I always enjoy talking with. He is a cool guy and his caches are some of the best in the Jackson-area.

I was glad to see the Bluff Boys (dalls and TurndAround) show up because they always make an event more interesting. I went over and talked to dalls a bit before Jimmylogan introduced a special guest.

The special guest was a sword-swallower who goes by the name Cap'n Cutless. He is also a geocacher (halfdan). I admit I was a bit creeped out by his description of what happens when he sticks the sword down his throat. But I watched, glad I wasn't the poor guy he talked into pulling the last sword out at the end of his demonstration.

After the show, it was time for door prizes. Jimmylogan and B@shful received many high-quality door prizes from a number of sources. They also had a grand prize - a Magellan GPSr! Everyone won something that day - which was nice - and of course someone other than me won the GPSr. Oh well, at least I didn't win the JAG bumper sticker! Just kidding - it was a cool bumper sticker - I just didn't want it. When my name was called, it seemed to get very quiet. Maybe it was my imagination. I just smiled and walked over to pick up my prize.

After the door prizes were distributed, Jimmylogan announced the formal part of the event was over, and people starting milling about. Abiectio invited me to go hunt a new, unfound cache called Ishteiodo and several of us left the event at that point to go after it. I had actually wanted to stay a little longer and talk with other folks, but I seem to always leave when someone mentions hunting a cache(s).

I'm not sure how long I was at the event - I know it was longer than an hour. I'm sure I left some stuff out in my recollection of the afternoon - I know at some point they handed out some JAG awards for various things. Congrats to dalls on winning Best Video.

---

Ishteiodo (ish-tee-oh-doe) by B@shful & JimmyLogan (GC1474F)

We had a caravan of folks going to hunt this cache and even though some of us ended up taking a different path we all ended up there at the same time.

The area around the cache site appeared to have already been searched, but we gave it a good try. Several groups of cachers came and went while we were there. Bevofan came and left when we did, Dalls and TurndAround came and couldn't stay long but they gave it a shot, and finally Nascarjunk, his daughter, and Green Head Hunter came and searched awhile before leaving. [Later on my way out of town, I passed by the area and saw Team BDD and many others searching the area. I knew with BDD there the cache would be found.]

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Krispy Kreme Micro by jimmylogan & B@shful (GC12CPX)

I had some time to kill before heading off to the next event (Krispy Kreme Micro) but I didn't want to be late! This event was Tennessee's first approved "microevent" and my understanding was if you were late you missed out. I showed up at the coords at around 4:30pm and was confused. There was no Krispy Kreme store, just an Exxon station and a bank. I knew Exxon sold Krispy Kreme donuts, but I called Jimmylogan and confirmed the location. I waited outside for a bit but was thirsty so I went in the Exxon to buy a drink. 76Stinger was in there already so I bought a couple of donuts and a Diet Coke and sat down and talked some more with him. There weren't many donuts in the case so I was glad to get one before the "guardians of the donuts" showed up. 5pm came and I think we were the only ones there on time (maybe not), most everyone else including the hosts were a little late. We all signed the log, enjoyed a little more conversation (I finally met Shawn of minismiths) and then we all left. Bevofan and I headed out to meet up with Abiectio for some more caching and some dinner.

All in all, I had a great day! I enjoyed both events and I enjoyed caching afterwards (even the DNF at Ishteiodo ).

A Day in the Mountains - June 2007

On this day (Saturday), my brother, dad, and I decided to hunt some caches in the mountains near home. The first two caches were part of a series of caches by WR7X each placed near fire lookout towers. From where my family lives in Cove, we could look up and see the area where both towers are. It was a rather lengthy drive but the roads were in good shape and the weather was perfect. On the cache pages linked below you can see a few more pictures including those of the lookout towers.

Point Prominence Lookout by WR7X (GC13N7R)

18 miles ENE of La Grande, Oregon
Elevation 6745'

My dad and brother knew the way to this tower and we drove to within a few hundred yards of it. After finding the cache, we took pictures of the view of the valley floor. From the cache site, we had a great view of the valley to the west. We hiked a short distance to the tower and climbed the steps up to the top. We couldn't go inside because the door was locked - the tower wasn't manned that day. We took a few more pictures and climbed down. We walked a short distance south of the tower and had a spectacular view of the Minam River and Eagle Cap Wilderness to the east of us.


We then drove back to the main road where we parked and had something to eat. After spending some time talking to some forest rangers who stopped by while we were eating we drove on to the next cache a few miles north:

Mt. Harris Lookout by WR7X (GCYYJJ)

12 miles northeast of La Grande, Oregon
Elevation 6071'

We drove fairly close to this cache but somehow missed the road that led directly to the tower. After we parked, my brother and I hiked roughly .15 miles through some tough terrain on our way to the tower.

Somewhere along the way I hit my head on a fallen tree while trying to manuever under\around it and managed to draw blood. I'm not really good at watching my head and feet at the same time.

[I wasn't terribly concerned at the time since I am always getting assorted cuts and scratches out in the woods, but later had to go to the emergency room in La Grande and get 6 staples to patch it up as well as a tetanus shot.]

As for the cache, we continued on and eventually found the tower and after some searching found the cache as well. While reading the logs, I noticed that several cachers had left blood on the log from cuts acquired while retrieving the cache. I left my own bloody mark after signing the log! We took a little more time to rest and take more pictures of the view before heading back to meet my dad at the truck.

[ If you look just above my right temple, you can see where I got banged up a little.]

Since we were close to Elgin, OR after coming down off of the mountain we hunted a cache called

Welcome to Elgin by WR7X (GCYY73)


which was in a small park, and enjoyed some ice cream at a place nearby before heading home.

Passing Through Amarillo, TX - June 2006

On my trips out west, I usually pass through Amarillo in the early-to-late afternoon of the first day of the trip. If I am geocaching, I pass through this area an hour or so before nightfall. Since I usually try to make it to New Mexico by the end of the first day, my only Texas stops are typically rest stops. This time I decided to grab a few caches as I passed through Amarillo.

Bug Ranch by Morty's Twisted World (GCDB98) - June 15, 2006


This cache is just off of exit 96 on I-40 just east of Amarillo. After I got gas at a nearby station, I headed over to this cache. The small area consists of of several old VW bugs stuck headfirst in the dirt in a row. A sign nearby invites you to "Sign a Bug". One of the bugs has the cache hidden inside, but which one? My eTrex Legend wasn't very helpful although it narrowed the search a little bit. There were lots of empty spray cans around that people used to sign the bugs. If I had researched this cache better before leaving home, I might have had something decent to write my name on the bug. Oh well, my pen did the job.


Cadillac Ranch by thehairyhillbilly (GCG71X) - June 15, 2006


Shortly after passing through Amarillo, I got off at exit 60 and doubled back along a service road to visit the Cadillac Ranch. This was truly a sight to behold. In the middle of a barren field there was a row of ten old Cadillacs stuck headfirst in the dirt. They were decorated with all colors of spray paint. This was a virtual cache, that I found the information for fairly quickly. I took lots of pictures here and I wasn't alone. Lots of people streamed in an out to see the cars.

After leaving here, I drove on to Vega, TX where I found four more caches and an excellent motel near a Dairy Queen where I spent the night.

Free Speech vs Embarrassing One's Self

Before I get back to posting more stories about my geocaching adventures, I want to write about something that has been on my mind for a while now.

Many times before I post a blog entry or make a post on a public forum, the thought crosses my mind that what I say online is out there for anyone in the world to see. Since I don't have kids, I sometimes use my parents as guidelines - Would my next post, embarrass my parents or any other members of my family? If my mom read some of the things I have posted she might sigh or shake her head, but would she be embarrassed? I don't think so. I am about to introduce my family to my online writings so I guess I'll soon find out.

I have recently engaged in what might be termed "giving an internet spanking" to some folks in west Tennessee whom I once geocached with. They have managed to put a stain on geocaching in west Tennessee with some of their behavior. I read some of what they post online and cringe - thinking if my kids or my parents read this stuff and thought it came from me they would truly be ashamed of me. Bad spelling and bad grammar are embarrassing enough, but much of their content shows an incredible level of immaturity. I have been threatened in posts which anyone with any sense at all knows you just don't do.

Any fool can put a blog online - and I know a team of fools who are about to do just that. If you are a member of that team and you are reading this (or having your kids read it to you), I implore you, please find somebody intelligent to proofread your text before you post it online. You will save your friends and family a great deal of embarrassment if you do.

Word of the day

de·co·rum [di-kawr-uhm, -kohr-]
–n
1. dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
2. the quality or state of being decorous; orderliness; regularity.
3. Usually, decorums. an observance or requirement of polite society.

---

A friend of mine recently pointed out the following forum signature he spotted on the GOWT forums:

"Some People Need To Grow Up and Learn that the Forums are just to place to post not real life! Once they do that they will learn that computers are everything and that caching is fun with out all the BULL$#@&!"

The pathetic sadsack who currently uses this signature is a college student so there is really no excuse for the grammar problems. The signature itself relates to an earlier problem we encountered on the GOWT forums: How do people discuss issues and points of view civilly without hampering their rights to free speech?

The GOWT forum rules are intended to promote decorum while allowing it's members to talk about pretty much anything on a member's mind. Our failure early on to hold members accountable for violating the forum rules led to people thinking that they could be offensive and hurtful without consequences. When they were finally held accountable, they cried and moaned about their "rights". The above signature does not serve any particular purpose other to enflame tensions and populate my top ten list of the most jackassed forum signatures. I think I only need a couple more to finish the list... The above sadsack has provided me with at least three.

Fortunately for GOWT this steaming pile of angst has found kindred spirits on another geocaching forum who are at least for now amused by his childish antics.

[update - 5/24/2007]
Apparently several people actually read my blog. Who knew?

Here is some feedback to the above article. It did not come from the sadsack I refer to in the article. His response was even more pathetic than what I have posted below.

I will let the audience guess who posted this:
"I enjoy three of these blogs but there is one that some idiot that just can't let go need some serious help. We gave them the other site, that didn't work, they go and start another group which they copied everything from us, thats not working so i don't understand his stupid comments maybe he can explain them to my face........"

It's unlikely that I will be explaining anything to anyone's face anytime soon. I would probably need an interpreter.

Boot Hill (Ogallala, NE) - July 2006

I arrived in Ogallala just before sunset on July 3. There are many neat things about this small town - one of which is a small nature park near the motels. What I was really interested in visiting here was Boot Hill. Boot Hill is a famous western cemetary where cowboys were often buried with their boots on. The cemetary is located on a hill in a residential neighborhood. At the bottom of the hill you can read touristy things about the site.

At the top of the hill is a cache - Cache to Boot by Syriaca (GCPQC2)


To get to the cemetary you have to climb a long, fairly steep staircase. The cache is near an interesting statue near the center of the cemetary. It is not hard to find, the main goal is to get you to visit the cemetary. At the time of this blog entry the cache has been archived while some repairs are being made.

I arrived just after sunrise on July 4 and made the long climb up the stairs. I spent most of my visit taking pictures of the statue (a cowboy on a horse) and gravestones. While I was glad to find the cache, this was definitely an example of geocaching taking you to fascinating locations!