SOMETIMES THE CACHE IS SECONDARY

Sometimes you go geocaching and find something much better, and maybe even important. Follow along.

Yesterday BatikFreak10, wiscongranny, and I went caching. The weather seems to have finally broken winters back. Spring is truly on the way. In case you tuned in late, BF10 is my dear sister and wiscongranny is my good wife Joyce. WG doesn't go caching too often, but even she needed to get out in the warm air and check out the flowers. What we found was even better, and longer lasting.

We had been caching for several hours and had made a few good finds when we targeted a cache near Lewisburg WV. This cache was one in a series using the Greenbrier River as a theme. The caches were hidden in or near a variety of parks, public boat ramps, and near bridges over the Greenbrier. We noted in the description of the cache hide that the boat ramp/public park contained a labyrinth which has the Greenbrier and life along it as its (the labyrinths) theme.

What we found was wonderful, and maybe even good art.

I am standing at the juncture of Spring Creek and the Greenbrier. Spring Creek is about a mile or less from our home. If you look in the near (lower) foreground you can see the carving in the concrete labyrinth illustrating the Greenbrier. Looking towards the far end of the path, just below our truck, the two forks denote the east and west branches of the Greenbrier nearly a hundred miles north of Spring Creek and Renick WV. The flow of the river is towards me.

BatikFreak10 and wiscongranny admire some of the art. The walking surface of the labyrinth was completely covered with art, some serious, some less so, but all about the River, its inhabitants and life along the river. Even the many beer/fishing/more beer parties received notice.

Below are several examples of the art. Wonderful things.

We put aside the geocaching for quite some time. No one was in a hurry and we were all impressed by the art, but I don't think any of us was impressed by the same pieces of art as the other two. Each one of us took away something to remember from the outing on the Greenbrier River Labyrinth.

When we got back to geocaching, BF10 caught my picture at one of the River Trail caches. I'm getting ready to open it and sign the log.

You've read before in this blog about swag--stuff we all get. Here's an example of swag for the uninitiated and unwary. When--if--you desire to take home a priceless example of swag you are supposed to leave something of equal or greater value, that way the cache stays supplied with goodies but the treasures are always new and interesting.

At one of our finds yesterday I was charmed by this "eye ball" and had to add it to my collection. I'm swapping a new shiny car for the priceless (to me) eye ball. I don't collect a lot of swag. I have only 6 or 8 pieces in my collection, but they are interesting and fun to me. I think that probably even the most hard hearted geocacher has some small swag hidden away somewhere where he or she can take it out and fondle when alone at night and no one is looking. Swag, stuff we all get.

An update on the entry below: Just before writing this post, I learned by way of my Geocaching Watchlist that the one cache we were unable to find in the snow and darkening day was truly missing in action and was renewed by the owner earlier today. I feel relieved and absolved of blame or oversight.