The Team....Part 2

We now have 3 caches under our belt. I would like to think this is going well...but, I really can't admit that... yet. As a matter of fact, I am beginning to have some serious doubts. Seester is entering the cooords, and is doing a great job (or so I think) We are heading across town and going on to finish this quest. It was probably a good thing, I have selected My hides, as I do recognize when the Tom-Tom is not sending us down the correct roads. I am leaning in from the back seat, with the whole...don't listen to that, keep going straight, no... turn right, what the heck, turn left. Finally I have to do the whole, go straight until I say different, and give me that Tom-Tom. Ok, problem solved, it is not that seester forgot the . or even the slash, but like 3 whole numbers, and the driving time was listed for over 11 hours. I really don't recall 1st Sgt having this much problem with me. If memory serves me right (and we all know, it doesn't) I thought I was quite an expert by the 3rd cache.

The next cache is another cemetery. No muggles....good. The team has gone from yelling... to deer stand voices... to no talking what so ever. Actually potential has switched to mumbling mode. We have 3 people walking (with 1 mumbler) but all 3 are just staring down into the GPS and slowly taking steps. All 3 are going different directions. No one is aware of anyone else! They are in what is best described as robotic mode. Seester has the TT, which has still not quite recovered from the driving incident. So when TT says, TURN AROUND NOW, I about fall on the ground laughing when I see all 3 of them, turn in a complete circle and starting walking in the opposite direction. I watch this for several minutes, there is dead silence ( no pun intended) except for Potentials low mumble.

I call everyone over to ground zero. Even SIL, who doesn't have a GPS but loves the history in the cemetery comes over. I start off with... Let's just say, this is ground zero,... uh, that would be where the cache is...where do you think it would be? All 3 glance up, and look back down at the GPS...this reminds me of math class in grade school, when you don't know the answer, but think that by looking at the floor, the answer will appear. OK...let's re-phrase that..what does the GPS say? Well, Seester says that the TT shows the little red car, by a checkered flag. Good...and BIL says the blue ball is almost on top of the green circle...Good...and Potential, well he says he doesn't know why heck the back light on this thing keeps shutting off. SIL is silent. OK... we are here...look around, where would a cache be hidden? Just think...I already told you it would not be hidden at a grave site. Look around, what do we see? No answer, everyone looks down at the GPS. Ok, we have grave sites...1 tree...and grass...any ideas? Seester looks up to the top of the tree. Would anyone bring a ladder out here? No...I am 5'5...BIL starts circling around looking at the grass, Potential is fiddling around with the backlight of the GPS, SIL ( who doesn't have a GPS) walks to the base of the tree and picks up the cache.

On to cache #4... I realize a GPS unit (at this time) is obviously optional, and apparently really not even needed. Since they loved the swag in the last cache, I know they will go nuts over the next, as it was my first cache hidden, therefore it is large and has by now, tons of swag. BIL stops on a dime, but does now realize that he can at least park the truck in the designated area. The GPS units are being analyzed, Seester and BIL start off in the correct direction ( I think they are getting this) SIL ( no GPS unit) says " I found it". Potential has the back light working, but has only 1 leg out of the truck.

I get their competitive juices running, as I mention on the way to the next cache, that they should be ashamed that the only one without a GPS is finding these caches. Well, she says in her southern drawl, I was really just admiring that birds nest. As we approach the next stop, BIL says, I see it alllll ready.. ( big southern drawl there) it is gonna be in that there Cedar tree. My first thought...I TOLD pot-stirrer I didn't want to be known as the "tree lady" and my second thought...Is THAT a cedar tree? Do we have Cedar trees here? Bil slams on the brakes, backs up a hair, leave the engine running, and 3 of them jump out, leave the doors open, leave GPS units behind and are sliding down the grass, going after this cache! Now that is how to go geo-caching!! Well, Potential did make it out of the truck, but was still eyeing and mumbling to the GPS! SIL, once again, was the first to the cache.

I am feeling better ( why?...I am not sure) but I really think they are getting the hang of this. I did have to have a little discussion as to why it has to be placed where you found it, and not where you THINK would be a better place. On our way to the next ( and I am thinking) last cache... Potential sits in the back seat, and continues to mumble and play with his GPS. My ears pop up when I think I hear him say...well we should go about 1 mile north..then turn east...Hmmm...that is interesting ( at this point I know where I am, and that is going to be about right.) Then he says to BIL, are you driving about 63 miles per hour? Yep...Ok , he says, then we are blah, blah, blah above sea level! He is so excited. (I just want to get to the cache.) We pull up once again in a cemetery. Bil stops the truck, everyone is gathering their Units. SIL, ( of course) heads off to a really old headstone. Potential steps out of the truck, eyes glued to the GPS, he is completely silent. Without ever taking his eyes off the GPS. He walks directly to the cache, picks it up and says...I found it! The rest of us are still at the side of the truck. Potential laughs, He says..."I think I got this GPS figured out!" Everyone stands, with their mouths open, and look to me. Well... What can I say?!!

"The first round is on me!"
(It is NOT a coincidence that we are in Erable)