With Storm Bert raining off our plans for geohashing in Co. Limerick, my mother and I are off into a forest in Co. Tipperary in search of a hashpoint over this way. It’s still pretty wet though.
Year: 2024
Note #25192
Step 2: brave the fierce weather surrounding Storm Bert and head out into rural Ireland in search of a geohashpoint.
But first, the crucial step 1: a big ol’ bacon and egg sarnie for breakfast.
Balance bikes are just better
…
if [the option of a balance bike] isn’t available, you can convert a normal bike into a balance bike by removing the pedals and lowering the seat. Once the kids has learned how to balance as they roll, add the pedals, raise the seat, and watch them go.
…
An excellent suggestion from fellow RSS Club member Sean McP (he’s been full of those lately; I’ve been enjoying encouraging drivers through our village to slow down by smiling and waving, too).
Like Sean, I learned to ride a bike using training wheels (“stabilisers” on this side of the pond). Unlike him, I didn’t have any trouble with them, and so when I came to hear about balance bikes as an alternative learning approach I figured they were just two different approaches to the same thing.
But when our eldest learned using stabilisers, she really struggled, and only eventually “got it” with an un-stabilised bike and lots and lots of practice. It’s true what Sean says: for most children, learning to balance atop a bicycle is harder than learning to pedal and/or steer, so that’s the bit we should be focussing on.
Our youngest is (finally) ready and keen to learn to cycle, and so I’m thinking that when I get him his first bike (maybe for Christmas!) I’ll get him one that, were I to put the seat into its lowest position and remove the pedals, he could use as a balance bike for a day or two to get the feel of the thing before re-attaching them and letting him try the full experience.
Dan Q found GC4MDNM Foynes Forest Find
This checkin to GC4MDNM Foynes Forest Find reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
My mother and I are out in the West of Ireland in search of geohashpoints. Today’s attempt to find the 2024-11-22 52 -8 hashpoint was blocked by the river Arra breaking its banks and flooding our route, so instead we did some geocaching in Newcastle West then came up to Foyle to visit the nearby maritime museum and learn about the history of the flying boats.
After leaving the museum we figured we’d come up here for one last cache before the rain really set in. We tried coming at this cache from one path, then another, and eventually after a slippery scramble up a hill we had the cache in hand. SL, TNLN, TFTC, and greetings from Lancashire (my mum) and Oxfordshire (me), UK.
Dan Q found GC9DV9V GST 65 – Centre of tree
This checkin to GC9DV9V GST 65 - Centre of tree reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Recent winds have blown down trees here but thankfully not this one. My mum stretched to reach the hiding place and soon had the cache in hand.
Dan Q found GC9DV9P GST 64 – Lift me up buttercup
This checkin to GC9DV9P GST 64 - Lift me up buttercup reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
We almost gave up trying to find the hint object before spotting something that once had the colour of a buttercup but has since enjoyed some extra camouflage! Retrieving the cache was a bit challenging for my fat hands but my mum managed to help. FP awarded for this more-imaginative hiding place! TFTC.
Dan Q did not find GC9DV9H GST 63 – Greenway sign
This checkin to GC9DV9H GST 63 - Greenway sign reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
We’re moderately confident we know what we’d be looking for and where, but we didn’t find it here. 😕
Dan Q found GC9DV9F GST 62 – Ashgrove
This checkin to GC9DV9F GST 62 - Ashgrove reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Another speedy find for my nimble-fingered mother. Lid missing from cache and log very wet; barely signable and at risk of disintegration. TFTC.
Dan Q found GC9DV9E GST 61 – Cow shit
This checkin to GC9DV9E GST 61 - Cow shit reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
My mother kindly volunteered to be the one to put her fingers up a cow’s bottom… I mean… to find and retreive the cache at this location! TFTC!
Dan Q found GC9DV6A GST 60 – Squeezed into fence
This checkin to GC9DV6A GST 60 - Squeezed into fence reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Very quick find. Spent some time trying to retreive the cache container before deciding that it’s probably supposed to live in its hiding place and instead we just retrieved the logbook! Good hiding place! TFTC.
Dan Q found GC9DV69 GST 58 – Bison behind the block
This checkin to GC9DV69 GST 58 - Bison behind the block reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Second place we looked. Nice easy find. Liking these slightly bigger tubes! TFTC.
Dan Q did not find GCAP5TV GST 59 – Wired PET
This checkin to GCAP5TV GST 59 - Wired PET reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Gave up after a short search. No sign of this one that we could see.
Dan Q found GC9DV67 GST 57 – Greenway sign
This checkin to GC9DV67 GST 57 - Greenway sign reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
Instant find! Exactly where I first looked. Log slightly damp but still usable. TFTC.
Dan Q found GC9DV66 GST 56 – Pet tube in tree
This checkin to GC9DV66 GST 56 - Pet tube in tree reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
After a brief search on the wrong side of the path, we eventually spotted the correct host and – after a running leap, pictured – soon had the cache in hand. TFTC!
Dan Q found GC9DV65 GST 55 – Bridge
This checkin to GC9DV65 GST 55 - Bridge reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.
QEF for my mum and I on our walk. Not well hidden – was visible from the path. Replaced as found. TFTC.
