Dan Q

Tag: dogs

Geohashing expedition 2022-12-02 51 -1

This checkin to geohash 2022-12-02 51 -1 reflects a geohashing expedition. See more of Dan's hash logs.

Location

Just off the driveway to Appleton Cricket Club, South-West of Appleton.

Participants

Plans

I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it to this one, but if I can I’ll cycle over there on my lunch break or right after work.

Expedition

The dog was making an attention-seeking nuisance of herself while I was trying to work today, so I wrapped up all the critical things I needed to do so I could take her our for a walk this afternoon to try to wear her out. I’m moderately familiar with Appleton – I have a regular cycle circuit that comes right through it! – but I’ve never been out to the cricket club and sports field, so I pointed the hashing hound in the right direction and let her lead the way.

At first it looked like this was going to be a successful expedition: the needle on my GPSr pointed almost directly ahead as I walked up the lane towards Appleton Sports Field. But as I got closer, I realised to my disappointment that the hashpoint was going to be about 25 metres into the adjacant field, guarded by a trio of bullocks. At 15:00 I declared the expedition a failure. The doggo and I completed an exploration of the lane and had a look around the sports field, spotted a pair of muntjack deer ambling around, and then headed back home.

I’ll be back in Appleton later today to buy a Christmas tree, so I’ll wave at the cattle as I go past, again.

Tracklog

My GPSr kept a tracklog; note that this was an “on the way” stopoff so the start and end point isn’t the same!

Map showing a line heading into Appleton from the South-West, diverting up the lane towards the Sports Field, and then turning back and leaving by the same route. A cross marks the hashpoint, in a field just off to the side of the route.

Photos

Dan Q found GCA28T9 “Look Mummy, It’s a Log”

This checkin to GCA28T9 "Look Mummy, It's a Log" reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

I don’t often get an FTF, so I figured I’d have a go at this one while I was out walking the dog anyway. Approaching the GZ I saw a man standing around looking suspicious and immediately realised I’d been pipped to the post. He recognised me and introduced himself as runmc (whose local logs I’m familiar with), and indeed he’d just logged the FTF. Ah well! We had a nice walk anyway and got to meet slight cacher, which is something that happens very rarely to me nowadays! Good cache container camouflage, nice work. SL, TNLN, TFTC!

Dan, wearing a grey Three Rings hoodie with a white poppy pinned to it, holding the end of a dog lead, points out of the edge of the woodland he's in towards a humanoid figure in the distance.
You can just about make out runmc retreating from the GZ after scoring his FTF.
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Dan Q found GC6J5MV Church Micro 9613…West Hanney

This checkin to GC6J5MV Church Micro 9613...West Hanney reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Had to stand around looking inconspicuous for a while before the geopup and I could retrieve this cache from its hiding place. There’s a lot going on this morning, presumably in anticipation of a Remembrance Sunday service at the church later. The bench across the road provided us with a place to sit and sign while we waited for an opportunity to return it. Amazingly picturesque spot for a lovely cache. FP awarded. TFTC!

Dan Q couldn’t find GC8XMQN Coming to an end

This checkin to GC8XMQN Coming to an end reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Found the GZ without difficulty and a plethora of great hiding spots, but no luck for me nor the geopup here this morning. The hound enjoyed a quick paddle in the stream at this lovely spot, though, so it’s not a complete failure!

A French Bulldog in a blue jacket stands on a muddy riverbank amongst fallen trees and leaf litter. There are many canine footprints in the mud.

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Dan Q found GCA002Z Busted out!

This checkin to GCA002Z Busted out! reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Could have been expected to get the FTF for this one, given that it’s (a) literally 20 seconds walk from my front door and (b) the CO had indicated that one would be hidden around here, but unfortunately I contracted covid last weekend and any walk longer tab my garden was quickly leaving me exhausted. This evening I felt a little better and so the geohound and I (pictured) braved a couple of minutes in the rain to come and sign the logbook.

Note to future cachers planning to park and grab: the “layby” indicated is a working bus stop, albeit with an infrequent (every 2 hours, weekday daytimes) schedule, so remember to be a polite cacher and try not to park in it at times that it’ll be needed by the minibus!

I might need to find a new home for my replacement to GC90RH3, whose bridge hiding place is only 100m or so (less than the requisite 0.1 miles!) from this new cache! Ah well, that’ll teach me to be a slow CO!

TFTC, and for getting me out of the house for a walk for the first time since I got sick almost a week ago.

Dan with the dog, in the garden.

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Dan Q found GC33BBW WWW#6 – www.geochecker.com

This checkin to GC33BBW WWW#6 – www.geochecker.com reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

After I found the right hiding place, this one was pretty easy, though I was initially hesitant to put my hand into it after I mistook the cache’s unusual container for (a very large version of) something else that could be laid in a place like this. TFTC.

Dan Q found GC33BAJ WWW#4 – earthcache.org

This checkin to GC33BAJ WWW#4 – earthcache.org reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Geopup and I found quite easily while out on a walk. The excitable doggo isn’t so keen on stopping and searching for caches when there are so many new and exciting smells just over her visual horizon, so today’s expedition might only give me a couple of minutes to hunt for each: we’ll have to see if that’s enough to log any further finds this morning.

Dan Q found GC8VQ92 Freeland to Hanborough 5

This checkin to GC8VQ92 Freeland to Hanborough 5 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

The geopup and I took a slightly inelegant route down to the valley bottom after she insisted we try a steep route atop a carpet of dry, dusty leaves. Made it down intact, though, and found this cache in the very second hiding place we tried. TFTC!

Dan, wearing purple pyjama bottoms, a black t-shirt, and a black bandana, sits in a woodland setting with a dog who's just put herself off the bottom of the frame at the last second.

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Dan Q couldn’t find GC8V4T3 Freeland to Hanborough 2

This checkin to GC8V4T3 Freeland to Hanborough 2 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

A pair of walkers who’d stopped at the GZ for a snack made searching difficult, plus the geodog isn’t very good at stealth, so we had to give up on our search for this one. Maybe on the way back. (Although as I write this I see they’re coming the same direction as us; might need stealth again yet!)

Dog; Person [Video]

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