Am I done geocaching?

A few weeks ago I was sitting at lunch and looked on my phone app to see if there were any caches close. Sure enough there was one within feet. After lunch I stopped and found it quickly, but did not have a pen on me to log it. Now fast forward to earlier this week. Same place for lunch, pen in hand, cache was signed, went to log it and....

Stick Me!

This might be the cache. I let my premium membership lapse and this is a premium only. I can't see it on the map or log it.

There seem to be a lot of premium only caches in Portland. Actually the cache map looks pretty nice without so many of those puzzles and challenge caches. I never made any of my caches premium only. I guess I always wanted my caches to be found by all. I know some people thought it might help with caches being muggled and trade items being pilfered. In this age were anyone with a cell phone can find a cache it might make more sense to have caches for the more devoted geocacher.

Anyway my membership was canceled when paypal couldn't pull money from an old closed account. I'm not sure why paypal couldn't figure out that I have a new account and credit card active with them. It doesn't matter I suppose. I saw that it wasn't going to renew and I chose not to renew it. I didn't really pay attention to how many Portland caches it would wipe off the map.

With just 9 finds for the year (10 if you include this one) this might just be the final nail in the coffin

Happy 4th of July

237 years ago yesterday my 7th Great Grandfather Capt. Samuel Ransom died in the Revolutionary War. He left the Continental Army to go defend his home from British and Iroquois in the Wyoming Valley of what is today Pennsylvania. This battle was latter commemorated by a poem Gertrude of Wyoming. This poem was a favorite of Rep J.M. Ashley who introduced a bill in congress to create the Territory of Wyoming which latter became the State of Wyoming.

Just to remember that war is hell... the next year, George Washington, who was still pissed off over the whole thing sent an expedition to destroy Iroquois villages and winter supplies. This expedition included my 6th Great Grandfather Capt. Ira Stephens the son-in-law of Capt. Ransom.

I hope you enjoyed your history lesson.

In more current times I found a geocache today

The Atomic Penguin

Geocaches?

I had a meeting to attend in Salem and on the way back I stopped at a rest area. It was a nice day and I wasn't in a hurry to get back so I looked at my phone and there were four caches in the area. I found 3 pretty easy the 4th had muggles with dogs so I skipped it.

TWIGMEISTER's I-5 Northbound TB Reststop
Pentacache
Road Rage #9

Vacation Days 6-7

Vacation day 6 was a rehash of other days. Driving back up the cost to Lincoln City and then out to McMinnville. We stopped a few times including an extended stop at Spirit Mountain Casino. The extended stop was for the buffet. We took our time to McMinnville, but everyone was tired and we didn't end up doing much.

Day 7 we had planned to go to the air museum, but the price combined with a lack of interest by some parties led us just to go on back to Portland. We used the extra time to drive to the gorge and see Multnomah Falls and the Vista House. Later in the day we went downtown Portland and took the tram up toward the hospital. Nice views from up there.

No geocaches were found on either day and that ends the vacation trip

Vacation Day 5

Day 5's travel was from Newport down to Lakeside and back up to Florence. One of the stops was at Sea Lion Caves. I have been in the gift shop many times but I have never been down in the cave. So this time I made the trip. Only one sea lion in there, but it was still cool to see.

I found one geocache when we stopped for pizza.

Up, Up and Away

Vacation Day 4 (more delayed)

Day 4 we traveled from Tillamook to Newport taking in some of the sites along the way. I stopped at a store in Lincoln City called Prehistoric which was full of cool fossils. I splurged a bit and bought a nice polished slice of a mammoth tooth (see bottom picture)
 
I didn't find any geocaches on the day

Vacation Day 3 (a bit delayed)

I was having trouble with the phone app and making blog posts. More or less the app sucks at adding pics and links. So I'll post the remaining days one at a time.

Day 3 we continued down the coast to Tillamook. While there we sampled some cheese and made a few stops along the coast such as to see the light house at Cape Meares.

Found 2 caches on the day when my phone had signal. I took my GPS but didn't load it with caches. Just too many of them and how do I pick what to load?

Say Cheese!
Picea Sitchensis Octopoda

Vacation Day 2

Started the day with a geocache. 

US Coast Guard Through History

Spent the whole day in Astoria mainly exploring the batteries at Fort Stevens State Park. Ate some fried tuna at the Bowpicker. Then briefly explored the Astoria Sunday Market before returning to Fort Stevens to check out the rest of the park. Including the wreck of the Peter Iredale. 

Vacation Day 1

Day one of a weeks vacation. Today drove from Portland to Astoria. Drove across the river to Long Beach. 

I only looked for one geocache along the way. It was either missing or moved. 

Here are some pics of today's adventures.

The driverless car

I've been thinking about this a lot so I've decided to put it in my blog. Where else would I put my thoughts after all? So excuse my rambling as this has nothing to do with geocaching or food carts.

Some people are afraid of the future. The idea that technology will take over our lives. We rely on technology, but have no clue how it works. Which brings me to the self driving car. Some people already claim that they could never trust such a thing as if us humans are somehow superior drivers. They must not see the divers I see everyday.

We like to believe there is a human component. Something that still makes us superior to machines. We built the machines and therefore they are subject to all the mistakes of humans. Machines however only have to flaws we give them, and that's why for the tasks we build them for they work better.

For the car its just a matter of time. It will happen slowly. Cars that can stop on their own and park themselves. Followed by partly automated and then fully automated. Soon only automated cars will be allowed on freeways, then highways. Traffic will flow better. Traffic accidents will be a distant memory. The drunk, stoned, distracted and tired can all drive home safely.

Imagine in the near future, a child will be born that will never know a person who died in an auto accident.

Pizza, blazer games and even a geocache

Last month was full of activity. I just didn't blog about it until now.

I learned my favorite pizza cart opened a new location on the east side. It's about a mile from my house so I took the opportunity on a nice day and walked down there. Pulehu Pizza is great stuff if you are ever in Portland.

 

The Blazers have been hit or miss for the month. I think they are coming back around.

I also found one geocache. My first, and so far only, cache of the year.

Hips

RIP Jerome Kersey

Its a sad day in Rip City. Jerome Kersey one of my favorite all time Trail Blazers died today. If you asked me when I was 12 who my favorite player was... no doubt I would have named Kersey before even Clyde.

I took this picture last year of Jerome presenting some season ticket holders near me with a piece of the 77 championship court.

Presidents Day

I thought about going geocaching today, but I didn't. I did go downtown while all the food carts were open. Its nice to be able to venture downtown on a weekday. I'm running a little low on new city adventures. I've eaten at a lot of food carts... leaving me just whats new and a few that aren't really my kind of thing. I've been thinking about going on one of the guided walking tours of the city. Maybe even get a book of attractions. That will give me some things to do for a while.

Besides that I didn't do much today. I thought the history channel might have some shows on about the Presidents, but no. I'm a bit of a history nut, especially about the presidents. As its also black history month I read a story about George Washington and his many slaves. Its easy to sit here 200 years later an judge people. But I am getting off point... my point was didn't the history channel use to have shows about history?

2015 so far...

Not much happening so far 1/12 of the way through 2015. I've ate at a few food carts since its been unusually nice lately. Only one of them was new though. The blazers haven't been doing so hot, but I hope this is just a little midseason slump.

Haven't been geocaching any. I just haven't had much desire for it yet.

I'm looking forward to the Super Bowl tomorrow. Hope the Seahawks come to play this one.

Here is a picture from last weekend... lunch from my favorite food cart

Last Day of 2014

Its the end of another year. My first full year in Portland has been eventful, except when it comes to geocaching. We lost a good old time geocacher in Rooster, and while I had the same amount of finds as last year there were a lack of memorable ones. Some of the highlights for the year include.

• Saw every Trail Blazer home game (including playoffs)
• Ate at nearly 50 food carts
• Completed the 7 Souvenirs of August
• Attended my first geocaching event in 2 years

Some of my favorite caches for 2014 include:

• Top Score 
• EJ's Cache
• Wenaha 
• Hanging Around the Summit 
• Tomanowos and the Great Missoula Floods 

With so many things to do in the Portland area I just didn't make many finds. Way too many micros and nanos for me. Hopefully 2015 will find me taking some trips outside the city to find better caches. I've also been looking at some DrDan caches around and on top of Grayback Mt that might be on my list this summer. Maybe I can even convince him to hike with me up there. Thank you to those who hid the caches I found in 2014, and I hope to see you all on the trail in the new year!

A few caches

Today I found 2 caches while I was at the new Tualatin Cabelas store

Mammut
Foremost!!

About a month ago I found

Healthy Kids, Healthy Kidneys

And in honor of Rooster I made a find the day I learned he passed away.

Hope is Vital

None of these caches were much to talk about. Its been a pretty disappointing year geocaching wise.

Rooster, thanks for the good times

Yesterday we lost a great old time geocacher, Nick Carr aka Rooster.

I once called him the incredible shrinking Rooster because he was a little lighter every time you'd see him. Here is a story about how he lost 180 pounds.

One time back in 2004 when I was visiting Klamath Falls he took me around to 53 caches. This was in the days before power trails. We really cleaned up the town. I didn't need a GPS because Rooster remembered where all the caches were.

He gave up geocaching a few years ago, but he had a lot of hobbies like fishing and falconry. He was a great person to hang out with and will definitely be missed.

One year ago today

I have now lived in Portland for a whole year. It seems like I just got here. Other times it seems like I have lived here for longer.

In my one year I've managed to 

• attend an entire season of blazer home games
• eat at over 40 food carts
• gain 10 pounds

Not too shabby. Here's to another year, and I already have the tickets.

I'm an Achiever!

Today I finished up the last caches I needed to get the 7 Souvenirs of August. These are the caches I've logged in the last couple of weeks.

Fallout Shelter
Holy Swiss Cheese Batman!!
Sugar Rush
State Symbols
nessker is nearly older~40-30-5 Celebration #4
Tomanowos and the Great Missoula Floods
Ice Age Floods Institute - CCHS GEO-Heritage Tour

Today I attended my first event since 2012. Was fun to talk to a few new geocachers.

August Caches

This month geocaching.com is running a 7 Souvenirs of August promotion. You get a souvenir for finding a traditional, mystery, multi, CITO/Earthcache, event, and virtual or other odd type. Plus one for getting all six of these types. So far I have one for this cache.

Oakridge GeoTour #31 - Shadow Bay

Found this one on my usual camping trip to Waldo Lake. I went to this cache in the evening when things calmed down at the lake, and while I was signing the log another set of geocachers showed up. Always fun to run into other geocachers.

Anyway I think I might try and get the other cache types I need this month to get the other 6 souvenirs. We'll see if I find time this weekend.

In the meantime here are some pictures of food carts

This one is Eurodish. Obviously they serve traditional polish food, and its pretty good.

The Midwest Pizza Co is a pretty damn good pizza cart. Deep dish style, and hot dogs. Its probably my favorite cart in the Mississippi Marketplace now.

The Sausage Shack has all sorts of bacon wrapped items. I had a bacon wrapped corn dog which looked better then it tasted. This cart is hardly ever open it seems.

And last is Potato Potato. It was ok, but not really my thing. My pal Frank loved the place though, and he's sad that its moving to another pod outside of our "lunch zone"