I'm Not a Muggle, I'm a Good Pirate

When was the last time your local mail carrier pulled up alongside you and announced "I'm not a Muggle!"

For us it was Saturday.

And no, she wasn't a witch, either (I assume; she sure seemed nice). No, she was a fellow Geocacher, wondering if we had found our quarry yet. Never heard of Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing)? Let me back up a bit.

We are planning a vacation, which we used as an excuse to get the newest version of Microsoft Streets & Trips. It's like those cool Triple A maps with the highlighted routes, only WAY cooler. Then we discovered that Microsoft sells a version that comes with a GPS unit which, when up and running, will tell you, as you travel, your latitude and longitude cooridnates, the direction you're travelling, how fast you're going, and probably some other stuff, too.

Beyond cool. Weak as we are, we obviously got that version.

Then I remember having heard once of a game (sport/outdoor activity/hunt) much like a scavenger hunt that required a GPS unit. It sounded like fun, and now I was equipped, so off to the official Geocaching website to check it out.

Here's a quick rundown of the basics: First someone creates a Cache. This is often a waterproof container of some sort such as Tupperware, filled with any number and type of goodies. There is almost always a log book of some sort, and then maybe coins or a toy or something unique to the Cache creator or area. The creator then posts the latitude and longitude of their hiding place (public property - with permission, of course), and it's open season for geocachers.

Sounds easy enough - just pop in the coordinates and you've practically found it, right? Ah, not so. For one thing, GPS units are only accurate to a point. Ours supposedly gets it within about three meters. Not too shabby, but it leaves a pretty big space for searching. For another thing, your unit may tell you you're only a half-mile away from your quarry, but that's as the crow flies. That half-mile could be up a mountain with three miles of actual hiking between you and the cache. There are also some that are attainable only with scuba gear or rappelling; the variations are endless.

We chose three simple-looking ones to begin with, no mountains or scuba gear invloved. All were within, say, a half-mile of our house. You'd be amazed at how many treasures are hidden right in your neighborhood! Our first attempt was a bust, but there are signs that that cache may no longer exist. The kids were a little bummed that our first "treasure hunt" was a wash, but they knew there was more to come.

Our second set of coordinates led us to the library. Well, actually, it led us to a public orange grove right next to the library. All the clues I had were the coordinates, of course, plus the knowledge that what we sought was a four-inch piece of pvc pipe which was so cleverly camouflaged that many experienced geocachers had tried and failed. So in we tromped, and man did it smell good in there. Orange blossom heaven!

It was while we were in there digging around that the mail truck pulled up next to the orange grove. When it stopped, I was worried. "Oh, no," I thought, "maybe we're not supposed to be in here and she's got the power to make some sort of Postal Official Arrest or something!"

"I'm not a Muggle!" she shouts. Hunh??? "I was just wondering if you found it yet!"

A Brother! Er, Sister! I suddenly remembered having seen the term Muggle used at the Geocaching website, a term for non-cachers who are generally confused, or concerned, when they see people poking around in odd places with an electronic gadget in hand.

Well, we hadn't found it yet, but we were awfully tickled to have been accepted into a new community, as it were. So off she went, and back we went to our search. I'm happy to report that we eventually did find our cache. And it was cleverly camouflaged. And just a heck of a lot of fun to find.

So I'm completely hooked now. Ben's been trying to convince us that he wants to be a "good" pirate when he grows up, and I think this is how to do it. You get to bury treasure, you get to dig up treasure, and the whole game is based on the honor system. With most caches, you're allowed to take maybe one or two of the treasures you find inside, just as long as you leave behind something in its place.

You could even wear a stripey scarf on your head if you felt so inclined. I haven't yet, but then I'm just getting started.