making hot slow runs fun

When it gets much above 100, I alter my running somewhat. I rarely run early, but I do think I should reconsider rolling out of bed and hitting the trailz.

I've been catching up on my geocaching lately, tracking down 14 in the past two days. I'll run a little, and walk as I get closer to GZ (ground zero.)

Plus, I get to play with my new camera apps. The fisheye lens is one of my faves.

Between 11th St and 66th Street, there are around 20 geocaches now, and about half or more are brand new. Whereas a lot of urban hides are predictable and borderline boring, these require a little more hunting. Hunting = fun.

Where are they hidden? Well, I shouldn't say--would not wanna spoil the quest for prospective cachers, but--it "might" be somewhere in these vines.

Or this one "might" be in this hole in the root system of this tree. There's only one way to find out, and yes, there might be a critter lying in wait to defend its domain.

I was sure there was one in these pipes. But no, I was off by a few feet.

Finally--another find. Most of the ones today were fairly easy though. It's a thrill to be the FTF (first to find.) It's kind of like bragging rights, although for many of the old hands in the hobby, maybe it's not that big of a deal.

Inside this small canister is a log, which explains what a geocache is (in case someone finds it by accident. These folks are called "muggles".) Notice that no one has signed this log yet. Woo Hoo--I am the first!!

Some of the caches are bigger canisters--big enough to hold some swag. Finders can trade goodies, or just leave some sort of a trinket or treasure. I swapped a small plastic shark for a manta ray, then traded the manta for a small frog, then traded the frog for a blue snake.

There are a lot of people in the US who are geocachers. You probably know someone who enjoys the hobby.

From left to right starting on the top ropw, are Russell Bennett aka Luss71, Alan Bates aka Yogi, Jake, Mia Farrow, Wil Wheaton aka Wesley Crusher, Catherine Doud aka Firegoat, Gary Larson of The far Side fame, and Chuck Norris. Actually, Chuck Norris never has to hunt for geocaches. The caches are struck with such fear at the mention of his name that they jump out of hiding and surrender right there on the spot.