Cache Titles Are So Appropriate Sometimes

I'm Muggling You! (GCYCDQ) was an adventure I decided to take after work tonight. When I say adventure, I'm definitely not using the word lightly. It's amazing the difference you feel when you are caching at night as opposed to daytime. A lot of it has to do with the way muggles look at you at night. If you're out in the woods waving around a flashlight at 2:00am, they're gonna wonder what the hell you're doing, and they're sure as hell not gonna go inside without spying on you for as long as they can.

On to the story.

After following the GPS around for four miles or so, it finally began to clock down. I pulled into an apartment complex, got my flashlight and pen out (as I've learned to do since so many caches have no writing untencil) and made the trek across the road into the woods. The woods were standing on a beautiful lake which held the light of various street lamps and the moon. I found the spot where the GPS said it was and started waving my flashlight around, looking for anything in the tall weeds. In the summertime this place must be a haven for snakes.

I finally spotted a big gray box and found the best angle to pull it out. It was an ammo box, very similiar to the first cache I found (which also included a strange muggle confrontation) and it contained a lot of goodies inside. I pulled everything out and decided I'd take the Star Wars Emperor Palpatine Pez Dispenser. I didn't really have anything to put in return, but I figured it was okay since the cache was so full, so I signed the log and closed her up. It was at this moment when I realized I forgot my camera from my car. DeepDigger gets cranky when I don't take pictures, so I knew I had to go back and get it. I closed the cache, leaving it in the middle of the woods in plain sight and headed back to the car, knowing I'd be right back.

As I approached my car, I noticed a black suv was parked next to me. As soon as I got close enough, the suv started its engine as if it were scared I was walking towards it. This freaked me out because I realized the suv had a perfect angle to have been watching me the entire time. I tried no to act nervous, but I couldn't very well walk back across the street with a muggle watching me at 2:15am, so I decided I'd just get in my car and drive away.

I drove around for a bit and came back and, sure enough, the black suv was still parked in the same spot with its parking lights on. I believe he was waiting to see if I would come back, so I continued driving and came all the way home.

I got home and figured while I was here, I'd find something to put in the cache in return for the pez dispenser. I don't have much, but settled on throwing a few guitar picks in there. I then tried to decide if it would be a good idea to hang out awhile and hope when I got back the suv was gone, or if I should just chance it and head back immediately. I decided on just going for it and getting it out of the way, so I drove back. The suv was still parked there, but there were no lights on and it looked like noone was in it. I drove past and parked behind a gas station. I found another entrance to the woods and walked around the lake to the cache spot. This trail hid me behind the trees at an angle that from where the suv was, they wouldn't be able to see me.

I opened the cache, threw the guitar picks in, closed it up, took a quick picture (praying it was in frame) and tried very hard to hide it back where I found it (without turning a flashlight on in the pitch dark.) I did the best I could, but I know I didn't hide it as well as I could have had it been daylight, or had I not been scared to death that I was being watched.

I'll go back soon (in the daylight!) to see if I can hide it better. Not that it was hard in the first place, but I'd hate for the original hider's vision to be ignored.

Perhaps I won't go out at night alone anymore. :)