"In your hands, the birth of a new day... " (Limahl)

31 December 2006

Post Christmas Aberystwyth caching #2

Rainbow series - indigo (traditional cache)


Rainbow series - yellow (traditional cache)


Christmas sees the annual golf challenge amongst the boys back in Aberystwyth. In 2005, we played on the frozen course in Penlanlas. On the morning of this year's match in Capel Bangor, it lopoked set fair - mild with light drizzle. However, it turned out to be the worst match ever. I got drenched through to the skin and tied for last place. Jazz musician Goof 'Gareth Trombone' Roberts lost the Opaque Goblet to his music producer brother, Deri Roberts. Gareth is pictured below with the hallowed Opaque Goblet - in the nice pre-match weather - prior to losing it in torrential conditions.


After the match, I dropped my mate Andrew by Morrissons. With a bit of time to spare, I looked art my GPSr to see roughly where the other rainbow series caches were.

Turned out I was parked only 400ft from the indigo cache, which I promptly knocked off. A real 'cache and dash' as muggles abounded in the nearby car park.

The yellow cache was more problematic. Having not read the notes properly, I thought it would be a short stroll to the other side of Blaendolau fields. Unfortunately, I needed to go much further east. Got tangled up in scrublands behind Llanbadarn Fawr and, for a heart-stopping momnent, slipped on the railway line as I heard a train hooter in the distance...

Eventually made it to Glanyrafon trading estate and found the cache easily. Almost too easily - it was covered by stones but may be easily found by muggles in the future if it isn't covered up well...

30 December 2006

Post-Christmas Aberystwyth caching #1

Rainbow series - blue


KDES Travelbug


Rainbow series - indigo



Gribbin's Light House Geocoin


After returning back to base camp at wayopint 99B, a quick turnaround and I was headed into town. Ostensibly to get a new wheel for the car and to drop off K and tortoiseshell-in-law to watch the Happy Feet movie. However, my sights had been set for several weeks on the Rainbow series of traditional geocaches around my old stomping ground of Aberystwyth. The prime target was the Lighthouse geocoin with it's lovely web icon.

After changing the wheel at Huw Lewis Tyres, I found the blue cache easily enough, although the co-ords seemed to be a fair way out. Picked up the Kettering scouts KDES TB.

Then the big challenge. Hauled myself up Pen Dinas (historic fort on south side of Aberystwyth). In true Tortoiseshell style, I made life difficult (a la discoveries in Merthyr mawr, Nant Yr Arian and Nottingham) and scrambled up the treacherous north-west face - complete with gorse and barbed wire.

At the top of Pen Dinas - but where to search? Spent 20 mins and time was running out. Eventually re-oriented the GPS at the monument and luckily glimpsed the cache well hidden in a gorse clump.

I followed one of my old school cross-country runs back down Pen Dinas and back to the car in Park Avenue.

The lighthouse geocoin was a perfect Christmas present for this geocacher and it is photographed on the way back down from Pen Dinas.

Flagman

Flagman


Now esconsed in Aberystwyth, this was the first caching action of the holidays. Went for walk with K to pick up the Flagman travelbug from Nant yr Arian cache. Drizzly day and the Red Kites weren't feeding.

29 December 2006

Lorenzo the Llama: an announcement



Tortoiseshell is pleased to announce a memorandum of understanding with Lorenzo the Llama.
Under the new arrangement, Tortoiseshell will help set up and manage Lorenzo's new blog.

24 December 2006

Mid Herts Maestro

I set off my Mid Herts Maestro travelbug today from M4 J33 Geocache. A small memorial to Dr Wally in the geocaching world. The aim is to roam the acres of Mid Herts.

21 December 2006

Pre-Christmas cache trip

Within these walls traditional geocache


Zr7's team S&B geocoin


A-Road Anarchy: (A44) Elvis Rocks traditional geocache


Gloria in the valleys Travelbug


Set out before first light from Cardiff nominally for a staff Christmas dinner but covertly prepared for potential caching opportunities. My goal today was the "Within these walls" cache and the Netherlands geocoin contained therein.


Arrived at Dryslwyn Castle in the foggy gloom. I have taken a picture of the cache site from the bottom of the hill.

I scrambled up the hill and found the cache site very easily with the help of the clue. Very pleased to get off the mark so easily. Alas, when I opened the cache, there was no Netherlands geocoin.


The staff dinner - my first ever office dinner - went better than expected. None of the usual cliches about sitting on photocopyers in my company!

I set off north for Aberystwyth - ostensibly for a car repair - but hopeful for further night-time caching opps. I knew there was quite a rare geocoin in my brother's cache in Borth. Thankfully the repair only took a few minutes and I scooted over to Borth, mindful of the need NOT to break down in the vicinity of Pyongyang. As I turned the corner towards Glanwern, Radio 2 started to crack up, as if Pyongyang's Ministry of Fun Detection was trying to block my radio signal.

Parked by the Animalarium and made the short walk across the potholes towards the cache. The geocoin was attached to a keyring and I attached it to my own car keys for saftey. Replaced cache and walked back to car. Had a conversation in the dark with the owl in the animalarium, and passed on Maalie's seasonal regards to the owl.

Back to the trusted geocaching outpost of my parents in law, where I could make limitless cups of tea and log on to ascertain further possible geocaching opps. I am intrigued by the Rainbow series which has been laid in Aberystwyth by The red Kite, a fairly new cacher. I polumped for the orange cache, on Constitution Hill - complete with geocoin. I flailed and eventually failed in the darkness despite the cover of the light. It looks as though I was frustratingly close to the cache by the look of a photo on the cache website.

Having spent some time on "Consti" - I decided against the walk up Pen Dinas for the "purple" cache. I also decided against an easy travelbug pick-up from the Nant yr Arian cache. Now I'm into geocoins I've become a bit blazé about the more common travelbug dog tags.

However, heading east into Powys, the A44 passes past the leghendary "Elvis" rock, with a chache situated in a nearby lay-by. I found the "Elvis Rocks" cache within seconds of parking, and this restored equilibrium of time after my lengthy failure on Consti.
More importantly, the Elvis cache was my 20th cache since I started in August - an important psycological target. The travelbug was a nice bonus.

So, a mixed day. Hassle with the car but worthwhile using time to get it fixed. Pleasantly nice staff "do". Two new geocaches. No Netherlands geocoin and a failure on Consti - but a much rarer geocoin in the Cors Cache and a travelbug as well. Up to 20 caches for the career - will settle for that even if no caching is done in the hols - though hopefully will have another crack at the Aberystwyth rainbow series on 29th / 30th...?

7 December 2006

Signal the frog Geocoin (February '06)!

Managed to combine a work assignment - which coincided with use of the car - with a stop at M4 J33 services to pick up this special geocoin.

"Signal the frog" is the official mascot of Groundspeak. There are "Signal" geocoins relating to the various months of the year in 2006. I'm grateful to the Kernow Cachers for dropping this one off so close to home.

I picked it up in torrential conditions. Must have looked suspiscious heading to the cache site. Not to mention the presence several policemen in the restaurant overlooking the vicinity!!!!

3 December 2006

Christmas shopping




After a long night, I woke up tired and torn between two minds.

Since 1997, a December Saturday always meant one thing only: busking.

However I was tired and the blustery weather promised a long, unseasonal struggle of attrition if I went busking.

On the other hand, Christmas shopping had been preying on my mind and I also wanted a rest from work.


I loaded up my instrument in the boot, but this was half-hearted tokenism. I never really had any intention of busking today.

I also knew that Hereford United were playing in the FA Cup so I headed up the A470 and landed in Brecon to start my Christmas shopping - with the intention of heading eastwards to Hereford via Hay on Wye afterwards. The River Usk at Brecon is pictured, above.

Given this tight schedule, geocaching was never on the cards I'm afraid.

Sorted out some fine giifts for Maalie and TCA2006 early on. These are traditionally tricky assignments so I was glad to get them excellent gifts early on in the proceedings! I found some other bits and pieces in a craft market in the market hall. By 12.20 it was time to move on. Bouyed by a packet of 6 Greggs mince pies, I drove through the rain to Hay on Wye, the town of books.
















Children's bookshop at Hay-on-Wye

I only needed a brief stop in Hay. But it is such a pleasant town, I was torn between staying there to browse, or move on to watch the football in Hereford. Eventually opted for the latter and drove eastwards. I cursed as I accidentally found myself on the Whitney toll bridge but was quite happy when I realised it was only 50p - and very picturesque as well.

















Rainbow near Staunton-on-Wye

I had Virgin 1215 AM in the car and was glad to hear the song which I associate with the beginning of my Geocaching phase earlier this year - "Never be lonely" by The Feeling. They really are a brilliant band. A pop group who are just a pleasant pleasant people who write nice songs without resorting to foul-mouthed garb. They gave a wonderful performance on Children in Need and a very polite interview afterwards. One could take them home to meet one's mother-in-law without any hesitation.

A bright rainbow marked most of my journey through Herefordshire. The picture above doesn't really do it justice - I couldn't find a safe place to stop while it was at its strongest. Just a few minutes after seeing the rainbow, the radio announced that it was half-time at the Hereford match! Arrrrgh!












Hereford v Port Vale: the view from outside Edgar Street

So, driving through the middle of Herefordshire, I had two options - turn back to Wales or plod boldly on to Hereford for more Christmas shopping. I plumped for the latter. I made a token effort to persuade stewards to let me in to catch the end of the Hereford match (have never visited Edgar Street) but was refused entry. Went into town and did a little bit of shopping. Most significantly, I completely upgraded our Christmas decorations by opting for several items from Poundstretcher's "O little star" range of items. My favourites were the frosted pine cones.

Returned home tired but happy and hosted a crepes party for two friends that evening.