NWOG's Fall Featured Cachers are Q and A. (November 2010)

1. How did you get your geocaching alias?

   We started caching May 24, 2008. While picnicking at Centenial Park with Mechman and his family, Dave took Marc, Quinn and Andrew to see Nosey. We have never been the same again. Once Marc bought a GPS we all went back to Nosey to sign the log. We needed a name, so I looked at Andrew and at Quinn and thought “Q & A” (also questions and answers) and thought that it was perfect. We all agreed, which rarely happens.

2. What do you do when you're not geocaching?

   Marc is an Engineer and Allison is a stay-home Mom. In the winter, Andrew does curling, plays hockey and goes to cubs. Quinn swims and plays soccer and hockey. In the spring they both play baseball and more soccer. Our family time is spent driving from one activity to another, swimming, playing cards and boardgames, biking, seeing family and geocaching... no naps here. Overall, when “A” is not geocaching, he is on the geocaching.com or nwogeocachers.com websites. Andrew learned to read on these websites. Thanks for the words” Headcase” and “Arse” – these are now part of Andrew’s 8-year old vocabulary. Quinn prefers to Wii or DS.

3. What do you like most about geocaching?

   We like two things about geocaching: 1. Finding the cache; and 2. Exploring new areas that we have never been to before. When searching for “Make a Wish”, Andrew found a deer antler. What a cool experience for an 8 -year old. It is a great way to travel when you can cache. The drive from here to Sault Ste. Marie or Winnipeg may be a bit longer if you stop more, but it does give the kids something to look forward to as the GPS ticks down.

4. Do you have any geocaching pet-peeves?

   Our geocaching pet-peeves are Jim’s trains, Chris Dom’s nanos and bridge hides (“A” does not like heights). Also not a favourite are when caching is taken too seriously... we prefer humour in caches and the talent that goes into some very interesting handmade caches.

5. What do you take with you when you go caching?

   When we go caching we usually take with us a GPS, pencil, cell phone (in case we need to phone for help), swag (which is always in my van) and lots of snacks. The boys are always hungry so as long as there’s food and water everyone is ok.

6. Have you introduced anyone to geocaching?

   A lot of Andrew’s friends have been introduced to geocaching. Aunty Kathy, who lives in Ottawa, is our official puzzle solver and tries to come here to do the Spring Cache Challenge with us. This summer, Caching Clara (another aunt) hid her first hide with Andrew’s help.

7. Which other geocacher has influenced/stands out to you the most?

   “A’s” favourite cacher is Ragbag. His classic hides and night hides at the college have been a lot of fun. Shroom Azoom is “Q’s” favourite cacher. He likes his hides, but it’s mostly saying his name that he finds cool. Chris Dom’s effort and creativity is inspiring. H & Ks colourful cache logs are always “interesting and educational ” to read.

8. What is the most interesting place geocaching has taken you?

   The most interesting place geocaching has taken us is to the cave with Mechman –“ Beware of the Grue”. Assiniboine Zoo in Winnipeg was a lot of fun too. You worked your way through the zoo finding 8 caches. At the end, Andrew could only name 1 animal in the zoo though because he was so fixated on finding the caches that he didn’t notice them too much. However, he countered that by proudly stating that he found a cache there that even JLee couldn’t find the first time.

9. What has been you most memorable geocaching find (or DNF?)

   The most memorable DNF is “Don’t Let the Buzz Get to You”. We went there several times in the cold, dark, rain and snow and finally found the first stage. By then, the second stage had been muggled.

   Our most memorable find was Mall of America Puzzle cache. For us, this was a neat twist on visiting a new place and trying to work through the clues while working through the mall. Planning for this cache as part of our trip brought a lot of excitement and solving made for a great day of “shopping”.

10. Which of your hides are you the most pleased with?

    We are most pleased with Shelley because she is in a cool, quaint location and has had the most visits of all our caches. CBB was also a fun one – Mom’s idea and Dad’s sense of humour.

11. What is your closest un-found cache?

    Our closest un-found cache is Swing. A JLee Collins, bridge cache... see question #4... ‘nuff said.

12. What caches do you have in your sights right now?

    We plan in to go to Shuniah Mines with Mechman sometime to find the caches there. I was really impressed with the boys when we climbed Mount Mckay to find the Mount Mckay cache and couldn’t find it, so we drove around and climbed up to find some of Wandering Man’s caches. What a tiring day, but a great work out. We all slept very well. I look forward to finding Wandering Man’s new caches on the mountain.

13. shroomAzoom: You have four cachers in your crew, what special skills/strengths does each member bring?

    There are 4 cachers in our group: Alliison (Mom), Marc (Dad), Andrew (8) and Quinn (5). Marc’s role is in the forest he always goes first, ever since we came across a skunk... let’s say he’s the sacrificial member of the team. He also makes sure we don’t get too lost. Quinn has a very good eye for spotting caches when his brother lets him. The large caches with swag kept him going, as he likes to collect key chains from the caches. Allison makes sure everyone is dressed appropriately for all types of weather, and also makes sure that there is plenty of food to keep everyone going for a while. She also usually comes through with the really hard to spot ones when the rest of the boys have given up. Andrew is obsessed with caching and basically is the Team leader. He is the one who checks the computer for new caches and prints them out. He also likes to organize us and tell us which caches we should find and when. Generally, Andrew is also the one who finds them, if given the chance. Overall, a pretty good Team that loves this outdoor family adventure past-time.