Vwllss

I found a puzzle cache yesterday. I thought you might appreciate the log entry from it. It’s all 100% true, even the entry from 2:35:12.

August 20 by ePeterso2 (580 found)

WEDNESDAY

12:40 pm – Begin work on solving this puzzle with the intent of finding it on the way home

12:55 pm – Puzzle solved. Well, most of the puzzle is solved. I’m only missing one of the words, but I’m so sure about the crossing words that I know I must be right.

4:30 pm – Get ready to skip out early to have enough time to get to the cache. Co-worker walks into cube and asks for “just a minute of my time”.

5:27 pm – One minute of my time ends.

5:28 pm – Give up hope of finding cache today.

THURSDAY

8:30 am – Arrive at work. Plan to leave at noon. Need to be in downtown Fort Lauderdale at 4:00 pm.

10:42 am – Doctor’s office calls. The doctor will be in surgery the rest of the day – all appointments today are canceled. Reschedule for tomorrow!

12:59 pm – Get son to band camp with one minute to spare! Have lunch.

2:30 pm – Arrive at the cache parking lot. Power up GPSr, punch in coordinates, and head in the direction of the arrow. “Battery Low” warning appears on GPSr screen.

2:31:15 pm – GPSr turns self off. Press on in same direction.

2:33 pm – Trail veers sharply away from the direction I know I need to be traveling. Remember signs at trailhead that say “STAY ON TRAIL”. Begin debate with self as to whether heeding that guidance is a good idea or not. If I stay on the trail, I don’t think I’ll find the cache. Ever.

2:34 pm – Debate with self concluded. I must find this cache! Leave trail.

2:34:30 pm – Restart GPSr, hoping to get a few minutes of battery life out of it. Stare at GPSr.

2:35 pm – Walk face-first into a massive spider web across the trail.

2:35:01 pm – Drop GPSr, shake head violently, and hope the spider isn’t in my hair. Frantically swipe at hair in hopes of brushing away any potential spiders.

2:35:05 pm – Consider that if the spider is in my hair, I will have smashed it and spider guts will now be in my hair.

2:35:06 pm – Check hair for spider guts. No spider guts found. Remainder of spider web removed. Pick up GPSr to find that it has died and powered off again.

2:35:12 pm – Grab a stick to use to clear away spider webs in front of me. Look up at remains of spider web. The spider is as large as my outstretched fingers.

2:35:25 pm – Exhale. Press on.

2:36 pm – Avoid spider webs 2, 3, and 4.

2:38 pm – Power up the GPSr again. It stays on just long enough for me to walk around a particular area of interest. Cache must be there.

2:39 pm – It is. Container is in hand!

2:39:01 pm – But I can’t open it. RATS. But I do remember what I need to open it!

2:39:03 pm – What I need is the last bit of the puzzle I wasn’t able to solve. RATS. And my solution to the puzzle is back on my desk at work. 30 miles away.

2:40 pm – Piece together what I think is the correct solution to the puzzle from memory. Ignore insect stings. Ignore pain of being poked by a thorny plant. Keep trying to open the cache. Keep failing.

2:45 pm – Give up squatting. Realize that I need to work on this some more. Decide to take the container with me back to the trailhead and work on it there.

2:50 pm – Return to trailhead after avoiding spiders 4, 3, 2, and 1 successfully. Fail to open container.

3:00 pm – Make notes about the container. Return container to hiding spot. Return to car and leave the area to try to find a nearby WiFi spot to cross-check my puzzle solution.

3:10 pm – Find WiFi spot. Order frozen lemonade which is awesome relief for being outside in the afternoon heat. Check answers. Discover potential solution that I totally overlooked.

3:35 pm – Return to the cache site. Apply solution – SUCCESS! Sign log, leave Red Otter pathtag for next finder.

3:45 pm – Return to the car. Miraculously hit a lucky combination of green lights. Make it to my meeting on time.

Thanks for the cache!

-eP