Category Archives: General

General Announcements

NoVAGO “Frozen Event” GC1132A 27 Feb 2011

Reply

Come one, come all to what (regardless of the weather) promises to be a warm time with good friends.  Long time geocacher, or just getting started, NoVAGO member, or not…everyone is welcome.  NoVAGO is hosting a “Frozen Event” GC1132A at Lake Fairfax Park, click the blue title bar above to go right to the cache page. – Specifics are: 9am, 27 February 2011 Lake Fairfax Pavilion “K” (next to the lake) Coffee and other hot beverages along with breakfast pastries will be provided. NoVAGO Coins and Patches will be available for purchase. Lake Fairfax Park has many geocaches, and there will even be a few new ones!! Lake Fairfax Park Ranger attending (tentative). Maybe a cache run to the BAT-21 caches if anyone is interested (since the final of the series is in the same park.).

Take Pride in Your Hide

Posted on by

There are no “rules” in Geocaching…only Guidelines, and the following chapters are presented for your information, and to highlight some of those guidelines. I certainly don’t know all there is to know about the pastime, but I’ve been involved for a very long time — “guys talk, ya see things, and I get around.” Newcomers to geocaching may find this information, and the associated tips, reminders, and links helpful…while Old Timers might spot something new, or that jogs their memory. Geocaching has grown by leaps and bounds, and one thing is for sure…it is imperative that we all follow the established guidelines so that the pastime we enjoy continues to be recognized as a legitimate recreational activity. The individual chapters below were each published separately in the General Discuss Forum…they remain open for discussion, and I will review them from time to time and incorporate any pertinent comments/suggestions here in … Continue reading →

NoVAGO Puzzle Class Event (GC1V7V2)

Posted on by
Reply

A class to share puzzle solving tips and ideas. Time is 6:30- 8:00 on July 29th. Location is the Chantilly branch of the Fairfax County Public Library located at Stringfellow Road and Rt. 50. Some people seek out puzzles and some avoid them like the plague. I think the latter group (I think know cphug184 is talking about me there) misses out on two things: some fantastic caches and the double victory of the solve and the find.  I marvel at some of the creativity of fellow cachers out there and they add value to my caching experience. I hope to give you some tools to enjoy similar experiences.  This evening, we will discuss some generic types of puzzles using some local puzzles and some not so local.  We will talk about how to figure out what possible paths to take to solve puzzles and we will share some internet … Continue reading →

June 2008 Spotlight: TeamWeathergirl

Posted on by
Reply

TEAM WEATHERGIRL – What a great caching bunch! Tell us about your caching name. I work in the weather business bouncing between the National Weather Service and managing weather satellite development programs. My daughter got enamored with weather and picked up the nickname of “Weathergirl” at a young age. Weathergirl has four brothers and being the only girl is not always easy. Since she was the most enthusiastic about geocaching when we started, we went with her nickname. In a way it helps her stand out from the male dominated crowd she lives with. Tell us about the members of Team Weathergirl and what each one of you brings to the caching experience. Our youngest cacher’s nickname is Mr. O. He turns 10 this month and is the most enthusiastic about opening the cache to find the surprises inside. His most favorite treasures are matchbox cars. He likes caching with … Continue reading →

April 2008 Member Spotlight: Bubba Q. Jack

Posted on by
Reply

Just how did Bubba Q. Jack get his nickname, will he keep his cache-a-day streak alive, and more . . . Welcome to April’s Spotlight! Tell us about your caching name. There used to be a great Bar-B-Que place on the way to Shady Side Maryland called “Pig Outs” that had the best ribs. I would drive from Arlington, Virginia just for lunch or dinner but it went out of business. In a quest to replace such wonderful ribs I went from Maine to Florida stopping at as many places to sample the fare. I’ve located several restaurants (joints) that come close but never perfect. One place was named Bubba’s and I liked the idea of adding the Q and Jack which is the nickname for John. Thus Bubba Q. Jack was created. How were you introduced to Geocaching and what was the first cache you found? After gaining 35 … Continue reading →

March 2008 Member Spotlight: LionHeart

Posted on by
Reply

It is with great pleaure that I spotlight LionHeart this month – the man behind some of the most amazing puzzles! Tell us about your caching name. My caching name came from an old Scottish saying, “A man is a lion in his own cause”. So I have the heart of a lion when it comes to my own cause. My cause is that I have a chronic liver disease called Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). It is a characterized by inflammation, destruction and fibrosis of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts that leads to cirrhosis of the liver. PSC is often complicated by recurrent episodes of bacterial cholangitis (infection of the bile ducts with bacteria). Patients with PSC also have an increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). The cause of PSC is unknown but many investigators suspect that it is an autoimmune disease. Other etiologies, such as infectious agents, … Continue reading →

February 2008 Member Spotlight: Zgrav

Posted on by
Reply

This month’s Member Spotlight is Zgrav and yelraM! Tell us about your caching names. My caching name is Zgrav. It is a one syllable variation on “zero gravity”, which pulls together a way to use my middle initial “Z” with some kind of science-fiction context. yelraM’s caching name is just a reverse of her real name ( Marley) . Tell us how you were introduced to Geocaching. I bought a GPS on sale because I could use it hiking outdoors. I have been a caver since I was a kid, and grew up plotting latitude and longitude on paper topo maps to mark or find cave entrances. When I looked on the internet for tips on using a GPS I discovered geocaching. I was hooked with the idea, and remember the fun of going out on those first searches. yelraM actually made our first find, which she will be quick … Continue reading →

January 2008 Member Spotlight: rufnredy

Posted on by

Thanks to NoVAGO’s trusty and loyal leader to help out a fellow cacher in a bind! I am happy to Spotlight him this month and thanks to the others who have volunteered to be in the spotlight in the coming months! **************************************** Introducing rufnredy Tell us about your caching name. Well, not to date myself or make myself seem older than I really am, but my caching name is based on a cartoon show I watched as a growing boy called Ruff and Reddy. In 1957, it became (one of) the first syndicated cartoon shows on TV and was Hanna-Barbera’s first successful cartoon show of many. Some twenty years ago or so, I was looking for a good nick and I came across this show in repeats and decided it was the one I wanted. At the time names were limited to 8 characters so I shortened it to rufnredy … Continue reading →

November 2007 Member Spotlight: Banshee Reeks

Reply

Tell us about your caching name. I took my caching name from a beautiful wildlife preserve in Loudoun County that I have visited as a birder for years and where I volunteer from time to time. Here is a description of the names Origin: In the early part of the 19th Century, the owner of the farm now called Banshee Reeks was said to be of Irish/Scottish descent. In the Gaelic language, banshee is a female spirit and reeks refers to hills and dales. The story goes that one night the farmer went into the town of Leesburg to attend to personal business and also paid a visit to the local saloon. Upon arriving back at his farm very late at night, with the wind howling and the night animals making their noises, the farmer was in such a state of mind, that he claimed he heard a banshee on … Continue reading →