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Post by akgh519 on Dec 18, 2013 23:23:13 GMT -9
I'm here and reading...firefly says it well....
if the weather is like it was tonight on the Arm I might not come. It was fun being out and playing in the snow and wind....but driving in that kind of weather all the way to Homer might be a bit much!
Stay tuned!
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 19, 2013 15:26:53 GMT -9
Yeah...I know... I just had to pout for a moment. One thing you and I can do, Cathy, is keep working on outlets like the library, scouts, and other "get outside" groups in Homer. It will require some flyers around town, some posting to news outlets (newspaper and KBBI communitty line), and more. I don't know Homer deeply enough yet, but folks here at my work know that turnout is hard to come by in the "off season", and we'll really have to throw a big shindig to convince people that it is a hobby worth getting into. For the time being, we can focus on getting more good, interesting, and "introductory" caches out around town. Then, we can coordinate another event here at I&O like the one last March. I think shooting for post-breakup would be best, and summer would be even better. In a town this small, I don't know if we'll see consistent involvement beyond the two of us. I hope we do. I think the main bummer is that I can't get folks from Homer to Soldotna/Kenai interested either. But, from what Scott has said, it's tough to get those cachers active in events too. Le sigh. Please come on down to my event, everyone! :rofl:
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 19, 2013 15:30:24 GMT -9
But, if any of you have TBs but can't make it down to Homer, let me know a place where you could drop them and I can pick them up.
I'll be getting into Anchorage via car from Homer on Christmas Eve around 7pm if everything goes according to plan. I could swing by an obvious and easy cache to grab TBs, or meet folks outside the airport before we pass security.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2013 17:51:43 GMT -9
There is the newly posted anchorage TB hotel that is right out side the airport. GC4THFB should be a very easy find and showing a full inventory of trackables as of right now. I am sure we can try to stock it up between now and then to get a few more for you to take on your trip. It would be a good drop off point for any that you pick up along the way back as well.
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Post by TheFirefly on Dec 20, 2013 5:56:19 GMT -9
I don't know Homer deeply enough yet, but folks here at my work know that turnout is hard to come by in the "off season", and we'll really have to throw a big shindig to convince people that it is a hobby worth getting into. Yeah, those folks you work with are correct. It also can be hard to get great attendance in the tourist season, when at any given time you have to choose between 2 or 3 events! In a town this small, I don't know if we'll see consistent involvement beyond the two of us. I hope we do. Absolutely we can. It will just take consistent work to keep inviting people and making our presence known. Look at the other groups around town - they had to start somehow. (And unlike the playground project, it wasn't hundreds of people all at once.) There was an active group of cachers here a few years ago. Many of them have left the state, though. I think the main bummer is that I can't get folks from Homer to Soldotna/Kenai interested either. But, from what Scott has said, it's tough to get those cachers active in events too. Don't forget that this is the pattern outside of geocaching, too! The distance from Soldotna to Homer is MUCH greater than the distance from Homer to Soldotna. It is frustrating. There was a 4-H event held in Homer last summer. It was the first time in 15 or 20 years that it was here instead of Soldotna. The attendance was abysmal and the complaints numerous. It is too far they said. They should come up here. Uumm, right. It worked, though. Even though Homer was the birthplace of Alaska's 4-H program, the district events won't be back here any time soon. Drives me crazy!
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 20, 2013 8:41:27 GMT -9
Thanks, DR. Is it pretty winter friendly? I'm really not going to have much time to search for it--hoping for a really quick grab and go if I'm picking up TBs from there.
Also, be sure to shoot me a message with which bugs or coins are the ones you need taken east!
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 20, 2013 8:44:03 GMT -9
Yeah, Cathy. The 4-H thing was rough. I helped with it at I&O, and we were saddened by the response and behavior of some parents about coming down the road. I know we can rekindle interest. When Lisa put on the Geocache lab in the summer of 2007(?), it created a lot of interest in the game and people like "Yurp" joined the game. Let's you and I talk about how to get this fire started sometime over that drink I owe you.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2013 10:57:55 GMT -9
Thanks, DR. Is it pretty winter friendly? I'm really not going to have much time to search for it--hoping for a really quick grab and go if I'm picking up TBs from there. Also, be sure to shoot me a message with which bugs or coins are the ones you need taken east! It is very quick and easy. If you park at the conners bog parking lot it is a short .10th of a mile walk. You are looking for a blue ammo can chained to a tree with a bright yellow chain. It is chained to the tree directly behind the welcome to anchorage sign out side of the airport property.
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 20, 2013 11:51:47 GMT -9
How's the snow cover in town right now?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2013 12:09:09 GMT -9
We have a fair amount of snow. But you should still be able to find the ammo can.
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Post by fuzzybelly on Dec 20, 2013 18:34:43 GMT -9
R all those hints in the "hint"? Walk ten paces, turn left, no your other left, bend over, open your eyes, it's right there, can't you see it
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Post by TheFirefly on Dec 20, 2013 20:43:02 GMT -9
Yeah, Cathy. The 4-H thing was rough. I helped with it at I&O, and we were saddened by the response and behavior of some parents about coming down the road. Yup! I was on the 4-H side, and it was brutal! People amaze me sometimes. I know we can rekindle interest. When Lisa put on the Geocache lab in the summer of 2007(?), it created a lot of interest in the game and people like "Yurp" joined the game. May 2009! How do I know this, you ask? Because it was the weekend between when Kevin interviewed in Homer and when we pulled into town with a full U-haul and nowhere to live. So, I missed it! I've heard lots of good things about that event! Definitely - ping me when you're back in town and we'll brainstorm over drinks. Or under drinks. Or next to drinks. Aw heck, drinks all around! (Hey....maybe that's how we bring 'em in... )
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Post by TheFirefly on Dec 20, 2013 21:28:29 GMT -9
NS - You might grab the TBs you placed in the Reber Trail cache. The two you dropped there this spring are still there and I don't know that I'll be able to grab them and get them to you before you go.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Dec 22, 2013 9:32:36 GMT -9
Holiday Season upon us all. I know my time has been severely cramped by holiday activities with my sister visiting from Oregon, friends coming in from Arizona this evening, and a ton of family stuff to do. I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and work on some things this morning to get caught up on club business. With rain coming down outside and another couple inches of snow from last night that needs to be shoveled and plowed, I'm not seeing a drive to Homer in the cards today, though I had hoped that things might have worked out for me to head down.
In reference to "lures" to get people to drive to Homer, I don't think that the little "flash mob" style events nor promises of prizes and such is going to do it. Those things don't provide much motivation for me and I'm only 80 minutes away. Of course I miss about 60% of the events due to my work schedule, so I'm not a really good example. And, just like Homer, our cacher community around Sonai is quite seasonal and also very difficult to get out to events. The majority of the EduVents that we've tried in this area have been solo affairs for me with the biggest ever bringing in maybe a half dozen.
At any rate, I've been known to make the drive down to Homer just to hit Fat Olives for lunch and maybe stop at AK Wildberry Products with no more than 15 minutes notice. So I certainly don't consider the drive too far, though it is a bit more of a commitment than heading over to Wally's. But when you start talking about Anchorage folks, you're asking for them to do a 9-hour drive. And that's a pretty big deal.
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 23, 2013 9:19:47 GMT -9
I'm not too keen on the Flashmob events myself.
This event started at 1, and went until they kicked me out of Two Sisters around 2:05. Not really much of a Flashmob, and not a longer event, either.
I think a topic about events and length would be an interesting conversation. The events I've attended before the advent of Flashmob-style events were 1 hour to 8+ hours long. The shorter ones were generally followed by groups of caches heading out to grab caches in the area. It really fostered community, and made for some good memories.
Some of the longer events had games and prizes, and sometimes a big raffle. Shorter ones were smaller in attendance, but a pretty good time nonetheless. Flashmobs have been quick, and certainly not the best way to get to know people
Anyway, being at the coffee shop for an hour wasn't too lonely--I'm a regular at Two Sisters, and had plenty to do while waiting.
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Post by NeverSummer on Jan 6, 2014 14:36:11 GMT -9
I just want to say how cool it was to have such a representation of TBs coming from AK to North Carolina. A few people at the event even said, " Woah, that's the most TBs I've seen in one place!"
Many came from North Carolina to ANC for the new year, and others are on their way out and about from NC.
Thanks to those who dropped bugs at the hotel to be moved along!
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