There's No Place Like Home

Earlier this week I made a list of caches that would fill in some gaps on my 360° From Home chart. After some business in Pearland this morning, I targeted this one first and planned to get others on the list on my way home.

You’d think that a geocacher with over 2500 finds would know to read the description and look at attributes before driving 30 minutes for a single cache. And that Google Maps doesn’t navigate the best for caching. Well, nope, but maybe I’ll remember that next time. (Probably not!)

Anyway, I got to within 0.7 mile of the cache when Google wanted me to turn onto a private road with multiple No Trespassing signs. Nope. Not in Texas for sure! I finally looked at the cache details. When I saw that I would have to drive another 25 minutes just to get to the park entrance, then pay a day-use fee, and finally hike about a mile to get the smiley, I gave up and turned around.

But then cattle happened. Loose cattle. I stopped to use another Google product to find the number for the local constabulary. About the time the website loaded, the owners pulled up. We quickly named the loose animals Houdini and Whodunnit. I offered my help to corral the beasties, despite having no experience. Fortunately, as I parked, an Animal Control truck pulled up. Out stepped a vision of awesome authority: brown uniform, knee-high boots, and long, pony-tailed, stringy hair. And she carried a bullwhip too! I now had nothing to offer, so I shook the hand of the forlorn but grateful rancher and moved on.

But now I have a story to tell in my log for this geocache that I had decided to come after another time. Can’t skip it now!

The second time, I navigated to the park entrance. Google knows such places much better than it does geocaches! After registering with the ranger station and driving to the nearest parking lot, I enjoyed a pleasant walk to GZ. I paused a few times for photos and to investigate the sounds of rustling leaves nearby. You see? I’ve heard, and was informed again when I checked in, that Brazos Bend State Park has a healthy population of American alligators. And I wanted to see one.

I have not yet seen one today, so I will have to come back sometime. I don’t mind at all. However… I have been writing my log while slowly walking back to the myrthmobile. Perhaps I missed one. Perhaps I should pay more attention to my surr—oh, CLEVER GIRL!!

Thank you, CacHerNTheSky. God bless! 2 Corinthians 5:21

~ myrthman, AKA NtN065

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