Dogleg Right Gone to the Bird-Dogs

14/12/2008 By Kabutroid
WOOT! This cache polishes off the seemingly-common-but-for-some-reason-not-yet-obtained letter "D" for my "Manitoba ABC Soup" cache BigSmile . I had just finished digging up and locating the nearby "X My Harte" cache, and immediately began to skim the cache names of all the nearby caches in hopes of finding one of the missing letters I needed... D, F, Q, or R. Thankfully, this cache filled my "D" requirements.

It was an interesting adventure to get to the cache, to say the least. It began with having to loop around in the hectic mall parking lot to get back onto the residential road where I parked. Following that, I gave myself a pair of instant winter boots and hopped out of the car. I'm sure if anyone driving by as I walked down the sidewalk noticed, it probably would have had them confused as hell ToungeOut . Jogging up to the gate, I entered the park and worked my way towards the cache. Only a few seconds after entering, I found myself frozen (figuratively, and probably literally) by a large, curly-haired dog barking at me like there's no tomorrow. He'd do the playful jump towards me close, jump back, and bark sequence. His owner was attempting to call him back from about 50 meters away, but the dog wouldn't have it... it wanted to bark at me, and that's exactly what it planned to keep doing. Could be because I have a pet cat, and he smelled that on me... I dunno. As the owner got closer, the dog finally went towards him. We exchanged a few words (and if he noticed my "boots", he didn't say anything about them), and I continued onwards.

Not long after, I found myself getting close to the cache. At about 20 meters away, I was stopped in my tracks by a loud barking sound immediately behind me. Turning around, I discovered that a very large, snarly rottweiler was standing there. It then proceeded to stop watching me turn around, and resume barking his head off. The owner was once again calling it... but he wouldn't have any of that much like the other dog. Only this rottweiler found it entertaining to get REALLY close to me. Finally the owner could call off his ~~demon~~ dog, and asked if I had a dog. I said I was out geocaching, and he knew exactly what I was talking about, saying that they're hidden in this park every so often. After he went on his merry way, I went to locate the cache.

Note: I'm sure the dogs were just playful and harmless... but various... circumstances in the past have made me VERY wary of dogs in general... probably almost close to the point of phobic of them. Situations like this do NOT assist in that going away ToungeOut .

But I digress. Several seconds of searching later, and I located the cache. Probably good timing too, since it was beginning to get dark. It was so ridiculously overcast you couldn't see the sun... but somewhere out there it was setting... it being just after 4:00pm. A quick signing of the logbook later, and I found a chainmail ball could still easily fit inside the cache Smile . Replacing it how I found it, I worked my way back to the gate, hoping to not come across any other dogs. Thankfully, all of them were gone. I figured there couldn't be TOO many out on a day this cold. Having stepped on lots of branches and whatnot, my "instant winter boots" were starting to break down. However, they lasted long enough, and survived up to the car. Mission accomplished BigSmile .

Thanks for the interesting cache container. A little canine-y, but I knew what I was getting into having read the sign on the gate entrance to the park ToungeOut .

Took: Nothing
Left: Logbook entry and chainmail ball