Month: August 2009

Email Dance

I received a reply from the SCDNR guy this morning:

The regulation is more up-to-date than you can find. Typically, there is a delay from the time of approval to the point the internet regulations are updated.

I do appreciate your interest in the heritage preserve program, and I encourage you to consider use of SCDNR properties through other allowed activities such as hiking or birding. Below is a link to all of the HPs found in SC.

Then a minute later:

I forgot…can you send me the lat/longs for Henderson & Savannah HPs.

He seems kind of anxious to get the lat & long of those caches…In his original email he mentions Regulation 123-203 (T) and at first I though maybe the T was a revision level, but after reading the regs posted on the SC Gov Site I’m thinking the T represents a new section of the code as the current one ends at S. I’m having a hard time believing that geocaching would warrant its own section, but hey what do I know. So I asked him for a copy:

Wow, more up to date than September 26, 2008. Is there anyway I can get a copy of the updated regs? There is a gathering of local geocachers this coming weekend and I would like to let them know about this change.

That was at quarter to 10 this morning. So far no response.

I think I’m going to contact the local cache reviewer and clue him in to my conversation, maybe he can even get a copy of the updated regulations.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 359

Against The Rules Here Too?

I sent an email this afternoon to the SCDNR to see about permission to place caches in Heritage Preserves they manage:

I am an Aiken resident and my wife and I have recently taken up geocaching (sort of a high tech treasure hunt.) We have found caches in a couple of the local Heritage Preserves (Henderson & Savannah River Bluffs) and would like to hide one or two caches in these beautiful areas as well. I am wondering who I should contact or what I need to do to gain permission to do this. I did not see anything in regards to geocaching in the Property Usage regulations on the web site.

Eighteen minutes later I received a reply (edited for brevity):

Currently, Regulation 123-203 (T) prohibits geocaching on any South Carolina Department of Natural Resources property. The majority of SCDNR property was purchased to protect unique and often rare natural resources. SCDNR allows and encourages recreational activities compatible and consistent with the character of the properties…

I am sure that most geocachers would likely be good stewards of SCDNR property, however, in recent years we have just begun to have problems associated with geocaching. Recently, SCDNR staff have found geocaches placed in sensitive areas on at least three Heritage Preserves…

Can you please send me the lat/longs of the Henderson & Savannah caches. I appreciate your help in protecting SC’s natural resources.

I read the Managed Lands Regulations on the SCDNR web site and with a little web searching and came up with a link on the SC government site and could not find any mention of geocaching, positive or negative. I wrote back:

Can you point me to the particular section or paragraph of 123-203 that prohibits caching? Everything I find on the web makes no mention of geocaching. Is the (T) in the parenthesis following the regulation number the revision letter of the regulation and is more up to date than I can find?

It was past quitting time when I sent it, so I wonder what kind of response I’ll receive in the morning? If any.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 358

Henderson Heritage Preserve

We got out this morning to visit the Henderson Heritage Preserve north of town to discover the two caches that are there and scout possible locations for placing our own.

It is in two separate sections and there is one cache in each. The first one, Utorthent, was in the newer of the sections and the more groomed of the two. It was a very nice walk and a nice hide of an ammo can, the GPSr never read closer than 12′, but we found it without too much problem. Round trip hike turned out to be 2.8 miles and we only covered about 1/2 of the marked trails.

We then got in the car and drove the 2 miles to the parking area for the second section. We were looking for a cache called Sandhills in this one. This cache was only a 2 mile round trip, but it was through a more primitive piece of woods and included a small stream crossing and a nearly all uphill walk to the cache. As a bonus, on the way back downhill to the car we spooked a pair of deer. They came from near the road and crossed in front of us going deeper into the preserve in a big hurry.

Both places have a couple possibilities for cache placements, now I just have to figure out who to talk to to get permission. I emailed to both people who have caches in Heritage Preserves in this area and only got one reply and he was no help.

In a total reversal of standard procedure, I washed the Emperor the day after an MMC event. Even went the extra mile, vacuumed the interior and cleaned and preserved the leather seats.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 358

Dead Bugs in the Middle of the Car

2009 Bug Splat WinnersTonight was the MMC’s Annual Bug Splat Rally. With only five cars in attendance nearly everyone was assured of a prize. From left to right, John Nicholls, Closest to the Dot with his prize of Bullseye BBQ Sauce; Dave Schumacher with the Cleanest Car prize of Bug Stickers to use next year; Donna Bogardus with Bath Time Stickers to wash the Most Bugs off the nose of the Emperor and Denny Smith with the Trophy for Biggest Bug. If you look just to the right of the Big Bug on the Trophy you will see the ghostly apparition of Rudy Wilmoth who was the driver of the only car not to take home a prize. Don’t feel too sorry for Rudy as he and Patti are past winners of the coveted BBT and are just coming off a two year streak of winning the Cleanest Car.

Started up, went down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 356

Well, You’re Stuck With Me For Another Year

I have the domain mr-miata.net registered through Yahoo Domains. I signed up with them 3 years ago and the price was $9.95 a year. Well, it is time to renew, and I got an email the other day telling me I would be automatically renewed at their new price of $39.95 a year! That is way too much and I figured I would shop around for another domain register. Trouble with that plan is I misread the auto renewal date as 8/31, when it really said 8/21, i.e. today. Too late.

I have been struggling with producing content for this place the last couple of weeks and had even considering taking a break from blogging, but now that I’m forty bucks into it, I’m going to keep at it even if the content is crap (and after all, what else were you expecting, it’s right there in this blog’s tag line: a proud part of the 90%.)

And while $39.95 sounds like a lot, it is less than 11¢ a day. If you factor in the 10 bucks a month for hosting it still comes out to less that 45¢ a day. Cheap therapy.

And trust me, I need the therapy pretty bad as the FRS are losing to their arch nemesis the Yankees tonight 15 to 4…

Started up, went down, went up, back down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 353

Turkey Hunters

An 80-year-old man went to the doctor for a check-up and the doctor was amazed at what good shape the guy was in. The doctor asked, “To what do you attribute your good health?”

The old timer said, “I’m a turkey hunter and that’s why I’m in such good shape. I’m up well before daylight and out chasing turkeys up and down the mountains.”

The doctor said, “Well, I’m sure that helps, but there’s got to be more to it. How old was your dad when he died?”

The old timer said, “Who said my dad’s dead?”

The doctor said, “You mean you’re 80 years old and your dad’s still alive? How old is he?”

The old timer said, “He’s 100 years old and, in fact, he hunted turkey with me this morning, and that’s why he’s still alive…he’s a turkey hunter.”

The doctor said, “Well, that’s great, but I’m sure there’s more to it. How about your dad’s dad? How old was he when he died?”

The old timer said, “Who said my grandpa’s dead?”

The doctor said, “You mean you’re 80 years old and your grandfather’s still living! How old is he?”

The old timer said, “He’s 118 years old.”

The doctor was getting frustrated at this point and said,”I guess he went turkey hunting with you this morning too?”

The old timer said, “No… Grandpa couldn’t go this morning because he got married.”

The Doctor said in amazement, “Got married! Why would a 118-year-old guy want to get married?”

The old timer said, “Who said he wanted to?

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Painting

Fotoscsketcher is a free windows software program that will turn your photos into a painting or pencil sketches with little effort. It can even put a nice little frame around it. So while we are on the subject of the Beatles…

Fotosketcher Beatles with Frame

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Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 349