Sunny Owl and Hubby

Sunny Owl and Hubby

When I was 8 years old, I became a Brownie as part of the Girl Guides of Canada. More specifically, I was a "Sprite". I had only spent one year with this group, but I remember our two leaders: Brown Owl and Tawny Owl. When I saw the name of this caching team, I thought "Sunny 'Owl'"... I wonder if she is any relation to those two ladies long ago. And sure enough, she was! Both the Girl Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada have embraced geocaching. Several units around the country have placed caches so they learn more about exploring, nature and conservation, and let other cachers learn about their groups. I love it when leaders and coaches also fully embrace geocaching and spread the word. Read on to learn more about September's Cachers of the Month: Sunny Owl and Hubby

1. When did you start Geocaching?

Sunny Owl started in 2005 and I joined her just over a year later.

2. How did you find out about Geocaching?

Sunny Owl heard about it from a friend in Girl Guides

3. What was it about geocaching that got you hooked into the game?

The thrill of the hunt

4. Have you cached in any other provinces, countries?

We have cached in all of the provinces west of Quebec, as well as several U. S. states including Hawaii. Our most challenging caching was is Cuba as GPS's are not allowed.

5. Have you ever introduced someone to geocaching? If so, who?

We introduced our friends, the Piersons to Geocaching.

6. How do you describe the sport of Geocaching to your family and friends who haven't tried it yet?

We tell them it is a great form of exercise without really trying to exercise. It's also a great walk not spoiled by golf.

7. What are other interests or hobbies that you have (please go into detail / accomplishments)?

Sunny Owl is heavily involved in Girl Guides as a District Commissioner and Sparks leader. She has arranged for and taken many girl guides geocaching over the last few years. We are both busy helping look after our grandchildren on a regular basis. Hubby likes to go for walks.

8. What are some things you don't like about geocaching? What are your pet peeves?

Our pet peeve involves cachers who do not show DNF's. If you don't record your DNF's cache owners may not know that there is a problem with their cache. We we don't like are cache owner's who have received two, three, or four reports that a cache cannot be found or needs maintenance and they do nothing about it.

9. What is the most interesting/unusual place that geocaching has taken you?

Into the tunnels at the U. of M. and into swamps in Florida and Bat caves in Cuba.

10. What is the most memorable cache that you have found (or tried to find?)?

HUH? (GC12W1Y) by 1Queenand4Jokers is our nemisis cache. Hubby has suggested taking rakes and shovels down to King's Park and excavating the little hill that hides the cache.

11. What, currently, is your favourite, unarchived Manitoba geocache?

That would have to be G.U.E. Magic Scroll Cache #69,105 (GCQMFT). It took us almost 2 years to find but it taught us that geocaching means looking outside the box or on top or under the box for that matter.

12. What is your favorite Caching Story?

When we introduced our friends to Geocaching we were camping near Boisevain. We took them geocaching and were looking for a cache in town that we, the experienced cachers could not locate. After a good half hour of fruitless searching we were just leaving when one of the newbies reached into the trees and said it this it. Sure enough it was. Just proves experience doesn't really matter.

13. What is your most interesting item found in a cache?

A lottery ticket that when Hubby scratched was a $5.00 winner.

14. What items if any do you carry with you when you go on a hunt?

We carry gloves, flashlight, retrieving tool, spare plastic bag, duct tape, goodies to leave in the cache and our trusty multi-tool.

15. What kind of GPSr do you use?

We use a Magellan 100 and 200 and a Garmin.

16. What methods do you use to avoid muggle detection?

We will use our GPS's as telephones hold them to our ear. Or act like were tying a shoelace or keep walking until the muggles move on.

17. What is the meaning of your username?

Sunny Owl is Suzanne's Girl Guide name and Hubby is self-explanatory.

18. What was the most memorable travel bug that you have found?

That would be the Canada Olympuck 2010 Geocoin. It is most memorable because we found it in Manitoba then we took it to B. C. where we went to see our newest grand daughter. We had a great visit with our kids and left the geocoin in B. C.

19. Which geocachers do you respect or standout to you the most?

Ertyu, Gnirips, 1Queenand4Jokers and Peter and Gloria

20. With whom do you normally go geocaching?

Just us.

21. If you could cache anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?

Australia (and we are going in 2013)

22. Is there a challenging local cache you have in your sights right now? Which one?

Still HUH, We are determined to find it.

23. Of your placed caches, which is your favorite? Why?

We only have one so that is our favorite. It was placed to commemorate 100 years of Guiding.

24. What kind of books do you prefer to read? What was the last book you read?

Hubby just finished Hunger Games Trilogy and I will start it soon. Hubby enjoys authors like Tom Clancy, W.E.B. Griffin, Dean Koontz, John Connolly and Stephen King, Sunny Owl enjoys Bertrice Small, Nora Roberts and Kathy Reichs. She just finished The Time Traveller's Wife.

25. Can you play a musical instrument?

Neither one of us play a musical instrument but our youngest daughter just graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Toronto majoring in Trumpet performance. We can't figure out where her talent came from.

26. How far from your house is the nearest unfound cache?

Approximately 670 meters by the U. of M. We will find it one of these weekends. Parking at the U. of M. is difficult during the week.

27. Besides your GPSr, what other tools (electronic or otherwise), or software do you make use of?

Really nothing.

28. Do you use your GPSr for other reasons other than Geocaching?

If we are hiking in a strange area we will use it to mark our starting point.

29. What is in your iPod/CD player right now?

Sunny Owl doesn't carry one but Hubby has a walkman which has the Arrogant Worms and Belle and Sebastian on it right now.

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