These Are an Interesting Times - Run for the Trees

The blog has been quiet lately. With COVID-19 and the Michigan Stay-At-Home order, admitting that you geocache has created a hostile environment over the last 7 weeks. The Governor of Michigan allows "social distancing exercise", but there are many vocal opponents in our local community.  Their point is (and I fully understand both sides), if you go out to find a box in the woods, you are endangering the weak and the compromised.

We've been living with a good and bad angel sitting on each shoulder, having an argument.

But we're wearing gloves. Those should be reserved for essential workers

And we made masks. Healthcare workers are in need of those

We carry sanitizer and wipes. There are elderly who can't find them

We've targeted lonely caches/ Yes, but who else is out there?

But we're walking in nearby parks. But the Governor said essential travel only.

Is Geocaching essential?  

We''ve been called selfish carrying on with our cache-a-day streaks. But, when everything else has been taken away, two people spending 24 hours a day in a 700-square foot house, and all your trips have been canceled, making that 700 feet trek from a parking spot to a cache location can be heavenly. Normalcy in a maelstrom of anxiety and turmoil - something one can control and enjoy.

Just lately as people are clamoring to return to normal and the COVID-19 curve is flattening in Michigan, some of the hostility has died down. Still restricting ourselves to just a cache a day (and taking ALL precautions at 6 AM!), we made our first "public venture" this past weekend.

Saturday, when all events around Michigan cancelled, TaGeez and I moseyed down to Belle Isle shortly after sunset to complete the Michigan State Parks "Run for the Trees" 5K fun walk on our own.

#RunForTheTrees #BobRoss #HappyLittle5K #MiStateParks

Sunset Point was peaceful and cold - the only other movement were the passing freighters.

Funny thing is... as we pulled in to park, we spied something along the waterline. A cache! 

Not only that.. it was a cache with a blank log - an FTF! And that is gold this month as Michigan Reviewers have placed a moratorium on cache publishing starting on April Fool's Day. Unfortunately, even though we had this in hand and signed the new log, we can't claim it. Rattrak confirmed later this was a new cache for the recently-cancelled Belle Isle event, and he's pulling it for republishing next year.

(SIGH) Hopefully this will not be the "new norm".

Stay Safe - Wash Your Hands - Happy Caching!