GEOCACHING POTPOURRI--

Yup, you are seeing what I saw that morning on my way out of the Environmental Learning Center near Wabasso, FL.  It is a Hoover vacuum cleaner hanging on a traffic control sign.  Sue opined it could have fallen off a vehicle and a good Samaritan hung it there, making it easier for searching folks to find.

As good a guess as any--I guess.

 

Shortly thereafter I was geocaching near this very old cemetery between Wabasso and Sebastian.  It reminded me of those I had seen in New Orleans years ago where the underground water level is so high that full burial of the casket is impossible.

These events were early in the start of my caching day which produced 22 cache finds of the 24 that were on my schedule.

A bit later I was parked in a Sebastian neighborhood and pondering access between private homes to a canal in their rear when I had eye contact with a fellow mowing his yard.  I dislike appearing suspicious while pursuing this delightful activity and we quickly joined in a pleasant conversation.

Turns out he is an unemployed machinist and we soon discovered a mutual penchant for flying.  Whereupon he said, "Want to see the airplane I am building?"  "Where is it," I asked.  "Mostly in my living room," he smiled, pointing toward the house.

Sure enough, we walked into the living room and there was a quite recognizable fuselage with its nose resting in the dining area.  There was a wing over there against a wall and another in the formative stages with rivet clamps everywhere.

Parts of the empennage were in another room and a closet.  Even recognizable parts of the future engine were visible here and there.  He was doing every bit of the work himself--except for two seat cushions which had been expertly sewn by a friend.

"With any luck I'll be flying it this summer," he smiled.

The curiosity must have been obvious in my face.  "I'm not married," he smiled again.

My caching day concluded with a heart-stopping encounter with this small rattlesnake.  I backed carefully on my hands and knees away from its resting place under a local park's wooden boardwalk and was relieved it appeared to accept my retreat graciously.

It was then I noticed a shiny little Bison tube geocache container in the leaves beneath it.  Still, I very carefully prodded this charming rascal with a looong Palmetto branch...and the snake tumbled very stiffly on its side--evidently in a state of permanent rigor-mortise.

I prodded it gently again.  And again; then retrieved the tube, signed the cache's log and silently saluted the owner of this cache for his marvelous creativity as my heartbeat slowly returned to normal. 

Slowly.