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Geocaching and Random Thoughts

 Good morning everyone.  This week was supposed to be part two of the epic vitual road trip, looking at the caches with the most favorite points.  To be honest, I haven't sat down at my laptop this week to pull all that information together.  It's not just this past week or being too busy.  I just haven't felt like it.  When I get home from work, I want to veg and watch geocaching podcasts, geocaching videos, football, baseball, or pro wrestling (rasslin' as I jokingly refer to it).  There's a good chance that I'll fall asleep watching any of these.  

In the past, I'll start writing my next blog early in the week with ample time to edit.  Now it's being put together (just like this one) on Sunday morning, just mere hours before it's to be published, while still in bed.  The creative part is still there, but the drive has gone kaput.  Even editing my videos has been slow.  I have a few adventures waiting to be edited.  I did do one this past week, but I never announced that it was up on YouTube.

Scheduling posts for The Geocaching Guild is in the same boat.  In the past, I could have two to three weeks worth of content scheduled ahead of time.  Lately, it's been the morning before I go to work, or from my phone while at work.

We all have our low points, our droughts, low cycles, etc.  But there are some things that I do question.  From a creators perspective, I have 168 people following my blog Facebook page.  Every time I see that I say "Wow!".  I am flattered, grateful, appreciative, and thankful for that.  What I don't know and I do wish I could know is who my regular audience is.  I'm not computer savvy.  All I see is a number.  It's that number that I question.


This is what I see from my blogger web page that I write on.  The number on the right is how many views that particular blog has had.


This is what I see from my blog FB page.  The number of people 'reached', compared to the number of 'views' doesn't match.  Granted, I should consider how many people from The Geocaching Guild or Twitter see this.  Basically, the numbers confuse me.  I understand that not every blog will make it to the New York Times Best Seller list.  I admit that some are clunkers.  The idea was great in my head, but somehow got lost on the way to writing it out.  Making videos is no different.

Let's make things even more confusing.  The Geocaching Guild FB page has 268 people following.  That's crazy.  I can't say WOW!! enough times.  We passed 200 followers earlier this year and now we're creeping up to 300.  How can you not feel good about that?  I am amazed.  Then I see the analytics.


The posts barely reach twenty people.  I'm not computer savvy, so I really don't understand this.  It's like me asking my boys which is better: Minecraft for the computer or for the Xbox 360.  They start talking about updates, patches, and some other stuff that the Dad (me) doesn't understand.  Or the fact that the same game (Need for Speed Undercover) can be completely different from the Wii version (which I have played and completed) to the Xbox 360 version (currently playing and harder).  My youngest Mewtwo explained this to me and I sort of got the gyst of it.  I just want to play the game.  *a side note, if anyone has Minecraft for the Xbox 360 they are willing to sell, drop me a message*

I have my own blog to write, my own videos to edit, and scheduling posts for The Geocaching Guild.  Plus... I am the Manitoba coordinator for the Trans-Canada Highway Adventure Lab Series.  That's been fairly easy.  I have most of the TCH and the Yellowhead Highway covered with help of volunteers.  There are still a couple of open spaces, but I'll wait until the current group had their ALs in place to get a better idea of how much space is available.  Speaking of which, as soon as I publish this, I'm off to scout out my section between the TCH & Yellowhead intersection and Austin.  There's a blog and video waiting to be created there.  Hopefully, maybe, my section will be the first one published for Manitoba.  Plus, I'll be hiding my first cache in almost three years.  I hope to have this done and be home in time for the Labor Day classic.  For those that don't follow the Canadian Football League, every Labor Day weekend, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers travel to Regina, Saskatchewan (our neighbors to the West) to play the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  Game time is 5:30pm. 


Normally I will plug the photo contest right about here.  It's still happening for September, but I'm almost certain I will be pulling the plug on this at month's end.  I thought that having a theme hindered the amount of enteries.  I did away with the theme and just send a picture of yourself finding a geocache.  That didn't change anything.  It's still a struggle to get the few entries that do come in.  For those that do enter, thank you.  I really do appreciate your participation.  Unless I get swamped with entries this month (you can send those to Thegeocachingguild@gmail.com), September will be the final month.

Time for me to get out of bed, get ready, and head out on my adventure.  Until next week, be happy, stay safe, wash your hands and wear a mask, hug your pets, and most importantly, just have fun.  Peace out ✌.


There's always just one more picture.  An interesting container while doing a power trail/ geo-art last Sunday.  If it works, why not?

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