Commonality - 1/31/16

Today's California puzzle asks you to find the:

Commonality

Tomorrow we'll ...

Just when I think I've seen everything ... - 1/30/16

Today's puzzle is from California.  I've said before how I'm continually amazed at the themes people will build puzzles around.  Sometimes I will just think up a theme and try to find a puzzle that incorporates it.  Then just when I think I've seen everything I find out there are puzzles out there about:

The THINGS we find Geocaching!

Tomorrow we'll ...

Happy National Puzzle Day! - 1/29/16

I hear that epeterso2 (creator of the excellent Puzzle Solving 101 series has something new in the works that will be announced today.  I was hoping for Puzzle Solving 201 (that would be so awesome ... and it would give me an excuse to return to south Florida!) but it sounds like it will be something different.  I'll be sure to keep you posted.

Today's fine California puzzle is one that I know several of you have seen, but if you haven't, then you're in for a real treat with:

Russian Dolls

Tomorrow we'll ... 

 

Beer Flight - 1/28/16

Today's puzzle takes us to California.  I've had several lunches with cachers over the last year at the Ithaca Beer Company (one of them was a huge fan of their Cheddar Beer Soup).  I've never been much of a beer drinker ... and am far from a connoisseur.  Until I'd been in there I don't think I'd ever even seen a:

Beer Flight

Tomorrow we'll celebrate National Puzzle Day.  

A, B, C ... - 1/27/16

Today's puzzle from the United Kingdom inspired one that landed in my in-box recently.  Apparently the CO has done a whole series of these alphabet caches.  Try your hand at the letter:

U

Tomorrow we'll ... 

Lunacy - 1/26/16

Today's puzzle takes us to Ohio.  Sometimes a puzzle appears like it will be a straightforward solve.  This one turned out to be sheer:

Lunacy

Tomorrow we'll be in California.

The Cachers Tale - 1/25/16

I got a grin from today's California puzzle, as  I spent some time in a similar pursuit in the early '90's.  Enjoy the story of:

The Cacher's Tale

Tomorrow we'll ...

An Epic Puzzle - 1/24/16

From time to time I come across an archived puzzle where the CO has posted the solution upon its archival.  I don't usually feature those here, but am making an exception today because I like the way the puzzle was implemented, and the source the CO posted as part of the solution was really educational (and great future puzzle fodder).  I hope you'll give yourself a chance to solve this one before reading the spoiler log, because it's an:

Epic Puzzle

Tomorrow we'll ...

Visiting & Revisiting - 1/23/16

Today's California puzzle has been visited by one of my pathtags, so I thought it would be fun to feature it here.  Perhaps some day I will even be able to pay a visit myself to:

Driftwood Revisited

Tomorrow we'll ..

Ths pzzle cnnt b slvd - 1/22/16

Tdy's Clfrn pzzl s  lttl strng bcs:

Ths Pzzl Cnnt B Slvd

Tmrrw w'll ...

Alienated - 1/21/16

Today's California puzzle might leave you feeling:

Alienated

Tomorrow we'll be in California for another day.

IMO - 1/20/16

Today's puzzle is another one I came across in a log about someone's most memorable caches of last year.  The story was fascinating to read, and I can't imagine coming across all this on a hike in the woods.  I appreciate the CO giving us the opportunity to pay our respects:

IMO Leo Walker

Tomorrow we'll ...

Music Roll - 1/19/16

Today's California puzzle hasn't seen a whole lot of traffic, but I came across it in a log as one of someone's favorite puzzles of last year.  The theme was something I was not aware of, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the:

Music Roll

Tomorrow, another California puzzle.

Messenger - 1/18/16

I enjoyed today's California puzzle, and I hope you will too.  But if it happens that you don't, please don't shoot the:

MESSENGER

Tomorrow we'll ...

White, Orchid, Magenta ... - 1/17/16

Today's California puzzle has a fun little riddle for you (try not to peek at the hint until you've given it a good try):

White, Orchid, Magenta, Aquamarine

Tomorrow we'll ...

An elementary puzzle - 1/16/16

Today's featured cache from California involves:

An elementary puzzle

Tomorrow we'll ...

Nature or Nurture? - 1/15/16

Today's California puzzle hit my in-box just before Christmas, and when I saw who had sent it, I knew I should be in for a treat.  Well, I was ... but it took me a while to unwrap it.  Sometimes the answer will just jump out at you, whereas other times it takes a lot of hard work.  As my dad told me somewhere during the time I was working on it, "When inspiration fails, all that's left is perspiration."  Indeed.  It's interesting to consider how much our puzzling ability is:

Nature or nurture

Tomorrow we'll ...

Next to Nothing - 1/14/16

Today's puzzle from Australia really gives us:

Next to Nothing

Tomorrow we'll ...

Things picked up? - 1/13/16

Apparently the game to be played in today's California puzzle translates as "things picked up."  In Japanese it's simply:

Hiroimono

Tomorrow we'll ...

Souvenirs - 1/12/16

I wonder how many of you are motivated by the little geocaching souvenirs.  I find myself surprisingly interested in collecting those little bits of online artwork.  It's pretty hard to explain the attraction, honestly, but I know I'm not alone.  I was recently speculating with friends about what the next one is going to be ... my vote was for Leap Day (which has since been confirmed).  I just took a look, and it looks like as of now, I have 48:

Souvenirs

Tomorrow we'll ...

Senorita Lopez's Sequined Shawl - 1/11/16

Today from Southern California we have the puzzle of:

Señorita Lopez's Sequined Shawl

Tomorrow we'll ...

An Introduction to Video Poker - 1/10/16

Since I grew up in a state that didn't even allow Bingo, an outing to a casino (or even purchasing a lottery ticket) was always something of a guilty pleasure.  When I moved to Missouri they had just determined that gambling could be allowed on riverboats (but not on dry land) so when my mother visited, we gave it a try ... we always bet very low stakes, but she was very lucky and we always had a lot of fun.  Our favorites were the regular coin slots, but we knew that we could make our money last a while playing video poker. Today's Ohio puzzle will teach you the basics of the game:

Video Poker 101: An Introduction  

Tomorrow we'll ...

Splasher's Lab Cache - 1/9/16

I came across this California cache page, which actually contains two puzzles.  One is for the cache itself, and the other is for the beginnings of a Lab cache which puzzlers are being invited to claim remotely when the time comes:

Splasher's Puzzle Sampler 

Tomorrow we'll ...

Swifties - 1/8/16

Today's California puzzle landed in my in-box over the holidays.  Try your luck with:

Swifties

Tomorrow we'll be in California for another day.

Game On! - 1/7/16

I hope you'll indulge me for sharing my most recent puzzle project with you today.  It's a ten-puzzle series and the final puzzle is set to publish this weekend.  I had a lot of fun putting it all together, and appreciated the help in creating and testing the puzzles from quite a number of you out there.  The fun (and the small, simple geo-art) starts here:

Game On! #1: Playing the Game of Thrones

Tomorrow we'll be in California.
  

"We need more Calgon!" - 1/6/16

If you're around my age, upon seeing the heading for today's post, you won't be surprised that today's California puzzle involves an:

Ancient Chinese Secret

Tomorrow we'll ...

Great Caesar's Ghost! - 1/5/16

As I mentioned yesterday, I also wanted to let you know about a new project by my friend Cully Long (childofatom) that launched at noon yesterday:

Puzzle Cache Practice will be a fun resource for those learning to expand their puzzle skills, and I'll be an occasional contributor. Simulated geocaching puzzles will be posted on Mondays, and then hints and then finally answers will follow later in the week.  Like the practice puzzles in his book, the solutions will take you some interesting locations, but there won't be any actual caches to find there.
  

Today's puzzle is from California.  If you think about it, swearing used to be a lot more creative when people at least tried to use euphemisms in an effort to be polite.  These days I have to be careful how much cable TV I watch, or I'm likely to spout off something quite inappropriate when I stub my toe.  I should watch more of those old movies, where the worst thing you heard was "Jumping Jehoshaphat" or:

Great Caesar's Superghost!

Tomorrow we'll be in California again.

Another year, my friends! - 1/4/16

For those of you who just want to get right to today's California puzzle, it's right here, my:

Friends

Tomorrow we'll be back in California for another puzzle, and I'll have an announcement for you about a fun new blog by one of my geocache puzzling friends.

For those of you who are still reading, the first Monday of the new year seems like a good time to take stock of our progress with geocaching goals for last year, and think about what we hope to accomplish in the next year.  How was your year?  While I didn't have the hugest numbers, it was a memorable year of caching for me, including attending my first mega-event and adding two new states to the map - one of which was my long-awaited trip to California.  I had hoped to add more states with a dedicated caching trip to New England, but I will just have to carry that goal over to this year.

This year I hope to continue to spread the joy of puzzling through this blog by exposing new and experienced puzzlers to fun, interesting, and educational puzzles around the world, and to give the CO's of those puzzles more recognition than they might receive otherwise.  I also hope to encourage new puzzlers not only through the blog, but also in person at puzzle-seminars, via podcast, through e-mail correspondence, and by creating my own puzzles with a variety of difficulty levels.

If you'd like to join me as a fellow puzzle "ambassador," please consider sending me a puzzle you've enjoyed, or challenge me to locate a puzzle on a particular topic or theme.   Consider logging a note or sending a message to the CO of a puzzle you have enjoyed (even if you doubt you'll ever be able to make the find) and writing thoughtful logs for CO's whose puzzle caches you do find.  You might even try hosting or attending a puzzle-promoting event in your area.  If you create your own puzzles, maybe you'll consider creating one just for fun, that anyone could solve (I'll be featuring some suggestions in this regard over the coming months).  

I am planning to continue posting daily puzzles for you to enjoy, but I may add in a few other things ... some interviews with puzzlers, maybe an occasional poll. I still reserve the right to post a re-run, but just can't bring myself to do it yet.   If there's anything you'd like to see here (in addition to the puzzles) please let me know. And if you've made it all the way to the end of this long post, thank you, my friend!

Pretty Sneaky, Sis - 1/3/16

Today's Massachusetts puzzle reminded me of my own childhood, when I'm sure that on more than one occasion I said:

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

Tomorrow we'll ...

New Years Resolution - 1/2/16

Today's puzzle is from Australia.  If you haven't already, it's not too late to make a:

New Year's RESOLUTION

Tomorrow we'll ...

Happy New Year! - 1/1/16

Today's Connecticut puzzle marks the launch of the 6th year of the Geocaching puzzle of the Day. I never would have imagined when I started 5 years ago that it could have gone on so long. What better way to kick things off than with a:

Happy New Year Cipher

Tomorrow we'll head to Australia for another timely puzzle.