Geocaching July 2025

After coming back from the California trip, I had a quieter geocaching month, at least in the beginning.

Having found a Wherigo cache in California, I qualified for OCCT #29 A Pent Up Wherigo Challenge, which requires Wherigo finds in five different states or territories outside of the United States. It was an easy find on the Odenton Challenge Cache Trail.

The next day I found the multi-cache Projection Practice that had me projecting waypoints from the  starting coordinates to get to the final find. I did the projection from home since I did not have to find actual landmarks, just coordinates. Sometimes these caches have specific landmarks (like a nearby sign) from which to project.

Then I avenged a Did Not Find at A Prime Example of a Difficult Puzzle Cache. When I first sought it last year, I failed. I saw recently that someone had spent an hour and found the cache. Since it was made more easy, I thought I would try again and I came up with the find. I also saw some crazy fungus along the way.

 

Mushrooms in the wild

I was also qualified for the Fibonacci Challenge, which requires sets of finds matching the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence. 

After several mathematical errors and wrong guesses, I finally solved It's All About the JOURNEY, a puzzle cache about the rock band Journey and its members. The find was in the middle of a forest with some strange stone piles.

What happened here? What still happens here?!?

I went to College Park on an errand and made two finds. Peaceful Pond Plot is a mystery cache around a drainage pond. The find was easy even on a hot day. I had solved the letterbox History on the Way to Happy Hour a long time ago and finally made the find. It was a tricky hide in an old-fashioned parking lot fixture.

The peaceful pond

On a run to the county dump I picked up some caches: Empty Cache, Turf Trail Cache, Atwood Front, and the Random Letterbox Word Series Bee Happy Vibes Corgi Love. Nothing was too photogenic in the neighborhood. The woods where Empty Cache is hidden have signs on the edge claiming new construction is coming!

The next day I filled another mystery calendar day with CAM 2022 - Robinson Nature Center, which required going in to the center to get some missing numbers in the real coordinates. I didn't mind supporting a local nature center.

It's on one of those trails

The nature center with a new sculpture outside

On our way back from a visit to Williamsburg, we found Twilight Munchies by a Waffle House and Duluth Gabbro for This Devil Dog Overlook at the Marine Corps Museum. 

The dog and me

My son had a music camp at Towson University which is at least 45 minutes from home. Rather than drive there and home in the morning and repeating the trip in the afternoon, I stayed in the north of Baltimore area, which meant some new areas for geocaching.

One of the older caches in Maryland is Ivy Hill Cache (placed in April 2001) on top of, you guessed it, Ivy Hill. The walk up was a bit of work--the trail is called "The Old Ski Slope." Since I had already climbed to the trails, I also found CAM 2022 Oregon Ridge Park and St Joes Brownies and Daisies Cache. I had a couple of DNFs on the hill too but probably won't go back for them unless I am really desperate (or the weather is much cooler).

The picture does not do this slope justice

Back in town, I found Triple 5s (a DNF from last year) and Any.pbay. T.xrape, both mystery caches that help to fill the calendar. I finished up with I'm a Little Bent and John Dunn Ferguson Octavia I - Virtual Reward 4.0. That last one is a virtual right next to the music camp parking lot!

The sculpture Octavia I

The next day, I did the Rainbow Trail Challenge at Liberty Reservoir Park. It has seven regular caches--Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet--and a final mystery cache based on numbers found in each of the color caches. The final is called Rainbow Trail - Pot of Gold, though when I took a picture of the pot, the nearby leprechaun said it would not come out right.

The trail was more overgrown than I was happy with and the bugs were plentiful. I didn't see other people or animals on the trails--probably they were too smart to be out in the heat. I did need caches with "violet" and "indigo" in the name for another rainbow challenge which I hope to find in August. These caches also help me to qualify for the Route 32 Challenge. 

Small creek crossing on the trail

Liberty Reservoir

The pot of gold!

A butterfly on the trail

On the way out of the park, I found Way of the Deer which was just a hundred feet out of my way. 

The next day I found It's a M.A.D., M.A.D., M.A.D., M.A.D. World, a challenge cache that was not too challenging.

The day after I found a string of caches around Timonium, where I donated blood. W Padonia PnG, Just Hangin Around, New Home, Old Home, I Love Cemeteries!, Bird's Eye View, What?! No Drive Up Window?, and A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away..... Those last two were right by a library, which meant I could shelter from the heat in an awesome place!

The cemetery in question

This is the droid you are looking for

The next day was much quieter with just Serpentine Gatehouse (an earthcache) and Welcome to Baltimore - North Charles Street (a traditional micro cache) giving me some extra finds in Baltimore City. I also had three DNFs trying to get my Baltimore numbers higher. Later, I was at another library and found Meet me at the Usual place, which had a bunch of wasp nests that were occupied. I managed to sign and put it back without being stung or bit. Some days are luckier than others.

By the gatehouse

Proof of finding

I finished up the Towson adventures with 100 Words or More (a challenge to make a long log entry), Я первый, кто приземлился и отправил данные на Зем (a cache about the Space Race), Leap Day Cache (place on a February 29), Stalag 13 near Hammelburg (a mystery involving Hogan's Heroes), and Geo Tikka Cachala (a puzzle based on Indian food).

Back closer to home, I didn't waste any time and found the Route 32 Challenge. The next day, I finished my mystery calendar for July with Isn't Math Fun? While in the neighborhood, I found The May Mandate, quiet balanced video game. 

I finished the month with 65 finds and a cumulative total of 1972. I will break 2000 in August I am sure!

Movie Review: Superman (2025)

Superman (2025) written and directed by James Gunn

I think Superman needs no introduction and so does this film. It starts with a few lines over a snowy landscape explaining in very broad strokes that the Earth has a bunch of metahumans (i.e. superheroes) that have been here for years and that Superman (David Corenswet) came thirty years ago, made himself known three years ago, and just lost his first fight three minutes ago. Then he crashes into the snow like everyone has seen in any of the trailers. Superman had interceded to prevent a war between two eastern European nations (aggressor Boravia tried to invade Jarhanpur). The Hammer of Boravia beat Superman in a battle over the skies of Metropolis. Krypto drags Superman to the Fortress of Solitude (though they never call it that in the movie) where his robots fix him up, exposing him to extra doses of yellow sun by way of elaborate magnifying lenses while he watches a recorded message from his Kryptonian parents that encourages him to be a hero for the people of Earth. Only half the message made it to Earth. Once he's better, he goes back to Metropolis to continue the fight. Viewers then discover that Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is managing the fight for the Hammer, giving him moves to best Superman. The Hammer is secretly Luthor's henchman Ultraman. Superman loses again and the Hammer leaves saying he will do even worse next time.

Clark Kent reports in to the Daily Planet where he is lauded for his front page article on Superman's actions. He interacts with editor Perry White (Wendell Pierce), cub reporter Jimmy Olson (Skyler Gisondo), and ace reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Later, he's at Lois's apartment where he makes dinner for their three-month dating anniversary but it devolves into an argument over the ethics of what he did as Superman in Europe. Lois already knows his secret identity.

Luthor unleashes a kaiju on Metropolis, drawing the attention of Superman and the "Justice Gang," a new group of metahumans with Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). They fight the kaiju while Lex goes to the Superman's arctic base, where he, Ultraman, and The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria) break in and find the message from Krypton. The Engineer is able to reconstruct the second half of the message, which ends in a more sinister way than anyone expects. They use this to drive a wedge between Superman and the rest of humanity. Lex is authorized to use any force he can to capture and contain Superman, leading to a lot more conflict for all of the characters.

The plot is fairly elaborate for a superhero movie. It moves along at a good pace and establishes most of the characters very well, even minor ones like Jimmy or Lex's current girlfriend Miss Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio). And yes, that's the same girlfriend as in Superman: The Movie from 1977. The plot borrows a lot of elements from the other Superman movies beyond the iconic movie score and the "flying through space" credits, like a bit in a baseball field from Superman Returns and other things that are spoilers. These borrowing come off more like homages than a lack of originality because Gunn integrates them smoothly into the larger story. Even though I guessed a lot of surprises while I was sitting in the theater, they seem perfectly natural and work very well. Some bits are not so good, like the lack of any character development for Hawkgirl, but they are far outweighed by the good parts.

Corenswet nails it as both Superman and Clark, though he is stronger in the Superman role. He has the integrity and honesty needed for the Man of Steel, along with the sense of justice that sometimes leads him into angry outbursts and difficult situations. Hoult is good as Luthor, portraying him as a scheming fellow whose main motivation is jealousy and fear of Superman. Brosnahan is very good as Lois, who thankfully already knows Superman's secret identity and is an intelligent and motivated woman on her own. The rest of the cast is good, especially Fillion as the jerky Guy Gardner and Gathegi as the cool and collected Mr. Terrific. 

The movie has a lot of heart, intelligence, humor, and drama that make it a fun adventure. This is easily the best DC superhero movie in a very long while.

Recommended, highly for superhero fans.

Mission San Luis Obispo, California

The mission in San Luis Obispo is named after Saint Louis, the bishop of Toulouse, France. It was founded by Junipero Serra on September 1, 1772, the fifth of the twenty-one California missions. Serra chose the area for a clean creek running nearby and for the friendly natives, the Chumash people. The Spaniards called the area La Canada de los Osos, in English "Valley of the Bears." The valley was pockmarked with small holes where the grizzlies would dig up roots to eat. In 1772, the other four missions were facing starvation, so Serra sent some people to hunt the bears for meat. They managed to collect nine thousand pounds of meat (salted or smoked to preserve it). They also traded meat with the Chumash for edible seeds. The mission flourished until secularization in the mid-1830s. The mission property still functioned as a church, but the other parts of the mission were converted to a school, a jail, and a courthouse. The mission was restored in the 1930s and still serves as a parish church in downtown San Luis Obispo. 

The exterior has the bright whiteness of many missions with the bells built into the main body of the church (no separate bell tower).

Mission San Luis Obispo

The back entrance

The museum has a room dedicated to Chumash history and culture.

Display on native culture

We were amazed to see that some of the ceiling tiles were used for art projects, painting images like the mission on the insides. 

Pictures of the priests and items made from the mission

Music played a big part in the mission and some books and instruments are on display.

Music from the mission

Mural of the Chumash lifestyle

After secularization, immigrants moved in. Some of their clothing and items are on display.

A different sort of residents

A lot of artifacts from the church are on display or recreated in the museum.

Recreation of the altar

Triptych

The missionaries taught many crafts that they plied themselves.

Various work items

Dining room

Original doors of the mission

The church follows the usual style, with a long nave and an altar, though here the saintly bishop is on a side, not in the center above the altar.

Main altar

Ceiling

Bishop on the side

View down the name from the altar

Stations of the cross

Outside are some fun decorations.

Guidance to get to the next missions

State bear in the fountain

An old-west style house

The mission is in the heart of downtown, so it is easy to get to. We arrived early and spent some time in the local library a few blocks away.

Mission San Miguel, California

Old Mission San Miguel Archangel was founded on July 25, 1797, by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen as the sixteenth of the twenty-one missions. In 1806, a fire destroyed most of the buildings and the mission was rebuilt from 1816 to 1818. In 1834, the Mexican government secularized the mission, turning it over to William Reed. The Reed family moved in but were massacred two years later by bandits. After that, the buildings were converted to commercial use (a hotel, a saloon, shops). In 1859, the U.S. Government under President James Buchanan returned to property to the Catholic Church. It was slowly restored though it retains its 1818 appearance.

Like other missions we visited, it is a functioning parish and also a historical landmark. The entrance to the museum is suitably dramatic and evocative.

Entrance to Mission San Miguel Archangel

The museum covers the culture of the indigenous Salinan people.

Salinan exhibit

Recreated settlement

Songs from the Salinans

Many original parts of the mission survive and are displayed in the museum, including this piece of the original cross establishing the mission.

The true (mission) cross

Recreated mission

Also like the other missions, the Franciscans worked hard, teaching (often by example) the trades they knew like farming, candle-making, metallurgy, and even wine-making.

Making candles from animal fat

The monastery's original wine vat

The courtyard of the mission was used as a garden and a pasture. A sheepgate allowed in the adorable animals, typically for shearing. 

Sheepgate

The museum leads through a lot of the practical rooms of the mission, including the kitchen, dining room, and bedroom.

A small oven

More of the kitchen

Shelves in the dining room (the picture of the table didn't come out!)

Bedroom

Gray robes in vogue at the mission

Several liturgical artifacts survive.

Hymn book

Statue of Saint Michael

The courtyard has a garden, large fountain, and some statuary that came later in the mission's history.

Olive tree

Fountain

Statue of Junipero Serra, the founder of the missions

The heart of the mission is the church which is in a corner of the courtyard. 

The mission church

The original painted walls from 1818 are extant. They were painted by Esteban Munras with help from Salinan neophytes. The size is amazing: 144 feet long, 27 feet wide, and 40 feet tall.

Nave

Main altar

All-seeing eye of God over the altar

Pulpit for preaching

The sanctuary includes several statues including the Sacred Heart, a Madonna and Child (where the Mother of God looks like a Salinan), and Saint Joseph.

Sacred Heart (which was the feast day we happened to visit)

Madonna and child

Saint Joseph altar with original wall painting

12th Station--Jesus dies on the cross

The cemetery has many people, including over 2000 Native Americans.

Cemetery