WhiteClayLover

Which type of cache do you prefer seeking - traditional, multi, puzzle or virtual?
I try to hike with my Gordon Setter Drake everyday, so I usually seek out caches that require a good hike. Heís not so fond of micros that require him to stay in the car.

Which find was your most challenging?
There have been quite a few but the most memorable challenge was RunFrog's World's Largest Bison Tube. I was a newbie cacher and the first stage of that cache really gave me a lot of trouble. I hadnít seen anything like it. Finally I broke down and asked him for a hint, and its been a beautiful friendship ever since!

Which find was the easiest?
The easiest caches were my first three that I found with Wahkegan and MikeOtt. They coached me right to them.

Do you have a your favorite or favorites from among the caches you have found?
I am most fond of the caches that required me to think outside the box. Many of MikeOtt's, RunFrog's and Horn229's caches come to mind.

Have you had any memorable experiences while seeking a cache?
Many, many memorable experiences! I guess the one that sticks in my mind was last spring, MikeOtt, Evanspack, and Wahkegan and I went to find Just A Bit Further-By the Tree by de_surveyor. It was raining and the high grasses, mosquitoes, black flies, and ticks were merciless! We still managed to have a lot of fun, alternately moaning and giggling about our stupidity the whole way in and the whole way back. Good times.

What advice would you give to a beginning geocacher?
Choose caches with low difficulty ratings to start out. And donít be hard on yourself if you donít find a cache! Many very good cachers have dnfíed on easy caches. Go to as many events as you can, because geocachers are some of the nicest people you will ever meet!

Switching over from finds to hides, your profile shows you have 16 of these. Curiously it appears that you started placing caches in the summer of 2007 placing several each month since then. How did this happen?
I was very reluctant to place my first cache. I was very worried that experienced geocachers wouldnít enjoy it. After a few caches, I realized that most people just enjoy finding any kind of cache, and I began to relax and allow my personality to show a little more. I think MikeOtt calls those caches my Evil Wendy caches!

Creating a geocache is an exercise in creativity. Coming up with multiple hides month after month is quite a challenge. Where do you find your inspiration for all of these?
I find inspiration from many sources. Mostly I just happen upon what I think is an interesting place, and try to develop a story or theme around the place that I have chosen. I really respect those who plan out a cache first and then find a place for it. That just isnít usually my style.

Have any of your cache hides proven to be more "popular" than you expected?
I believe my most popular cache is Wendelís Legacy, in the White Clay Creek Preserve. MikeOtt and I placed this cache and his Build a Trail cache when we were working on building the trail. It has one of the nicest views of White Clay Creek around, and people comment positively on that.

Have geocachers found any of them more difficult to find than you expected?
Mister Ott's Neighborhood is a nano I placed as a joke on MikeOtt who professes to hate nanos. I didn't think it would be terribly difficult but some very experienced cachers called it evil, which I took as a compliment.

Have any of them been muggled? If, so how did you handle this?
My Bagworms and Redd Eye were both muggled. I just tried to hide them a little differently and they both seem to be surviving.

What advice would you give to someone designing a cache placement?
Place a cache that shows us your personality. One of the things I love best about geocaching is learning the styles and stories of other geocachers through their caches!

What's your best caching story - the one you tell others to let them know the kind of fun and adventures one can have while geocaching?
There are so many! Finding the Colonial Hundreds caches was probably my most favorite and memorable caching experience. I loved going with a group and the challenge of whittling away at the state a little each weekend. It really took me to so many places I had never seen, and that I now regularly visit as I continue to work on Delaware caches.

Beside geocaching, what other things do you like to do?
I am devoted to my rather large gardens and to making my house a comfortable home. Also I enjoy making beaded and wire jewelry, live to hike, and love to volunteer with the Friends of White Clay Creek State Park.

Which Delaware cache site would you'd like to see reviewed on the Delaware Geocachers web site and why?
I think Whereabout's Woodley Devil would make an interesting review. That 10 stage cache is a tremendous challenge because it encompasses many different styles of hides and it takes a bit of time to complete. I attempted it when I started to feel pretty comfortable with almost any kind of hide, and I still felt fairly humbled after completing it.

What question did you expect us to ask but we didn't? And, what's the answer?
How has geocaching changed your life? Geocaching brought me out of my shell. I was pretty much a loner, staying mostly at home and not much of a socializer until I started to make geocaching friends. My geocaching friendships have made my life so much more meaningful.

I really feel that the best part of geocaching is the people. Geocachers are diverse, but almost without exception friendly, helpful and just plain nice!

Thanks, WhiteClayLover, for sharing these answers with us