One of the fun things one can do while geocaching is take part in moving travelbugs. Travelbugs are special cache items that have official tracking numbers and specific missions. I've moved many travelbugs along in my day, and I've even made some. But the very first travelbug I ever made was a PT Cruiser matchbox car which I named “Petey Cruiser“…

I made Petey for my friend Brian.  His mission was to get to a cache somewhere in the vicinity of Escondido, CA.  I released Petey on October of 2004 by placing him in a cache called “The Kissing Tree” in Littleton, MA.  It seemed appropriate as that cache was only a few miles from the modest home that Brian and his family lived in years ago when we first became good friends.

On September 14'th, Petey arrived in San Diego, having travelled a total of 3,054 miles.  In between he had visited Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New Jersey.  Go Petey!

I hope Brian retrieves him soon.  Although Petey's mission document says not to move him once he is near Escondido, I've discovered the hard way that people don't always pay attention to the mission documentation.

Witness another of my travelbugs Morrich the Claw. Morrich's mission was to go to a cache I made right near my house called “Abacquer's Aerie“.  I took him with me up to Maine and dropped him in a cache on Hawk Mountain called “The Jimmy Buffet Box“.  Only a week later some other Massachusetts cacher vacationing in Maine retrieved him and brought him back, dropping him back in Abaquer's Aerie around the beginning of this month!  Short trip!  Because of things going on in my life I hadn't had a chance to go back and get him.

But I wasn't worried, because it says right on his mission papers not to move him if he is already at Abacquer's Aerie.

Unless of course, someone doesn't read the mission papers:

OOPS sorry I took it in the pouring rain and didn't read the mission until I was down the road. Placed it quickly and as closely as I could.

Greeaaaaaaat.  Morrich had been moved to another cache over in Bolton, MA.  Not *too* far away, so I figured he would return to his home cache soon enough.

Unless of course, someone doesn't read the mission papers:

He is now in the flat grassy state of IL. Will drop him in a local cache soon.

Ah. Illinois. Greeaaaaaaat.  So Morrich goes from being 13 miles away from home to being several hundred miles away.  Pisser.

It could be worse.  My second travel bug, Sooper Dooper Cooper disappeared altogether.