Over the last week I have slowly been disabling my Pocket Queries (gotta help out that GC.Com server you know) and I received my last Maine Pocket Query this morning.

My custom cache alerter program will fall silent sometime tomorrow and I will be back to just a regular text message alert until Sunday.

In the meantime we are doing the last minute things until the movers get here on Friday.

Deep Sea fishing tomorrow (my last trip for a while) and then a few hours at the computer writing our farewell brief of appointment for the new folks that will arrive next week.

As it relates to Maine cacheing, it has been a blast (well, most of it anyways!).

In this electronic world keeping in touch will make things easy. You will not find my signature as FTF on any logs up this way in the near future once I shut things down Saturday.

So, here are some Maine Stats, just in case your wondering:

2788 Maine caches found and logged. I should have that up to 2800 before I leave.

648 Maine First to Finds. Now I believe that no one can claim to be the new FTF King until they surpass that mark. Just kidding, but it is something to think about.

Thanks to all who have hidden the caches I have found. Thanks also to those who have sought and found some of mine. I have 40 or so that will remain active for the time being. Several different folks have volunteered to do maintenance on them. If you find one of mine and it needs a little TLC please feel free to help out.

Just a couple of other little things you need to know.

My cell number will not be good after Friday. I will let those who need to know what the new one is when we get to PA.

I have a new email address. It is listed here on the site.

Most important of all, thanks to each you my geocaching friends for being my friends!

We'll miss you Gob-ler . . . which is saying something since I've never actually met you in person. :( Have a safe journey both to your new home and as you progress onwards to your next adventure in life.

Best Wishes to you!!!!

It was truly great to have met you and cached with you - or rather to have cached in your wake, if you prefer!!

Take care and be safe!!

Cache on!!

Best wishes and I hope you discover your share of the many treasures western PA has in store for you!

Good luck in this next chapter of your lives!

The first time I met Dick was at KK's winter event in Windsor. That was a year and a half ago and I had done only 200 caches. Right or wrong, my legal training most often has me making initial and somewhat from the gut reactions to folks. Gob-ler who? I liked his turkey shirt, for sure, but what struck me was his unabashed enthusiasm for a game I was starting to embrace in a big way. Then came his spontaneous remarks and tribute to Aefus. Di and I were struck with a real sense that this gentle man was somebody we'd be proud to call a friend.

And that's just what he became in all sense of the word "friend." Technical advisor, "psychologist-counsellor" when stuff on this site started making me crazy, coach, cheerleader, turkey hunting guide, even volunteered to be my spiritual advisor if I'd be his financial advisor. (Quite an offer for a heathen like me!)

So Dick and his lovely bride Kathy can move west a few miles, but not far enough for me to not only keep in touch but if somebody goes Ekidokie in PA, just call and I'll meet you on the trail!:)

I have lots of Gob-ler stories, and pictures to fill a good size scrapbook. But Dick you have a love for life that touches those around you. I will always have an open back seat in the truck for you. :rolleyes:

I'm watching all of your caches here in Maine. I'll be posting a maintenance needed every chance I get. :p

Road trip.....you betcha!

To both of you. Good luck in your next adventure. :);)

We have had our ups and downs over the years. I'm glad to say way more ups, and I consider us good friends now as well. Your unwavering generosity toward the community, and to everyone you have touched in one way or another during your time here. My hat is off to you. Come back for a visit when you can, and maybe we will make it down your way sometime.

Dick you and Kathy will be missed for sure. as I think back at all that we have done together I can't remember when we first met. It seems that I have known you for more years than its been. I can't thank you for all you've done. I know we will stay in touch and I know we will meet again. Until then best of luck on your journeys.

I missed the event for you. I was hopping to see you before you left. When will you actually be leaving Maine?

You know how Charron and I feel. Good luck to both you and Kathy!:)

God bless you and stay safe.

We never met but you cached close to where we live, once. And I've found a couple of your caches and you actually got a FTF on one of mine! Sorry you didn't get to do them all and sorry I didn't make it to your event. Good luck in PA and happy caching!

I sure appreciated your loading my worthless Delorme with at least some of the states of the East coast so even though I can't put caches on it, I know where I am at least everywhere else. Also, I appreciated your comments about liking the caches I put out and being the first to find all 4 of them (if I remember correctly) and giving honest opinions about them. Whenever I was looking up caches I was planning on going to, such as the one on Goat Island at Niagara Falls, I was stunned and amazed to see you had logged it as a find. A month ago, my wife and I planned on going to Pennsylvania to get all the caches around the town you were going to so you would see I beat you to them all, but then I found out the town was on the opposite side of the state and it would add several hours of travel to an already tight schedule. Yet again, you'll get to all the caches before me. Well I still have Belize! Enjoy your move!

Darterkitfox

I am sorry I didn't get the chance to meet you. You prepared a very nice tribute for Aefuss, my dear lifelong friend. This year, your celebration of your milestone, ironically, was on May 9th, Aefuss's birthday. :) Please know that I am grateful to you for all that you've done for Aefuss and for geocaching. I am sure that one day I will meet you in person. Have a wonderful time on your new journey and God bless! :)

After hearing of the tribute you gave to Aefuss, I knew you were a kind and thoughtful person. I had hoped that our paths would cross at some time so that I could say thank you. Reading these wonderful comments from those whose lives you have touched through geocaching, I really regret that I haven't had the chance to meet you, yet. Hopefully some day our paths will cross but in the meantime I wish you a wonderful new life in PA and lots more caching!

Well, the Gob-ler is definitely out of state!

We arrived here at 12:20 a.m. this morning after being delayed two hours at Logan in Boston. Something about weather I think!

Anyways, I have updated my coordinates with GC.com and promptly moved from number 1 in Maine to barely in the top ten here in PA.

I have not gotten any FTF's yet nor even found a cache, but I did drive by a cache or two today while out and about.

Busy is the word. Bank Accounts, cable, internet, cell phones, changing addresses and the like. Maybe I will find one tomorrow.

Thanks to all for your kind words. In this world today you are never really very far away especially with all the electronics we have.

When I get my desktop computer delivered and up and running I will send an email with an updated cell number. My email remains as listed in the forum.

Cache on!

We expect to see as number 1 in PA withing the next year.

Gobbler, Best wishes to you on the move. We will be down in Gettysburg/Carlisle next month, and I expect to see your name everywhere when we check out the cache areas. Hope all goes well for you there.

Happy Trails, Dick. It's the end of an era.....truly. I wish you all good things in your new adventure.

Darn it, I didn't find one of your pathtags!! Take care and happy cacheing. I'm sure you'll be back to heckle us occasionally

About a year ago when I was a rank novice cahcer with very few finds, I was going after a hide Alphebet Soup "M". It required that I had to project a waypoint to a different spot. I didn't have the foggiest idea how to do that and I was just fumbling along. I met a guy walking toward me with GPS in hand. We struck up a conversation and learning that I was needing help, he sat on a bench with me and with my GPS he showed me how to project a waypoint. Then he watched me while I found the cache. Now that's the kind of man Dick is. Always kind and helpful and truly a real gentleman. We have crossed paths on the trail a few times and attended some events. It's been a real pleasure knowing Dick and consider him a friend. Best of luck on your new venture Dick. Maine is going to miss you.

Hey Dick.....One more passing thought. When you look back on your experiences here in Maine, remember this. From now on, the state is yours.

And by that I mean.... from now on whenever you have a reason to come to ANY part of Maine, if you need something, it will be there for you. If your vehicle breaks down anywhere between Kittery and Madawaska, Fryeburg to Lubec, all you need to do is call one of your geofriends that you have made over the years and someone will be there to help you. And you can take that to the bank....... Happy Trails