Bushes

Spot the cache? It's an integral part of geocaching, and especially urban caching, but I'm not a fan of bushwhacking or shrub grubbing. It's kinda fun the first time, after that it's just tedious. Bushes are usually home to ants and other prickly things. Plus, nothing draws more attention than someone who is obviously not a gardner digging furiously through a bush with an electronic device in their hand.

Here are a few things I have learned about dealing with muggles while shrub grubbing:

• Don't be afraid to put your gps up to your ear and act like it's a phone. Mine actually is a phone, but that's beside the point.
• Sometimes I wear only one earring so that I can say, "One of my earrings fell out and I think I was walking by here." I've never had to say that, but I think it would work.
• Find something in the bush worth looking at...like a lizard, or a bee, or a cool flower. So when someone asks you can say, "I was just looking at this lizard. Isn't that cool?" The typical reaction is to smile, nod, and back away slowly.
• Wear gloves...sometimes they just assume you're a gardner.
• I often cache in one of my school t-shirts. I've always wanted someone to question me so I can say, "I'm a botany student. I am observing this bush for a project." This excuse also provides a good cover in the event they saw me frequently consulting my iPhone. I just need to download some kind of plant-identification app...
• Of course, you can always just tell the truth. Most people couldn't care less.