Fox had so much fun hiding his caches around town, I wanted to get in on the action. Fortunately, a temperate December and well placed day off afforded us the opportunity. While Fox had concentrated on hiding places in the heart of the city, I wanted to scout some of the parks in and around town.

There was one park I wanted to visit in particular. About a month ago, my friend dropped her keys — with their large purple monkey keychain — here and spent several frustrating hours trying to locate them. I thought I could mourn her loss by creating a stamp series there so anyone could ‘find’ her lost keys.

The park itself is large and open, with a 2-mile trail along its perimeter. After sticking to the treeline on this edge, stumbling on a wild geocache and planting at some acceptable hiding spots, we ventured back to the car across the open field. I think you can guess who we saw peeking out from a patch of tall grass. Astronomical odds had us walk across the exact spot that purple monkey had been hiding for weeks. That led to one ecstatic phone call! So get out and letterbox; you can help your friends!

As for our original mission, Fox thought it would be sooo easy. Every tree would have a rabbit hutch or hollow trunk; rocks would be everywhere to cover a notch. Experienced boxers like me know that’s not so! At the end of a long day, we planted eight camouflaged tennis balls in four parks around the city.

There’s a big benefit to scouting these location as winter approaches. With all the leaves gone and the foliage at its nadir, you really see the landscape in its barest state. Any hiding place you find will have a better chance at lasting year-round.

We took a few risks in the final spots we tested, but I’m confident most of the caches will survive. I guess we’ll find out when we revisit them over the next few months!