This Month:

• Not a Cacher Was Stirring By Tee King, aka Pyewacket
• What a Pick Me Up! By Michelle Hecker, aka Splashdog

You know micro and benchmark, locationless and virtual.
Webcam and mystery and letterbox and traditional.
But, do you recall
The most gigantic cache type of all...?

Call it a macro. That's how Marep has classified his newest cache hide, an entire house, the Old Chap Micro Cache.

Old Chap" refers to a house owned by Marep which is located in the wine-growing region near Novo Mesto, in Slovenia, not far from the Croation border. Built over 250 years ago, it has been home to many residents. The last occupant vacated the premises in 1980. Decades prior to that, the tiny house was occupied by a family with five children.

The original straw roof has been replaced with tile, as old-world artisans who create roofs of straw are hard to find, and Marep would have to plant a quantity of rye to restore the roof to its original composition. There are no floors inside the wooden house, which is nearly empty. Marep invites cachers to tour the antique home and its kitchen, which features an old brick stove.

Marep opens the house to anyone, generously extending a welcome, stating, "People in the area are very generous. We produce some wine (from own wine-yard) and anyone who passes by can taste it." Residents of the area are apparently trustworthy. According to Marep, "...there's no worry about miscreants." As a matter of fact, Marep has placed, in plain sight, the lid to an old barrel (boldly marked "Geocaching") behind which a geocaching log book and several bottles of locally-made red wine are placed. These items are available at all times, even when the house itself may be locked. Marep recommends cache-trading of the local wine with bottles of fine wine from visiting cachers' areas.