Life to a travel bug: Porcine Aviation: 2009 – 2012

About three years ago, on the way to our summer camping trip to Mt. Rainier, I launched a travel bug:

Baby flying pig travel bug is preparing for a journey
George is young, enthusiastic, and poor as a student

George’s stated (and optimistic) goal was to visit its eccentric cousin who spends his days in Concourse A of Terminal 3 in Cincinnati’s airport doing street performance art for spare change.  The Concourse has had a rough couple of years, being closed in 2010 (because Delta and Northwest merged) before being reopened in 2011 as its sibling, Terminal 2, closed.

Flying pig display, Terminal 3, Concourse A of CVG
Toss a buck into the case and he moves around.

And so has George. Shortly after being sent on his journey, he was picked up by someone who then took a two-year hiatus from geocaching.  At one point before GeoWoodstock VIII (held here), I offered to send a self-adressed, stamped envelope if he would mail it back to me and I would get the pig moving again.

Well after I had given up hope, the person dropped it off in a park way south of us.  A couple of days later, 2nd1of3 brought George back in circulation.  I always appreciate photos on travel bugs and if there’s any effort in a bug, try to reciprocate.

Our pig is black on course, thanks to 2nd1of3
Our pig is black on course (Courtesy: 2nd1of3)

2nd1of3 moved him pretty quickly, where rottenwood gave him a lift.  Being on the road for two years makes the best of us gamey.  So, apparently, was George.  Rottenwood gave our friend a much-needed bubble bath:

Baby pig gets a much-needed bubble bath
George is as happy as a pig in ... bubble bath. (Courtesy of Rottenwood)

George was soon picked up 1nascarnut, who took him to a dozen or so caches before dropping him off at the Triple-X travel bug hotel, a scant 2 miles from home.  Before I could drop by, a local caching couple, Antje & Brian, picked him up.

They showed George a good time, teaching him how to swing on northwest jungle vines:

Pigs in trees
Pigs in trees, wheeeeee! (courtesy of Antje & Brian)

And discovering kindred spirits:

Pigs of a feather?
When *two* pigs fly. (courtesy of Antje & Brian)

And general jolliness with other friends:

Hanging with the other baby animals
Billy, stop making faces at the camera! (Courtesy of Antje & Brian)

Before sending George on his way, Antje & Brian taught him to ride a bike.

Pigs on bikes
Look, dad, no hands! Wheeeeeee! (Courtesy of Antje and Brian)

And, sadly, just over a month later, it appears George has gone on to bigger and better things.  The cache has been officially declared missing in action.  Many thanks to fellow cachers 2nd1of3, rottenwood and Antje & Brian for providing photos along the way.

1 thought on “Life to a travel bug: Porcine Aviation: 2009 – 2012”

  1. Awww, what a great story! (And fabulous pictures!) I had a similar (but less interesting) experience after releasing my first travelbug last summer — it was picked up by someone who claimed he’d drop it off on a trip north, and never heard from again. 🙁

Comments are closed.