One outta Five

During FIFA World Sup, Munzee is doing a special icon of the FIFA soccer (futbol) called COPA DO MUNZA,  704 of them are bouncing in "existing" "active" regular Munzees on six hour "timers",   They remain on one Munzee until they are captured (or the timer runs out) then they bounce off to another.  When captured, a total of 23 points are split randomly between the one who owns the Munzee and the one who captures it.
So far I have captured six. Never getting more than 10 points.  I have also had issues with half of the FIFA balls that are near me being on Munzees that are actually unscannable or completely missing. Frustrating to say the least.   OH! the 704 and the 23 are supposed to be significant of something but, I am not sure what.  23 is the number of players on each team roster. 

Today, one pops up rather close to my house.  It happened to be in an area that I KNOW most of the Munzee are either gone or removed.  My daughter tells me to go for it anyway.  It turns out that it is in the set that are on the TRAIL not the streets so there was hope.  Still, these Munzee were deployed at least two years ago and I didn't have much hope. 

The easiest, fastest way to this part of the trail is to park in a residential neighborhood and go up a slope (or the concrete downdrains).  I drove over and parked.  Tried the Downdrain.  It is extra wide and rather slick so, I opt for the dirt slope.  Soon enough I was on the Bell View Trail within feet of the first of five Munzees that I figured I would try to find as they were near the one with the FIFA ball.  First one was to have been on the trail sign... um, NOPE! That's great.   Following my phone's target for the one I need to get...  Small tree  At the center there is nothing.  I widen my search after all, I am also a Geocacher and seldom are the coordinates "DEAD ON".   AH-HA - there it is.  Fingers crossed that weather has not damaged it beyond scanning.  Click the scan button.  "DING!"  The happy sound of a successful scan AND 9 points for the FIFA ball too.  Actually the message was something like "GOOOOOOOOOOAAL!!!! you captured 9 points on the Copa Do Munzo.... " something like that.   My phone was reading a bit off for the center of the location circle but, I GOT IT!   I proceed on up the trail. 

Ah the sound of Phainopepla in the trees.  It is Summertime in the Chaparral. What IS a phainopepla? Follow that link to know more.  But, in short, the male is a shiny black bird with a crest on its head.  Like a cardinal but, black!  The female is charcoal grey. Both have red eyes.  They eat insects and Mistletoe berries.  They live HERE during the summer.   They are one of my favorite birds.  I continued to hear them the entire time I was on the trail.

Next, is a Munzee called "Tree again"  I search in a wide circle and find nothing.  I add (deploy) a Munzee  A bigger tree, between that and the one where I scored the GOOOOOOAAL.  There are little biting flies everywhere today. Annoying! Still, I want to find another Munzee out here.  Tree trail - Again the target circle must be off.  I found nothing.  I try for one more.  There was room to deploy another new one "baby oak" between it and "Tree trail".  Bell trail tree gave me nothing.  I wonder if any of the four that I DID not find are really there.  They shouldn't be difficult if they were like "Small tree".

I head back down the trail confirming that my new ones show up where they should. (on my phone anyway).  Enjoying the breeze and the sounds of the phainopepla and the other birds.  Happy that at least the one Munzee that I actually came for WAS there and scannable.

GOOOOOOOAAL!!!!
These specials will continue through July 13th, the end of World Cup.