the day after

The day after the SOHT event, a letterboxing friend, JBBK, and I went to do a little letterboxing in Chillicothe. There were a few boxes all in the same cemetery, so that was our destination. The cemetery sat up on high ground, giving us a wonderful view of the town below. I only wished that the colors of fall were more prominent in the trees.

The weather was beautiful and we had a nice time following clues, driving all through the place to find certain landmarks...sometimes going back to where we had been before. Silly us. It was fun, and I was in good company, so the day was enjoyable.


There were plenty of interesting mausoleums, and sadly, some had been vandalized. I do not understand how a person can be so disrespectful of an other's burial place, breaking in, destroying the door and leaving trash thrown about. I enjoy visiting cemeteries, I enjoy the serene beauty of them, especially the older ones. I enjoy the history that thrives there, sometimes all too forgotten by too many people. I wish everyone could have more respect in these places. One reason I like to find and plant letterboxes in cemeteries is so people can remember other's pasts, and maybe a gravestone long forgotten will get a visitor now and then.

At the end of our letterboxing day, we came across this bug. A scary looking bug. I was kinda afraid the thing might jump on me. Usually I don't mind bugs too much, unless they have too many legs---don't like them, why on earth does a creature need that many legs? It's unnatural, millipedes, centipedes...they are the creepiest things out there.


Anyway, this bug...I have never seen one like it before. If anyone knows what it is, please share your knowledge. I would love to find out just what it is.

Arrg Matey, them trails be Haunted!

an adventure awaits at the Southern Ohio Haunted Trails letterboxing event....

SOHT is an annual tradition, though this was my first year. The place is amazing! Tucked back in the woods in southern Ohio, near Chillicothe, on privately owned land, a wonderful mixture of log cabins, woods, trails, and fun greet each visitor.

Our hosts for the event, R-gang, really out did themselves, the theme was Ghost Pirates...and ghostly and pirately is definitely was! Just check out that pirate ship (there is actually a bridge under that ship that lets one cross the water.) This is one creative group...but wait, it gets better!

R-gang took time (probably LOTS of time) to plant letterboxes on the trails that run through their woods for us to find...complete with treasure map! That's right, a hand drawn treasure map! And how appropriate that the first letterbox the group I was with came upon was a treasure chest...the treasure? A letterbox of course!

My boxing group was so much fun. Jokes were flying, laughter filled the air (there might have even been some pee-in-the-pants moments ;) We all stamped in together, sharing stories, making cracks at one another, and even caused some mischief. hee hee.

The trails were filled with all sorts of Halloween and Pirate-y decor. Skulls and skeletons, treasure chests and swords, spooky characters and funny set ups. And twelve stamps to find along the way! And what great stamps they were...all going along with the theme.

In the evening, one trail was set up for night boxing...something I had never done before. I laughed so hard, in fact, I'm laughing as I think about it. :)

I took a picture and it scared some of my boxing buddies, the young boys were jumping out of hiding places trying to scare us (and sometimes succeeding!) And then my group got the bright idea to hide in the dark, and wait on the next group so we could scare them....yeah, that wasn't such a wonderful idea.


We turned off all our flashlights, hid every part of white clothing we had, and, in the dark, tried to find a place to hide because the others were coming around the bend! Here we were, 4 adult women, hunkering down behind what we thought was good cover (mind you we found a place to hide in the dark,) and we waited.

Funny stories started to be told, and laughs and snorts started to escape some people...and then the other group came closer....we waited...and waited...waited a little bit more...

Then the group shinned their light in our direction and simply said, "Hi, guys, what cha doing?"

That's right, we didn't scare them. We weren't even hidden very well. Turns out we were all crouched down behind a sad little Charlie Brown tree...not really good cover. And we waited too long to jump out and say boo! So much for our masterfully contrived plan, eh?

Oh well, we all had some good laughs out of it!

After night boxing, there was time to hang out by the campfire before hitting the tent, or camper, or in my case, the back of the Blazer for bed.


Tomorrow there would be a wonderful breakfast, where last minute stamping and exchanging could take place, and then the goodbyes said as we parted, all looking forward to next year's SOHT event.

Slow Days are Not Always Bad

I took advantage of my day off on Thursday to do some letterboxing. I had a stamp I wanted to plant in Fremont and a seminar to attend in Maumee, so I figured it'd be a good day to get it all in.

Things didn't turn out quite how I would have liked them to, and the box finding part was not as productive.

Trying to figure out which route to take up to Fremont was my first delima. There were plenty of boxes that I needed to find spread out north of me. I had decided to try to get a few that were a little out of the direct route...bad plan.

One of the first ones I went after was in a small camping/fishing place near a lake. The place was not crowded this time of year...the weather has gotten too cold, I suspect. However, parked right next to the tree where I needed to look was a vehicle. Someone that had just parked there to sit. Maybe they were on a lunch break, I don't know, but they did not get out, they just sat there. So I waited a little bit, got out of my car and walked around a bit. I took a picture.

It was cold, and so I got back in my vehicle. That other person still just sat there. I got tired of waiting, I felt like my time was being wasted, and so I left...no box today. Oh well, there were more to be found. I went on my way.

Well, I didn't have any more luck at the next two places I stopped at for boxes. The first place, a cemetery, the grounds crew was at work, there truck was right next to the tree where I needed to search. The next place, another cemetery. I thought I would be fine at this one, it was way out of the way, and an older cemetery. There were three of them there, I was excited to get them. However, I was foiled again, when I drove up to the place I saw a truck parked right next to the tree I needed to look in. The place was pretty small, and there was no way I could go after the other boxes there without being seen.

I moved on, and drove further north, and made it to Clyde, were I finally was able to find a box! I then headed to Fremont, clues in hand to hopefully find some there. The day was slipping past me, though, and I still needed to plant my box and make it to Maumee for that seminar.

So I went to plant first. I found a wonderful old cemetery (at the suggestion of my friend, Bone Yard Recorder) and started to walk around and scout it out. It one area, there is a pile of old stones. I found it sad that these stones were no longer where they were meant to be. There are a lot of old military stones in this cemetery, some people probably long forgotten. I paused a moment to honor them.

Along the tree line, I found something very strange. Probably the weirdest thing I have ever found while letterboxing...a gas mask. I don't even know what to say about that.


I had just a little time left after planting my box before I had to head out of town...so I decided I would get a couple more boxes. And I'm glad I did, I ended up with two wonderful carvings, and one of them took me a short ways down the Buckeye Trail. Someday I would love to hike the entire Buckeye Trail, but at least today I was able to hike a little of it.

Adventures in Babysitting

I had Thursday off. I had to plant a couple boxes, find one before it was pulled (a box of the month) and check on one that someone had attempted but not found to make sure it was still there. I was also going to be watching my youngest niece (age 5,) she was so happy she was going letterboxing.

We started off at the park, the little one wanted to play on the playground. So, on the swings, down the slide, and across the monkey bars she went. Then we took a walk...time to plant. She did very well helping me choose which way to go on a path and as we were planting the first box, we found a buckeye nut. Very excited, she tucked it away in her letterboxing pouch. Off we went to plant the second box and when we were done we headed back to the vehicle. On the way we found a small snake skin. I explained how when snakes grow they must shed their skin, and she tucked that away into her pouch as well.

Our next stop was to find a box. This would actually be her first time finding one. We reached the park, no playground this time, and after a quick stop at the port-a-potty, down the trail we started. We had not gotten too far when I heard a truck pull into the parking lot, I could still see it somewhat, enough to notice the color. My first thought was it's a letterboxing friend of mine...

I was right...Pioneer Spirit had pulled in, and as he started down the trail, I called out that I knew what he was there for. He jogged to meet up with us, and we made the walk to the box together. My niece found the box, and we all stamped in. Pioneer Spirit had to take off to get to work, so we finished with the box and put it back. It was a fine opportunity to teach her how to re-hide well. We began our walk back to the parking lot, and along the way found a lovely rock, which my niece proudly placed in her pouch.

The last stop for the day was my own box, a maintenance check. I was happy to see it was still there, though the area has changed a little, it's still able to be found by following the clues. We took the box to a picnic table, and I helped my niece stamp in, and then it was time to return the box and return home.

It was a very relaxed and enjoyable day...and though I love my niece dearly, my next letterbox outing will be more intense, and will not involve babysitting.

Down and Out

Ike is a big ol' bully.

He pushed his way through Ohio, leaving damage in his wake. I couldn't believe how powerful the winds were. Amazing. One second I was working on some LTCs (Letterboxer Trading Cards,) the next I was sitting there in the dark. (I have a small space in the basement set up for me to do my art work, and there is only one small half window, so even though it was the middle of the day when this happened, it became dark downstairs, though thankfully still light enough to see to get out.)

So there we were Sunday afternoon, the power was out. In fact, I learned later that over 70% of my county was without power, and over 50% of a couple neighboring counties were without as well.

Not only that, but a big blue spruce in the front yard had been blown over, falling down towards the house (luckily, it did not hit the house.) It was reported that winds had reached over 70 MPH.


We spent the rest of the afternoon watching the wind from the porch...and watching the nosey people drive up and then back down the road checking to see what damage everyone was having. We live out in the country...there's not much more to do.

We are fortunate enough to have a generator, and a gas tank on property (for farm equipment.) So, we would not be sitting in the dark when the sun set. We would however not be using too much electricity as to not put a strain on the generator. We kept on a light in the living room, and the television. Yes, that's it. We kept our refrigerator running and were able to flush toilets, and now and then we would turn on the water heater so that a couple of us could take showers (though I did go shower at my grandparents as well.) At night the generator was turned off, and would be re-started again in the morning.

This went on for five days. That's right, five days. From Sunday afternoon to Friday late afternoon, we had lived off the generator...and restaurants. Did I mention we did no cooking in this time as well. And I did not use the computer...I think I went through AQ withdraw. ;)

So, the electricity is back on (after having to change the breaker box...seems all the switching things off and on put a little strain on the old, rusted box...it broke when the electric came on---so we were without water at that point too...but not for too long, good old Dad was able to go buy a new one and fix it before the sun went down.) However, the tree still lays in the yard. We picked up the large branches and sticks that were thrown from the other trees, but the blue spruce still lays were it fell.


The funny thing is, the LTC that I was working on when the electric went out was seasonally themed...and titled "Autumn Wind"...and boy did we have some wind!

The Song of Wandering Aengus

Recently, someone sent me this poem...I wanted to share it.

The Song of Wandering Aengus
W.B. Yeats, 1899

I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done,
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

Back in the saddle again....

Well, I've been out of my blogging routine for quite awhile. I've opened a business, and this is the first time I've ever done anything like this, so it has kept me quite busy. My business associate and I just had our Open House and I was so thrilled to see some of my letterboxing friends come in support (of course I did have a stamp for them too! :)

But now that the business is open, and the open house is over, I all of the sudden feel like I have more time on my hands...this is just a mirage I'm sure---still plenty to do---but, the big moments of it all have come and gone, and I'm excited to get back to more time for letterboxing, and keeping current with my blogging!

Of course, I have decided to stop my other blog, and solely use this one, so there will most likely be more on this blog than just letterboxing...though that consumes a lot of what I do, so it's still the main focus.

I've been blessed with meeting wonderful people through this hobby, and they have been referred to as my letterboxing family with all sincerity. I feel lucky to be in an area where we have plenty of events*...and almost anything is reason enough to have an event...because it has allowed us all to really get to know one another. We are not just participating in the same hobby, we are friends...we are family. The kindness and support that have been given me, and I have seen given to others is truly amazing.

The next event that I get to attend is called Southern Ohio Haunted Trails...of course, it's in October...Halloween and all...and the theme is famous pirate ghosts! I can hardly wait...we are even encouraged to wear pirate costumes...heeheheh...this ought to be fun!

Of course, between now and then there is plenty of time to get out there and box! And so I shall!






*an event is a planned occassion for letterboxers to get together so they may meet each other, exchange stamps, have fun, and really just get to know one another

Brecksville

On May 24th there was a letterboxing meet in Brecksville, Ohio (just south of Cleveland.) My mother and I went together. I think she's hooked now. That day just so happened to be Plant a Letterbox Day...and so I did on the way up there, it's titled: Are We There Yet? If you're ever in the area, I hope you get the opportunity to check it out.

The gathering was great, it was held in Brecksville Reservation park...which is absolutely fabulous! Mom and I arrived late (Mapquest lied about how long it would take us to get there...and, well, I did take a little time to plant that box.) As soon as we showed up, we grabbed a little something to eat and dived right in to the stamps that were around. I have to say that Ohio boxers are some of the nicest people I know. It was a wonderful day of stamping and chatting, with beautiful weather to boot!

We spent the evening in a hotel, and Granny Butterfly and Bone Yard Recorder also decided to stay at the same hotel. We all had dinner together, and after a little down time we hit the sack. The next morning we all headed out together to Bay Village, Ohio (west of Cleveland) to find the Who's Afraid of Ghosts? series in the Huntington Reservation park. This is a beautiful park with plenty of trails, and the letterboxes were wonderfully done. We had some trouble with the "Witch's Hill" box, and started to become frustrated. However, I would not give up on the search! We studied the clues some more, and in an "Aha!" moment, figured out where it was hiding. The clues were misleading, but we found the box none the less!

We found all of them, though Granny Butterfly had to leave before we completed the whole series so that she could get home before it became dark. When we were through, Bone Yard Recorder, my mom, and I all went to have some dinner at the Moosehead Saloon in Westlake. It is a wonderful restaurant with awesome decor...and the food was great!

Our weekend near Cleveland had come to an end, and we said our goodbyes to BYR and headed home. We thought we could stop off to find a couple boxes on the way home, but the first one seemed to be missing, and when we reached the spot for the second one, it had become too dark and we could not retrieve it. I vowed to go back there another day.

Road Trip to Fremont, part 2

So, we begin Sunday morning by having the hotel's complementary breakfast, and leaving the Moms in the room to rest (check out was not until noon!) Jones and I headed off to meet up with Bone Yard Recorder at the event location.

When we arrived, we help her finish setting up, grab a county map that she generously had for us, received some WOM clues, and headed out the door to find some letterboxes.

Being that Bone Yard Recorder does a lot of genealogy work in the local cemeteries, that's where a lot of the boxes were hidden. We were taken to some small, old graveyards and we saw some beautiful headstones and statues. The weather could not have been more perfect for our outing.

We swung by the hotel to pick up Mom and Mom. We went after a few more letterboxes and then headed back to the event locale. We learned about how to take care of headstones and clean them up...DO NOT use bleach!!...and also how the repairing process of a broken headstone is done.

After the meeting, we made sure to stamp all the gathering stamps into our logbooks, and then said our goodbyes, and started to head home. It was quite an enjoyable weekend. Both Jones and I are lucky to have such a close relationship with our mothers, and lucky to have a close relationship with each other.

Road Trip to Fremont, part 1

Keepin up with the Jones' and I were planning to head up to Fremont. There was a gathering planned by Bone Yard Recorder that we wanted to attend. We decided we should bring our mothers along...kind of a mother-daughter outing. They had never been letterboxing before, and since the gathering was also a meeting of the Kin Hunters, we figured that if they were not into the letterboxing aspect, they'd still enjoy the genealogy aspect.

Well, they enjoyed the letterboxing. And, really, who wouldn't? *grin*

We began early on Saturday May 17th, hoping to do some boxing on the way up to Fremont. The very first place we stopped was at the bridge near Jones where I have a letterbox hidden. We thought it'd be neat to have my mom's first find one of my boxes. It's one of my favorite carvings as well. Then we went to pick up Jones' mom, and we were off.

We ran into a detour as we started, and that led us to a garage sale...which we all found some good deals at. In fact, we stopped at a few garage sales. The best deal of the day (at least for me) was a bunch of zip lock style bags for $1.50. Jones and I plan on splitting them up between the two of us. They are the industrial type, heavy duty. They will be great for the letterboxes we plan on hiding!

So we finally get to stop for a letterbox at a small, yet pretty park. After some searching, the box was found, and two people were now hooked!

Next stop was another park where we had to find a "love tree." You've all seen them, and I'm sure some of you have added your own carving to one...or started a tree of with it's first so-and-so ♥s so-and-so. We found the tree, and each one of us added our name along with the love of our life, but in sharpie, not knife. Though we found the tree, we did not find the box. I suspect flood.

We then went to a cemetery. There are 24 stamps in this place! and there are some nice headstones here as well. We all enjoyed ourselves. We made one more stop before heading to the hotel. We were all so tired, and we had to be up early the next day for the letterboxing event!

Visiting the Sunshine State...and a certain little mouse

At the beginning of May I took a little trip down to Florida along with my mother and one of my nieces...there's a place near Orlando where you can feel like a kid, and dreams really do come true. Y'all know where I'm talking about... ;) We were fortunate enough to have dinner in a certain princess's castle, and had the best seats in the house for some wonderful fireworks. The whole trip was great, but I had some side plans while we were there on vacation.

There has been discussions on Atlas Quest about the ability of a letterbox to be hidden, and more importantly, stay hidden on the grounds of W-D-W...and though others have hid and lost before, this did not stop me from hiding as well.

Luckily for me, someone else had the same thoughts before I took my trip, and I had a couple boxes there to find. When I travel to this central Florida dream World, I stay on property, which means I do not have access to travel off property. So I'm glad I could do a little boxing while there.

On my last trip, I had scouted out places that might be suitable for hiding a box. This proves to be extremely difficult due to the fact that the grounds are kept immaculately clean. I did find one spot at a Park that I thought might work. I made a micobox for it, and when I arrived on this latest trip, I carved my stamp, and went to plant. The spot was still exactly the same...so I think, as long as finders are not seen--which in itself will prove to be a display in how stealthy one is--this box will not be found by the grounds crew...or anyone else. I hope this is the case anyway.

I also had two other spots, both at different resorts, to place a box. Hiding a letterbox in Florida is quite different than hiding one here in Ohio. We have plenty of holes in trees, and stumps and such...in Florida, the fallen timbers are rotting so fast, there's no way to hide anything in them. Luckily, I found this out reading the message boards on AQ and had a heads up. So the one of my boxes which is hidden among the trees is lying safely next to a live tree. Hopefully it stays there. Hopefully, they all stay where they're planted!

I was also able to meet Sits N Knits while down there and do an exchange...and take a couple HH (hitchhikers--small letterboxes that a finder picks up in one letterbox and then leaves in another.) She is such a nice lady...and I truly appreciated her taking time to come into one of the parks to meet up with me.

So it was a good trip all around.

Richmond Deja vu, part 2

I drive to Richmond for a second time, in two days. This time I have an almost 100% guarantee that I'll find the elusive Box of the Month that I desperately tried to find the day before. (By 100%, I mean I'll be going there with the planter, so the only way I wouldn't find it if it's missing!)

So I make plans to meet up with speedsquare, a local letterboxer and planter of the BOM...she will be my tour guide to Richmond for the day. What a wonderfully nice lady speedsquare is! It was like we had been friends for years when I walked into her home. We chatted and did exchanges, and she showed me some stamps she had, and let me stamp them into my logbook. And then soon we took off to letterbox around Richmond. I was able to learn so much about the area and local history from speedsquare...it really was interesting.

We headed for the park where the BOM was located, picking up a couple other stamps that were nearby first. Then the search for the box that haunted me overnight...not really, but it was a frustration the day before when I could not find it to save my life. Speedsquare and I went through the clues together, and after explaining how I read it, and how it may be interpreted, she took some notes and contemplated changing the wording. Maybe it was just confusing for out-of-towners...others seemed to have found it fine. Maybe it was just me. Anyhoo, after a little searching, the box was found (YEA!) and we were on our way.

Next stop was a quiet, beautiful, tucked away cemetery...loved it! And then on to a mystery box. The photo is from the trail we walked along, but I shall say no more, for I do not want to give anything away. I will say this however, it was fun, and clever. Thank you to the planter. ;)

We traveled off to a ball diamond, and then went to find another box I was unable to locate the day before. The clues referred to an "X" and I could not find one. Turns out, the X was made of two limbs on the ground, needless to say they were no longer there, and so the exact point from which to begin looking for the box was too ambiguous. Luckily, speedsquare has a good memory, and we found the area, and then I found the box.

By then it was beginning to get late, and I had a nice drive ahead of me. We said our goodbyes, and I took off for home. Just a little ways into Ohio, the sun began to set. This drive home was much more satisfying than yesterday's. I only wish keepin up with the Jones' was there to enjoy it with me.

Richmond Déjà vu, part 1

I made a trip to Richmond, Indiana...twice...in two days. Yep, that's right, twice, in two days.

I have been finding the Box of the Month each month here in Ohio. The Box of the Month (BOM) is part of a group effort of 12 letterboxers who each prepared a letterbox and then rotate that box each month to another participant to plant. So, each month there is a new box--new stamp and logbook from a new carver--in the same planting spot in a variety of states. Ohio is lucky enough to be one of those states, thanks to M&8X.

I missed the box while it was here in Ohio in March. I was very upset about this. I had found the 5 previous boxes, and plan on finding the last 6...so to miss one of the 12 kind of was like a punch in the gut. I'd survive, but I felt it.

Then I discovered that at the end of the month, the box which M&8X had planted in Ohio is then sent to speedsquare...in Richmond, Indiana. Oh, a smile went across my face. The box I missed here in Ohio is now in Indiana. Richmond is not that far to drive...I could get the box after all.

So I made plans to go boxing in Richmond, and called my cousin, keepin' up with the Jones' to see if she wanted to go as well. We made plans to go on Monday, when her eldest was in school, and the other two would be home safe with her husband. Of course we only had so much time to letterbox, we had to be back before her husband went into work.

I looked up clues, printed them off. I printed off detailed maps. And I even wrote out the itinerary, complete with driving directions from one locale to the next and what boxes were there, so it would be easy for Jones to navigate (I was driving after all.) We were set for the trip...and excited to!

So we left Monday morning, and 1 hour, 45 minutes later we arrived in Richmond. Our first stop was the BOM. We spent an hour there looking for this allusive box. I was so frustrated...and so was Jones. We decided to move on, go find some other boxes and then come back for this one. So, on down the road we went. I had printed of clues for a mystery box and we thought we'd try for it. I hadn't figured it out, but I thought I knew about where to start. I was wrong. We drove around for a little while...and figured we better keep moving.

I wanted to plant something in Richmond, so we took some time for me to do that before going to the next location. At the next stop we finally found what we were after! Yeah! It was a series of three boxes, however the third was confirmed missing, so we just found the first two. Along that trail there is a tree with an interesting adornment.

It looks kind of like a pierced body part...perhaps an outie belly button, or something. I am always amazed when trees grow around other objects. The curiosity in me really wants to know what the story is behind this. I mean, I get that a chain was on the tree for way too long, and the tree grew around it...but who put it there? And why? And how long ago? Ugh..I'll never know.

So we left the park and drove on to the next box. The clues took us to a pretty place, a quiet wooded area on a college campus. We began to follow the clues, made it to the trail head, and then came up empty looking for the next "landmark." We walked all over the trails, searching high and low for something like what the clue said we were to find. Nothing. I rolled my eyes at this point. This trip to Richmond was turning out to be very under productive.

Time was running out for us. We hadn't even made it half way through the list of clues we brought...and we hadn't found the box of the month--the whole reason I wanted to come to Richmond that day! The BOM would be pulled to be sent to the next state tomorrow...I needed to go look one more time for it. So we headed back to the spot.

We tried. Really we did. We just could not get a grasp on where we were suppose to be according to the clues. Time was slipping away. We had to leave. Jones had to be back home to take care of her children when her husband left for work. We admitted defeat, and hopped on the freeway home. We found two boxes that day. And one of them was NOT the box I originally went there for. We felt deflated.

During the ride home, amongst our complaining, I started to think about whether or not I could come back the following day to search again. It was only an hour and 40 minute drive...and my car is good on gas...and if I got ahold of speedsquare to see where I went wrong with the clues, then maybe I could find it before she pulled it. I'm crazy, I know. But that's what I did. I got ahold of speedquare when I got home, and a trip back to Richmond was planned for the next day.

Time for a Change

I liked the look of layout I used to have, don't get me wrong, but it was time for a change. I've seen too many other people with the same layout, and wanted something that was totally my own...so I've changed the look of my blog. I wanted it too be original...and so I chose a template where I could add one of my own photos to the title, and change the color of the page.

I like it. It has a more mellow, quiet feel to it...kind of like how I feel while out on the trail letterboxing. I had chosen a photo of a wooded trail that I planted on, but I just could not get the colors of the page to work with it...I was never happy with how it felt.

So then I tried this photo. It's one I took while driving into Eagle Nest, New Mexico. (I actually did find a letterbox at this place.)

I hope you enjoy the new look!

flashback: This is Kansas

September 4, 2007

You may think of Kansas as flat farm land. Maybe a tornado flying through...an old woman on a bike after a little girl and her dog. Not so. I was traveling to a state park to find a trail where a couple letterboxes were to be....traveling along a gravel road. A gravel road that meandered up and down hills. Yes, there were fields of grass with grazing cattle...but not one old lady on a bicycle...and no tornadoes, thank God.

My travel buddy and I eventually ended up at Wilson State Park. There was a letterbox by Der Mad Stamper that was planted in 1999 that I wanted to look for, as well as another box by rtrw planted in 2002 along the same trail. I am so glad I took the time to go for these boxes. We ended up at the Hell Creek section of the park and hiked the Dakota Nature Trail. It was a beautiful park and the trail had wonderful views of Wilson Lake, the type of views that would change your mind about what Kansas is like.

The Der Mad Stamper box really made me think. I loved the clues. And although I thought I was in the right place, I just could not find the letterbox. But I was persistent. I would most likely never be in this place again, and I had to find that box. I had to take a moment to clear my head, and rethink the clues. I was in the right area...I just had to look a little closer. And then, AHA! Oh joy! I found it. Great clues and a beautiful hike...no one could ask for more!

Scrambling to be FF

There is a WOM (word of mouth) box that my cousin, keepin up with the Jones, and I wanted to go hunt down. We contacted the owner, songwriter, and made plans to meet her and her family when we got the box and all go have pizza together afterward. Simple enough plan, right?

We pull up and park. Behind us another car pulls up and parks. It's another letterboxer, KJ11!! Now, this box had just been listed, and we thought we could be the FF (first finder) for it...so once we saw another boxer--and someone we knew, by the way--we made a mad scramble to be the first to the box!

At the shock that someone else was there, the car doors flew open, and as I grab my letterbox pack, Jones tells her girls to stay in the car. (Jones' three little girls were with us, the two year old asleep...we left them in the car, it was parked just across the street and songwriter's son was out in the yard, so we felt it was safe...they were never out of sight.)

Jones flew up the few steps that were there, I tried to short cut it by running up the small hill, which is what KJ11 was just about to do as well. I was wearing my slip on tennis shoes...and, well, they slipped off my feet. This sent me falling to my knees, clues in hand. I look up to see Jones still rushing to find a box, although she had no idea where it was--remember, I had the clues--and KJ11, having seen me fall, was now stopped in her tracks by her own laughter. I'm holding out the clues, calling to Jones, "Come get these, my shoes fell off!"

Jones continues to try to locate the letterbox using her memory of the clues...I guess coming to help me, or just take the clues from me would have wasted valuable time. I grab my shoes and stand up, putting them back on, and slowly finish my way up this little hill. KJ11 is still laughing at me, and I pass her by. Jones, is still frantically searching for the box, and I notice the spot where I think it is hidden. Jones has already gone by it. I quietly reach in, and sure enough it's there. KJ11 is still laughing at us.

It's a great stamp, with a wonderful story behind it. And there was even a bonus box...and we all got some special first finder prizes! Songwriter is so very creative, and generous.

Jones gets her girls out of the car, and we all take the time to stamp into the log, and Pug Pal (my boxing buddy,) after playing around, does his exchanges with songwriter, rifleman, Path to Eagle, and Whiz Kid...oh, yeah and that laughing KJ11.

flashback: staying centered

September 3, 2007

One of my favorite letterboxes is one I found in Kansas. Wheathead was the first letterbox placed in Kansas, and was placed there by Der Mad Stamper in 1998. If you are a letterboxer, you should know who Der Mad Stamper is. He is a legend when it comes to letterboxing and the United States. I, ironically, did NOT know who Der Mad Stamper was when I found this box. I had just started letterboxing myself, and had not learned too much letterbox history as of yet. You can read an interview with Der Mad Stamper by Mark and Sue Pepe, who also have a wonderful web site full of letterboxing information.

This particular letterbox in Kansas happens to be in the geographical center of the 48 conterminous United States. That's right, there is a marker erected for this. And a small church. It's not some big tourist trap...more of a very small park in the middle of nowhere. Though, I guess not really the middle of nowhere...it is in the middle of the U.S.! My travel buddy, John, and I had planned on visiting this unusual spot before I even knew there was a letterbox there...the box was just a wonderful bonus to my adventure.

It was a warm day when we crossed the state line from Nebraska into Kansas. We drove down some long and lonely road to reach the center of the United States. It was quiet there. No other traffic, and the only sound I could hear was a dog barking from a nearby farm. We got out of the car and explored the small park and church. It was interesting to read the guest book inside the church. It's amazing to think of how many people searched out this quirky spot like we did. This is not a place you happen upon while driving...you have to be specifically going here. I thought about the many people who visited just because the letterbox is hidden here...and about how many people had no idea a letterbox was hidden here at all.

Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law states that if something can go wrong, it will. This applies to me. The first weekend of spring, that actually feels like spring, and I'm in bed. Somehow, I end up with pneumonia. What are the chances?

I started feeling ill on Thursday. I had a fever on Friday, and was in bed all day. Saturday...not much better. Still had a fever on Sunday. Monday I was delirious...still with fever, barely awake. Tuesday I finally go to see the family doctor.

I get two shots, one on each side of my "hip," and I am put on three different medications. One of those medications is making me constantly sick to my stomach and very jittery...after a few days I have to stop taking it. But I still have plenty of days ahead to still be on the other meds. Did you know it can take two weeks to recover from pneumonia? My body feels like it's been hit by a truck and my lungs cannot expand all the way with out pain...not good when yawning. I do not have a long attention span, and just want to sleep most of the time.

So I miss the wonderful weekend to go out boxing. I was part of a few LTC (letterboxer trading cards) swaps...I had to drop out of those. There is an event I'll be missing. And most importantly, and ironically not letterboxing related...I was suppose to interview for a new job this past week. This pneumonia has really messed me up in more ways than one.

It has been 6 days that I've been on medication...10 days that I've been sick and stuck in the house. And I'm just now starting to feel better. Better means that I'm not constantly sick to my stomach...if I eat mashed potatoes and jello. It means my appetite is back, some what...I crave mashed potatoes and jello. It means I'm not sleeping 20 hours out of the day...more like only 15 hours. It means I'm going to have to start doing some things around the house again....like cleaning the cats' litter box. Hmmm. Do I really want to be getting better? The weather is getting cold again, I may not be able to go letterboxing...I may have to just crawl back in bed and think about this.

flashback: If You Plant It, They Will Come

August 31, 2007

About one week after I started letterboxing, I took a road trip out west. I had two weeks to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico and back. I was going to be driving the entire time...since we were taking my car...and it's a stick shift...and my traveling buddy doesn't know how to drive one. So, since I have to drive the entire two weeks, I decided that I also have the last say in where we go. This means that I will be letterboxing on this trip...something my travel buddy (John) could care less about. John went on some hunts with me, and for others....well, he stayed in the car until I was finished.

This particular stop was one we both wanted to do...and actually had planned on doing even before I knew there was a letterbox there. If you build it, they will come...so true. How many of you saw the 1989 movie Field of Dreams? John and I visited the place where that movie was filmed. Yep, really. It's in Dyersville, Iowa, back some country roads. It was awesome! The house...just like in the movie. The ball field...just like in the movie. The corn field...just like in the movie...except, the old time players were not stepping out onto the ball diamond. You can however, play on the ball diamond as much as you like...just bring your own ball, bat and glove. We didn't have any, but John did run the bases! I took pictures while he ran, and I also found the letterbox that was there (if you plant it, they will come!) At lot of boxers had visited this spot. :)


The Field of Dreams Movie Site is open April through November, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free admission. Souvenirs are available. Please visit their website, at http://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com/

Flashbacks

I have some images and stories I'd like to share from when I first started letterboxing...mostly these are from a road trip I took out west. I'm calling them flashbacks and they will be thrown into the mix whenever I get the chance.

This photo is one I took of my traveling buddy while we were in Kansas. The house was abandoned...and we couldn't help but investigate. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time.


If I could just travel for a living, I think I'd be in heaven. There is nothing more rewarding to me than exploring someplace few people go, or bother to pay attention to. Of course, seeing the common tourist traps and historic landmarks are also fun, but sometimes we forget to look for the beauty that is found in the ordinary.

more muddy, snowy trails

Out on the letterboxing trail in the Toledo area...the paths were muddy, snowy, and full of puddles...and I wouldn't let Pug splash around in it! He was ok with that though, he had a great time spending all day with keepin up with the Jones', her girls, and Bone Yard Recorder. This day was the last of our trip to Michigan and back, and Pug looks foward to getting back out on the trails again soon! :)

ending on a good note

We met up with Bone Yard Recorder near Toledo, Ohio on Saturday morning. This was the first time Jones and I have letterboxed with anybody other than each other, so we were excited. And BYR is such a great person, she is so giving and kind, and she was very patient with the kids...we couldn't have asked for a better boxing friend to be with that day. :)

We had decided to try to hunt down the boxes in the surrounding area, and Maumee was the first stop. The mini-van was parked, and we all jumped out, and started walking towards our first box. We had a great time! We ended up at a lovely tea house, Clara J's, and bought some goodies to take back home.

The searching continued over into Holland...where there were K9 boxes to be found. Unfortunately some of them were missing. And we actually stumbled upon a geocache sitting directly on top of a letterbox! The geocache was full of junk trinkets, however I did find one I could use for a cootie some day, and left something in return. We all signed in as well, since we did find it. The sad thing is, the stamp from the letterbox was missing.

We then headed over towards Berkey, and had a nice little hike in Secor Metropark. There was snow all over the trail, and the littlest Jones was in stroller, so Bone Yard Recorder, Cool K and myself went down the snowy part ourselves. The snow turned into water covering the trail near the letterbox, but we walked around it and found our prize!


The younger ones were getting a little tired at this point, and we decided one more stop was all we could do. We headed to the Fallen Timbers Battlefield. It is a very interesting place, and I would love to have spent more time there if it had not been getting late and getting cold. The little ones (and I think the big ones too) had had their fill for the day. There were plenty more boxes in the area, but they would have to wait until another (and warmer) day.

We drove BYR back to her car, and said our goodbyes. We then went to grab a bite to eat before the long drive home. It was an exhausting day, but, oh it was so fun!

meet-n-greet

Boy, did Pug have fun meeting the letterboxers from Michigan!! They were all so friendly...and I think some of them even sneaked a little Panera food to him ;)

He was able to do exchanges and take pictures with everyone...which he can hardly wait to show his owner, Pioneer Spirit! :)

play in the snow

Friday became a day to play in the snow up in Michigan! It had snowed the night before, leaving a few inches on the ground in the morning...but then the sun came out, and alot of the snow melted away. This is the area of the only traditional box we found that day...but Pug had fun none-the-less! A dog always loves to play in the snow! Watch out for those yellow spots!!

swans on ice

We woke up on Friday, March 28th in Michigan with a few inches of snow on the ground. What a way to start the day! We did not let the white stuff deter our letterboxing plans however! Today was the first day of boxing for our Aunt, who had named herself ...for now... since she couldn't decide on anything else. So, gathering up our clues, we went out the door.

There were three adults, four kids piled in the van, all ready for some letterboxing adventure.....but, it was a bust! The first set of clues stated they'd lead us to a park where there were 8 stamps to find. We could not find the trail head where these supposed boxes were! We drove up and down the road it was on so many times, and finally had to give up. Drat.

So we read the next clues which took us to a nice little town, but again, the clues did not lead us to the box. The spot where we think it was, had a tree cut down...hmmm...maybe it's missing, maybe we're having a bad day. Whatever. Drat again. Moving on.

We finally find a box! Yeah. Our aunt's first!! She was so excited! and we were glad at least one of the boxes we went looking for was there! It was an easy location, in high need of using stealthiness, and a great carve! So, now we have to head back home.

Jones and I drop off for now, and the kids, and we take off after one more box...on our own, we think we can get it without too much dilly dallying...we have to get ready for a mini meet and greet with some Michigan boxers at 6pm. We drive out to Metro Beach Metro Park and start our quest. The clues were great! They told a story and took you through some beautiful areas. We even saw a swan on the pond...it was breathtaking. We continued with the clues...only to come up empty handed. Are you kidding? Drat for a third time! [The next day, the owner of the box checked on it, and it is missing...so, it wasn't that we can't read clues!] We head back to the house, get ready, and head to Panera for a get together with other letterboxers.

The get together was great!! We met some wonderful people, exchanged stamps, and introduced the newbies ...for now... and RailRoader to the group. We have plans on trying it again the next time we are in the area...maybe in warmer weather! :)

After the meet-n-greet, we go back to the house, pack up our stuff, and settle in for a good night's sleep. We had plans to meet up with Bone Yard Recorder to do some more boxing in the Toledo area on Saturday before we go home.

poison ivy alert

The path along the West Bloomfield Nature Preserve was quite beautiful. We were lucky enough to be warned of poison ivy along they way. Pug thought it was the funniest sight! He was having such a good time playing in the woods along the 2.6 mile trail!

on frozen ground

It was cold and damp when we woke up on Thursday, March 27 in Michigan. We had plans to do some boxing in the suburbs of Detroit, and we were taking our cousin with us for his first letterboxing outing! Jones had brought some MasterCarve and her gouges, and he carved a signature stamp the night before, naming himself RailRoader.

So donning our coats and boots, and leaving the littlest one behind (don't worry, our aunt was with her,) we set out to find some Michigan letterboxes. The first place we flocked to was Robert Long Park in Walled Lake. It's a lovely little park, complete with ponds and viewing areas perfect for birdwatchers. We saw many geese and ducks. In fact, as one of the ducks was landing, he came upon ice and slid across. The ice on the trail we walked along was up to three or four inches thick in some areas. We trekked on, and found the letterbox, RailRoader's first! He was so excited. Jones and I used the opportunity to teach him about the aspects of letterboxing...be aware of what or who is around you, be stealthy, be careful, do not disturb wildlife unnecessarily, take the box away from the area to stamp in, re-seal baggies and box carefully, replace exactly where you found it, re-hide better than found. He did very well. :) We continued on our quest, which led us to West Bloomfield Nature Preserve.

The walk through the Nature Preserve was absolutely beautiful. The trail became somewhat steep at times, and with the snow and ice still on the ground, we had to be extra careful. This time of year, time of day, during the week, we seemed to have the place to ourselves. We only encountered three other people on the long trail. We found two of the three boxes, but the third one proved to be difficult. We weren't sure if it was us or the clues. We thought we were in the right area, however we just could not find that box!...and then it started to rain. It was time to head back to the house, have some supper and rest up for the next day.

Muddy Feet

After leaving Litzenberg, we took a short drive to Van Buren State Park for a couple more letterboxes. This time of year, with the chilly weather, and being that it was the middle of the week, middle of the day...there really was not a lot of people around, making stealthiness a little easier. :)

At one of the letterboxes in Van Buren, there was a man walking his dog. We got out some sandwiches and snacks and walked over to the picnic table to eat...and wait for him to leave so we could follow the clues to the letterbox. It was an easy find, and soon, with a little food in our bellies and another stamp image in our logbooks, we traveled on. We hit the freeway, and around Bowling Green, took a break at the rest area...mainly because we wanted to find a box hidden there, but the girls needed to get out and move around as well.

It is a nice large rest area...and on this particular day, it also happened to be flooded in spots. One of those spots was where we needed to go to get the letterbox! Even the ground everywhere else was soggy and muddy...the girls were having a great time! ;) Jones and I still tried for the letterbox...we saw it, the hidey-hole surrounded by water. If we had stepped close enough to reach for the box, water would engulf our feet and ankles...we were not willing to have drenched feet for this box (well, not yet...) But then a bright idea came! We'd have to have a bridge of some sort! Jones found a long fallen branch, and pulled it over to the mini pond that protected our prize...and then carefully stepping out onto it, she was able to reach the letterbox! We would not leave empty handed! We would also not leave clean. The mud had covered our shoes, and lower pants legs...and the girls had it on them too, of course. We cleaned off our shoes the best we could, and piled back in the car and drove into Michigan. Exhausted, we reached our aunt's house before the sun had set all the way.

can we go fishin'?

Pug Pal wanted to stop and do some fishing while on the trail at Oakwoods Nature Preserve in Findlay, Ohio. But, alas, we were not equipped for such a thing, and I had to tell him no. He seemed a little sad, but soon caught the sent of a squirrel, and forgot all about the fish!

ready, set, go!

A road trip is always a good thing. Even a short one. And that's just what my cousin, keepin up with the Jones' and I did. She brought along her three girls, I brought along my boxing buddy Pug Pal, and off we took on a four day trip from Ohio to Michigan and back. We left on the morning of March 26, making a stop in Kenton for a letterbox before we headed to Findlay, Ohio.

We had a little trouble with finding the Oakwoods Nature Preserve and had to get some help from the friendly people at H&R Block. They looked the park up on their computer, and even copied the city map from the phone book for me...such sweet people! We made it to the park, and wow, it's beautiful. We plan on going back in warm weather to explore more of it. We found our letterboxes, and continued on to the next stop...Litzenberg Memorial Woods.

The trails at Litzenberg were muddy and in some spots covered in water. We maneuvered our way around the soggy places determined to find our treasure. We came upon a huge tree wonderfully sculpted by mother nature. Jones and her girls stepped inside for a photo. We found our boxes and on the way out let the little ones play at the play ground. We had been driving for awhile and still had much more time to spend in the car...they deserved some fun time. :)