HP # 6

As if this weekend isn't busy enough all ready, I HAD to get us a copy of the newest Harry Potter book last night. To manage the crowds, you had to line up for wristbands to stagger the release at midnight. I ended up getting wristband #2 (see yellow band above) so we were able to jump to the front of the line near midnight. We went dressed up to the store and had a lot of fun walking around checking out the games and other costumes. RGBisMe fell asleep about 15 pages into it but I kept going until page 60. Time to take it along to the arts fest.

People's Choice Festival

If anyone wishes to find me over the next 4 days (for letterbox exchanges or anything) I will be in Boalsburg at The People's Choice Art's Festival. I will be at booth #106, ask for true indigo.

Boxing with Satan

RGBisMe and I were lucky that the planets lined up just right and allowed us to visit for an afternoon with Tracdc and Satan. They showed us a great time by driving us around Allentown and taking us out to try to find a few local letterboxes. We brought along the clues for a few in one area that we suspected might also be host to a mystery box.

We were all hiking along through the park and trying to figure out the clues to the first box. When we got close, Satan sat down to watch and see just how we went about zeroing in on a letterbox. RGBisMe went off pacing in one direction while Tracdc and I looked in another likely spot.

Satan yelled up to us, "What are they supposed to look like?"

I shouted back, "Probably in a tupperware container about so big."

"Well, there it is." he pointed without moving an inch from where he had originally sat down.

Sure enough, he had spotted it from where he was sitting and watching our antics of rock scrabbling and pacing. I like his way of boxing. No sweat! Satan was our hero!

We did go on to find another one close-by but didn't have what it took to find the mystery box.

Thanks again to Satan, we later cooled off with a dip in his mom's pool. I think I drank most of it every time I sunk in the deep end. RGBisMe helped me by perfecting my noodle riding technique which helped keep me afloat.

Refreshed from the pool and the wonderful cotton candy spray my sister gave me, we decided to torture them by making them watch the recent PBS production of Swan Lake and showing them Ravenboy dancing in the background. To make up for this, we all went out to Ichibon and snacked on edamame while we watched the hibachi show. Our chef threw bits of broccoli at all of us to try to catch it in our mouths. Who was the only one at the table to successfully chomp one? Our man, Satan!

The Thrill of Letterboxing

This past weekend held some real highs and lows for us on our letterbox searches. We reached out to some of the closest letterboxes to us; north-central PA and the closer western PA boxes. Both days were filled with gorgeous weather for driving and viewing some of the most beautiful wild areas of this majestic state.


Saturday found us near Apollo, PA where we went looking for quite a few boxes. The highlight being Aroostook Sleuth and Little-Tag-Along's Childhood Adventure Club series. This is a series of 6 letterboxes that first tickle you with there very names. Our favorites were Robin Detective Girls and Star Trek Spy Club. We chose to bike the route and were not sorry for it. We spooked a groundhog from his lunch and he blindly ran off with a leaf in his mouth.. right into a deep puddle! SPLASH! We were not the only people exploring the area and came across 4 women riding horses and a couple of fellows on 4 wheelers. We highly recommend this series!


Sunday we thrilled to traveling along the Quehanna Highway along Wykoff Run. This road has been recently improved and because it is in the middle of nowhere takes you through a splendid area.

Not all of our searches were successful. We bombed on finding Qarre's God's Country mystery box even though we were really certain we had a good chance of finding it having visited the area last October. We also came up empty handed at Austin Dam where all was left was half of a soggy log under a rock. Tired and hungry but not defeated, we continued on. It took us trying multiple times to buy ourselves some lunch with the third time being a charm just before 5pm in the calm town of Smethport.

There were highs and lows through out the weekend. We grumbled at the section of ripped post-it-note log that was saturated with the ink leaked from the stamp pad. We let our spirits soar as 8 young turkeys followed their momma. We sobbed as a chipmunk died after one of us hit it with our bike. We held hands gazing across a golden field of wheat. Store bought self inking stamps that were not matched to the box's theme and highly detailed hand carved masterpieces. Too many blow downs to find even the clues mentioned for one box but first to find another.


We didn't realize until today that sandwiched somewhere in the middle of all of this craziness, we hit our 100th find. We think it's fitting to remember the entire weekend when thinking of our 100th. A blend of awesome and mundane, terrific and expected, challenge and ease; a letterboxing roller coaster.