We are in GA!

Our first day in Georgia was amazing. We made a good choice navigating around Atlanta and made it to Stockbridge area with plenty of time to find a few letterboxes before we met up with Mososo Kruppe. The first Georgia letterbox we found was a mystery box and we stamped into it with huge grins. We were in a territory where some really accomplished carvers were planting. All of their clues were engaging and accurate. This was going to be fun!

After finding a handful of boxes, we drove to Mososo Kruppe's home in McDonough. Their house is in a nice development with some older growth trees. This might sound like a typical residential area but it is becoming atypical for the county they live in. New developments and homes are going up everywhere. The dust being whipped up by the construction in the area and all of the tiny placard signs that little the roadsides are pollution themselves. We were glad their home was a haven in this crazy area.

We got the grand tour of the house, brought in all of our stuff from our car and met the Barghest, an 11 week-old German Shepherd puppy. We said hello to Loki and Thor before we went off to find some more local boxes. We stopped off at a cool pizza joint to fuel up then zoomed to a really neat park to find their Garden Gnome. Now, we will admit that some of our finds were slack boxing but ever step along the way was so enjoyable. The garden in this park reminded me of the PSU Trial gardens before Dickinson Law School messed them up. When we got to the final location of the box, there was some light construction and renovations being made on the building next to where it was hidden. Some men in bright orange jump suits were being put to work making the park a better place. I was challenged to run by and taunt, "You're in jail, I'm not!' but I didn't have the guts.

The same park recently had a nice boardwalk added too it (perhaps by the same convicts!). It was well done but had ruined landmarks that acted as clues to another letterbox in the same park. It was not one of Mososo Kruppe's boxes but they were really interested to see if the box was even still there after the construction. They visualized where certain landmarks had been and felt that the one nearby stump had a lot of the trademarks of the final hiding place. RGBisMe went into the thicket off of the boardwalk and said, "It's still there!" He brought it out and we stamped into the cute Unicorn box. I later owned up to the placer that we couldn't have found it if it were not for Mososo Kruppe leading the way. RGBisMe carefully put the box back and as we chatted a muggle came round the bend. RGBisMe was just coming out of the thicket and it all looked a little weird so I raised my voice to him and ask, "Did you find any rare species? I was hoping you would find the green winged scarab." This came from how Scarab deals with muggle, his idea just came readily to mind. The muggle didn't even stop so all was good and we walked back toward the car. We walked and chatted until something stopped us in our tracks about 30 feet down the boardwalk. Darned if it wasn't our rare species!
I can't believe how many neat parks and letterboxes we were able to fit in that day. I took some really awesome photos near Mososo Kruppe's Local Legends Series - Camp Creek Train Wreck but the images would give away so much of what makes this one of our all time favorite letterboxes. So much thought and work were put into this letterbox. It didn't hurt the atmosphere that a train went by as we were logging in.

The next location where a couple of mythical beast letterboxes were hidden reminded me of the quaint little church camp of my youth in Mexico, PA. Memories of the decent Methodist people all coming together in the summer to support each other as we worshipped and communed came flooding back. I had a a bittersweet moment, remembering the inside of my grandmother's cabin and her showing me the eggplant she planned to prepare for supper. Every memory I have of the time I spent at Island Grove Campground (except for the bulldog I was afraid of) is of the good and loving people there. They lived with the glory of God in their hearts. I imagined similar people getting together in the cabins at this campground.

The carvings of the 2 mythical beasts were great. Either our pens were drying out or our card stock doesn't take it well so our impressions will never do them justice. We were also a bit rushed to get to our last destination. This didn't stop us from noticing a bit of a pattern that some local letterboxers seemed to have in central GA. Not only was a lengthy reprimand that the beast that was features was not mythical (it is in the Bible) but an abrasive and foolish piece of pseudo-christian literature was left in the box for us to take. I typically find it to be bad form to post photos of stamp imprints but this was so distasteful that I am compelled to give credit where credit is due. So there you go Lil JP, your shining moment. Maybe you think you are saving souls with actions like that. I think the kinds folks folks of Island Grove Campground would have disagreed that it is your role to point out that we are all "lying thieves."

At our very last location of the day. We hadn't printed the clues and we were all rushed to make it out of the park before the gates close (and locked us in!). The area is precious, the boxes were amazing and our hosts for the day generous in allowing us to slack box. It was just starting to get dark as we hoped to see a muskrats along the boardwalk. We didn't get a glimpse of one but did see two teen deer and some blue herons.

While stamping into the last box, we heard a horn honk near the main gate. We had overstayed our welcome and Mososo went out to make sure the car did not get locked in while Kruppe ran the box back to it's hiding place. I took this really lousy photo of her running back from hiding the box but I had to share it. It is oddly reminiscent of Mapsurfer leaping a log while orienteering. Do I think of anything in my life other than letterboxing? Yes, but I do think of it a lot.

We returned to the MK homestead and spent a wonderful evening of updating our exchanging of homage stamps (OMG! Granola Posse!), hitch hikers, event boxes and other sundry stamps. The Barghest was very happy that we spent some time in the house visiting. Loki and Thor came out and snuggled under a blanket near RGBisMe. We could have spent the entire night visiting and stamping but the next day promised to be an even bigger one with two letterboxing events and hours of time needed for traveling to them. The Barghest promised he would do his best not to bark all night because he was still getting used to his crate. I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit my pillows but not without a final thought about Proverbs 3:5-6 (another letterboxer's trail name by the way).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

As I looked back on the twisted path I had traveled over the day, I was glad to have the intuition and knowledge that when traffic backed up because of an accident on the interstate I could take the side route. I have good friends who provided me with knowledge of this less straight path. It turned me through some beautiful Georgia country side and suburbia. I was glad to lean on my knowledge and looked forward to more challegenes that would shape me into the ever evolving person I was/am/will become.

Pushing South

I know I must sound like charlie Bucket's Grandpa Joe to many. But RGBisMe and I haven't taken a trip like this in about 15 years. Lining up pet sitters we trust was the biggest stumbling block.

We started out just as a thunderstorm hit at 4am. By the time we got to Harrisburg, the storm was gone but the sun did not rise until we were almost out of West Virginia. It was a nice break stopping in a small park along the way to find aletterbox/geocache hybrid that had an awesome hitch hiker in it. The local hiding technique was a bit different than we are used to.

The trip was going well. It was exciting to show RGBisMe areas he had never seen before. We stopped in Roanoke for a bite to eat and our first contact with real southern type hospitality. I am not sure if it was that or that all of the waitresses in the restuarant had varying shades of red hair but I think RGBisMe was feeling like he was visiting something like another country. We smiled at the differences and joined in saying a little prayer over our meal. By this point, I was getting the shakes from being in civilization but not accessing the internet. I took to roaming parking lots with my WiFi locator.

The day progresses as did our journey. We were able to find letterboxes in each state we had not yet found any in. We have ended our day in Anderson, SC but not until we planted a very special box somehwere down here in the south. We had a great time exploring the area where we thought a plant would work out. The couple of miles we hiked broke up our travels very nicely.

Tomorrow we will continue into Georgia and meet up with Mososo Kruppe and get ready for the Pow Wow event on Saturday.

Car Trouble

When is the best time and place for your car to have a problem when you are setting off from PA to GA and back? Hopefully it is at home a few days before departure! RGBisMe was checking fluid levels this past weekend, coolant was down but not to minimum. After filling it to normal level, a little puddle appeared along with a slow drip. Today we will be proud owners of a new thermostat and serpentine belt that the coolant ruined.

430 nm

I was a bit blue to find out that my "Men of ABT" calendar was not correctly tuned in to the turning of the seasons. RGBisMe and I celebrated the first day of Autumn a couple of days early, actually about a week early. We took down the maypole, harvested many seeds and spices and generally planned for our upcoming trip.

One day I had the pleasure of enjoying an autumnal indigo day on Nittany mountain. Indigo Vulture from Nescopeck, PA came into the area seeking local letterboxes. It was gratifying to hike my favorite trails all the while getting to better know one of Pennsylvania's most loved letterboxers. IV hiked and talked easily without needing to take extra time to sort out his clues nor breath heavily from the ascent. We shared ideas for future letterboxes, possible hikes and battle wounds from bushwhacking. Happy to show off the area, I sloppily navigated IV from the trail head to a couple of other parks in the area. I look forward to being able to letterbox with him again soon.

As an surprise equinox gift to RGBisMe and myself, Maga11 and Toolman Luke planted their first letterbox, Goose Day. They sent us the clues in an email, presented as a gift and then requested our help in publishing them on the internet in time for the local Goose Day celebration. I must say, we were thrilled! A sweet little box along a new trail that is to link 2 local Lewistown parks. We found the box with no trouble and spent some time with the planters before they were off to Toolman Luke's 50th high school reunion. I have since heard that it went well except for the nasty late summer cold that he came down with that evening.

The days are surprisingly warm again and as around any seasonal cusp we can be caught unaware. I wish my friends and family safety and joyful awareness as they navigate the transition between Summer and Fall, between daytime heat and chilled evenings, between blue and violet.

Glenn's Memorial Bench

RGBisMe & I went to the dedication of DaBraLady's father, Glenn's, memorial bench. The family decided this bench will have a prominent location on the land they own in Poe Valley.

The bench and day of it's dedication were just lovely. The thing I thought was most beautiful was how the shine on the black granite of the bench allowed it to reflect back the splendor of the sky and the mountains and Glenn's cabin.

Family and friends gathered to share a meal and memories. His presence was clearly felt as his heart hand touched many and the work he put into his cabin and land is evident. We will miss him but have only to look around to know he is not far from us. Poe Valley is a slice of heaven itself.

The Circus is Coming!

maybe....

An idea about a national letterboxing convention is being thrown around by a few people. When I first heard about it I though that it was a bunch people who had big ideas and liked to talk a lot. I didn't give it much notice because it was nothing I was interested in, at all. Then someone pointed out that a prospective location for this event was central Pennsylvania. Then I read about it and thought that there was no way this area could work out for them. If anyone decided that it was a good idea however, there would be serious implications on letterboxing here.

I posted my concerns with the hypothetical location choice and if you wish to read my thoughts you may choose this link. I do not ask for everyone, nor anyone for that matter, to agree with me. I just wanted the planners to see the implications of being responsible for the impact such an endeavor might have on the area they choose.

The originator of the idea had asked for feedback but his girlfriend seemed to easily take offense, calling my response huffy. I suppose that is subjective but the analogy of implying I was trying to "rain on our parade" was a poor one in spite of another poster's claim that it was "well said".

Let's look at how "well said" that analogy was. If their prospective event is likened to a parade, my raining on it implies that I would be doing it harm. In the dictionary to "rain on someone's parade" is defined as to prevent someone from enjoying an occasion or event, to spoil someone's plans. I guess that leaves me to wonder how my choice to not participate in the prospective event would spoil it. Maybe I am so important or integral to the success of their plans if the parade were to march through central PA that my non-participation would ruin everyone's time. Maybe our letterboxes are so looked forward to and sought after that having them unavailable during the month of the parade coming into the area that it would lessen the enjoyment for everyone. I seriously doubt that with all of the jugglers of Lock n Locks and acrobats of exchanges that lack of the Crayola Posse's presence or our letterboxes in the field would be missed at all.

My choosing to pull our letterboxing is not "raining" on the parade, it is choosing not to blow any sunshine up it's skirt. I do not care if the decision is made to make it just a meet and greet or all out letterboxing circus. Letterboxers would be seeking a few boxes while they are in any prospective area. My letterboxes are not planted in a way that over 10 people in any given week/month can seek them without some damage being done. Believe it or not, less than 10 a month is how little traffic our boxes currently they get. If things would change under normal non-circus-like circumstances, I would be pulling them then too. This is not to rain on anyone's parade. "Raining" would be threatening to undermine the enjoyment or success of the parade. Nowhere did I threaten to confiscate or damage any event boxes if the parade marches through central PA. I would be gathering up my own boxes (not just pulling our clues), and getting out of the area until it's over. I have at least a year to make it clearly stated in our clues so that the boxes will be pulled so that only the people foolish enough to not update their clues within the year will be tromping through any area. I am planning accordingly. How does this threaten rain for your parade?

I understand the location for the parade has not yet been determined. My information was intended to give you an umbrella from any rain that might come your way. There are going to be folks in any location that will have difficulties with a circus coming to their town. When an area is thrown out as a hypothetical location, realize there are real people living there whom it will really impact.

If you read my post with care, you will see that my concern is that if said parade chooses to march through this area, I am concerned about it's impact. I wanted to bring it to any planner's attention that it might be in their best interest to have people in residence who, after the last dancing bear has lumbered out of town, does not mind playing the role of the clown with the broom. I don't want to be the one left sweeping up other people's peanut shells and confetti from the streets and forests of central PA while a bunch of out-of-towners agree what a great parade it was.

"Don't rain on our parade" you say?
"Well said :):):)" you say?
I think not.

More on Knoebels!

FUN
After I woke up more completely today I realized that there was a lot I had left out of our weekend of at Knoebels. RGBisme and I had a lot of fun talking with Cyclonic Friday evening. We got to hear about some of the letterboxes he tried for that day and shared carving ideas. His event stamp this year was yet another masterpiece.

Although I was alone, I did get to play a game of DDR. The machine I played on at the grange seemed a lot more sensitive; I am sure it gets a lot less abuse than the one at Knoebels. I played 3 really easy rounds and would normally have aced them all but rated C, C and D on them. The floor pad really required me to stomp on it to get it to read accurately. This limited me to feeding it only one dollar. I look foolish enough playing this game in public, the last thing I wanted to do was flail about step-dancing style like a deranged, cross-dressed, Michael Flatley.

At the event, I got to see MizScarlet again. She had a lovely hand crafter pin for me which I will cherish forever. Such thoughtfulness and out of nowhere! I was touched.

Some great folks we were glad to have met were the Castle Keepers. They had some interesting PTs, not all which we were able to claim but will go for them another time I hope. Fluffy Angel and Carol were so kind as to cut backward in line so that we could all ride the Log Flume together. This is one of RGBisMe's favorites so it was even more fun riding it with these nice ladies. I asked Fluffy Angel if she wanted front or back and she was clear on preferring the front. RGBisMe and I darted into the back of the car. Fluffy Angel coached us all on exactly where to look as a camera photographed our car's final plummet into the big pool of water at the end of the ride. We asked if we should wave and she decided the four of us should all do sign language spelling out L-B-N-A for Letterboxing North America! We spent the ride getting all of our signs straight pausing only to have Hannah and Rainbow Girl choose our log car to be sprayed with an odd focused jet of water. When did they add that little feature for observers!? Our final fall was nicely photographed with a clear strobe flash. We ran to check it out and they captured all four of us at our best! Carol was all kindness in buying a print for us too!

A couple of our last rides were with Rainbow Girl, Mambo Dog, and Fluffy Angel. The Haunted Mansion is an awesome dark ride but it is really showing it's age. I kidded Rainbow Girl that she wasted $1.40. She could have closed her eyes and covered her ears on the bench outside for 5 minuted for free. Mambo Dog and RGBisMe came out all grins then we all shared stories about other cool dark rides we had been on.

Final ride of the day for me was the Skloosh; a ride that is usually reserved for hot days or when you are ready to get soaked. It was just wrong that I would wear a white t-shirt on a cool evening when I had to walk back to camp. I changed as quickly as I could.

The 4Rhines made an all too brief visit at our little campfire. Princess Fiona and Cookie Monster were pretty tired from their day at the park. I thank them for allowing us to catch up a bit with Stonefly and Puddleby. We juts do not see enough of these dear people.



FOOD
Lunch on Saturday was a much looked forward to meal. It is not often I anticipate a meal at a food court but any food at Knoebels is an exception to that thinking. Bean burrito platters from the International Food court were enjoyed while visiting with Hunter Jumper, Rainbow Girl, Fluffy Angel and Hannah of the Castle Keepers whose trail name I neglected to get.

My food choices have been more limited lately, by my own choice. For those reading who do not already know, I am a vegetarian. Lately, I have been trying to cut eggs and dairy out of my diet as much as I can. This is because of a lot of problems I have with the animal industries. When I am on the go and don't plan properly, I can have a bit of a melt down because of a mixture of lowering blood sugar and internal moral conflict and in not being able to find anything to eat. My apologies to Mambo Dog, Castle Keepers and Rainbow Girl for bailing out of riding the Scooters by crying, "I need pizza!" What I needed was a kick in the butt for not eating back at camp. My apologies to the von der insels for having to experience the moment I discovered that the pizza place I was counting on was closed. I think I was crying, "I need food!" I really needed another kick in the butt for not eating back at camp.

Camp food highlights included smores with fluff instead of marshmallows (yes it had egg whites and the chocolate had dairy) that were heated to perfection in a mountain pie maker, Sangria, Hunter Jumper's Killer Kosmos (spelling for Knoebels homage), a breakfast of mountain pie pizza made with feeze and fepperoni and maybe an ant, a nice drink of pizza sauce, PA Paddler's fresh french pressed camp coffee (use a spoon) with really fun maple shavings. Bummer food included fries from a stand that used to have the best. It was still fun using the ketchup and vinegar udders.



FANTASY
I had a blast pretending my horse on the Grand Carousel was a real one but the real moments of fantasy were the kids on the inner ring of moving horses holding their arms out hoping or pretending to grab for a brass ring. I noticed this as we waited in line and commented on it to RGBisMe. We were never really certain if it was something fun for them to imagine or if they were frustrated in not being able to reach the arm that allow the outer ring of stationary horse riders to grab for an iron (or brass!) ring. When we got onto the carousel, RGBisME was on the stationary horse behind mine. Neither of us caught the brass ring that time but RGBisMe seemed to make a little fellow's fantasy come true. He told me that a smaller boy beside him on a moving horse was holding his arm out like we saw many of the kids doing before. After RGBisMe had caught a few rings, he called to the youngster, "Hey kid," and gave him a ring then said, "just make sure to try to toss it into the lion's mouth at the end of the ride." The boy started showing it off to someone watching him from outside of the ride, each time the carousel would turn around. He showed it off to his sister beside him and RGBisMe handed one over to her too with the same reminder that they weren't to keep but to toss as the ride slowed. Eventually the bell clanged and announcer asked that all ring holders throw their rings with, "one toss only." The noise of clattering rings made for cacophony with the band organ and we soon exited the ride as a happy boy hustled past us to his dad. As we walked past them he excitedly pointed to my husband and got even more animated in his chattering. RGBisMe then told me what all had happened behind my back. The boy was able to toss the ring back and it sailed directly into the lion's mouth.

Mucho fun reading tarot cards for folks as part of my Of Things Arcane personal travelers. More folks were enthusiastic about it than I thought would be and anyone who found it offensive must have just steered clear. A humorous thing to mention is that I have pretty good peripheral vision. I am able to note exactly who was so very engaged in watching/listening to me share my PTs yet never asked me for it although they had plenty of opportunity during other conversations we had. My sincerest apologies to those who requested this PT yet I did not get to give it, remind me next time you see me and you may draw twice.

I am a little afraid of when and where a photo of me and RGBisMe singing for a Camelot PT might appear. I love Arthurian legends but am sure that we are doing them some disservice or sacrilege with our butchered interpretation. Was it wrong we sang the pirate song PT to the same tune? uughhhh!


QUOTE from throughout the weekend (Please feel free to add more in the comments below):
"I am NOT going looking for more cooties, we have found enough." - parent to child
"I just can't seem to get drunk anymore." - sad lamentation heard about 1:30 AM
"I will NOT do interpretive dance for you." - no matter what was quoted on AQ
"You didn't carve those!? OH! I am sucking up to the wrong person then!" - quickly turned from person 1 to person 2 and never talked to person 1 again
"When I was a little boy, I had my picture taken in this very car. My wife wants to take a picture of me in it. Could you move to another car?" - to young girl sitting in Flyer car #1

Letterboxing Amusements

Knoebels Amusement Resort lured us to Cyclonic's 3rd annual gathering of letterboxers. We had a hard time getting all of our camping stuff out the door as our kitten thought he was going with us again this year. We reminded him how he gets all introverted around people lately, must take after me, and he allowed us to go. Because we were cat free we were looking forward to riding some rides and playing DDR at the arcade.

On route, RGBisME and I had a great time finding a couple of boxes near Montoursville. The first took us to a park we knew nothing about; the best kind of letterboxing experience is finding a new cool local place. The walk was decent and the history was very cool. The second box was a bit more remote and hidden near the great Loyalsock Trail. A hand carved stamp with a appropriate theme made us remark pleasantly. Being on the trail made us want to keep on hiking in our soul filling PA wood but our plans took us to Elysburg and beyond.

Just before reaching our destination, we saw a local church with a memorial Field of Flags that made us turn the car around and stop to recognize the loss of life that has occurred. The death of our many folks in the US military are recognized as individuals, one flag each. Seeing a number, a big number like 4,163 is never easy to visualize as a physical volume or presence but this memorial brought it home. The flags flapping freely in the breeze reminded me that just as many individuals, each someone's baby, was no longer able to move or live their lives. I am grateful that I am free to move and live.

Setting up camp was fun. It was so cool to use the big canvas BSA tent my Toolman Luke gave us. We brought so much stuff, even an extra tent. Having an electric hook up expanded the list of things we had brought along. We felt a little goofy stringing up purple lights but were glad when it got dark to have a way to clearly find our spot. A hammock was another thing that felt like a silly indulgence but between JBZfarm (our camping neighbors) and us, it got a lot of use.

A trip into Ashland with some of the others that were camping made for a nice change of venue. We took over a large table in the back of Devito's resturant where we enjoyed a good meal with Schizokeet, Cyclonic, JBZfarm, Pink Panther and Gerania. There was no local girl cat fight as entertainment this year but plenty of good food and conversation was had. Pink Panther treated us all by picking up the tab! A joyful and generous person, thank you Pink Panther I wish we had been able to visit more.

The event in the morning drew folks much farther than just central PA, I sometimes got confused as to where each letterboxer was from so apologize to Schizokeet whom I forgot was from VA not somewhere in NE. I plopped myself down in pretty much one spot to share exchanges and personal travels with many good letterboxers. A highlight of the morning was being reunited with my hiking stick. As was promised, Bibliochicks returned my stick which they has found on a long hike near Ithaca. Amazing coincidence that they found it, picked it up, and located me!

After sitting for so long, we were glad to be treated to some challenging letterboxes. Aweomse boxes planted for the day by JBZfarm, Cyclonic, Phynstar and Felix Felcis were hidden right in the park.

Cyclonic's event series of 4 came together to make an image that reflected the great times we had in the park that day. We will never forget the excitement of waiting and watching to see how each of the letterboxers in front of us jockeyed themselves in line to get the exact car on The Flyers ride to find one of the four event stamps. As we stood in the sunshine Lotus was the first we saw get into the correct car and she had her head down, stamping in, during a long time as the ride spun her car into the air. We minimized the time we would waste by having the ink we needed and log book ready to go, I didn't want to get sick looking down and stamping in the air.

Before the ride started with it's next group of passengers, the sky started to fill with a few clouds and a little breeze picked up to cool us off. We allowed the kids behind us to get go ahead so we would be first in line and have our choice of cars! Sheba and Phynstar had no problem getting into the only car that had the stamp. It looked like they stamped into both of their logs and got them packed away even before the ride started up! Excellent except... was that the sound of thunder? A few drops of rain started to fall as Sheba and Phynstar disembarked from the ride. Would the operator tell us The Flyers were closed for a while?

Even in the light rain the operator oened the gate to us! Thanks to being in front we made a bee line to the #1 car that was secretly monopolized time after time by an odd group of people who insistited on groping the seat of their car the moment they sat down. Near my knee I felt for the 1" x 1" stamp that had a magnetic strip on it's back and success! RGBiMe and I stamped into the framework of the main stamp we had stamped onto 3 separate cards. I had no idea if I was going to mess up stamping on the ride so I wanted a few tries, all three turned out really well. We packed the log away and settled in as the ride lifted us into the air.

We weren't sure if it was raining harder or if it was it that the ride pushed us onto the raindrops with more force. As the wind picked up and whipped the leaves on the trees around the ride, the screams of glee took on a more panicked sound. The skies opened up and we screamed as we were pelted with what could only be classified as stinging rain. I was glad the log books were packed away and I looked down to see the line for the ride clearing out a bit except for a few die hard boxers that were standing there drenched.

We exited the ride and the rain let up some. We stood with Diane von der Insel to watch as her husband Dave handed the operator his ticket for the next go round. Oh no! A little girl made it into car #1 but Dave walked on. From a distance, we watched as he stood and chatted with the girl for a few seconds. She calmly got out of car #1 and walked to another car! RGBisMe, Diane and I totally cracked up into laughter; only Dave could successfully and kindly talk a girl into moving to another car on the same ride. As it turned out, he had told the girl that when he was a small boy that someone had photographed him in that very car and that he was hoping that his wife could take a photo of him in the same car. Would she mind moving? Apparently she didn't mind. Dear Dave, the most disarming spinner of tales we know.

After finding some amazing carvings by JBZfarm and finally riding some rides just for fun. Our evening was filled with visiting at 2 different campfires. The big party had many letterboxers, old and new. The friendship and laughter shared at this campfire was peppered with great stories of good times, letterboxing and otherwise. RGBisMe were a little overwhelmed with some attention and interest we received. It is very amusing to have folks who have never logged any of your letterboxes come up and want to chat you up about your carvings. Personally, I am much more comfortable talking about any of my boxes as a whole experience but have no problem sharing carving and design techniques. I guess my comfort level also increases with smaller groups; quietly sharing a few good stories with the 4Rhines, Wanting Snow and crew, and/or JBZfarm at the campfire near our tent holds even warmer memories for me. Learning how PA Paddler can make some great french press camp coffee and flip a mean camp pancake capped off our very full weekend. Thank you to everyone who came together to make this event what is was.

Can You Keep a Secret?

Our good friends Mososo Kruppe pointed out that this past June 12, Gae Kane wrote an article about letterboxing for The Progress in Clearfield area. It featured a couple of letterboxes, one of which was ours. It shared photos of the boxes, stamps and locations of the boxes. We, nor the other box owners, Mososo Kruppe, were interviewed. I have a hunch she used one of our info sheets to gather some info on letterboxing history. Having, a year before, attempted one of our boxes that had gone missing, Gale left a message in a bottle for us in a place where she assumed the box was to have been. Mososo Kruppe found it and told us about it.

I am not sure where she got some of her ideas, some make me chuckle, others just scratch my head. I would share an online link to the article but I do not think one exists for this small newspaper. I will share the article with you by typing it out.

Clues lead to 'treasure' in Clearflied County
Shh... can you keep a secret? If you promise to keep this a secret, then I'll tell you about the tiny treasures hidden right here in our very own backyard. These treasures are part of what is called "Letterboxing." Devotees of letterboxing, which is the English version of orienteering, search for hundreds of thousands of small containers hidden all over the world.

"Letterboxers," who are part of a very discreet group of people, spend their evenings searching for clues and answers to questions posed by other letterboxers who have hidden tiny treasures in the most unlikely of spaces.

These treasure hunts are mental challenges that require the use of maps, compasses and finding solutions to clues, convoluted riddles or questions. The key to letterboxing is doing it without detection by the general population.

There are hundreds of boxes hidden all across this region. Each one of them has been created and placed by letterboxers. These treasure hunts go without any official sanction or governing organization; in fact, the whole idea grew spontaneously. Most of the letterboxes range in size from film canisters or pill bottles to small plastic containers.

Recently, Chris and Brad Waddell and their two daughters, Kelly and Heather, invited my granddaughter Molly and me to go along in search of these tiny treasures.

The first was in downtown Clearfield. While walking downtown, we discussed the rules; first, letterboxes are placed where it is safe to find them; second, and considered very important, nothing surrounding the letterbox is to be disturbed; third, letterboxers should remove any litter found along the way to the letterbox site; fourth, respect property ownership by avoiding doing any damage, sticking to paths and fastening gates; fifth, protect wildlife, plants and trees; and sixth, never remove a letterbox - always put it back where you found it for the next person.

The Waddells made it very clear that while searching no attention should be drawn to the activity... it's a secret, so please keep it that way. Letterboxes are usually so well hidden that you can pass by them for years and never see them.

Once in the general downtown area we discussed the clues, which were downloaded from Letterboxing.org, Now all we had to do was resolve the best possible answers for all of the questions. This is where a touch of area history and general knowledge of the town proved to be very important.

The first site we selected was not correct, so we reversed our steps. Once on the correct site the girls found the answer to the first clue and aligned their compasses to pace off the correct number of steps, eventually leading them to a letterbox.

This all sounds easy, however, the letterboxer had a few twists and turns in store for us before we actually found the box. In a couple of minutes after the discovery, we all settled down to stamp up.

Hidden inside the letterbox were a handmade rubber stamp and a notebook. Letterboxers always document their finds through unique rubbers stamp signatures in their personal logbooks and in the logbook within the letterbox. Each of these are dated, the hometown of the finder is noted, and usually first names are added.

During the inspection of the logbook, the girls found many were from the area, but an almost equal number were from the distant reaches.

The sun was shining and the Waddells had another letterbox for us to find hidden at S.B> Elliott State Park, so we moved on. The park proved to be an excellent place to search because the hiking trail was well marked and didn't require much more than a walk in the woods; plus we were alone for our search.

Its(sic) rather nice that letterboxers seldom cross paths, but they do keep in touch with each other through the logbooks and online. Being the first to find a newly posted letterbox carries with it high prestige. Most people who participate in letterboxing, orienteering, or geocaching have children who are participating, and generally take along picnic lunches.

Some of the letterboxes require some degree of physical fitness while others are accessible by those with physical considerations.

Letterboxes are generally posted online, but a few are by word-of-mouth only. The clues for these are circulated from one person to another. Letterboxes can also be "travelers" which are carried by people who are letterboxing. A moving letterbox is found inside another box and is then moved to the next letterbox visited, permitting the letterbox to travel around the world.

Letterboxing began in 1854 when an Englishman put his calling card in a bottle and left it in the English countryside. Other walkers quickly left cards and then began to add post cards that were mailed back to their owner detailing the find.

Geocaching is a rather new, but rapidly growing form of letterboxing the requires the use of Global Positioning System units. Today almost 70,000 caches are active around the world. The biggest difference in geocaching is that the finder takes something from the cache and leaves something behind describing what was taken and left in the logbook.

Going over a summer's logbook is fun on a cold winter day. Some letterboxers even frame the stamps they have collected or mount them in scrapbooks.

Letterboxing seems to give a sense of adventure, achievement, and satisfaction because it combines treasure hunting, hiking, orienteering, map reading, exploring, puzzle solving and creative expression in a very unique activity enjoyed around the world.

In Western Pennsylvania there are more than 125 letterboxes and more than 36 in the Clearfield County area.

Happy treasure hunting!




The full page with detailed photos of the boxes, locations and close ups of the stamp images also included a side bar highlighting:

Tools for Letterboxing
• Homemade rubber stamp
• Logbook
• Homemade rubber stamp
• Compass or Global Positioning System device
• Good shoes - sneakers or hiking boots if you plan to cover difficult ground
• Long pants
• Small first aid box with basics
• Insect repellant
• Water bottles
• Flashlight and stick to probe dark spaces before reaching in
• Binoculars
• Camera
• Picnic lunch

An August Month

We spent all of August visiting with our son. We took some road trips, ate out at Korean restaurants, and laughed together a lot. Picnicking at Alan Seeger Natural Area with Maga11 and Toolman Luke is an annual highlight. We joked around, cleaned up the stream and cooked over the fire. While Ravenboy went on a solo hike I got the stupid idea of moving all of our stuff to another picnic site. This included carrying the burning logs and coals to a new fire ring. Upon his return, Ravenboy's reaction was anticlimactic. "Why did you move?" and Toolman kept up a constant whine that the chipmunks were cuter at the old site. It was a lot of energy expended for a very little laugh.

Thinking of energy, it sure was nice to have some extra muscle around the house. Mowing the lawn can be drudgery in the middle of summer but it was a fun way to work out for Ravenboy. He was not happy that I took his picture but I did it anyway.




I had already blogged about a couple of outings with Dabralady but didn't mention that we went over to her camp in Poe Valley. Visiting with her mom, Marge, and Amish Punk was just like old times. A rustic theme again with the sitting around an open fire yet Marge offered us something we do not have at home. She had television and we watched the final "So You Think You Can Dance." We had never seen the show before but had heard that one of Ravenboy's former coworkers had a good chance of winning. We watched the lame dances and Danny Tidwell came in second. Danny had the best training but Ravenboy pointed out, "America loves an underdog." The winner had only been dancing for 4 years.

A trip over the mountain to play some badminton and croquet at Toolman Luke and Maga11's was a must. Badminton may seem like a cakewalk; playing a game where you bat a little birdie lightly over a net while the sun is kept off of the players with the parasols they hold in their non-racket hands. WRONG! We play killer olympic style badminton, regulation court dimensions with blistering fast volleys and carefully timed sleeping lobs that send the players diving head first into the lawn to try to keep from losing a point or their serve. I am still slowly recovering from a pulled muscle from my first ever badminton victory over Toolman Luke who had once beaten an olympic badminton champion.

One final indulgence was a trip to the local Grange Fair. As a family, we have enjoyed taking time to visit the live stock pens. Sometimes we would take sketch books with us since the animals there have to hold pretty still the way they are kept. It is bittersweet seeing the beautiful animals so close yet knowing they are there being sold for slaughter. We bought a pet rabbit once at the fair, she was a lovely rex named Hyznthlay.

Food is another theme of the Grange Fair. It is fun to walk through the displays of harvested produce, pies and canned items that are being judged. It is also hard to avoid grabbing a snack at some of the food venders. Fair food is not some of the healthiest stuff out there but splitting an order of fries 3 ways made me feel a little less lead filled. Carnival games flashed everywhere and I was able to talk Ravenboy into one game of Dance Dance Revolution. I almost did ok but my pulled muscle held me back, I think.

The month came to an end all too soon. We drove Ravenboy back to NYC on the first of September. We stopped near our typical halfway point to enjoy one last walk in nature and find a pleasant letterbox. My muscle was still hurting so I hobbled behind my two fellows and snapped some candid photos. The one I liked best though was our posed shot with the view behind us. It was a gorgeous view that reflected the great month I had.