Scotia's Scary Secrets

This past June, letterboxers from all over Pennsylvania were solicited by the Crayola Posse for stamps representing their secret fears. As of yesterday the fears are no longer a secret!

In August, an invitation went out through the Central PA Letterboxing yahoo group to attend Scotia's Scary Secrets to debut 24 letterboxes planted in Scotia Barrens. Scotia is one of Andrew Carnegie's legacies, this area's very own mining ghost town.

Thirty letterboxers from all around Central PA came to Scotia on a day that was made for us. A huge deluge the day before made sure the wetland areas were not just dried pits.

Wood ducks, deer and beaver all made appearances that morning according to JFA, RRA, KEA and jbzfarm.

Early birds came to Scotia and started out onto the trails in the golden morning light. RGBisMe and I had arrived just at day break to put in place a dozen letterboxes just for the day. Scotia's Scary Pumpkins worked as sign posts for the many unmarked trails in this section of State Game Lands 176. They hung from trees so that kids and adults alike could have a quick check of where they were on the maps we made of the area.

At noon the event was in fill swing and those who were inclined to dress for the event had their costumes paraded and judged. Not everyone was in the group shot. The Bloomies, jbzfarm, Aquinna, Team GeeZee and JFA, RRA, KEA were on the trails at this time.Mososo Kruppe, true indigo & RGBisMe of the Crayola Posse kneeling with the Barghest, feralgyrl, Archaeobirder, D-Ant/D-Superfly, Gratefulmorte, HolyCowboys, Angrist, The Booshmen, Wanting Snow, XS Baggage, Maga11, Ms Beachys kneeling with Max, Puddleby, Stonefly standing above Fiona & The Cookie Monster

The head quarters at Hecate's Crossroad was never dull. There was always someone stopping by to either exchange wtih those who were around, check in before heading down another trail or to just sit down for a while. Maga11's cootie catcher made sure that no cootie was tossed unwanted into the abyss. Gratefulmorte of the HolyCowboys and XS Baggage shared some tasty snacks along side of the doughnuts Maga11 brought to go with the early morning coffee. The Crayola Posse spent most of our time there making sure everyone had the clues they needed and informed other hikers, geocachers and horse back riders of what we were doing. Occasionally we would take a spin on our bikes to check on letterboxers who had been on the trail for a while. I tried to remember to take water along to offer and to make sure the clues were clear enough. From what I could tell, no one had any problems with the map or clues.

As the day wound down everyone returned from hiking the trails, a few last exchanges and stamping of personal travelers wrapped up. Generous donations of time and resources were given and we want everyone to know how grateful the Crayola Posse is for your time and funds. An event like this could not have happened without everyone who came together yesterday. Thank you all for being a part of it.

Clues to the letterboxes planted for this event will be posted sometime after October 31. We know you will enjoy them as much as we have.

Neato!

What could be better than an awesome veggie burrito? Eating it with a bunch of letterboxers and getting a stamp for it! A few little obstacles jumped in the way of our making it to New Cumberland but we dodged them left and right. Snowfall that was not scheduled to arrive until much later in the evening made an appearance and asked to be noticed about the time we went out the door. RGBisMe and I could not be deterred. We had to pick up Maga11 and DaBraLady and we had to finally get a wedding gift into the hands of Archaeobirder and LitChcik.
We got on the road after picking up the ladies and the snow cleared up in time for us to get a good look at an eagle's nest along the Juniata River. No one was home as far as we could see but it was obviously a nest of a few years in the making. It was so big!

We made a stop in Dauphin to find 4Rhine's Torchlight letterbox. After choosing the wrong road to explore we reoriented and set out on foot to find this little gem. It was cold but no new snow was on the ground so the four of us had no problem walking the letterbox back to stamp up in the warm car. It was so much fun to sit and chat about letterboxing with Maga11 and DaBraLady. We know that they usually think we are crazy for the amount of time and effort we put into this hobby so having them along for the hunt was very special for us.

The next stop was Cucumber Land. RGBisMe and I had put this letterbox out a few weeks prior to the event but Maga11 and DaBraLady wanted a chance to find it. It was so much fun to watch them out on one of their first hunts without us seeking with them. As we got closer to the box, we ran into the 4Rhines! Hugs and handshakes were shared and RGBisMe and I stood and chatted with them as Maga11 and DaBraLady continued on to the box. We told Fiona how much we had enjoyed finding Torchlight and that it was in very good shape.

As we caught up with the 4Rhines, we realized that we could see Maga11 and DaBraLady had veered off course from where we had hidden the box. It hadn't been so very long but Stonefly asked me a good question, "How long do you let someone look in the wrong place?" We started to discuss this and I decided that it was only cruel to let them stumble in the cold. I took a step to tell them to walk a bit more to their left when I saw that they had found it. Excellent! Nothing feels better than a success without someone hand holding you to the letterbox. They did just fine and didn't wander around anymore than we would have if we hadn't know exactly where it was.

Off to Neato Burrito where I ate half of a wonderful black bean burrito with salsa verde. We took the no utensils challenge but shocked the restaurant staff when we sent back the plastic fork and knife they served with our burritos. What was the good of giving us forks and knives that we would just throw in the garbage unused?! We saved wasting them on us; we don't need no stinkin' utensils!

The next few hours were spent in a blur. We gave Archaeobirder his belated wedding gift and many people kept thinking that it was some type of special letterbox. I was happy to get to meet Catlady8 and the Big Bad Wolfes but I never got to visit with many other friends. I had made it a point to watch "O Brother Where art Thou" the night before just to sit and discuss it with Indigo Vulture but all I managed to do was wish him a safe trip home. I spent about the same amount of time chatting with Pink Panther and Lotus, and even less with others. There just is never enough time.

Through all of this I never even sat with Maga11 nor DaBralady. It was near the end of the afternoon I checked in with DaBraLady whose eyes had glazed over a bit. Oh my, to be a new comer at a letterboxing get together is even more overwhelming and I had forgotten. We said our good byes and shared stories on the way home in the car. Having not spent much time together at the restaurant allowed us totally different interactions. It was fun hearing what each other had experienced during our time but feet from each other.

Thank you Hunter Jumper and PA Paddler for coordinating this mini meet and the wonderful event stamps. An indoor get together is just what was called for in central PA at this time of year. Burritos and Other Delights can be viewed at this link. Please add to this album if you took any at the Neato Burrito mini meet or on your trip to it.

Knoebels Gathering

see more photos at this link

Cyclonic's gathering at Knoebels was a perfect blend of great folks, laughter, and well thought out letterboxes. Blessings of the International Weather Workers were upon even those of us who camped the night before.

Nothing beats a meal with Janila when there is a letterbox for desert. We stamped up at Team Little Dog's "Piece of Pizza" before we set up camping at Knoebels. Cyclonic, his sister EB, Sewsowbusy, and Hikers & Hounds were the perfect hosts on the Hawaii section of the campground. They shared their canopy and showed us a preview of the most imaginative event stamp ever. Cyclonic's 4 color image creatively used a registration frame to bring the four stamps into alignment. Judy required extra "spirit" for hers to come together.

Bright and early Saturday morning, the boxers started meeting at pavilion Q. We were happy to see Lightinin Bug again and finally get to meet Star Wars Lego Boy. They brought some fun event only boxes and we were thrilled to eventually find their "World's Largest" letterbox. JBZfarm came soon after with Rainbow Girl bearing homemade cards and gifts for many and PA Paddler sharing cookies and a beautiful event stamp! It was fun watching them find the many nearby event boxes. I will never forget Hunter/Jumper asking her daughter, "Where are you *getting* all of these?" as they stamped into Janila's perfectly carved "Whitman's" table box.

The "Feedin Frenzy" was in full swing at no time at all. So many new faces for us! We were thrilled to meet Phynstar (whom we later tortured with a ride on the Phoenix), the gracious Charmed1, Teddy Bear and Flutter Bye. The von der Insels (Dave & Diane) came from Rhode Island and we had a chance to meet Anne of Green Gables, Gerania and later Lotus and crew. It was wonderful to again to see Sprite, Sheba and Death Moose.

It was a perfect day in the park but I was glad to have come many times before because there wasn't enough time to enjoy all of the rides. There were people to chat with and letterboxes to explore. We are glad we took time to be a part of the caravan that took Cyclonic's Covered Bridge Tour; a series of 6 local covered bridges situated in some of the best central PA landscape. Cyclonic made sure his directions led us to view each bridge at it's very best. In the end, we came away with yet another print of a master carving and an experience that shared a slice of this area's history.

I can't think of how things could have gotten any better except for having more time to visit before we had to drive back home. Thank you Cyclonic for the energy you put into making an event where we have gained new friends and warm memories.

Rubbermade Road Rally

Look what is currently adorning the center of our drawing table! Did Team Evil drop it on the way to their car? Nope, we actually came away with this smart little trinket this past Saturday from the Rubbermade Road Rally.

RGBisMe & I were lucky enough to be able to register to enter at pretty much the last second. Because of this, we had to scramble and get everything we needed together very quickly. We didn't have any specific maps of the area and had never been there before. Any other road rally we had every heard of sounded like you needed to rely on knowing the local land marks and decrypting where they might be. So we went into it with the idea that we were not going to have a chance at placing but we would have fun!

Rain was the theme of the day, thank goodness the temperature was not too low. We pulled into the parking lot and quickly hid a letterbox for the Rally Master and crew to find if they had any quiet moments. Us newbies were really nervous meeting all of the LbMA letterboxing icons. We shouldn't have stressed, LightninBug, Cyclonic ( both of Team Evil) as well as the Rally Master himself ( Natty Bumppo) made us feel very welcome the moment we introduced ourselves. Soon after came the Red Hat Boxers ( sewsowbizzy and Irene of Hikers & Hounds) and they were equally as warm and pleasant to meet.

You would think I would relax and enjoy the company but our post time being the 3rd of the morning kept me on edge. We watched Team Evil splash away as Janila and Billy Boy of Team Little Dog came in. I had written to Jan a few time so it was a pleasure to meet her. They didn't get to stick around long before they too got their clues and were off into the down pour.

I barely remember saying anything to Whisper Foot and Midnight Boxer of the Compressed Air Junkies when they came in but made a point to note their faces. "That's who will be passing our sorry butts in no time," I thought. *Gulp*, we were next. I was determined to watch the speedometer so we would not speed nor go under the judge's official run time. I was dreading what kind of clues were in those envelopes the Rally Master was handing to the teams as they left. Might it say something like, "make a left at the place where the 7th PA governor was born"? Sheesh, I was sure we were going to run a close race to last. It was lightly raining as the Rally Master gave us a friendly smile along with our clues and wished us well. We were off.

I ripped into the envelope. The directions were totally clear! Left on this road, go so far, right onto that road!! "We can DO this I shouted!" RGBisMe smiled and said, "Which way?" We followed the directions to the first park without a hitch and were the only car in the lot. We took many paces across a very wet grassy area until we spied the bridge in the clue then ran to the blazed trail. We kept running until the 2nd blaze after the second right fork. Zip zoom, got it!! Umbrella up to stamp in. Jeep by May Day Lillies. Ooooo! There is a bonus box nearby. "Leave it!" I snapped, RGB says, "But it's just right here." Ok, ok, we got that too. RUN!! Back to the car

Well so much for reading the directions perfectly. We pulled out of the park and went the wrong way so we carefully corrected our mistake and we on to the next park. We were almost there when we were sure we made a mistake. We were to drive .2 mile farther but the road was gated. Did we go the wrong way? Should we turn around and check? Just at that time Team Little Dog pulled up behind us and we both agreed that it should be down that road. I thought we should start walking just as someone pulled up and opened the gate. We waved Team Little Dog on through and pretty much found the box, Hummer by LightninBug and stamped up with them. We waved Team Little Dog ahead as we re-hid the box. "That's the last we will see of them," I knew.

Nope, we were all reunited at the 3rd box, and went down the path to the 4th together. Both of these stamps, My Dream and My Reality were both carved by none other than Janila herself. Oooo! There was another bonus box. Jan decided to decline searching for it and we thought we would go for it since we saw we hadn't been passed yet. We then ran back to the car and Team Little Dog was long gone. Shoot, we got really turned around because the names of the roads suddenly didn't seem to make any sense. Coming in they were different that going out but they were THE SAME ROADS. Oh well, we went for what seemed reasonable and it soon worked itself out.

We knew we lost some time making it to the 5th box because Team Little Dog was no where in sight. We parked in the lot and ran like mad following the directions to the box. I was sure that Compressed Air Junkies would show up at anytime but we carefully got out our umbrella as we stamped into the first part of the very clever Tell Tail Lites by sewsowbizzy . There was a tempting clue in this box but we really felt pressed for time. "Leave it, we gotta go." We left it, re-hid it and started back. Way down the trail coming our way was one of the Compressed Air Junkies . At least we were done stamping up... wait! It wasn't Whisper Foot , it was Team Little Dog ! AW!! We talked as we passed and they had gotten turned around too. I asked if it was ok if we went ahead and they said to do so.

Off we go to box #6. The rain was off and on the whole way so we stamped up into Peugot 206 carved by Carvin Carmen of Hikers & Hounds while sitting in the car and left just as Team Little Dog arrived. The way to box #7 was long and the roads shifted around in a crazy way. The clues to find this box were a lot of fun and I was carefully reading my compass, counting my paces while RGBisMe was double checking everything and also noting which way other muddy foot prints had preceded us. We stamped into the beautifully carved The Flying Lady by Scarab of The Doubtful Guests near the building that allowed us to avoid the rain and made it back again just as Team Little Dog pulled in.

I kept a careful eye on our speed as we navigated our way back to the pavilion. "After we park, we need to run and stamp in as quickly as possible so we don't get in the way of Team Little Dog . Wow! It really started to rain as we got back. We got in, asked for the final box, the second part of Tell Tail Lites by sewsowbizzy , and finished up.

I was exhausted. I could have taken a nap. It turns out the real fun was just starting. We exchanged stamps and stories with all of the boxers that we had heard so much about. The fire and the conversation was delightful all afternoon. Teams came and went and we rooted them on. It was fun to greet the teams who had departed while we were already out on the road. We would cheer for their arrival, watch them stamp into the final box, and after they were warmed up and had a bite to eat we would follow the lead of Team Evil and line up to exchange stamps with them. Some folks went BACK out into the pouring rain to find some of the boxes that were in the park. I was too overwhelmed with everything else so I just sat around and took it all in. What a great group of people!

I felt badly when I heard some teams were having car problems and some stamps got switched. I though, "That could have been us." Everything seemed to be under control and no one was needing extra help. Two teams didn't show up at all because of the rain but finally the last of the 11 teams arrived safely back to the park. Rally Master did his figuring and tallied the times with his magic formula of merits and demerits. When all was said and done, an unbelievable number of goodies were awarded and we ended up with the 1st place trophy!

RGBisMe and I gabbed about it the whole 4 hour drive home. We couldn't believe it. How had we ever pulled that off? We didn't break the speed limits, we didn't cheat. Was it the Central PA geocaching Scavenger Hunt we had entered before that had readied us? We decided that we had 20 years experience in cooperating as driver and navigator that was our strongest point. It gave us just one more thing to add to our ever broadening smiles as we drove home that night.