Making of ABT Men 2007 Calendar

see if you can see Ravenboy at least 4 times

Happy Beltain

Sorry our annual picnic is a no go this year (first time in 20 years). I want to say I am thinking of you all dancing around our May Pole, getting the wishes you make as they are woven together with mine. Enjoy the images from last year's bash here. If you drop me a note, I'll make your wish on my May Pole for you. Sorry Raveboy, I probably cannot produce Jet Li again this year. ;)

R2: RUBBERMADE ROAD RALLY REDUX

CRAYOLA POSSE IN TRAINING FOR RUBBERMADE ROAD RALLY
Maga11 building endurance.


Maga11 adding the insentive of a Hitch Hiker


Maga11 goes the extra mile gladly for Douggerware®


RGBisMe pressing 100 lbs of Douggerware®


Toolman Luke searching the horizon for SPOR


Toolman Luke realizing the rock he was on was pretty suspicious


true indigo increasing her flexibility


true indigo with her eyes on the prize


As last year's first place team in the Rubbermade Road Rally, the Crayloa Posse urges you to sponsor them in supporting LBMA Giving Dogs Wings.

Your sponsorship of our posse (or any contribution) will help this couple focus on healing. Consider sponsoring us by the mile (average ~24 miles) by how many boxes we find (~10 boxes or more) or a flat contribution (link will be added as soon as possible).

Back our winning team, The Crayola Posse, and together we can support Dog's With Wings.

Workin' It

The Earth Day Triathlon is over so what could have true indigo so worked up? Is she building staying power for her geocaching boy-toy? Might she be gaining strength for planning and planting for a Poe's "Nevermore" gathering? Did RGBisMe make a snide comment on that extra falafel she ate? Stay tuned...

Spritz!

The weekend was looking like a bummer. True Indigo's nasty cold nixed any chance of making a surprise appearance at any of the local CITO's in the chilly and blustery weather. They were stuck inside, no geocaching, no letterboxing, no fun.

If they could, they typically would try to get far out of town during any of the big Penn State football events. This morning found them in the heart of Happy Valley with the excitement of the Blue & White game buzzing all around them and clogging the roadways. To top off the grumpy morning, they were out of milk for their morning tea and that would require braving the bustling tail-gaters doing last minute shopping.

RGBisMe opened the front door to brave the elements and masses as Spritz smiled up at him, "Wha...?" True indigo heard RGBisMe exclaim along with what she assumed was the sound of rain splattering into their flower garden. Spritz shook off a last few drops and asked, "Well, are you going to invite me in?"

"Where did you come from feller?" asked RGBisMe as he helped Sprtiz into the house, "Are you wearing True Indigo's bandana? Did she drop it on the trail last week?"

"No, mine is still in my backpack, his looks just like it. Isn't that strange!" exclaimed True Indigo. "Where are you from and what are you doing in our area?"

"Oh, just pissin' around," remarked Spritz as he refueled with water from the turtle tank. "I am hoping to make my mark in Happy Valley. Could you give me a lift to the Nittany Lion Shrine?"

The day wasn't nearly as glum for them anymore. Grabbing a box of Kleenex, a camera, and Spritz, the posse battled the pig-skin obsessed crowds across campus. They introduced Spritz to the Nittany Lion and hooked a little souvenir of the day onto his collar.

"Where would you like to go next buddy?" asked RGBisMe.

Proper Hiding Technique

RGBisMe demonstrates the proper technique for hiding a lettterbox.


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Twenty-five Mile Weekend

Nothing beats the scent of a freshly carved stamp in the Spring morning air!

Fire Tower atop Third Mountain near Dauphin.


A nice Easter Exchange with Music Woman, Lit Chick, Archaeobirder, RGBisMe & true idigo.

Ten Mile Weekend

Over the weekend, we covered about 10 miles of steep, rocky terrain. It was through a series of different hikes. Finding and planting letterboxes, mystery and otherwise.

Maga11 and Toolman Luke joined us for some of the miles and brought some sandwiches for all to enjoy. It got too chilly to picnic so we ate in the car. Maga11 took some photos so we have something to show for our sore quads.

Tribute to Jane Austen

We never thought we would ever be able to walk from Longbourn to Pemberley, let alone in a single day. The lure of Bucks Co. and the Jane Austen Series by Clueless made it all possible.

RGBisMe & I decided that the posting of Pride and Prejudice letterbox was enough enticement for us to make a 3+ hour trip to eastern PA. A perfect morning, our hike started at 9:30 am. We followed the clues without a hitch to the first of the Pride and Prejudice boxes. A quick bagel snack as we enjoyed the view and we were off to the next. The trail started to get busy just as we re-hid the second box. We loved the log books and stamps for both of these boxes. The First Finder's certificate made me start to cry; we were thrilled with the care and artisty put into it, little things mean a lot to us. It was at this point, we agreed to only seek boxes from this series so we could stay focused and make sure to get them all if we could.


As we drove to Emma, the skies began to darken. Donning rain coats, RGBisMe got our bearing and off we went onto the trail. We enjoyed one of the counties many land marks and walked on as it started to rain. By the time we reached where the clues refered to "Emma seated here with her parasol", it really let loose and we too opened our parasol so we didn't have to "hood" our PDA as much. We grabbed the Emma box and dashed all the way to the car to stamp up. Very cool stamp!

In another part of the state, Lightnin Bug, Tony Tony Chopper and Janila of Team Little Dog were boxing up a storm. Between planting and finding multiple letterboxes, they gave us a few calls via cell phone. They let us know that they were first finders for our Bowery Mission letterboxes and we were pleased to hear that they had enjoyed themselves.

Next was near a town we had been to this with Tracdc and wished we had time to again wander the groovy little shops. I should like to retire there and read tarot, poorly, to the masses. We had no problem following the clues to the Persuasion box and stamped up as we enjoyed the surroundings. We lunched in the car spooking around the area for a bit.

Jane Austen's box was next. Poor dear Jane had not been visited in almost a year! The last visitor had stamped in 4/24/05 but this box, like all we had found so far, was in great shape. What a charming stamp and great area.


We didn't always drive the most direct routes, we enjoyed a lot of the county. Using coordinates from geocaches that were in the somewhere in the same area helped us navigate to the some of the letterboxes but it wasn't always helpful. On the trail to find Masfield Park, we took a wrong turn at one point on the trails but got back on track after wandering a bit in a really neat area. We stumbled onto a place we recognized later in the clues then it took us no time to find the box. It too was dry and doing well.

Going for Northanger Abbey box was our biggest challenge of the day. We were getting a bit tired and silly as we acted out the clues along the trail. I gave RGBisMe a lot of grief because he was not properly reining his horse. The clues did not lead us wrong on our final box of the day. The blue lidded container was exactly where it should be but was sadly open and the log ruined. It was not muggled, but the container was not chewed, just opened and the log chewed up. No stamp was to be found or we could have just replaced the log with a new one. We gathered the entire remains and brought them home. We can barely read Hikers & Hound's last entry in September of last year so Clueless has decided it must totally be replaced.

We are sorry to share this bad news about the last box. We did have a wonderful time with the whole series and hope others can visit them soon also. We know it is not perfect form to hint where hitch hikers are but we were so pleased with our Mr. Darcy HH that we left in one of the boxes that we needed to share his photo.


We gave Janila a call as we were starting to drive home. It happened that she was stopped at a McDonald's ahead on our next turnpike exit. We pulled off and shared the highlights of our expeditions. Meeting up with her was icing on the cake of one great day.

Some City Guy

This guy kept showing up all day long as we went around NYC. First we saw him digging in the trash on E. 15th St.


Then we saw him on the subway with his girlfriend.


Finally, just as we were driving out of the city, we saw him one last time. "Who are you?" I shouted. "The name's Mathswee, mam. See you next time."

"... so I keep my pistol by me"

Fox Run Skunk Cabbage

Please take time to read about the importance of Riparian Zones. It will help you understand why we are asking that only one careful adult in your letterboxing group should go off trail for the final 11 steps to retrieve the letterbox. A very clear errant trail is being formed from the edge of the board walk and stops directly at the letterbox. If having the letterbox in this area continues to have such an impact, we will remove it.

This letterbox is located in a wonderful park.

A Day on the Trail

Nittany Mountain

I frequently hike Nittany Mountain and with students away on spring break, today was a perfect day to get back up there. I can tell that I have been sedentary for quite a bit, I had to stop many more times than when I am in shape.

It was worth the effort. Chipmunks are active and add to the awakening of the land. Hearing the mountainside crackle and thaw, birds of all types calling, and a gentle blush to the canopy of trees let's me know spring is not far away.

Italian for Beginners

true indigo, RGBisMe, Yugio & Ravenboy



What a wonderful weekend for my 44th birthday! RGBisme and I made a trip to NYC for a day of letterboxing all over the city. We were thrilled to find Lives to Dance, Hah-Cha-Cha as well as Patience and Fortitude. We later met up with Ravenboy and Yugio to tackle Italian for Beginners. Nothing beats stamping into a box with good friends over a hot cuppa.





Yugio checks out her second letterbox ever with Ravenboy



We were sad to find that 2 of our boxes had gone missing but that happens in an urban setting. We were happy to find that the 2 others we checked on were doing well and then we planted a new one.





RGBisMe takes a break from urban boxing



It was hard to say goodbye to Yugio & Ravenboy after they shared love, laughter and showered me with birthday gifts. RGBisMe and I managed to do a little boxing on our way to and from NYC. There is a fun road side series, Highways of Warren County, which we were just able to complete in the failing light on our way home.





is it this way?





my best shot at a mystery box

Fog

IN PLACE 6-17-07!!

Thank you flyboy

careful folks, this cat has a habit of running off!!!





The fog comes

on little cat feet.



It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg

Fog Lover Kitten-Cat

In loving memory of Fog Lover Kitten-Cat
November 1989 - February 14, 2006

Don't be dismayed at goodbyes.
A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.
And meeting again, after moments or lifetime,
is certain for those who are friends.
~Richard Bach

Snowy Owl

On top of a road sign on I99 near exit 78


On top of the street lamp on I99 near Bellefonte

Welcome Home

Welcome home Maga11!

After a day in Lewsitown Hospital, Maga11 has returned sans gall stones. We are glad things went well and got to watch the operation done right in the waiting room. An odd set up but it's a small town.

Our Life Lately

If you have been wondering why I haven't been doing much lately I think this link pretty much describes our life right now.

Wheel of the Year Turns but Again

Not sure what this next calendar year will bring but I am thankful for all of the friends I made and kept in 2005.

Health, Love and Friendship to you all!