Summer officially arrived sometime Friday evening soon after our Zeno's passports reflected another summer destination. Mososo Kruppe joined us to raise our glasses to the beginning of summer. We then walked the Barghest a while and got to bed early so we could meet Janila and Dogs with Wings for a little walk on Nittany Mountain.
The longest day of the year dawned and we found ourselves bright and early at the Nittany Mountain trail head. The ladies showed RGBisMe and me their laundry list of clues of what they hoped to find. I was shocked; they had clues solved to every letterbox (that I know of) on Nittany Mountain! This was going to be a substantial hike with quite a few stamping stops along the way.
It was early enough that next to no one was on the mountain except for us and the cicadas. We grew quiet as we climbed as the cicadas grew louder. We stopped at a few overlooks, found a few stamps and enjoyed each vista all the more as the morning have burnt off. The Crayola Posse sherpas provided the service of picking up anything that anyone dropped. Dogs with Wings wanted RGBisMe to tone up those abs.
About 4 miles into the hike we realized we were going to have to leave one box unfound if we were going to meet Mososo Kruppe for lunch. Even though Janila was sharing her tasty veggies with us, our bellies were growling for some good Otto's chow. In my typical fashion, I started reciting the menu that I was looking forward to. I don't think this made any one feel better but we got down off of the mountain straight away. I even let the woman with indigo boots escape and pass by us unharmed.
Lunch was great and the conversation was even better. The best part was seeing two different groups of friends from letterboxing get to meet each other and get along well. We shared personal travelers and letterboxing stories. It was well into the afternoon before went onto PSU campus for desert; Creamery Ice Cream and more letterboxes!
Campus was nearly deserted and I used Janila's camera to document something on the Nittany Lion which I had overlooked for over 30 years - it's a boy! I don't know if she will send me the photo but you can look for yourself next time you are near the statue.
We spent the evening walking with Mososo Kruppe, Barghest and our good friend Tom Cali. By the time I got home, my feet were like ground meat even though I had changed shoe and sock 3 times that day. My friends all have way more stamina than I do and I felt like and old tired turd.
The next day was just as beautiful. The weather was great and we called Janila to ask if we might join them. She gave me the big list of letterboxes they were going to look for and I suggested that we might all go looking for
Music Woman's
Peter's Unfortunate Adventure. I had RGBisMe read over the clues and had determined that our car had fine clearance for all of the roads that she had planted this local series on. It also would be on the same route that Dogs with Wings and
Janila had hoped to seek some mystery boxes they had painstakingly solved. I too had another box in mind I hoped to wipe off of my radar.
My day started off with another 2 - 3 mile hike and the feet were hurting right off. I was looking forward to seeing the mountains of central PA through the window of my vehicle for a bit.
Peter's Unfortunate Adventure was not exactly what I had imagined. The clues were sharp and accurate, the route chosen was the best available and the little jaunts to get each letterbox was just right to work out the kinks from sitting for a while. I think we all agree this series gets a high recommendation.
When you look back upon the beautiful stamps in your logbooks, you will have memories of some of the best sections of our PA woodland.
The evening wrapped up at Facia Luna for some pasta and calzones with Mososo Kruppe. We all chatted so easily with no pretense nor reason to try to impress each other. The 6 of us could have easily spent the evening talking if Barghest didn't need his walk or Janila and Dogs with Wings had to pack up and rest for their last day of
letterboxing in our area. The first weekend of summer was filled with many miles walked and some letterboxes visited with a few good friends.
The past couple of weekends are what I like about getting together with letterboxers; time to chat and share and be natural. I am coming to terms with my INFJ self and recognizing that I shouldn't have to feel guilty for not throwing myself into group situations that are horribly awkward and painful for me. It is only when I get together with smaller groups of trusted friends that I do not feel the need to apologize for most of the things I say and do. It feels great that I am not pushed to a point of panicking and am hopefully less misunderstood, defensive, reclusive or rude.
The coming of the Grange Fair means the end of summer and get read for the start of another school year. PSU students
have started making their way back onto campus and the first football game will be crowding the streets in less than a week.
It was a hot day but we stayed cool in the exhibit buildings and had fun winning little trinkets playing Skee-Ball. It wasn't the same as playing at an arcade or amusement park but the carnies open up different avenues of entertainment with trying to draw attention to their specific games.
Before a lot of the games opened for the day, we made our own fun with a few rounds of hacky sack. Eveyone pulled off a few good tricks and we entertained some of the campers in Punkintown for a short while.
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