Contributing to the Delinquency of a Boxing Buddy

We had a guest arrive a couple weeks ago, and we took him out with us on a picnic to the Dunbar Wine Cellars Park. I had carved a couple of stamps a couple weeks earlier, hoping to go on a picnic, but hubby had preferred yard work.... Anyway, we decided that a Sunday afternoon was a perfect time. I had found clues to two geocaches in the park because I still had a geocoin I needed to unload. We had KFC for our picnic, then we hit the trail in an attempt to find a geocache. We walked ALL over that park, with no luck. So, we got the clues out for the other one, and this one we found without too much trouble. I unloaded the coin, and I really don't care if I never do another one of these things. They are so much more trouble than letterboxes. Letterboxes are fun. Geocaches are frustrating. After that was accomplished, we then started scoping out the trails for good places to plant two letterboxes. We went way up on a hill to plant one, then the other was just off the trail by a unique tree. Overall, we had a very pleasant day and got our exercise in!

Anniversary Box

Well, April 27 was my 12th wedding anniversary. It may not sound like much, but I'm impressed. It doesn't seem like it's been 12 years already. Hubby and I spent our honeymoon at my family's cabin. My grandmother commented that she remembered me always saying that was where I wanted to spend my honeymoon, and it came true. The camp has always been special. I love that place. Growing up, I used to dream of living out there by myself, writing books. Seemed like the perfect writer's retreat ;) I loved getting out in the woods with my Dad. He'd take us fishing. We'd take walks. He'd tell us about the plants and trees he knew. It was a very special place. It was the only place we ever went on vacation to. We didn't mind. My friends at home were always talking about the beach, and I thought they were crazy. I'd take the woods any day. The beach doesn't interest me in the slightest.

Anyway, hubby and I like to go out to the camp each year for our anniversary. Well, this year Mom planned to open it up that weekend, and the last thing hubby wanted to do was spend our anniversary at camp with three other people. So I rented a cabin in Ansted, WV. It's just about 40 minutes from where we live. Hawk's Nest State Park is there, with trails, fishing, birds and spectacular views. The cabin was small, cozy, and it had a hot tub, which hubby and I had never experienced before. I carved a letterbox for the occasion, determined to plant it that weekend.

I tried to make a tee-time at the golf course for Friday morning because it was supposed to be storming on Saturday, but they were aerating the greens. Unfortunately that started my weekend in a funk. So Thursday morning we spent time at Walmart getting fishing gear. We don't get much chance to fish when our son is around. He needs constant supervision, then gets bored within 10 minutes and starts throwing rocks into the creek. So I long for the chance for just hubby and I to go fishing. We got out to the cabin at 4pm, checked in then went to the grocery store. We got hamburger helper and pork chops. Hubby hadn't had pork chops in awhile. We put things away, went out to Dairy Queen then came back and hubby wanted in the hot tub. Now, it was pretty hot outside and the cabin had been shut up when we got there. The owner brought out a little window air conditioner, but it still hadn't cooled down much. I didn't enjoy the hot tub too much that evening. Hubby woke me up at about 6:30 the next morning wanting to get in the hot tub again, and this time it wasn't bad. It was cool outside (not cold) and the water was warm (i had turned it down the night before.) We sat out there listening to the birds, and hubby saw a deer (I was too short to see from where I was sitting)

We got geared up for fishing and went out for breakfast. Then we drove to every little store between there and US 19 trying to find tackle for him. We brought his pole, but when we were shopping at Walmart he didn't think about what he would need to fish. Men! We ended up driving into Oak Hill to the Walmart there to get him fishing stuff. Well, he got two lures and a $40 pair of boots. At least I got two new pair of sandals ;) The pair I had was almost three years old and were not comfortable any more. On our way back we stopped at the New River Gorge bridge visitor's center. Saw a filmstrip, bought a couple books for educating our son about the wilderness, then walked across the street to the locally-owned gift shop and bought a pound of homemade fudge. Mmmmm....

We stopped at Subway on our way back to the cabin. It had been looking like rain. That blew over and we decided to walk around the property. The owners said that there was a creek out back. Well, outback and down the mountainside through heavy brush. We started down the hill and hit an old overgrown road. We walked down it for awhile, finding coyote scat, bear scat, and what looked like the coyote's den in some rocks. We also found what looked like an American Chestnut (two actually.) After our walk we went back to the cabin. I was bushed and not really interested in fishing any more. We changed, ate a little something, and went back out to Dairy Queen. The night before we both had banana splits. This night we both had the chocolate covered strawberry waffle bowl sundaes. I always ask them to put chocolate syrup on mine instead of the hot fudge. Eating chocolate flavored rubber just isn't one of my favorite things to do.

We watched alittle tv and then hubby wanted to get in the hot tub again. We didn't get to bed until almost midnight. Which made for a little bit of a late morning. We decided to go to the Park to find out how to get to a body of water to fish. I hadn't seen any access roads. Well, the first one we stopped at, there was a gift shop and we spent quite a bit of time in there. They had the neatest shirts. They were white with black design, but when you took them out into the daylight bright colors came out on the design. We had to get one for our son. We walked up to where the old museum was, then down the trail. Ended up walking the whole length of the Loop Trail, which I'd never known about even though I'd been there a dozen times! After that we went to the Lodge. Visited the gift shop and got hubby one of those glass block that have an image floating on the inside -- of the Marine Corps emblem. We got another one that had a bride and groom in it for me ;) We asked the lady how to get to the water, and she showed us on a trail map. Then we went out and walked the Lover's Leap trail. It was a very short one leading to an overlook. While there we scouted out a spot for the letterbox. We felt it was an appropriate spot for our anniversary letterbox. After this we went back to the cabin. I was hot and tired, and really didn't care about fishing any more. We ended up pulling the couch futon out and napping for a couple of hours. I fixed the pork chops for dinner. I wanted Dairy Queen again, but didn't feel like running out for it. We pretty much watched tv and turned in early.

Got up next morning, packed car, went to breakfast, stopped at Lover's Leap and planted the box. We were ready to get home and see our son. It was Sunday, and this was the actual day of our anniversary. On the way home, hubby said he wanted to take me out to the woods. He wanted to take our son out to the woods. He missed him. I suggested that we go to Kanawha State Forest that afternoon. He liked the idea. We got home, the rest of our family was already there (probably arrived within 30 minutes of each other) unloaded the car, packed an ice chest, nature books, bird book, fishing poles, and took off with our son. Stopped at the store to pick up hot dog stuff, and off the the forest we went.

When I got home I had notices telling me that my Devil's Backbone and Cranberry Glades boxes had been found three times that weekend. Hurray!

Making the Best of It

On March 11 my husband's mother passed away. This was something we had been expecting for the past two years, ever since she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Last September I had printed off clues for letterboxes in the area for just such an occasion. Going back for the funeral was an adventure in itself. We left early Wednesday morning, arriving at our hotel at about 6:30pm. We picked a hotel in the middle of nowhere, hubby not liking the city much, so we went ahead and ate there. I won't go into details, but from Thursday morning until the funeral things were a whirlwind -- family coming in from all directions, etc. Hubby forgot his suit so we made two separate trips into town to try to come up with something decent that didn't cost a fortune. Come Sunday, we were ready for some relaxation, so we headed out to go letterboxing. We went to Moon Lake Park, had a nice walk, found some wintergreen, and also the box hidden there. Interestingly enough, as we looked through the log book we found that two years earlier another boxer had sought out this box while he was home for a funeral too. After this we decided to try the Moconoqua Loop Trail boxes. There were three listed on this one. the clues weren't very clear, and the trail markings weren't clear either. We weren't sure which trail was the "beginning." We started on one end, but after awhile the clues just didn't fit with anything so we back tracked and started on the other trail. This one was practically mountain climbing. We looked and looked, but couldn't find the first box. When it started looking like the clues for the second box, we started looking for it, and found it without too much trouble. We went on to look for the third, but couldn't find it either. It started to snow, we probably only had an hour of day light left, so we gave up. We have to come back in July to close out accounts, so we'll have another chance.

We spent another day there, then headed back. We stopped at Hershey Park, but it was late in the day so we didn't hunt for the three boxes hidden there. The zoo was our priority. We spent the night at some friends' house, and then next day finished our trip home. We found two more boxes on the way -- the one at Sideling Hill and the one at the WV welcome rest area just across the border from Maryland.

Next time we go, hubby wants to plant several boxes in State Game Land 206 -- he grew up right on the border of this game land and spent most of his free time there. Lots of memories, and he wants to share them first with us, then with other letterboxers.

Valentine Letterboxing

Hubby had to go out of town for a conference with the National Guard the weekend after Valentine's Day. There was a banquet, so I was expected to go too. Not that I was upset over having an excuse to go out of town with hubby and have the weekend paid for ;) On our way home Sunday we finally went out to the WVU Arboretum where there were several micro boxes hidden. There were two that we couldn't find. The area was kind of damp and muddy. Just as we were finding the last two boxes, it started to drizzle. On the last box, it held the logbook for the whole series, so this one took a little longer to stamp into. Hubby pulled up his jacket over his head and then leaned over me to give me some shelter from the rain. I was okay with stamping in the rain, but it was a sweet gesture. He then commented that the view was lovely out there, and I absent-mindedly agreed, intent on my stamping, but something in his voice called me to look up and I realized he wasn't talking about the outdoors! I had forgotten I was wearing a low and loose top ;) All around, it was a nice weekend -- after the banquet. Up til then hubby was busy. We didn't have anything to do on Sunday, so we got to sleep in and actually enjoy being at a hotel. Nice breakfast at the hotel. We had a leisure drive home after the trip to the arboretum.

The Future of WV Letterboxing

I would really like to get a Letterboxing group started in WV. It would be nice to try to get things organized and try to really blanket WV with boxes. There are areas of WV that abound with boxes, but then there are areas that have nothing. I'm in an area where there is very little. It's not much fun to plant 100 boxes in an area and there is nothing for me to find! I am thinking about venturing out to the Eastern Panhandle during spring break and getting a bunch of boxes. maybe meet some more boxers along the way.... But, there is very little activity in WV, and I don't know of many boxers. I think I know of five. We'll wait and see.

Cooties!

Yes, I was got. Not just once, but twice, and evidently by the same person! I listed my cootie finds on AQ. The sad thing is that they might be hanging out here for awhile. I could pawn them off on a friend, but she never goes to meets so she'd be stuck with it forever, or be forced to slip it back on me at some point. Gotta figure out how to move these puppies....

Our First Meet!

Well, it's over! I was stressing out last week, but things went off just fine. Wednesday I had to set myself down and get to carving, because I didn't want my nightmare to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I got the event stamp carved. I wasn't sure how it would go over. I thought it was cute, but not having seen many event stamps except the one in The Letterboxer's Companion that was quite intricate, didn't now what others would think. Being a quiet, shy person, I didn't "interupt" all the conversation and do drawings like I had planned. Everyone seemed to be having enough fun just chatting and getting to know each other. WVBigBeard is a hoot and can keep you entertained for hours. I enjoyed hearing about his adventures, some of which I could relate to, but he told much better! I didn't my Mom's book stamped, but hey, I had enough to think about, making sure my son got his stamping done and my own. I'm trying not to encourage her "stamping by proxy" habit!

We got there probably an hour and a half early, and I went out to hide a bonus box. I tried to think of good clues that weren't real hard but didn't give it away either. Safari Man eventually went to locate the Library box, then the bonus box. He came back saying they looked everywhere they could think of but couldn't find it. I thought for a moment, did I make it too hard? About that time PioneerSpirit walked by the door and Safari Man turned to ask him if he found it and said "He's smiling, he found it!" and they went out again. I saw the stamp in his logbook later so I know he did eventually find it :) I sent my brother out later with the clues to see if he could find it, and he did say he didn't find it right off because when he went downstairs he said to himself "nah, that's too easy" and looked around some but then did find it where he didn't think it could be. But, my brother really isn't a good judge of clues because we think too much alike anyway ;)

It was nice to hear from Zandra that she appreciated my stamps I had carved at the boxes I have on the Midland Trail. I thought they were nice, but nothing spectacular, but it feels good to know that when someone else finds my box they are pleased with the stamp they find inside.

I did feel a little disappointed that I didn't do the prize drawings, more because I was afraid that others might be disappointed about it. Of course, I couldn't find out whether our groundhog had seen his shadow until this morning, so I will be getting those prizes out in the mail this week. But overall, I was pleased because it was so nice meeting such great people!

Mini-Meet Nightmare

I had a dream last night that it was the day of the mini-meet and while setting up I realized I never carved the event stamp. Ooops! I'd better get to work this week :) I have two more stamps to carve for two more postals I signed up for, then I really got to commit to the meet.

What is Letterboxing?

There has been some discussion and dissention lately on talk lists and in blogs about what activities are acceptable letterboxing and which aren't. This is the main reason I don't pay a lot of attention to what goes on on the main talk list. There are a lot of letterboxing snobs on that list who seem like they'd just as soon lynch me than make an exchange if we ever met on the trail. They want everyone to letterbox just like they do, and they don't care to take the time to try to understand where we are coming from or consider that we might have circumstances that lead us to approach it in a different way. If they want to make a 10 commandments list of letterboxing and become the letterboxing pharisees, then they should make their own list, create their exclusive club and leave us alone. If they don't like what the majority is doing, leave! I don't see where anyone who is involved with letterboxing trading cards or postals is shoving their interests down these guys' throats. As for postals not being letterboxes, well, they are -- they are just a different kind of letterbox. I like postals because it is a way to enjoy letterboxes during the winter when I can't get out and find boxes on my own. It also gives me the opportunity to enjoy a letterbox by someone I would probably otherwise never get to meet or find a box by them. But this is the main reason we have talk lists for these interests. Occasionally a postal may get mentioned on the main list, but it isn't often. As for criticizing AQ for including all these other interests, well, they are just providing a forum for the majority. If there are people who don't like it, they don't have to use it. If it majorly irks them, they can go off and make their own site and run it the way they want it run. Life is too short to be griping and judging other people -- especially when it isn't your place to do so. If you feel the need to criticize, just put your pack on and go take a hike!

Event Stamp Challenge

I am having an awful time coming up with an idea/design for an event stamp. It's really starting to stress me out. This is the "big" item for an event! ugh.... It doesn't help that hubby and ds are underfoot. Dh has vacation this week, and ds has had school cancelled the past two days due to weather (yes, WVians are wimps when it comes to snow, at least those in Charleston) I haven't ventured out to the post office to mail out the groundhog day ballot or two postals that need to go back to their owners. Hopefully tomorrow....

Groundhog Day Ballot

I changed my idea about the ballot just a little bit. I had intended for the people who attend the meet to vote AT the meet, but then I found out that February 2 is actually groundhog day, and by the time we are at the meet the little guy will have made his forecast. SO, I've turned the ballot into a postal. Those attending the meet can sign up to have to postal sent to them, they choose the groundhog or the shadow stamp, stamp the postcard included with their vote, mail the vote to me and mail the postal on to the next person. Of course, the ballot is listed on AQ so it can be claimed. I only have one participant signed up for the postal, and one person in NC has asked to receive the postal. Since it doesn't seem to be 'in demand' I'll send it to that person anyway. If more attendees sign up, though, they will go to the top of the list.

I am so glad that Christmas is over. I just was not in the mood this year. Majorly stressed out. I've never been stressed at Christmas. But I just had too many demands on me this year. I felt like I was being pulled from all directions. I need a vacation!

Hosting My First Meet

I have never attended a meet before, though I've wanted to. They've just been too far away or at a bad time for me. So, I decided to hold my own. It is going to be February 2, The Groundhog Day Mini-Meet. I wanted something a little out of the ordinary. I'm working on an event stamp. I also want to plant some new boxes in the area. I'd like to have a game, but I haven't thought of anything yet. I've been told, though, not to bother with activities, etc. because everyone will be too busy stamping in to really care about that other stuff. I would like to do something, though, centered around the groundhog. I think I'm going to carve two stamps -- one with a shadow and one without, and have them cast their "votes" as to whether the little fellow will see his shadow or not. Those who guess right will get a prize. But so far that is the only creative idea I've come up with. I have nine signed up so far. I hope a few more will rsvp in the next couple of weeks, but nine is a good start.

Cross-Boxing

For Thanksgiving we went to the cabin. While there I planted a bonus box near one I had planted earlier in the year. A bonus box is another box hidden in the area of another and the clue for this box can only be found in another box. We'll see how it goes. This has been my most popular plant so far.

On our way home we stopped at the Nature Center to get the box that had been planted just a couple months before. Hubby and I had found it when we went out to the cabin by ourselves at the end of September. I didn't have my logbook with me, or any of my boxing gear, so I wanted to go back, stamp it in red as it needed to be (it was a cardinal) and let our son get the stamp too. Well, the box was gone. We are going to try again in the spring just to make sure it was missing and not just us not giving a thorough search because of the snow ;)

When we were just half and hour from home we stopped by Kanawha Falls to stretch our legs and look around. For some time I had thought that this would be a nice place for a box. So I wondered off toward the wooded area. I saw a tree that had a broken limb that had hollowed out. I thought that might be a good place. As I walked around the tree I saw another hollow space, and as I saw it thought that it might actually go all the way through to that limb. So I stepped forward and peeked in, and there was a geocache! Ugh! I had toyed with the idea of geocaching at one point, because when I started letterboxing there were hardly any boxes in my area, but there were oodles of geocaches. Well, I did find a couple, but it just wasn't the same thing. Since then, I have also seen where geocachers have come across letterboxes in their hunt and haven't treated letterboxes very well. There have been some that have been very respectful. I can't say that it is very different even in the letterboxing community (sadly.)

But, I looked for another spot, and think I've found one. So now to just carve a stamp....

Updating

Well, I've received all the postals in the newbie ring I was in, and sent the last ones on to the next recipients today. I am starting my own postal ring called Four Seasons: Autumn. I'm carving an acorn. I'm also carving a new sig stamp. I need to catch up with all my boxing buddies. I'll be pulling some in, I have too many running around -- it's hard to keep up. Sarge will be coming home after this next host. After this current host for Rupert I'm bringing him back and telling my mother that she is going to have to handle hosts for him from now on if she wants him to have any more travels. Doyle is my favorite, though I'm fond of Tweeter and Farley. I want Doyle to travel the globe.

I am really looking foward to going to the cabin for Thanksgiving. It's been a bit stressful around here lately.

Not Much Going On....

It's been awhile since I posted, but not much has been happening. Last week we started planning on going camping this weekend, but it was calling for rain, etc. and we just couldn't get things pulled together. I still want to go camping. It's a little chilly, but I love the fall. I love the cooler weather. I guess it's the Scot in my blood ;) That and I was born at the end of November. I guess it's inevitable that I love the Autumn.

I'm in a newbie postal ring. I really want to get into postals, but haven't caught on to the signing up idea on AQ. Hardly anyone posts postals to the list any more. Some didn't interest me, others interested me but I couldn't answer the "fielding" question to qualify. Maybe I will have to start my own ring. But, I don't know how to set it up on AQ. Too much technology for me.

Tweeter, Sarge and Rupert are supposed to be headed to new hosts. Tweeter has arrived at his safely. Haven't heard about Sarge or Rupert yet. Someone has requested another boxing buddy, so I have offered the three I have here at home who have never gone out yet -- 3M, Sleepy Sheep and Hoshi.

I need to do some carving. It's been so long. I still have a sig stamp to carve for a friend of mine. I also found an image that would be great for his wife. It irks me that they are using store bought stamps. Since they are not artistically inclined, I have to help out. I did make the friend a micro stamp. I just need to do one for his wife too. I might do that one first.

Maybe this winter I will devote myself to carving and getting boxes ready to place. I'd love to have a "spring fling" at a local park with several letterboxes hidden. We'll see what happens....

Scrapboxing

Hee hee. That's what you call creating a scrapbook about your letterboxing adventures ;) About eight years ago I did some scrapbooking, was even a consultant for a major scrapbooking company, but when I moved I didn't pursue it. My boxing buddy, Farley, has such a wonderful host right now, sending great pictures and entertaining anecdotes, that I just had to put them in a scrapbook. So now I've been bitten by the bug again. It's probably a good thing, because I have inherited all my grandmother's scrapbooks and they really need to be redone. Now that we know about such things as acid, lignin, etc. But, it will be a big undertaking. But it would be best to do it while there are still a couple of people around to ask questions.

Tonight we are going over to our friends' house for dinner and a little handyman help. Now that they are letterboxers, maybe we can do an exchange!

Farley in Touch

I just heard from YT. They are back from Scotland, a little disappointed in the boxing department, but she had lovely photos to share. I will be adding them to his scrapbook and more info as I get it. I've also started a scrapbook for our family letterboxing adventures.

I had a rather disappointing weekend, and am very tired today. Hoping to relax, but we are visiting the cemetary and then this evening I have two meetings with the community center. Tomorrow, though, I might get to attend something interesting....

I need to start planning some more local boxes to plant, and also I want to hold a Spring Fling boxing event for April, so I need to plan that....

Not Much Going On

Haven't done much letterboxing lately. Hubby and I went away for a week, but I didn't take my stuff with me. I don't think hubby really wanted me to. Of course, after getting out there I discovered that a new box had been planted in the area. We visited it anyway, and I just put a fingerprint in it for now. It is a cardinal, so I will have to take a red stamp next time. Yesterday we planted to more boxes. Yeah! One at Cranberry Glades and one at the North Bend Picnic Ground in the Monongahela National Forest. That was fun.

Now I am putting together a scrapbook for by boxing buddy, Farley. He has some great pictures from YT. Haven't heard from them in awhile, but last I heard they were headed to Scotland. I can't wait to hear about their adventures.

Take Me Away!

I've been stressing out for the past couple of months, and last week I had a melt-down on hubby. So, we've decided to run away for a week. We'll be leaving Tuesday afternoon and hiding away in the woods. I am REALLY looking forward to it. There are two boxes I want to plant along the way, and one I need to check on -- it's had several visitors in the past month. I want to take lots of pictures in Marlinton and spend my winter carving to place boxes there next spring. Hubby is looking forward to the cooler weather and being able to use the pellet stove. I can't wait!

LaDiva

(As reported by MinPinLovers)

La Diva was joined by Boxing Buddy Mango Bear and WebKinz Exchange Mariachi and we've been busy! Exchanges were done all around and introductions to our MinPin Mickey were made :) We planted a series called New York Is Charming and replaced a box and log that had gone missing. Another letterboxer found the stamp and returned it to me!!! We're heading out this afternoon to do some boxing in Ballston Spa. Enjoying our visit. Pics below. MinPin Lovers
First picture is our MinPin Mickey with the gang protecting our street.Second is a picture of the group exchanging and lastly is the planting spot for the first box in the series.