Well, last Saturday evening I got a call from my friends who I just introduced to letterboxing blaming me for them blowing almost $200 on new tires. They were just kidding, though. They started out Saturday morning to find some letterboxes on their own about an hour and a half away, and halfway there ended up on the side of the road with a flat tire. Someone stopped to help them (I assume they put the donut on the car) and they went to Walmart where they discovered another tire with wires poking out, so had to replace two rather than just one. Their air conditioning wasn't working, so they found about 2 boxes and called it a day. We are planning to head back out that way to help them look for the boxes they couldn't find when it gets a bit cooler.
Yesterday I was in the area of Hurricane, and there is a new box in a park there, so I swung by to find it. This was the first letterbox I looked for and found all by myself. I usually at least have hubby, if not ds as well, with me.
I had hoped we would get to go to the cabin this weekend, but hubby has to work and also next weekend. Two and a half weeks from now is hubby's birthday, and I can't figure out what to do for it that will be special. I have an idea for a perfect gift, but I really need a vacation and need to get away for a weekend at least. We have a new tent, so I'm hoping we can at least go camping somewhere (hopefully near some letterboxes...)
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Immersion Weekend
Well, this past weekend was the time we had picked to help our friends develop this addiction called letterboxing. They came over Friday evening, we went out to eat and then went to find the Terra Salis letterbox. This is the first outdoor letterbox I planted, and they wanted the first letterbox they found to be one I had planted. The very first box I planted was in my mother's history library, but I had a store-bought stamp in that box, so I wanted them to find one of my boxes that had a hand-carved stamp. I had printed out the clues for the box and handed it to them as we entered the park. They said, "We actually have to find it?" to which I told them that I wasn't doing my job as a Lb trainer if I didn't take them out and make it do it themselves. I'm there to help correct whatever mistakes they might make. It took a little work, but they did find the box. We sat up talking quite awhile that evening. We got up (relatively) early the next morning, stopped for the Stone House box and continued on to Shoney's for breakfast. They had a little bit of a challenge on the Stone House box -- it required a compass. They weren't putting as much emphasis on the "follow a bearing of X" as they were the "pile of rocks" clue, so they started for a pile of rocks they could see, which was not exactly on the bearing that was given. I had to redirect them to the brush on that one.
From Shoney's we went on to Virginia's Chapel and planted a box. So, they got to experience the joys of walking around trying to find just the right spot, and then developing the clues to get them there. After this adventure we went on to Cathedral Falls (which is more appropriately a trickle right now) and had fun retrieving that box because half the county seemed to be there and the box was hidden in the open. We developed a "cluster maneuver" (you have to do strange things to keep a drill sergeant interested in this pasttime) in order to retrieve and later replace the box. We went on up the road and stopped off at The Mystery Hole -- a tourist trap, er, I mean -- roadside attraction that simply can't be missed. The scary part is that we were there about two months ago but the tour guide and ticket seller both remembered my son! I'm not sure that is a good thing.... From there we continued on to Hawk's Nest. This box had come up listed as missing, and we had found it once before, so we stopped to make sure it was actually missing -- and it was. We did take time to visit the overlook and do a little shopping in the gift shop. On up the road was another box, and after retrieving that stamp we rewarded ourselves with a stop at Dairy Queen. Yum....
Our trip continued into Fayetteville, under the New River Gorge Bridge, out to Thurmond, then we came home by way of Kincaid to plant the very first box I ever assembled, just hadn't placed yet. This one has a custom made stamp, due to the nature of the box -- which if you ever find it you will understand. We returned home, tired but pleased. They managed to come away with nine stamps and hopefully properly trained in the art of letterboxing :)
From Shoney's we went on to Virginia's Chapel and planted a box. So, they got to experience the joys of walking around trying to find just the right spot, and then developing the clues to get them there. After this adventure we went on to Cathedral Falls (which is more appropriately a trickle right now) and had fun retrieving that box because half the county seemed to be there and the box was hidden in the open. We developed a "cluster maneuver" (you have to do strange things to keep a drill sergeant interested in this pasttime) in order to retrieve and later replace the box. We went on up the road and stopped off at The Mystery Hole -- a tourist trap, er, I mean -- roadside attraction that simply can't be missed. The scary part is that we were there about two months ago but the tour guide and ticket seller both remembered my son! I'm not sure that is a good thing.... From there we continued on to Hawk's Nest. This box had come up listed as missing, and we had found it once before, so we stopped to make sure it was actually missing -- and it was. We did take time to visit the overlook and do a little shopping in the gift shop. On up the road was another box, and after retrieving that stamp we rewarded ourselves with a stop at Dairy Queen. Yum....
Our trip continued into Fayetteville, under the New River Gorge Bridge, out to Thurmond, then we came home by way of Kincaid to plant the very first box I ever assembled, just hadn't placed yet. This one has a custom made stamp, due to the nature of the box -- which if you ever find it you will understand. We returned home, tired but pleased. They managed to come away with nine stamps and hopefully properly trained in the art of letterboxing :)
Saturday, August 25, 2007
New Boxing Buddies
I have three new buddies: Sleepy Sheep, LaDiva and Micro Mountain Monkey (aka 3M). I will be posting 3M's pic later. There is a story behind his nickname, and if someone can guess you will win a prize! My hubby is not eligible for this contest.
Actually, for Sleepy Sheep I had carved the stamp for another cuddly toy, but I was at the thrift shop this week and found this adorable sheep purse who looked like she was sleepy, so it was a great fit.
I won't be making individual blogs for these guys, just a little note on this blog when there is something of interest to share in their travels.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Adventures in Postal Letterboxing
Well, last night I finished my carving. Got both of the stamps I committed to carve done, now I just have to hunt up the addresses to get them sent off. I got my BB for the UK. I wasn't sure if the one I ordered off the web would arrive in time, so I went all over Charleston looking for another cuddly toy I had seen the week before that I thought would make an adorable, pocket-sized buddy. They didn't have any more at the store I originally spotted them at, so the search was on. I looked in two card shops at the second mall we visited an no luck. I went in a bookstore and in the farthestmost back corner I found one. I snatched him up. At this point I still had him in mind for a back up. We went in a toy store, though, and I saw the same dog I had just ordered and it was much bigger than I had anticipated. So, I decided right there that my newly purchased buddy needed to be the one to make the trip over. I will let the secret out -- I had ordered a Shetland Sheepdog cuddly toy. I figured that would be the perfect buddy to send to the moors since YT tells me that the moors are covered with sheep. Oh well.
So, I got the buddy boxed up this morning in a small box because I wanted to keep the cost down -- for me as well as my UK host. The best box had printing all over it so I had to wrap it with brown paper. When I went to the post office, boy! He weighed the box and pulled out a huge form that was never going to fit on that box. So he had me get a padded envelope and address it to put the box in. After I filled out all the paperwork and we got the box put in the envelope, he put it back on the scale and it wouldn't accept the form, he had to get out another label, a smaller one. This would have fit on the box, but I knew the way my luck was going that if we took the box out of the envelope the computer wouldn't accept the small label it would insist on the huge form again, so we left well enough alone. The postal clerk was really nice and he offered to fill out the small form for me so I could go ahead and leave. So, the BB is on his way and should get there in plenty of time to go to the LB event with YT and meet lots of British letterboxers. Boy, do I envy him!
Some bad news is that on Monday morning there was a nasty electrical storm which fried our modem. I'm without internet connection right now, and am at the community center checking email. I will probably be offline until the end of the week. I may check email again on Thursday if not back online at home.
So, I got the buddy boxed up this morning in a small box because I wanted to keep the cost down -- for me as well as my UK host. The best box had printing all over it so I had to wrap it with brown paper. When I went to the post office, boy! He weighed the box and pulled out a huge form that was never going to fit on that box. So he had me get a padded envelope and address it to put the box in. After I filled out all the paperwork and we got the box put in the envelope, he put it back on the scale and it wouldn't accept the form, he had to get out another label, a smaller one. This would have fit on the box, but I knew the way my luck was going that if we took the box out of the envelope the computer wouldn't accept the small label it would insist on the huge form again, so we left well enough alone. The postal clerk was really nice and he offered to fill out the small form for me so I could go ahead and leave. So, the BB is on his way and should get there in plenty of time to go to the LB event with YT and meet lots of British letterboxers. Boy, do I envy him!
Some bad news is that on Monday morning there was a nasty electrical storm which fried our modem. I'm without internet connection right now, and am at the community center checking email. I will probably be offline until the end of the week. I may check email again on Thursday if not back online at home.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Carving Like Mad
well, i carved some this weekend. i have four buddies ready to go: Micro Monkey, Sleepy Sheep, and LaDiva. One I just ordered off the web -- he was exactly what I was looking for -- so I carved his stamp too. I am just hoping he gets here by Wednesday so I can mail him to the UK. If not, I guess Sleepy Sheep will be headed over....
I just remembered I have two carving commitments on the postal group. I should get moving on those too. Ugh.
I just remembered I have two carving commitments on the postal group. I should get moving on those too. Ugh.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Dearth
Not much going on. Been busy, busy. Between Avon deliveries and community meetings (i'm on the board of directors, and they have more meetings than most....) my son having starbase this week and needing to go to our sunday school teen's band camp presentation last night (an hour away, in ridiculous heat) i'm ready to crash this weekend.
Labor Day weekend our friends have scheduled an appointment with us to find their first letterboxes. I'm very excited about that.
Irish Ref did drop by to check out the Rand History Library LB the other day.
I have a stack of 4 boxes to plant, but been too busy and too hot!
I talked to another letterboxer in the area and I think we are going to try to get together to plan a little meet-n-greet in Charleston this fall.
I want to change my trailname. I'm really into sheep right now, and I carved a cute sheep face stamp. I want to be "Mad Sheep." I think that matches my personality a little better :) I'm sheep-mad right now -- sheep all over my house. Fortunately hubby grew up in a farming area, though it was mostly cows, at least he's used to animals being around. The plus side of my "flock" is that there isn't any sheep-dip!
Labor Day weekend our friends have scheduled an appointment with us to find their first letterboxes. I'm very excited about that.
Irish Ref did drop by to check out the Rand History Library LB the other day.
I have a stack of 4 boxes to plant, but been too busy and too hot!
I talked to another letterboxer in the area and I think we are going to try to get together to plan a little meet-n-greet in Charleston this fall.
I want to change my trailname. I'm really into sheep right now, and I carved a cute sheep face stamp. I want to be "Mad Sheep." I think that matches my personality a little better :) I'm sheep-mad right now -- sheep all over my house. Fortunately hubby grew up in a farming area, though it was mostly cows, at least he's used to animals being around. The plus side of my "flock" is that there isn't any sheep-dip!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Busy, Busy
We have been very busy the past two weeks. First I went with hubby to his annual training for three days. I had hoped to get some letterboxing done, but when he got back each day he really wasn't up for driving around, and it was getting toward the end of the month and we still had a trip the following week, so I decided it was best to stay around the base. We did stop for a rest stop box on the way up, and I had another to get on the way back. It wasn't until I was home that I realized there had been two on the way home.
This past week we went to the family cabin with some friends to put a new roof on. The roof has needed replaced for the past 10 years but granny didn't want the headache of doing it. Now that she's gone, we used her money to get it fixed! I had hoped to introduce our friends' kids to letterboxing, but the guys worked hard all day trying to get the roof done in the shortest time possible, because we only had four days. I did check on a box I had planted the last time, and also checked on a hitchhiker I had set out. No one had found either.
I did get an email from a boxer who will be in the area earlier this week, they want an appointment to get the library box. Hopefully next weekend some other friends of ours -- the proselytes -- will be free to get their feet wet ;)
This past week we went to the family cabin with some friends to put a new roof on. The roof has needed replaced for the past 10 years but granny didn't want the headache of doing it. Now that she's gone, we used her money to get it fixed! I had hoped to introduce our friends' kids to letterboxing, but the guys worked hard all day trying to get the roof done in the shortest time possible, because we only had four days. I did check on a box I had planted the last time, and also checked on a hitchhiker I had set out. No one had found either.
I did get an email from a boxer who will be in the area earlier this week, they want an appointment to get the library box. Hopefully next weekend some other friends of ours -- the proselytes -- will be free to get their feet wet ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
