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....