Letterboxing 2002

Our introduction to letterboxing--2002!


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Tue Jul 23, 2002 10:51 am

Hi all,We attempted to find the Lost Loon boxes yesterday (22 Jul) with noluck after LOTS of searching!!! We left no stone unturned. Didnotice a lot of damage to the trail at different areas and MANY,MANY passersby. Is it possible that they were removed? Also,noticed that there is a 'trail group' that cleans up the trailweekly so wonder if they came across it? We, too, found the 1stThanksgiving quite readily. Also, found the Tacoma Nature Center'syesterday, too--without a hitch!


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Tue Jul 23, 2002 11:24 am Subject: Re: WA: DashPoint Park

We're relatively new toletterboxing as well. About a month and a half ago, we went up to Deception Pass State Park for a few days. We practically weresitting upon 2 of the boxes there (Bowman Bay and South Beach) anddidn't know it until I came home, logged on to the site and learnedthat they were up there. Drats... We'll just have to head back.What a fun experience though! We're about to drop our own couple ofboxes soon. I just have to figure out how to create some stamps ina quick manner (with 2 little ones running around). Hope to have our couple of boxes out soon!


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Tue Jul 23, 2002 11:10 pm Subject: 2 new LBs in DuPont, WA

DuPont Letterbox #1: DuPont Powder Works, 1906 &DuPont Letterbox #2: Fort Nisqually, 1833


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Wed Jul 24, 2002 6:21 pm Subject: Re: WA - Priest Point Park boxes...Missing???

No problem with 1st Thanksgiving--it was still there a couple ofdays ago (22 Jul 02). Still looking for those loons--make sureyou're at the 'correct' trailhead--that might make life easier.Nevertheless, we're still looking for the box(es), too. Many non-LBhikers on the trail that day, wonder if one or two of them gotcurious awhile back??? We will continue to look for them,though...I refused to be 'stumped'!!!By the way, if you enjoyed the Priest Point Park trails, check outthe Hummingbird & the Eagle at Titlow Park in Tacoma. Neat trail,some stretches along the water...


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Thu Jul 25, 2002 10:22 am Subject: Re: [LbNA] 2 new LBs in DuPont, WA

No problem, *****. This was a lot of fun & quite a departure frommy normal daily activities. The mosquitoes aren't so 'vicious' atother times of the day (dawn & dusk seem to be the 'killer' times).I have MANY ideas for more in this area, a couple more historic ones--just need some time to scout the areas, figure out what's up withsome construction projects in the vicinity and to create thestamps. We caged the Hummingbird and set the Eagle free yesterday.That was pretty cool, too! I visited Titlow Park for the first time a couple of months ago and thought I'd seen everything back then--boy, was I sure wrong! What a nice escapade on a hot summer day & agreat view of the bridge!!! The 3-1/2 year old made it no problem,the 8 month old got a little tired along the way--so Mom got tocarry an additional 20+ lbs in the backpack! See you on the trail...

From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Thu Jul 25, 2002 1:29 pm Subject: Re: My cool walking stick!

Hi ***********,Your walking stick sounds really neat! We don't have walkingsticks, yet, but Mom always seems to find a nice one when we getnear the letterbox hiding spots because she's pretty squeamishreaching into dark places (tree tummies & all). We saw a snake theother day as we were placing two new letterboxes in our area. Itwas black with two green stripes down the length of its body.Pretty cool. Mom says it was a garter snake. She really likessnakes but she won't touch them!!!The other day we saw some neat animals, too. We were on our 1stLB hunt and we came across a really big slug--it was over 7 incheslong! It looked like a regular banana slug but it had tiger stripesover 2/3rds of its body. Yuck! Thank goodness Mom didn't step onit...what a mess that would have made! I wonder if they taste likebananas? I'm sure my little brother trkr would like to know! Wealso saw two turtles sunbathing on a log--not bad considering welive in the Pacific Northwest and 'it rains all the time'... ha ha!We learned about letterboxing a couple of months ago on awebsite--had to go travel around the US for a couple of monthsthanks to the military--but when we got back home we startedsearching right away. So far, we've found 5 and have planted 2.Mom already has a couple more ready to place but can't 'finalize'the trail yet thanks to some new buildings they're putting in nearhere--so it will have to wait. We're also researching several otherspots for new LBs right now, too. Mom likes to take the historicalapproach to her clues...that way we can still 'homeschool' while welook for more letterboxes!rnrB--I run really fast, that's where my name comes from!trkr is still tagging along! Aren't little brothers cool?


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Fri Jul 26, 2002 3:21 pm Subject: Re: VA new, Chantilly, Fairfax County

Dagnabit--(however you spell that),We were just visiting that park 3 weeks ago and I keptthinking..."what a neat place for a letterbox"--now we're over 2,000miles away! I'd love to go back, though, and look for your LBs!Maybe another time...


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Fri Aug 2, 2002 12:01 am Subject: WA State: New LB on Hurricane *****

`Bear'ly the top of Hurricane ***** Letterbox


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Sun Aug 4, 2002 8:10 am Subject: Hello to Bye Bye Birdie!!!

We said hello to Bye Bye Birdie this week in Port Townsend, WA andwill soon say goodbye.Happy Migration, little bird!!!


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Sun Aug 4, 2002 8:20 am Subject: Re: Amanda's new one in Seattle...

******--Thanks for a really neat adventure through one of the most beautifulplaces in Seattle--Kubota Gardens! I never even knew it existedbefore you 'boxed' it. What a gorgeous stamp, too! Boy, did I get alot of ideas for my upcoming landscaping project from the trekthrough Kubota...


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Sun Aug 4, 2002 8:26 am Subject: Re: WA: Langley box is back!

*******--What a fun adventure through Langley!!! You are definitely rightabout the potential damage to your wallet that a stroll through thisquaint seaside village might cause---fortunately, we kept our eyeson the clues and made it out relatively unscathed! What a neat andcunning location for the LB! You gave me a bunch of ideas forfuture LBs. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!!!


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Sun Aug 4, 2002 11:14 am Subject: Puget Sound, WA jaunt...

Hi fellow Pacific NW letterboxers...Just a note to let you know the following boxes are in position & inexcellent shape as of 30 July-1 August 2002:-Kubota Japanese Garden, Seattle, WA: What a beautiful and littleknown treasure in the city!Deception Pass, Whidbey Island: One of my most favoriteplaces on this earth!!! Unfortunately, no orca sightings this time.-Eagle-Archer-The Bridge-Langley, WA What a cute little seaside village!!!Ft Worden State Park, Port Townsend:-Survival Training-Mayo-Aviator Wings-Leaf-Guardhouse (after a long hunt--this one is difficult without amap!!!) with a hitchhiker to boot!!! YIPPEE!!!!Olympic Mounts near Port Angeles:-Hurricane Hill's "'Bear'ly the top of..."I placed this one--not sure how long it will survive the manydestructive storms that pass through this area. It seemed secureenough at the time, we'll see as the storms pass through over theseasons.See you on the trail...dvn2r ckrF15P3X3


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Sun Aug 4, 2002 9:53 pm Subject: Re: Puget Sound, WA jaunt...

Yes, letterboxing has taken us places we normally never would havegone. We set our little hitchhiker 'Bye Bye Birdie' from CT freetoday. :( But, in our next box, we immediately came upon a littlegeocache treasure--YIPPEE!!! GEMS from Gem's--that was reallycool. It's a 'pass it on' thing, too. So, we'll have to look foranother box, soon!!!dvn2r ckrF15P4X4(and 3 more new ones ready to place soon & ideas for 4 more in thevery near future)


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Mon Aug 5, 2002 6:42 pm Subject: WA State: New LB in Tolmie St Park, Lacey

Tolmie State ParkLetterbox #1: Geoduck ClamLetterbox #2: Sand Dollar


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Tue Aug 6, 2002 3:25 pm Subject: Re: Tall Tales!

They've gotta be in CT, each quadrant of the state has about 200!Our 'not-so-little' state (which is probably 20 times the size ofCT) is just approaching 100! ;) We're working to change that...See you on the trail...dvn2r ckr in WAF15P6X4


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Tue Aug 6, 2002 4:10 pm Subject: Re: dvn2rckr

FYI: http://www.gthhh.com/bible/gtbib1b.htmHash House Harriers: aka 'a drinking group with a running problem'Hashing is independent of letterboxing (as far as I can tell sofar). ;) In essence, during a hash house harrier event, a haresets out a trail (with many false leads & one true lead) with aslight time advantage and a bit later the 'group' must try to catchthe 'hare' (or the person who sets the trail). If the 'group'catches the 'hare' then the 'hare' must buy a round of drinks forthe group, if the hare isn't caught then each member of the groupmust buy a drink for the hare. The events have been modified overthe years to include children appropriate themes orother 'interesting' things. The trail can range from extremelyshort distances to over 10 km, depending on what sort of groupyou're involved with.Our family enjoyed the hash runs because it enabled us to getexercise without really feeling like you're exercising (becauseyou're too busy trying to figure out the clues so you can catch thehare). Otherwise, there's an entire culture(language/code/nickname/decorum) that comes with hash house runsthat seems quite similar to that of letterboxing--or, at least, whatI've noticed so far in my few short months of letterboxing.Letterboxing, though, allows you to participate in the sport atyour leisure and your desired level of activity withoutthe 'pressure' of drinking at the end (which really enables childrento participate in most events).Does that help?


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Thu Aug 8, 2002 10:47 pm Subject: WA: Lake Washington/Bellevue jaunt

We took a little detour in, on and around Lake Washington today(Seattle, WA area) and found several neat little boxes:Heart of Lake Washington: What a neat little park on beautifulMercer Island! Drum Roll...I can't believe that we were the firstones to visit this box. That was exciting!!! This, most likely,will be a first and a last for us being first so we won't really beable to say this again!!! It was sticking out a bit from its hidingplace so we ensured it was not visible at all when we were finishedwith it. We'll definitely be back to Mercer Island in the future.Also have a couple ideas for other neat little hiding spots on theisland.Kelsey Creek Park boxes: What an absolute treasure so close to thebig city. I had been in the area MANY, MANY times before and nevereven knew a park existed there! Thanks for the nice detour! Box #2was totally visible to the world--I can't believe it was still thereas there have been daycamps there at the park for weeks--2 groups ofkids passed us on the trail during our hunt. We ensured that it waswell hidden after the fact--I've started to hide the letterboxeswith 'bright colored' lids upside down so the clear part of theboxes may be less likely to attract attention in the eventtheir 'cover & concealment' is removed. Boxes #1 and #3 were ingood shape. We really liked all of the stamps and the differentcolors of ink you provided in the boxes. YOU SHOULD PAT YOURSELVESON THE BACKS FOR A JOB WELL DONE!!! The clues to #3 are a bitconfusing, though, (we noticed other letterboxers in the log hadsimilar problems & that there were several who had found #1 & #2 whonever found #3)--perhaps adding a line in the clues about notcounting the boardwalks until after you pass theboardwalk/stair/boardwalk structure after the 'Y' might help reducethe confusion?Again, thanks so much for a neat little relaxing detour in ourhectic lives. We really enjoyed our visit today and look forward toseeking out more of your adventures in the future!!!dvn2r ckr, rnrB & trkrF19P6X4


From: "dvn2rckr" <dvn2rckr@y...> Date: Wed Aug 14, 2002 9:31 pm Subject: Re: stamp ideas

If you already have a good hiding location for a letterbox in mind,look into the history of the area--either natural history orcultural--the internet might be of significant help here. Thatmight inspire you as to ideas for possible stamps.What's popular in the area? A certain type of a tree, an animal(bird, mammal, fish, etc), did something significant in historyhappen in that area? Was electricity discovered there or did thePony Express pass through? If you've already scoped out the area,there might be info signs there describing things that aresignificant in the area--use those to help come up with ideas fordesigning your stamps. If history is what is big in the area--whatabout an image of whatever event or object that is with a name thatcorresponds to it?Are you inspired by a book, a children's story, a fairy tale or aclassic novel? What about creating a series inspired by that book?What about a movie filmed in the area or an area that reminds you ofa place in a movie (i.e. Brigadoon or The Sound of Music)? Whatabout a song (classic, rock, jazz, swing) that you like that invokesa certain feeling, era, epoch? What about food that you like? Or asport that is popular in the area (i.e. Field of Dreams). That'swhat is so exciting about this sport--you are only limited by yourimagination!!! Let it go wild!!!As I'm not the best carver in the world, I've tried to come up withan animal or a thing important to the area to use as the image forthe stamp AND ENSURE THAT IT IS EASY ENOUGH FOR ME TO RECREATE INSTAMP FORM. If I couldn't do it in kindergarten, I'm not going tobe able to carve it today... ;)Hope this helps...See you on the trail...dvn2r ckrF22P6X4


Date: Thu Aug 15, 2002 5:25 pm Subject: WA State: New LB in Chambers Creek Park, Steilacoom & revised info for box #1

Chambers Creek Park Letterbox SeriesSteilacoom


Mon Aug 19, 2002 10:28 pm Subject: WA State: New LBs in Steilacoom
Old Town Steilacoom Letterboxes


Date: Mon Aug 19, 2002 10:54 pm Subject: WA State: New LBs in Ft Steilacoom, Lakewood
Fort Steilacoom Park Letterboxes


Date: Fri Aug 23, 2002 9:06 am Subject: WA State: New LB Calkins Pt, Mercer Island
Calkins Point Letterbox


Date: Mon Aug 26, 2002 9:23 am Subject: Re: [LbNA] Introduction

From my humble & limited experience with letterboxing so far, I havemet several other 'letterboxing' families who also homeschool theirchildren. I plan on homeschooling when my 2 children reach 'school-age' but we've already started their lessons through ourletterboxing experiences. My almost 4yo DD already knows how to usea lensatic compass, knows her 4 directions, can tell left from right(better than her aviator father--lol!!!) and can count paces whileon a trail. She's also seen quite a bit of our state, a myriad ofnew animals and plants, and has learned some very interesting localhistory to boot! That's all a result of about 2-1/2 months ofletterboxing adventures! What an excellent opportunity tomake 'education' more interesting!!! ;)


Date: Wed Aug 28, 2002 9:00 am Subject: Juliette Low HH scouting Snoq Falls

Just picked up a HH--'Juliette Low' was 'scout'ing out SnoqualmieFalls, WA the other day. She's on to other fascinating loactionsaround the great Pacific Northwest these days!dvn2rckrF41P14X5


Date: Wed Aug 28, 2002 11:27 pm Subject: Black Bear Paw HH spotted in Redmond, WA

Caught a 'Black Bear Paw' prowling around the Redmond WatershedPreserve, Redmond, WA letterboxes today. He specifically wassnooping around the 'treefrog' but I think he was distracted by thescrumptious blackberries in the area and he wandered away. He's nowon to other berry-laden locations in the Pacific Northwest!dvn2r ckr, rnrB & trkrF44P14X5


Date: Mon Sep 2, 2002 12:51 am Subject: CA: New LB in Mt Shasta City
Source of Sacramento River LetterboxMt Shasta City


Date: Mon Sep 2, 2002 9:04 am Subject: Re: Sig. Stamp Question

I've recently placed many microboxes in the Pacific Northwest(they're MUCH easier to hide in tiny nooks & crannies) and my hopeis that those letterboxers who have larger signature stamps merelystamp a portion (perhaps the most 'essential' part) of their stamp'simage into the log when they find the box.dvn2r ckrF46P15X5

Oh--I forgot to mention that I prefer the (ranging from rudimentaryto exquisite) homemade stamps to commercially created ones. I thinkI like the fact that somebody took the time to create the stamp.You really gain an appreciation for the skill that is displayed inthe very detailed images. As for my carving/artistic skills, let'ssay I'm still working on it... ;)


Date: Wed Sep 4, 2002 11:47 pm Subject: Re: WA State: New Mystery LB

Glad to see I wasn't the only one getting the adrenaline rush withthis letterbox. If you only knew how nervous we were placing thebox that day!!! We kept looking around to see if anybody was payingattention and I finally convinced my 3 year old to hide the box forme! We placed it during a very HOT day and there were several dozenkids playing around the area... I'm glad you enjoyed your hunt!!!See you on the trail...dvn2r ckrF47P15X5


Date: Thu Sep 5, 2002 12:27 pm Subject: Re: Downtown Seattle Boxes

Not sure of any letterboxes in the heart of downtown Seattle but afew in the relative vicinity that would not be too difficult toreach with adequate transportation would be: the boxes in DiscoveryPark (a few miles NW of downtown), several in the parks in WestSeattle, the Kubota Gardens box (SouthEast) & possibly the MercerIsland boxes (due East on I-90 & over the bridge). These wouldrequire having access to a vehicle or a knowledgable & understandingtaxi driver. :)As for downtown Seattle, I've been trying to figure out locations toplace them that wouldn't be found quite easily. Most of the gardensin the area are meticulously maintained and I'm sure the box wouldbe discovered rather quickly. Still trying to come up with ideas,though...Enjoy your trip to Seattle. The weather has been awesome of late!dvn2r ckrF48P15X6


Date: Fri Sep 6, 2002 3:58 pm Subject: Re: Box desirability

I'm of the same opinion here. I tend to prefer homemade stamps toprofessional ones but still have really enjoyed the hunts even ifthey involved store bought stamps. The stamp is really justthe 'icing on the cake' to the hunt--I absolutely love trying tosolve the clues aspect of it so I really don't care what the finalimage is like--it's just neat to be able to find it. I was alreadya person who enjoyed outdoor adventures so the clues and the stampsjust added another element of excitement to my adventures around mysurroundings. I've used the letterbox hunts as tools to help teachmy children many different skills that they otherwise would neverhave been exposed to until much later in life (using a compass,knowing their directions, identifying various types of trees,locating specific types of animals/plants/berries/rocks--you nameit).My stamps are pretty lame, too. However, I've noticed thatwith time and practice my images are improving. Each new box I putout, I try to challenge myself with a little more difficult image.Creating the stamp is part of the process and can prove to beexciting, too. I've also used the process of 'researching' ideasfor placing boxes as a way to learn more history about my nearbysurroundings. I've learned some truly fascinating things about myarea and I'll never look at the place in the same light again.Just a few thoughts. See you on the trail...dvn2r ckrF48P15X6


Date: Sat Sep 7, 2002 9:27 pm Subject: Re: WA: Crappy-natured Seattle/Tacoma area men

I'm sorry but I can't agree with you regarding some points here. Afew months ago, I learned about letterboxing and was extremelyexcited to start participating in the adventure. Over the pastcouple of months I have placed and located several boxes in myarea. I received a message from Glenn (of Tacoma) the day I placedmy first letterbox (in July, I think) that included a video of theirantics at my letterbox that I placed in my hometown near the Seattlearea. I perceived the 15 second video clip they included assomething pretty jovial and sort of a gentle 'hazing' to welcome meinto the sport of letterboxing. I took it as a friendly gesture notas a threat or intimidation. The video suggested that they foundthe box and simply tossed it in the general location of its actualhiding place and left without putting it back. This was just ajoke, upon further inspection, the letterbox was actual re-hiddensafe and sound in its intended hiding place. I'm not sure what elsehas transpired in this community regarding the various men in theSeattle/Tacoma area. I just want to defend Glenn in this particularcase as I never felt threatened or intimidated by his antics in thiscase.I'm a married, stay at home, homeschooling mom (in the ArmyReserves) who joined this sport to provide us with an excuse to getout and enjoy the outdoors and to lessen the stress we feel as afamily which has two members who may, at any moment, be called uponto defend the country (which is a perpetual VERY STRESSFUL thoughtin my mind) in far off locations. We already loved doing outdoorsyactivities and this sport seemed to add an additional intriguingelement to it and provided an opportunity for the family to gettogether during an exciting activity. It provided me with anopportunity to get 'artistic' as it required us to create stamps andcome up with interesting ideas for creating the containers to hidethe letterbox contents in and to research the various locations inwhich we could try to hide the boxes. I also added an extrachallenge to myself, in trying to participate in the sport withoutspending a tremendous fortune in the process. This encouraged me toscour thrift shops and dollar stores trying to procure items for thecontents of the letterboxes. I always love a 'fiscal' challenge--I guess that's the former professional working woman turned SAHMtrying to make ends meet on one salary transitional quality showingthrough here. :)Anyway, I have really enjoyed many aspects of letterboxing (despitemy car getting broken into and over $2,000 of contents beingstolen/damaged during a recent letterbox hunt in Tacoma). I havevisited myriad locations that are beautiful, breathtaking,exsquisite, challenging, daunting and historical--places that Iwould never have known about prior to letterboxing--all because ofthis sport. I have seen animals and plants that I've never seenbefore. I've learned how to identify various types of trees. Iclimbed mountains with a baby on my back that I would have neverpreviously attempted by myself (with a 3 year old in tow). I'vecamped at locations around our area in pursuit of far offletterboxes. I've climbed over an incredible obstacle and down a 20foot cliff trying to locate a letterbox (with a baby on my back & a3 year old in tow--Snoq Falls--what a rush!!!). I've met manyfriendly people (virtually) through email exchanges upon findingtheir/my letterboxes along the way. All of these people I havefound to be quite interesting and friendly and people, even despiteour probable differences in many other different areas/aspects oflife, that I think I could become close friends with if we ever wereto meet in person. All of these positive things have resulted fromour letterboxing in my area (predominantly Seattle, but I'veventured a bit into Oregon and Northern California, as well).As I'm quite new to this sport, I'm not sure what events, if any,may have transpired in this area before my learning about and recentinvolvement in the sport. I know, however, in a large communitysuch as this the letterboxing of North America (or is it the worldnow?), that people are united by one major reason, which is theyhave a passion for the hobby of letterboxing. There may exist manyother differences among these people, but for this instant andregarding this activity, they all seem to share a passion and anintense feeling for letterboxing. Can't that be enough, especiallyin a world that is so threatened by outsiders whose sole mission inlife seems to be to destroy our culture in its entirety?Letterboxing is one more aspect where we, as apeople/nation/country/hobby group, can unite and share joy and acommon goal in the sheer act of placing and locating letterboxes.I hope many positive things will result from letterboxing in thefuture, in my case, my life and the lives of many members of myfamily and close friends, have been richly blessed by our recentparticipation in letterboxing. I hope you have been so wonderfullyand positively blessed, as well, in your pursuits of the sport.'dvn2r ckr' otherwise known as Adventure Seeker WAF48P15X6


Date: Sat Sep 7, 2002 10:54 pm Subject: Re: Defending Glenn.

******* (and others),I apologize for bringing this up again. This whole NUCLEARBOMB event on this website almost made me want to quit this sportentirely a few weeks ago!!! I am defending Glenn in this instancebecause apparently a video clip of him finding my box was sent tosomebody else involved in this sport (I have no idea to whom--because I never sent it to anyone--I have an antiquated and slowerthan Heinz Ketchup dialup connection) and they interpreted it asthreatening. If my box was the only one involved with the videotapeand there are comments that this action was threatening orintimidating to me, I am here to say that I wasn't threatened orintimidated in the least. I knew it was a joke from the outset andthought I was merely being 'welcomed into the world of letterboxing'--these sorts of jokes are often played on people who join neworganizations (ex: rookies in major league baseball--Ichiro had ALLSORTS of jokes played on him in the Seattle lockerroom/flightsduring his rookie year with the Mariners). I don't condone whateverelse Glenn or anybody else has done or said on the board that wasspiteful or vindictive, I am just defending him in this case withthe video footage--when we received the video we literally fell outof our seats laughing so hard that we couldn't continue doinganything else for the evening!!!I don't remember all of the trash that transpired on thismessage board during that awful time a few months back, but I don'tcondone any mistreatment of anybody involved in this sport or onthis message board. If he was unkind or threatening to you duringthat time, then I hope he is man enough to stand up and apologize.That's what I would expect of my children, husband or friends, too.I personally believed that Lizardbutt (or his mom) were indeed whothey suggested they were in their messages (and I still do).I think that some folks are purists about the sport ofletterboxing and hope that it would continue to follow the rules orthe 'spirit of the founding fathers of letterboxing'. Perhaps he isone of those individuals? No clue, since I don't know him otherthan an email with a video attached to it of him finding 2 of myletterboxes and jokingly tossing them to the side.I personally know, however, that sarcasm/pessism/cynisism(whatever it is) doesn't convey well through emails/messages (thatis why I use emoticons whenever I can). I, too, am a sarcasticperson and often times things I say are misinterpreted. My ownfamily often doesn't get my jokes. People are just different! Myown two children are EXTREME OPPOSITES with the same 2 parents!!!Hopefully, this whole episode will just settle itself because I wantto continue on with this really cool hobby.I hope I have properly conveyed my feelings here. It is quitelate at night and I'm not thinking very clearly as my children and Iare all sick right now with some sort of flu. Perhaps I'll thinkmore clearly in the morning?

I'm not sure what this means. I was the original recipient of thevideo clip and it was in response to my first letterbox. Iperceived the video clip as a joke and sort of a 'jokingly' welcomeinto the 'letterboxing world'. I don't know Glenn or Bill from theman on the moon, I just know that apparently I WAS THE ONE WHORECEIVED THE VIDEO and it was in reference to MY BOX. We (my familyof several members) laughed so hard upon viewing it that we couldhardly move. I never once felt threatened or intimidated by them(nor did any of my family members. In fact, the last little bit inthe text portion of the email said that they were happy to find myboxes, they got a history lesson to boot (referencing the DuPontletterboxes) and that it wasn't a bad attempt for a newbie(something like 'not bad for a newbie'). I took the entire incidentas a 'positive' and friendly prank and had no idea that other folkshad received the video, too. I hope this sheds some light on thissubject. I'm starting to not enjoy this website anymore and mayrefrain from participating in the future. What a potentiallyexciting and invigorating sport. Too bad it has to digress to thesesorts of things on the websites every couple of months (and evenworse it was the first few months that I started participating sothat's my ENTIRE perception of this sport). I sure hope thingsimprove here in the future because I have more precious and life-threatening issues to be concerned about these days (such asdeploying to far off lands to defend this country) than to spendmuch time or energy concerned about what is stated on this messagethread. I would love to continue participating in this sport butboy do I need a mental vacation from all of this rubbish... Mystomach's tied up in knots over this stuff & I'm a very friendly,non-confrontational person (and a Mom to boot)!dvn2r ckrF48P15X6

I think this was the original message I received from Glennregarding the 'infamous' video-- I didn't perceive it as verythreatening and if you could see the video, you would agree.Unfortunately, I have an extremely slow (molasses-y) dialupconnection and can't upload/send video very easily.Bethanydvn2r ckrF48P15X6***********************************************

Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 08:18:14 -0700Subject: Re: [LbNA] 2 new LBs in DuPont, WA A very pleasant walk and a history lesson to boot! I always wonderedwhere Fort Nisqually was before they moved it to Tacoma and now Ihave been there. Too Cool.Caution: The mosquitoes near Box#1 are killers! The feasted on me ina big way!Thanks for placing these boxes ..... *****


Date: Mon Sep 9, 2002 12:41 pm Subject: Re: Possible containers-HHs

I've found 3 HHs so far, 2 had their own boxes and 1 was just in aziploc bag. Now I should mention this too, one was a beautifulprofessionally made stamp with a really nice stamp pad of its own--the owner/creator really put a lot of $$ and thought into it--it wasreally neat and our first HH experience! The other had a miniature(although dried out) stamp pad of its own and a really neat &intricately carved stamp (this one had been on the road for a LONGtime as evidenced in the entries in the log). The third HH wasabsolutely adorable and had a cute little handmade notepad/logbookincluded with it. That provided me with a lot of neat little ideasfor other possible letterbox materials...We recently set out a HH and made it a 'microbox'--it still hasa box of its own but it's much easier to co-locate with a largerbox. You also use discretion when you leave it at a hiding spot--ifit's visible when you try to hide it, then just wait to leave it atanother letterbox site.dvn2r ckrF48P15X6


Date: Tue Sep 10, 2002 5:33 pm Subject: WA State: New LBs in Millersylvania St Pk, Tenino
Millersylvania State Park LetterboxesTenino (10 miles SE of Olympia)


Date: Sun Sep 15, 2002 8:37 pm Subject: Re: World's Most Boring Letterbox, Lacey, WA, Thurston County, Blah Blah Blah

What an interesting and intriguing waste of time! Thanks for a funouting and some Pocket Change, too!dvn2r ckr, rnrB, trkr and trkee, too! :)F59P20X6PS We have driven past this park a gazillion times and never evennoticed that it was here!!! Wow--how enlightening? ;)


Date: Sun Sep 15, 2002 8:41 pm Subject: Re: Pocket Change Hitchhiker on the loose in Lacey, Wa area

We found some loose Pocket Change lying around Brown Park today!What a profitable (ad)venture!!! It's headed on to other moneymaking ventures around the Puget Sound these days...dvn2r ckrF59P20X6


Date: Mon Sep 16, 2002 8:25 pm Subject: Re: WA, Olympia; Lost Loons,

The Lost Loons are still hanging out down there (we found them abouta month ago)--it'll just take some extra work to find the clues.dvn2r ckrF59P20X6


Date: Wed Sep 18, 2002 11:09 pm Subject: Re: [LbNA] I'll have what she's having!

Come on, girls...we only have so many sunny days left this seasonhere in the Pacific Northwest!!! ;) I have a couple more boxes leftto drop and then I'm taking a break for a bit--gotta get back towork someday! See you out there on the trails...dvn2r ckrF59P23X6PS By the way, I'm just increasing the population of poorly carvedstamps out here. Still trying to find some shred of talent in meregarding this business... Ever notice how the LB populationincreases after a few rainy days??? ;) BTW--it's Oregon Chai'sCaffeine Free Chai Tea Latte mix...but I do admit the green teaKashmir version is pretty good, too--plus it's leaded!


Date: Thu Sep 19, 2002 7:22 pm Subject: Re: dvn2rckr

Yes, I sleep. Just not a whole lot! Actually, I found a reallygood sale on plastic containers at a local thrift shop a few weeksago! ;) Just trying to find my garage again. LOLNo, seriously, I've just been heading out around the area trying toget some exercise and I keep finding these really neat places thatdeserve boxes! The rains are coming soon, so the boxes either goout now or next Spring. I only have a few more left to place thenI'm taking a nice, long vacation (to look for some boxes mostlikely). Can you tell that it rained a couple of days last week?dvn2r ckrF59P228X6


Date: Thu Sep 19, 2002 8:37 pm Subject: Re: dvn2rckr

Ok--here's the deal. Not very much caffeine involved in theprocess--just an injured former triathlete/swimmer who needs to getsome serious exercise on a daily basis. The 2 little ones aren'tyet of 'formal' school age. We are homeschooling--so they havealready started the education process (although, philosophicallyspeaking, do we ever stop learning?).Letterboxing works absolutely perfectly in tandem withhomeschooling, especially when you live in such a historically richarea as we do here in the Pacific Northwest. I use the treks fortheir (and my) exercise (which is absolutely necessary for the 3year old--or she would never go to sleep at night), the interactionwith the flora, fauna & natural surroundings forscience/nature/biology, the directions/clues for 'survival skill'training (hey, it's never too early to start) and math application,and other things just seem to fit into their own little categories(historical things--history/social science, cultural things forsocial science, etc). Hey, it doesn't hurt to find boxes nearreally cool playgrounds, too!!! So that's where the kids areconcerned.For me personally, I haven't done 'adult' type things in a LONGtime. Solving the clues/puzzles in searching for the letterboxeshas been a welcome challenge in my life. I also haven't doneanything 'artsy' in years (perhaps decades--since I attended aGerman school growing up). Creating the stamps (which I still amnot very good at) is sort of a neat and interesting artistic outletfor me. Also, finding places to hide boxes is fun & challenging.Isn't life great when you find an awesome, natural location to hidea box!!! SIDENOTE: Since you started letterboxing, do you findyourself looking at EVERYTHING with an eye to place boxes (evenurban nooks & crannies when you're stopped at an intersection intraffic)? Finally, writing the clues (in an interesting way) is yetanother unique personal challenge for me. So, in a nutshell, thatrationalizes my newfound obsession with letterboxing! ;) I thinkthese are some of the same reasons that scouting groups are soinvolved in letterboxing, isn't it? Plus it probably works wellwith earning merit badges... ;) Seeking adventures inletterboxing...dvn2r ckrF59P28X6


Date: Mon Sep 30, 2002 9:48 am Subject: Re: A great week!

Sounds great! I'm happy to hear the boxes are doing well. We had amost excellent LB week around Puget Sound, too!We found the Titlow Beach, Dash Point Campfire & Seastar/Clam,4 of Lincoln Park's 5 (seems slug has slithered away), Camp Long,Schmitz Park in reverse (since there's major construction going onin the park and you can't get to the beginning of the trail), theadorable Little Lord Fauntleroy, Mee Kwa Mooks (the Secret Garden),Bridle Trails' 8 new ones (have they been busy there!), St Edward SPboxes (gorgeous stamps & neat park with tough hills), Ravenna Parkspoetic 'Where the Trees Sweep the Stars' (my favorite one), CarkeekPark's many LBs (what an awesome park with an incredible playgroundand fab stamps), Fish Tail/Head Mystery (ok, I'm a dunce and missedthe stairs but we got a great hike around the water and found theawesome stamps, to boot--in reverse--doy!!!) and Lake Spanaway'sSunset Runner. Somehow, though, we didn't find any newhitchhikers...how can that be? I guess our first couple of HH findswere beginner's luck? ;)All of these boxes where in great condition--where they weremissing info sheets I added them but a few were missing pens(unfortunately, I didn't have any spares on me). We're tired andare trying to catch up on some sleep. But, we're 150 miles fromhome right now and sleep will just have to wait... Priorities,right? ;) Where will this LB adventure take us next? ;)See you on the trail as you (and we) seek new adventures...dvn2r ckrF95P28X6


Date: Mon Sep 30, 2002 11:19 pm Subject: Mr Sunshine warming up OR mystery box

We were warmed by HH Mr Sunshine's sunny rays as we pursued aMystery Letterbox in cloudy, rainy Portland, Oregon today. We willsoon send him North to the sunny shores of Puget Sound!Rainy Day Note: Can you believe after 95 letterboxes in the PacificNorthwest that today was THE VERY FIRST TIME IT RAINED ON US!!! AndI thought it rained PERPETUALLY IN SEATTLE!!! ;) Oops, did I letthat secret out, too? ;)dvn2r ckr, trkEE (yes, he was with us), rnrB & trkr, tooF97P28X6


Date: Wed Oct 2, 2002 5:24 pm Subject: NW Edelweiss HH released...

On 2 Oct 02, the Northwest Edelweiss HH was released and last seenplaying with the salmon in Steilacoom, WA. Perhaps these flowersaren't always only found in Alpine areas where the hills are alivewith the sound of music? ;)dvn2r ckrF98P30X6


Date: Wed Oct 2, 2002 5:32 pm Subject: My Favorite Things HH released...

The unique HH 'My Favorite Things' was set free and hangingaround 'high on the hill' with some crazy folks in Lakewood, WA on 2Oct 02. If you happen to find it, please contribute a 'tiny, non-edible favorite thing' to its little collection. We started it witha tiny clam shell, a pine cone and a money plant 'coin' from here inthe Puget Sound area. These are few of my favorite things...dvn2r ckrF98P30X6PS This LB was inspired by the curiosity and inquisitivenessembodied by my children when noticing the beauty in the tiniestlittle amazing things...and the 1965 classic The Sound of Music, ofcourse!


Date: Wed Oct 2, 2002 6:01 pm Subject: WA: Any interest in a South Sound LB Fest?

Hello fellow WA letterboxers,Is there any interest in participating in a South Puget SoundLetterbox Quest Fest on 2 Nov 02? If there is enough interest, Ifound the perfect 'slightly-larger-than-most-others-in-the-area'park for it in Lakewood (with all sorts of nooks & crannies &interesting & odd history associated with it) and will be more thanhappy to help coordinate such an event.Let me know what you think. Even you 'LB enthusiast-LBNA-website-lurkers' are welcome to respond...I know you're out there, I seeyour stamps in the logbooks around this area! ;)Hope to hear from you soon,


Date: Wed Oct 2, 2002 6:56 pm Subject: Re: WA: Any interest in a South Sound LB Fest?

It depends, ramen or capellini? ;)Also, I apologize in advance for all of the poorly carved stamps inthe area (perhaps that's why so many of my LBs are missing now?--thepoorly carved stamp police came and put them out of their misery!) :)


Date: Wed Oct 2, 2002 7:35 pm Subject: Re: [LbNA] My Favorite Things HH released...

'I have confidence' that if you placed a box named 'Maria'that 'something good' will happen especially if it's your 'sixteengoing on seventeen'th box that perhaps you won't, in a long while,have to 'climb every mountain' or say 'so long, farewell' to yourletterboxes or letterboxing friends and adventures... ;)Yes, we're a household of Sound of Music fans. My Mom lived a blockfrom the Von Trapp family's home in Salzburg in the 1950s, and, whenwe lived in Germany for many years in the 1980s, we explored all thevarious haunts that were included in scenes in the movie duringseveral trips to Austria. Yes, we even danced in the gazebo andplayed around the crypts under the church! What better way toincorporate your passion for various themes with the awesome hobbyof letterboxing!!!dvn2r ckrF98P30X6P.S. Perhaps a letterbox placed near the Von Trapp family home inVermont is in order...too bad I live on the OPPOSITE side of thecountry! :(


Date: Thu Oct 3, 2002 3:11 pm Subject: 11/2 WA S. Sound LB Quest Fest

Ok, interest there is!!! Fellow NWers, plan on attending the...~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~1st AnnualWA South Sound Letterbox Quest FestWhen: Sat, 2 Nov 02Time: TBD (plan on early morning through late afternoon)Location: Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, WAWho: Fellow LB enthusiasts from far & wide (newbies welcome, too)~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~We'll work out the details over the next couple of weeks.Think about boxes you plan to place in the park, food, drinks & thelikes. Potluck, perhaps? ;) As for boxes, please post your cluesto the website a few days prior to the event. If not, please bringseveral sets of clues with you to the event that day to share withthe other LBers. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, please feelfree to help fill in the details as we go along!


Date: Fri Oct 4, 2002 9:50 pm Subject: Re: [LbNA] 11/2 WA S. Sound LB Quest Fest

Oh, I do feel a fever coming on...I hope it won't last severalweeks... ;) I just can't miss a big LB outing, can I? ;) Perhapsit's a fever for letterboxing? ;)dvn2r ckr


Date: Sat Oct 5, 2002 3:43 pm Subject: Re: [LbNA] WA: South Sound LB Fest

I'm afraid that Paisley Orca already has a serious case ofLetterboxing Fever. She wouldn't dare want to pass that on to hervisiting relatives, now would she??? She should come play with theother folks who suffer from the same illness that day, shall we callit a 'letterboxer quarantine'? ;)dvn2r ckr


Date: Thu Oct 17, 2002 10:03 am Subject: Re: Mid-Atlantic LBers: Has the Sniper Affected Your LBing?

I just returned from a week long trip to the East Coast (I live inthe greater Seattle area) and spent a lot of the time within thecurrent sniper-affected areas. It did cause me to think twice aboutventuring out for some LBs but I decided I wasn't going tolet 'them' run my life; that in itself is a form of terrorism!Several times yesterday and the day before that, I traveled past theschool where the young boy was shot last week in Bowie and it causedme to reflect on the situation, say a prayer for him, his family andthe other victims and their families, but I continued to the parkwhere I was planning on looking for some boxes. There are fourletterboxes about 1 mile from that particular school. Yes, we wereextremely concerned about the situation but life must continue...See you on the letterboxing trail...dvn2r ckrF108P33X7Finally bagged some East Coast boxes (10 but no HHs)!!! Was evenfirst finder for one that was placed many moons ago!!! ;) Solvedmany mystery boxes in the process but ran out of time in thearea... :(So many boxes, so little time!!!


Date: Thu Oct 17, 2002 10:14 am Subject: Re: easy wood for mounting

I've also used wooden paint stirrers that you get for free at thehome improvement stores. They cut pretty easily and sand quicklyand you can't beat the price (especially when you're renovating ahouse in the midst of your letterboxing addiction)!dvn2r ckrF108P33X8


Date: Thu Oct 17, 2002 10:19 am Subject: Re: Tales of the Trail

Ryan,That's pretty wild. I've never run across any naked hikers before(only naked ducks, geese, bald eagles, caterpillars and riverotters) while letterboxing (or during any other outdoor activity).We even saw a box turtle in hiding in Bowie, MD yesterday--but I'mnot sure if you'd considered him dressed or naked since he had hishouse on his back!dvn2r ckrF108P33X8


Date: Thu Oct 17, 2002 7:55 pm Subject: Re: Now What

Too complicated! Find a stamp that applies to you. Some folks justprint a fingerprint or sign a name for a bit before they actuallyfind a stamp that fits their nature. One stamp I noticed yesterdaywas actually a hole burned into the page (their name was somethinglike 'the Arsonists' or something--that wouldn't have worked inyesterday's torrential downpour conditions in MD at the time but itwas noteworthy nonetheless). Other folks change outtheir 'signature' or 'personal' stamp along the way as otherthings/ideas come to mind or as they make major finds or reach majormilestones along the way (like finding 100 or 1,000 letterboxes).There really aren't any rules--it's up to your imagination. Samewith the name, you could be 'ABC from Alexandria' or something moreexotic--find something you like or just be yourself! It doesn'tmatter. Just remember to have fun and be careful along the way!See you on the letterboxing trail...dvn2r ckr'Adventure Seeker' in WAF108P34X8


Date: Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:03 pm Subject: Re: WA: Rev. clues to LB in Tumwater Falls Park, Tumwater

I'm dvn2r ckr and I'm addicted to LBing, too. At least this park isone of those places WORTH returning to (I forewarn you that thestamp is very poor this time around--I was running off of less than2 hours of sleep before we headed down there)! We've visited thepark at least 5 times in the past 3 weeks (and we spent one of thoseweeks on the East Coast). The salmon were running up it like mad aweek ago and it was such great entertainment for the kids. I thinkthe gardener came across this box, too. They had cut the pesky ivyaway and must've come across the box in the process. At least, theyhad the presence of mind to attempt to rehide the box along the wayand did a fantastic professional letterboxer job in theirattempt!!! Unfortunately, somebody made off with the 'nicer' stampbefore then. :(Enjoy your trip to the park, that's the true prize in theprocess!!! We saw a few chinook in the area but nothing like therun a week and a half ago! There are roe all over the place,though. Keep your eyes open for little surprises along the way!dvn2r ckrF108P34X8


Date: Fri Oct 18, 2002 8:37 am Subject: Re: Stamp matching location

*****,It doesn't matter if the stamps match the location. I try to matchthem whenever possible but sometimes I go along with a theme instead--such as a historical event in the area or a hobby that might matchthe region. I stretched it when I placed a Seattle Marinersbaseball letterbox along some old railroad tracks a few monthsback. I connected the two because there are RR tracks close to theSeattle Mariners' homefield in Seattle (although the tracks I placedthe letterbox near are 60 miles away!!!) and the train engineerssound the whistle whenever they pass by the ballpark. I was reallystretching it but nnow there's another letterbox in a place thatonce had none AND it's a really nice little outing along a littlevisited area for letterboxers to enjoy.


Date: Fri Oct 18, 2002 8:20 pm Subject: [LbNA] Re: Stamp matching location

I'm glad you enjoyed the letterbowl, um letterball, uh letterbox.Funny what you can find at the thrift shops in the "plasticware/tupperware's last stand before heaven" section, isn't it? I'mstill trying to figure out what that container was used for? Halfcut onions or something? Any thoughts? Ok--so I'm a very frugalletterbox placer...I'm now working on a 3-D Doritos canister letterbox--trying tofigure out where I can hide it.


Date: Sat Oct 26, 2002 8:49 pm Subject: CA: New Mystery LB in Monterey

Los Lobos Marinos Mystery Letterbox???Monterey CountyCalifornia


Date: Sun Oct 27, 2002 4:06 pm Subject: CA: Loma Prieta rocks!!!

We took off on a little escapade in N. CA and found a very 'rockin'letterbox; fortunately, the ground was pleasantly stable today. TheLoma Prieta Earthquake LB at The Forest of Nisene Marks SP wasextremely fascinating. What an educational event when we found thevery large box!!! The adventure along the way was a lot of fun,too! Thanks for a neat little outing in this neck of the woods.Many, many, many visitors to this box from ALL AROUND the WORLD--several of whom weren't even letterboxers (thank goodness they leftthe box in great shape)!!!Again thanks for a neat little adventure through an old logging town,dvn2r ckr


Date: Tue Oct 29, 2002 8:52 pm Subject: Re: Newbie says "Whoopie!" : )

***,My letterboxing companions include my 25 pound 11-1/2 month oldson (TRKR) in the backpack and my 4 year old daughter (rnrB) runningalong my side (and occasionally my husband or parents when they canmanage to take time off from work). In the past 5 months, we'velogged finding 114 boxes (average 2 miles per box) at aprox. 228miles and placed 35 boxes (average another 2 miles per box) atapprox. 70 miles. Include the several dozen bad attempts atlocating difficult to find or completely missing or tampered boxesfor another 24 miles and the occasional maintenance we do on ourplaced box population for another 25 miles. Boy, have we worked offa lot of junk food in the process!!! With all this fun, who needs amembership to the local gym??? AND the best part of all is thatwe're outdoors, learning about where we live, spending time with thewildlife and seeing all of God's awesome creations!!! It has beenan absolutely incredible experience!!!To think just over the last three days, we happened upon a seaotter in Monterey, the Loma Prieta Earthquake epicenter in Aptos,sycamore trees, stellar jays, GIGANTIC pine cones, lizards, atarantula & mineral baths in San Jose, and a Shakespeare Festivalamphiteater in Oregon... AND that was just 3 days!!! With thishobby, everyday is a new adventure!!!


Date: Wed Oct 30, 2002 3:12 pm Subject: Re: [LbNA] South Sound Letterboxing Fest

Greetings all,I admit, I've found a lot of boxes after GIVING UP on the clues orfinding the second or third in a series before finding the first LB(even though finding the second or third boxes was dependent uponfinding the first)! My reward yesterday, however, for one of dearRyan of Portland's sadistic (affectionately, I add) boxes along I-5in Oregon was finding no box but contracting a nice little case ofpoison oak (since the darn leaves are starting to fall off nowadays)along the way (and no, I don't mean a hitchhiker)--ARGH!!!Perhaps we've come up with a new sport??? Rearrangingletterboxes? ;) If we added music, would it be known as 'musicalmobile letterboxing'? I can only imagine the possibilities!!!


Date: Wed Oct 30, 2002 3:16 pm Subject: Re: Flaky Relatives save the day!

No, you're not a flaky relative! Perhaps a 'frosted flaky'relative? ;) You can't be a flaky relative if you've singlehandedly quintuppled the letterbox population in the entire state ofIdaho IN A WEEK!!! ;) As for the S. Sound LB Quest Fest event,we'll plan another one early next year provided Uncle Sam doesn'thave other plans for me any time soon! ;)


Date: Sat Nov 2, 2002 9:57 pm Subject: Re: WA: New letterbox!

Ryan!!!You went above and beyond the call of duty in creating yourmasterpiece of an event stamp for today's S. Sound LB Quest Festevent!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!What an incredible work of art and to think you did it twice ismindboggling! ;) I definitely don't have that kind of patience.It was great meeting you and all the others today and I look forwardto eventually finding more of your and the others' boxes in thefuture. But first, I need a nap... ;)


Date: Sat Nov 2, 2002 10:21 pm Subject: Re: 21 Cheers for dvn2rckr!!! SS Quest Fest...

You guys are very kind--but actually the success of the eventis due to everyone who attended! Thank you for coming, placingboxes and 'rearranging' them, too--without that assistance I wouldhave been standing in the middle of a major collegiate cross countryevent & soccer stampede with my stamp & log book trying to beat thehordes to my 2 boxes in the park! ;)I think the final count of folks who attended was somewhereabove 30--I ended up with 24 exchanged stamps and two differentpairs shared a stamp, I never managed to catch up with MountainMaple's friend Lisa to catch her 'brand spanking new' signaturestamp (although it looked like a beauty when I saw it in progress) &the legendary 'catbird' whom I seem to follow around all over thePuget Sound logging into log books just a few days after he does andthen the person in incognito who attended, too: All those folksplus the four stamps from my family (which I already had) puts thetotal over 30. What a blast it was!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANKYOU!!!It was really great to finally be able to put faces withlogbook images/names and such legends of the sport, to boot! It waswild getting to see some of the 'legendary' boxes, too--and theincredible works of art from afar (such as the K-Mart(ha)'s andFlutterby--the letterbox that finds you). How honored we are tofinally get to experience their beauty.Finally, I still have several more boxes I need to locate inthe park. Even after today's event, I feel I have barely scratchedthe surface there! Wow--I never knew that park was THAT big!!!Thanks for the adventure through my own backyard!See you on the trails and thanks for all your help with today's event,'dvn2r ckr'F125 P38 X32 E2'Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Letterboxes'


Date: Mon Nov 4, 2002 3:48 pm Subject: SSLBQF 2 Nov update--Where are all the HHs??? ;)

Just went out to finally look for a few more boxes thatremained after the South Sound LB Quest Fest last Saturday (since Idawdled along on Saturday in a half slumbered state--I think I onlyfound 5 that day) and am sad to report (although my parents will bequite happy to know that I followed their better parental judgement)that I did not pick up ANY hitchhikers from the area around theInsane Asylum or the rest of the park, for that matter. It seemsthey all already got rides from other unwitting people prior to myvisit and are running about the NW ready to infect others active inthe sport.Besides accidently catching Fudrick's 'HH Letterbox Fever' 2days before the event as I noticed it in plain view along a trail, Ihonestly did not pick up any others... :( But, it is quitefitting that I caught that one because I still do have quite a caseof LB Fever.Today, I found the Secret Gardeners' & Canada Goose's fourclowns--what extraordinary stamps and cute little log books, toboot! I also found Fudrick's 3 boxes--his clues were reallyingenious and such sweet little stories describing neat littleanecdotes with such nice stamps. I, too, am an Aunt Beth(any) but Idon't think I'd ever be considered quite as nice as the real AuntBeth in the clues. How sweet she seemed and fitting that she hadsuch great neighbors to spare her from such a miserable situation inlife!!! Amanda's Fledgeling box was absolutely adorable! And itwas only fitting that I finished the day at DZ & SunSeeker's FinishLine! How true, how true and what an awesome hiding spot and neatlittle stamp, too!


Date: Mon Nov 4, 2002 7:31 pm Subject: Re: Quest Fest this and that

Hey, everyone! After finding all of the new boxes at that park, Istill feel like I have barely scratched the surface there!!! I havea few more ideas for boxes up my sleeves. Perhaps I should wait forthe 2nd annual S. Sound LB Quest Fest??? ;)Before then, however, I will sleep! ;) But, if you drop any hintsabout hitchhikers in the great Pac NW maybe I'll awake from my deepslumber for a tad... ROTB(ed)L :) Or, if you post any sightingsabout Waughops in the area. I'd love to see one of those with myown two eyes!!! Are they friendly if you find them in the wild?***Warning slightly off topic here: Oh, BTW--who brought thatscrumptious sandwich to the big event? The one with the luncheonmeet, pesto (I think) & roasted red peppers! It was incredible andI'd love to have the recipe, hint, hint so I can re-crEATe it athome! ;)Thanks again for everybody's help in making Sat such a successfulevent! Your stamps were all incredible works of art and your cluesexciting and refreshing. It truly was a great adventure!!! Can'twait to see you all during other LB events in the future!!!


Date: Wed Nov 6, 2002 8:19 am Subject: Re: Roaming Event Stamp (Pacific NW)

Thank you so much for adding such a wonderful stamp in LBNW to ourbig event last weekend. What a welcome surprise!!! The eventstamps all really enjoyed getting together for a brief moment intime! The two opi 41 (is opi the plural of opus?) ala legerdemainealso got to reunite for a brief moment in time. Perhaps there wastwo! much of a good thing with both K-Marthas in attendance? ;) Itwas great to see such awesome works of art!


Date: Sun Nov 10, 2002 11:01 pm Subject: Re: WA: Lost and found boxes

The several boxes at Discovery Park in Seattle are doing well, too(Cougar series & Mitten/Discovery Ship). Minus the little snowflakethat unfortunately 'melted' oh so long ago. :( If you missed theFall leaves changing this year, I recommend that you run out to thispark ASAP--you'll be knee deep in maple leaves that are bigger thanStuttgart (which is pretty big--I graduated from high school nearthere)!!! ;)


Date: Tue Nov 12, 2002 10:12 am Subject: Re: WA, great day in South Sound

When we found the Wolf Mystery box several months ago, a GIGANTICBald Eagle swooped down from a tree about 20 feet away from us whilewe were stamping in. It was a glorious, exhilirating experience!!!Also, not too long thereafter, a fire engine drove by along a nearbyroad with its sirens blaring--then we were treated to a cacophony ofall of the wolves howling in response to the passing sirens. It waswonderful, eery and such an incredible experience all at once. Whata neat location!!!dvn2r ckr


Date: Wed Nov 13, 2002 5:23 pm Subject: Re: [LbNA] Ryan, challenging boxes

wrote:> I have to agree with ***********sometimes we can have adifferent> definition of "challenging" like trying to get your kids to leavethe turtle> by the trail and continue on (after watching it for 15 minutes)

Speaking of turtles, when we were out East a couple of weeks ago andwe were trying to find the Allen Pond Park boxes (Bowie, MD) in theDRIVING RAINSTORM, we took a bit longer than normal to find theboxes (as the clues were a bit confusing). One point along thehike, we found a turtle at the base of a tree that we were convincedwas where the letterbox was supposed to be. Talk aboutsurprises!!! We eventually found the letterbox but boy was thatexciting. We hadn't come across a turtle near a tree in the Westduring our adventures in letterboxing. Up until that time, we'donly seen them in the ponds and sunbathing on logs... ;)dvn2r ckr


Date: Tue Nov 19, 2002 10:03 pm Subject: OH LB trip report

Hello OH Letterboxers,We just returned to the Pacific Northwest from our whirlwindweekend trip to the Cincinnati area and this is what we found whilethere (I'll include a status of the box if there was anythingnoteworthy to report):-French Park (Amberly Village)-HH 'Legends Live Forever' tribute to Dale Earnhardt-Wetlands (Blue Ash)-BARC n Howl (Blue Ash) was missing-Winton Woods Kingfisher Trail (jackhammer stamp?)-Who (Winton Woods) by Leader of the Pack-Thunderbird (Winton Woods)-Blue Willow (Winton Woods)-Lost Fisher (Winton Woods)-HH 'Where the Corn Grows' by Leader of the Pack--found at LostFisher-Fore! by Team Jedi (WITHOUT CLUES TO THE BOX!!!--there was a hintwithin the clues to Blue Willow that there was another box in thearea so we thought like letterboxes, scouted around and found it!!!)-Great Oaks (Winton Woods)-Wings of Peace (Winton Woods)-Jurassic Workout 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 8 (7 must've blown away duringthe storms and could be lying anywhere in the midst of the billionsof leaves that have fallen in the area???) at Woodland Mound Park,the logbooks are almost full on these-Wildberrys (wow!!! is all I can say about this one!!!)-Snowflakes (Withrow Nature Preserve)-IScream (Mariemont)-Dogwood Park Nature Trail (Mariemont)--didn't know there wasanother LB in the area until we returned to the hotel that night sowe didn't get it-Pigs Can't Fly-Union Terminal, Queen City Tour-Kentucky Crab Mystery-Ft Wright Nature Center's Frog's Pulpit (the other one in the park,Beat the Storm, wasn't anywhere to be found--possibly swallowed bythe tree with the hole in it?)-Past Lives II (Stanberry Park) no luck with Past Lives III or Outon a Limb in the same park--either it's operator head space andtiming or the boxes have been blown around in the wind or are lyingaround in the woods somewhere under about 6 inches of recentlyfallen leaves-HH 'Ohio Flamingo' found at Past Lives II-Touch & Go Mystery LB (plastic bag was torn and box slightlycrushed, but otherwise dry--I'm sorry I didn't have a spare plasticbag with me at the time)-Columbia Pioneers-Pioneer Cemetery-PezBoxWe placed Groovy Bug Mystery LB today in a park in Hamilton Countyand will post clues to it shortly.All in all, an incredible sightseeing tour of the less touristythings around Cincinnati. We definitely learned our way around thearea quite quickly and are very thankful that letterboxing is such apopular pasttime in this area. Your stamps in this area are quiteexquisite and your letterboxes are very ingenious!!! I don't thinkI've ever seen that many Mini M&M containers at a grocery storecheckout aisle as I saw around the letterboxing jaunts in Cincinnati& boy, what you can do with film canisters, magnets, prescriptionbottles, camouflage tape, etc. Wow!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!!Thanks again for the adventure through your neck of the woods. Ittruly brightened our spirits during a quite stressful time. Keep upthe great work and we look forward to the opportunity to find yourletterboxes in the future!Take care & God Bless,DVN2R CKR(Adventure Seeker) with rnrB & trkr along for the rideF171 P40 X34 E2


Date: Sun Nov 24, 2002 6:02 pm Subject: Re: WA: New Redmond Watershed boxes BRAVO

See any bears along the trail? The last time we were there they hadbear sighting signs posted all around, a little scary when you'reonly armed with a 4 year old, a 1 year old and some cheese & peanutbutter crackers! ;) I'm glad I have a reason to go back there,now, what a neat little area!!!dvn2r ckr


Date: Sun Nov 24, 2002 6:37 pm Subject: Re: Herons, Horses and Bears... Oh my! (redmond elementals)

When they get cold (or sleepy--boy could I hibernate right now)?Who knows? Anyway, I forgot to mention that when we last went tofind the first two boxes and had seen the bear sighting warnings allover--can you believe we actually found Candlelight's Black Bear PawHitchhiker LB prowling around the Treefrog Letterbox that very day?What perfect timing? ;)


Date: Tue Nov 26, 2002 10:18 pm Subject: Re: finding a hitcher in your own box

Funny you should ask this question. I've come across my ownhitchhikers about half a dozen times both in my own boxes and inother peoples' boxes. I even came across one of my sister'shitchhiking letterboxes that I had previously found in somebodyelse's box. In those instances where it was my second acquaintancewith the hitchhiking letterbox, I did not claim it as a foundletterbox nor did I move it to a new location.Along the same lines, I have had the awesome opportunity toexchange stamps with other letterboxers. On two occasions, thoseindividuals changed their signature stamps and I had the privilegeto receive their new signature stamp during a subsequent meeting.In those two cases, I didn't count the newly exchanged signaturestamps as exchanges because I hadn't formally given them a newsignature stamp from me (i.e. no 'exchange' of stamps between thetwo of us occurred--in that situation it was a one-sided event andthus IMHO not an 'official' exchange--others might feel differentlyabout this but that's the beauty of this hobby--there are no setrules).Have a great Thanksgiving & happy letterboxing!!!


Date: Mon Dec 2, 2002 6:41 pm Subject: Re: WA: New Z Box

Mama always said "good things come to those who wait" (I mean,those who are slow-er). LOL Found a little Buzz-y friend at thecourthouse in Olympia today. We also saw proof that the 7th Nailexists!!! ;)What an absolutely gorgeous view, too!!! A fitting tribute towho I am sure was a great man!!!Also, our excitement piqued a bit today as we thought we weregoing to get another exchange today when immediately after wefinished stamping into the 'Z' LB and were in the process ofdeparting the area another person drove up and went straight to theletterbox--but, alas, no exchange credit as we had already exchangedour stamps during the 2 Nov SSLQF at Ft Steilacoom.We also took the opportunity to attempt to repair the OlympiaBrew Haus stamp by adding a wooden backing to it. Don't know why itfailed so quickly and how long it will last with its new backing. Iwon't be using the Speed Ball carving medium anymore (fortunatelyI've only placed a handful of LBs out there using that material).It doesn't last very long because it's so crumbly--I'm sticking withthe PZ Kut or my classic $ store erasers... They seem to last MUCHlonger and survive moist & cold environments.Happy letterboxing!dvn2r ckrF176 P43 X35 E2


Date: Wed Dec 4, 2002 2:24 pm Subject: WA update...

I got a little 'buzz'y (hh) and went trekking to find the DavisPlace LB in DuPont, WA this afternoon--after providing an ample &fair headstart (1-1/2 days) to other regional letterboxers. ;)After finding some letterboxes in distant and far off lands(NJ, NY, MD, OH, KY, CA, OR) the past couple of months, it really isnice to find one in my own backyard (that somebody else placed--thank you J&A Bear)!!! I even learned something debatably importantin the process--what a teenage mutant ninja turtle's front doorlooks like... I guess I missed that fad completely! ;)Rumour has it that Letterbox Psyc(h)o (hh) wanted to play withexplosives, too...dvn2r ckrF177 P43 X35 E2


Date: Fri Dec 6, 2002 6:15 pm Subject: WA: finally a trip to Orting!

Scouted out Foothills Trail today in Orting (Puyallup area) andreally enjoyed a hazy day among Mt Rainier's foothills. Found all 3boxes in the series while blessed with a front row seat to nature'sshow of a soaring Bald Eagle, flyfishers casting all around, cattle& nursing calves, bison, possibly a yak (I'm not sure if that's whatwas at that farm--but that's my best guess), the tail end of thesalmon run up South Pairie Creek & 3 nice little stamps bySunSeeker. Can't believe we were the first visitors to these boxes--come on, guys, you had a 70 day headstart! ;) Left 'thunder'ousapplause for a wonderful letterboxing day at tHe feet of tHeCascades. The only thing we missed today was a great view of MtRainier (because the haze never lifted) but fortunately, wewitnessed that marvel up close & personal last Friday fromParadise. ;)


Date: Mon Dec 9, 2002 5:05 pm Subject: WA: Gnome home tour in Tacoma...

Hi--I took a neat little tour through some gnomes' homes today at PtDefiance Park. How quaint! Some were even decorated for theholidays all decked out with boughs of cedar!!! Forest Gnome, Jarl,Gwendolyn & Ailil are all doing well! However, Gwendolyn had a tearin her eye--seems her 'traveling man' left Her to wander tHe trailstoday... Poor Gwen! Despite her travails, she looks awfully goodfor 351 years old!!!Rumour has it that 'calibration is vital' on them thar trails--sureglad I had some engineering schooling in a past life! ;)


Date: Tue Dec 10, 2002 4:17 pm Subject: WA: Traveling Man HH

Rumour has it that Traveling Man is headed to Tokyo and his poorgnomish dame Gwendolyn is sobbing now that he's gone. Hopefully,he packed enough warm clothes in his little suitcase... Perhaps he'llsend for her when he settles down?dvn2r ckrF192 P43 X35 E2


Date: Fri Dec 13, 2002 6:21 pm Subject: WA: Christmas Trees LB series in Seattle

Christmas Trees Series at the Seattle ArboretumWhat a gorgeous series of stamps and such a thoughtful,appropos poem, too! Thanks, Candlelight, for such a niceletterboxing experience in a great park!!! This is one of thoseparks I might never have visited had it not been forletterboxing!!! Don't miss these stamps if you're in the area.If you happen to visit during rainy weather, I recommend goodwaterproof rain/muck boots for your adventure as the route got a bitsloppy/mucky along the way. My daughter absolutely LOVED it--nothing like puddles to satisfy an adventurous 4 year old!!! ;)

Hey, I'm trying my best to boost WA's count (come to think of it,I've placed a few in CA, too)!!! Oh, I also placed one in OHrecently which isn't yet reflected in their count so they're a bitcloser to CT than most people think! ;) I've run out of localplaces here in my WA neighborhood to hide them without duplicatingmy efforts... ;) But, then again, I have been 'duplicating' myefforts, anyway--having to rehide so many of my boxes that have gonemissing recently! UGH!Hey, Washingtonians...let's catch up with Oregon! If every activeletterboxer just placed a new box within the next month, that wouldget us pretty close... ;) Or, better yet, spread the cheer aroundthe world and drop off a new hitchhiker in the next week or twoinstead! We need something to look forward to during our 'gray'period here in the Pacific NW...In all seriousness--no, it's not about the numbers just getting outand doing something that is really a lot of fun, doesn't requiremuch money, helps us burn some calories, relieve some stress,exposes us to new, exciting and different experiences & keeps usfrom eating junk food or spending money we don't need to spend!!!And for those of us who harbor obsessive/compulsive tendencies likeI do, the stamps are nice to help us document what we'veaccomplished along the way...dvn2r ckrF200 P43 (I have at least 2 dozen others ready to place--justrunning out of locations nearby) X35 E2

"Crabby HH came home with me. I am treating him to Dungeness Crab (first of the season) Dinner before sending him on his way."HoopoeFederal Way WA**********************So, Crabby's a cannibal, I take it??? ;) Or is he really of thedungeness kind? We'll keep our eyes out for a hitchhiker with a fewnibbles taken out of it...dvn2r ckr


Date: Thu Dec 19, 2002 6:22 pm Subject: WA LB Update

Here's the low down on recent letterboxing treks around WA:**Found Kenneydell in perfect health hanging out around Black Lake.What a gem of a park & a great swimming hole for some cool dudes,too!**Pt Defiance Park's athletic series is doing well. What achallenge when your brain is tired!!! ;)**Psyco's dancing with Bigfoot.**Launched HH "yoU. F.O.und it!" this week.**Launched HH "Groovy Bug" this week in Ohio! (Long story aboutfinding the perfect permanent hiding space for it & then learning itwasn't very welcome there--it debuts somewhere else around Ohio soon)**We're on the last page of our little logbook!!! :( We're in fora change!!! ;)See you on the trails...dvn2r ckrF205 P48 X35 E2"Life, liberty & the pursuit of letterboxes"


Date: Fri Dec 20, 2002 10:09 pm Subject: Re: WA: Burfoot Park -

The last time I tried to go to Burfoot Park, the road was closed forrepairs (a couple months back)--heard something about a stubbed toe(should've worn shoes, I guess--actually I think they were trimmingtrees along the road) LOL. I finally got back there this week.Sorry about covering your territory--but it was just BEGGING for aletterbox! ;)Hey, Washingtonians---I think we're making headway on Oregon... ;)We might make it into the top 10 within a few days at this rate(provided Ryan stays in CA for a bit and Funhog is on the road)! :)See you on the trails...dvn2r ckrF206 P49 X35 E2


Date: Sat Dec 21, 2002 10:39 pm Subject: Re: WA: Boxes HH's and shoping

Hoopoe & I must be on the same wavelength!!!We, too, ventured down to Burfoot to locate Fudrick's new boxestoday. I could only imagine what was going to be on thosestamps!!! I wasn't too far off base when I actually saw the stamps--what a hoot! Thanks Fudrick!!!It was a big HH day for us, too! Bagged Buzz & The World'sCrabbiest HH in the same park! Well, technically TRKEE bagged Buzzand we bagged Crabby. Buzz has since flown on to more mysteriousplaces these days. We have officially finished our first log book(although there are 9 carved stamps logged in there that haven't yetbeen placed--stay tuned for future letterboxes in a park nearyou)!!!After finding the boxes, we headed to the beach at low tide!It was awesome! There were clams, oysters & sanddollars of allshapes & sizes all about (Bent Neck & Butter Clams were mostprolific). We even found remnants of an octopus and otherinteresting sea creatures lying along the rocky shore. Western Jayswere abundant as were the Pileated Woodpeckers and many other neatlittle birds.After Burfoot, we, too, headed to the Farmers Market for thelast hurrah of the season! What a fun area to hang out in! Too badit closes for the season tomorrow. :( April is TOO far off...Then, we continued on to other places for more Christmas shopping!I guess letterboxers think alike? ;)Letterbox feverCareful, you might catch it!!! ;)dvn2r ckr


Date: Tue Dec 24, 2002 6:07 pm Subject: WA: Manchester LB visit

We're exploding with excitement after our Christmas Eve trek to Bill& Evil Glenn's Manchester SP LB series near Port Orchard, WA.WAY COOL!!!Manchester is a cute little village with awesome views of the Sound,too! Thanks for yet another awesome adventure around Puget Sound!!!dvn2r ckr, rnrB, trkr & TRKEEF212 P49 X35 E2


Date: Sun Dec 29, 2002 3:27 pm Subject: Re: [LbNA] New HH - SS LB Goddess

"BB" wrote:> What?? Where was I??> ----- Original Message -----> From: Fudrick> A new Hitch Hiker was placed today, 12/29/2, the SS LB Goddess!>**********************************3rd attempt at this message...UGH!!! Satellite connections thesedays!!! Hope it works this time around. I'm tired of writing it!Here goes...**********************************Hey, so you wanna be goddesses, too? Well, I dub thee SS Goddessesof the Dawn (for first placements of letterboxes in the region).Would you rather be Gods??? ;) In fact, Tacoma Nature Center &Titlow Parks were among our first finds, so in our hearts, you areVERY SPECIAL to us!!! You gave us the proof that this letterboxinghobby wasn't just a fictitious scavenger hunt activity listed on theinternet someplace AND you provided us the incentive to place boxeswhere other letterboxers hadn't yet ventured...Actually, I think Fudrick was referring to quantity over quality.Your boxes are of the Nordstrom/Neiman Marcus/Sharper Image varietyand mine are more on the level of Wal-Mart or more precisely--thriftshop exclusives... ;) Boy, if I only had my own arc welder and jigsaw. I've got a couple dozen altoid tins just lying around! ;)Can't wait to locate Mr. Fontaine. Thanks for another reason tohead up North! After all the extra work I've given to the TPD thissummer, I guess helping them find Mr. Fontaine would ease theirburden a bit? Wonder if they ever caught the jerk who broke into mycar in July anyway? Hmmmmmm, I'm not holding my breath anymore...Have a great New Year!dvn2r ckr


Date: Sun Dec 29, 2002 3:50 pm Subject: Re: New HH - SS LB Goddess

"Fudrick" wrote:> A new Hitch Hiker was placed today, 12/29/2, the SS LB Goddess!>> FudrickThank you so much, Fudrick. This HH is a very nice gesture!Though, I'm not sure I can live up to such legendary heraldry as agoddess? At least, I'll try to sell it to my kids, though...as longas they're still listening to me. Did I actually say that theystill listen to me? Oops, they haven't listened to me in ages andthey're not even teenagers yet! In fact, one just life primenumbers and the other just made it to his first digit...dvn2r ckr


Date: Mon Dec 30, 2002 11:46 am Subject: Re: what makes for a great box?

Thanks in advance for any tips you can give to help meplace "great"> boxes.>> Smiles and bright blue skies,> Plants Many SeedsIMHO, these qualities would deem a 'great letterbox':-interesting & a tad bit challenging clues-nice stamp (I like interesting & unique containers, too)-beautiful or historically significant locationGo forth & multiply!!! ;)

Happy New Year & welcome to letterboxing!From one who would love to look for letterboxes in Colorado one day--too bad, we didn't know about letterboxing a couple of years ago aswe drove all throughout Colorado during our big move to the PacificNorthwest...dvn2r ckr(Adventure Seeker)F219 P50 X35 E2


Date: Tue Dec 31, 2002 5:42 pm Subject: WA: TPD can rest easy...

knowing Frankie has been found safe & sound on 31 Dec 02 at 1600 hrs.dvn2r ckr