letterboxing - missmoon

Time Flies!

2012-01-22T17:25:00.001-05:00

The holidays are over and I didn't slit my wrists. Can it be 2012 already?! But you can still pass the pie. It's always time for pie.

Pass The Pie

2011-11-22T17:50:00.000-05:00

I suppose going to sleep and walking up on January 1 is not an option huh?

Bike This

2011-10-16T20:34:00.006-04:00

After several days of feeling kind of down, i.e., old, cranky and depressed, I decide to head for Graham Hills Park in Pleasantville, up in Westchester County for a little treasure hunting. There is a very well hidden box belonging to Mushroom that I failed to find the first time.

Sadly, I forgot one very important point....Graham Hills is a popular park with mountain bikers. There were so many cars in the parking lot with empty racks on them and so many twenty-something guys in way too tight biking shorts in the process of getting bikes off their racks that I turned around and left.

I had a couple of stray clues in the car so I headed for Mt. Kisco to get a couple of suzietoots's old plants. I'm in the process of trying to catch up on old Westchester boxes I haven't gotten around to. The first one is on a small little road in a fairly well to do area of Mt. Kisco with very little through traffic. On the first pass by the tree and spot in the rock wall where the box is, there is a young guy driving a jeep and in the process of parking NEXT to the tree and starting to talk on his cell phone. I drive by. On the next pass, he is gone and there is a limo driver in one of those big black town cars sitting there killing time on HIS cellphone. I drive by.

In the meantime my car has starting making this weird screeching noise in the area of what sounds like under the left front tire. I stop. I look. I see nothing. No tree limb, nothing bent, nothing out of the ordinary. Though I'm not sure I would know if I did see something out of the ordinary. I feel underneath. Nothing. I drive. Noise comes and goes. I stop. Tire and hubcap seem secure. I drive. I speed up. Noise goes away. I slow down, hear noise again, always seeming like it has to do with turning of the tire. I drive back to tree. Limo driver still yakking.

I decide to take a chance and drive home rather than call Geico or Honda. I get home without incident, driving slower than I ordinarily would on the highway.

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to stop feeling old, cranky, and depressed.

You gotta laugh.

It''s Called Creativity

2011-09-06T13:10:00.003-04:00

If you're going to plant a cemetery box, is it too much trouble to carve an image that if not specifically pertaining to someone resting in that cemetery, could at the very least have something to do with cemeteries in general or at least a historical fact about the area.

Cartoon characters do not meet this very easy requirement. Make a little effort people!

Get Outside And Box

2011-08-28T23:44:00.004-04:00

Somebody just has way too much time on his hands.

The Lady Has Seen Better Times

2011-06-18T21:49:00.002-04:00

This will be repetitive for anyone who sees it on facebook but I wanted to put it here because I really like the way it turned out. And some people don't go on facebook. This was taken today in Westchester County, New York in the Marsh Sanctuary near Mt. Kisco.

REHIDE THE DAMN BOXES

2011-04-25T18:22:00.003-04:00

I went letterboxing in upstate New York this weekend past with Tamsyn. We did Sahalie's Cranial Pursuit series in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy. Great series! And of course I was happy to be roaming around in an interesting old cemetery on a dreary day. Somehow cemeteries are more fun on dark and gloomy days. Yes, cemeteries are fun. And I'd like to think the residents appreciate the visitors that appear from time to time to punctuate their lonely hours with some lively talk and laughter.

After lunch at Dinosaur BBQ in Troy we went to the Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve in Clifton Park to do a lovely series named after the park. It consisted of five wonderfully carved images that you put together to form one image. Though this is a nature preserve, you can tell from the garbage that has been dumped that people obviously come there for reasons other than hiking.

The second box location was about twenty-five feet from an abandoned car and right beside the trail. I thought it was a bad choice for a location since other garbage lying around meant that people obviously hung around there. That being said, it was missing. But we found the third box completely exposed so it's not hard to see why number two went missing. We were especially disappointed since this meant that part of the whole image was not going to be there.

Granted that it was a poor choice for the hiding place, but it didn't help that whoever was there last obviously wasn't that concerned with making sure all the boxes were well hidden.

Like the title of this post says, REHIDE THE DAMN BOXES.

Perky Perkasie

2011-04-14T20:46:00.004-04:00

Although you might not think so from this photo I had a really fun time last Saturday boxing in and around Perkasie, Pennsylvania with Lightinbug, Pink, Sheba, and Lightinbug's son Thomas.

We found a really nice series that was a tribute to the planter's great grandmother, Walking With Great Rose. If you're ever in that area you should do this one. It's a lovely series with a lovely and loving thought behind it.

As It Turned Out

2011-04-03T19:45:00.003-04:00

I didn't make it to Connecticut until today and rather than a burger at Five Guys I went to another great local eatery that I found on my still favorite site, Roadfood.com. I have just fallen in love with this site. So many times when letterboxing I am in an area that I have never been to before and I hate to eat at places like Arbys. Bleh. This great site has pointed me to some really outstanding local favorites. Today I went to the Olive Market in Redding, about three miles from where I was hiking in Devils Den Preserve. I had their special chivito sandwich. This is a Uruguayan style "Dagwood" of thin-sliced filet mignon with ham, bacon, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, and melted provolone cheese all piled into a focaccia bread and toothpicked together with an olive on top. It was very yummy.

I had a really nice hike inside the preserve and snagged some tasty boxes. The trail was an easy one and the boxes were far enough apart that I was able to maintain a nice brisk pace and a healthy hike between boxes with no huge rocks to scramble over or streams to ford that can break up the pace. I had been there on March 5 and only gotten one of the boxes. There was still so much frozen snow and deep soft snow that I was not having a good time and had to go too slow. Today I found the rest of the series with no problems.

Sunny, windy and mild. Good day.

Spring Has Sprung. Sort Of.

2011-04-01T19:42:00.009-04:00

Though the snow and cold temperatures seem to keep trying to hold on, I did see some little green things sprouting up in the mud at Blue Mountain Reservation this week, along with a few remaining areas of snow in shady spots at the side of the trail. The weather was chilly but sunny and it was good to be there with mud instead of snow. While hiking the trails in February for Winter Blahs 2011, we were sliding and slipping on frozen snow and it was COLD.

All our snow is gone but folks in some parts of New Jersey still seem to be making much use of their snow shovels.

I hiked my middle-aged rear end off near Shelton, Connecticut recently and managed to get a few boxes in between getting just a tad lost and a lot tired. But it was a good day for hauling the aforementioned rear over some huge rocks. And I and my rear were proud of ourselves for doing so with great enthusiasm if little dignity.

I'm hitting the trail near Weston, Connecticut tomorrow and some tasty boxes, followed with a tasty burger from Five Guys. I seem to have become addicted to hitting them for a juicy burger each time I go to Connecticut. I know they're in other places but I saw them there first so have come to think of them as my 'Boxing In Connecticut Burger".

Hummmmm......Burger In A Box......sounds like a good name for a little hidden treasure.

BORING

2011-02-15T11:42:00.004-05:00

Other than attending the O' Letterboxing Tree gathering in Massachusetts last December with Mushroom, her DH and Ed, a trip to North Carolina with Suzanne to the Movie Madness gathering the last weekend in January and three new urban boxes with Donna here in the city last week, this cranky letterboxing hedgehog has been hibernating deeply all winter long. Seriously hibernating. And I bite so don't wake me up yet.

Growl.

Five Hours Has Gotten Shorter?

2010-11-29T17:39:00.004-05:00

One thing driving across the country twice has done is to make driving 5 hours to a gathering seem much more doable now. Unless it was a really big and special event, three hours has been kind of my cut off point.

But there's a gathering this Saturday in Saco, Maine that is looking more and more interesting.

We'll see how I feel around 4am Saturday morning. And how cheaply I can spend one night before drving home.

It's good to be retired.

You Can't Walk On The Keyboard

2010-11-28T09:48:00.005-05:00

Not being able to walk on the keyboard is a concept that my cat Mikey just doesn't grasp, bless his little furry heart. He gets very frustrated when the laptop is in one of his favorite spots...my lap. I have finally managed to get him at least temporarily settled beside me rather than on me. We'll see how long this lasts.

I'm still in the recovery stage of my return home and I seem to have caught a cold somewhere on the trek from Georgia to New York. I can't remember the last time I had a cold.

On Monday of last week I was walking on Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, located just off the coast of Georgia. Jekyll Island is easily reachable by car and is a wonderfully low key place on which to wander and relax. There are lovely uncrowded beaches, small shops and several different places to stay if you don't want to travel to and from the island. It has a long, interesting, and diverse history and is, I think, a really wonderful and inexpensive place to spend a vacation. I don't think most people think of Georgia as a place to travel to but I'd go back there again just to stay on the island for a week. I found it to be very, very nice. You can take along a bike or rent one there and never get back into your car. The roads are smooth, flat and made for bike riding. But be sure and gas up that car before going since there is no fuel supply on the island.

I have no desire to get in the car, letterbox, or do anything else that requires more effort than walking to the corner deli for a bagel with cream cheese, which I think I'll do right now.

Home Again, Home Again

2010-11-27T20:00:00.003-05:00

I arrived home from my cross country trek on November 24. I have been posting on facebook so rather than repeat myelf, have refrained from posting anything here. I may put up a few thoughts and a couple of my favorite photos at some point. I did some boxing but not anywhere near what some people would have done. But it was enough for me.

Always Have a Back Up

2010-10-19T20:33:00.004-04:00

We are having a wonderful Indian Summer this year. Although some days have been rainy and a little gloomy, we have had many absolutely stunning fall days full of sunshine and warm temperatures. I was near Catskill, New York today and the drive is almost too distracting. You want to look at all the golden trees instead of watching the road!

I had a nice hike, not terribly long but enough to get some exercise and find five great boxes. A nearby treasure eluded me. Then I headed south to Poughkeepsie and snagged one more before heading home. When I got back in the car after getting a much needed cup of coffee, I turned the key and heard this awful buzzing noise. After a few seconds of slight panic, thinking something weird was happening with the car, I realized it was my GPS, Old Faithful, screen black and emitting this oboxious noise. It would NOT stop. I had to put it in the trunk and wrap a towel around it. I could still hear it until I started the engine again and started driving. THIS is why I keep a back-up GPS in the car. I knew Old Faithful was nearing the end of it's long life and I am always someplace I have never been before, with NO idea how to get back to a major highway. I am map challenged. Can't read 'em, don't like 'em. I am completly addicted to being electronically led by the hand and am not ashamed to admit it.

Sam's Point Preserve

2010-10-11T12:19:00.021-04:00

I had an awesome time Saturday at Sam's Point Preserve near Ellenville, New York. Sam's Point is the highest point of the Shawangunk Ridge, and the hike is a wonderful one with the dwarf pine barrens being terrain quite different than many of us may hike on a regular basis.

We found 6 great letterboxes, two of them mysteries by one of our favorite veteran upstate boxers. The location is not a mystery but you still need to figure out where the actual hiding places are. Six great images, great clues and a really beautiful and interesting location. When it all comes together like that, it is truly what letterboxing should be about.

Here we are heading up and out of the ice caves. Then we went on the real hike up and through the dwarf pine barrens to more boxes and a big, lumbering bear. He had no interest in us other than getting as far away from us as those fat legs could carry him. It was a great day with 'CityCyclist' and 'Little Brown Mushroom'. Thanks to LBM for the great photos. Then Sunday morning was finding two boxes in Brooklyn with a friend from out of town who was here with her son for his soccer tournament. From the dwarf pine barrens of Shawangunks Ridge to Prospect Park in Brooklyn, one extreme to the other! And today the mundane rears it's ugly head as the laundry calls out to me from the next room.

The Big Island

2010-09-30T22:09:00.001-04:00

Brand new letterbox on the big island today, and since I don't live in Hawaii, what does this tell us?

A bird by the tombstone is worth two in the hand.

Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, New York

2010-09-16T15:07:00.011-04:00

Sometimes it seems as though there isn't a town or city in America that doesn't have a Woodlawn cemetery.

Elmira's Woodlawn was chartered in 1858, part of the "rural cemetery" concept first implemented in this country at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Boston, Massachusetts.

I believe my favorite part of the weekend in Elmira was walking through through this huge cemetery and finding the hidden treasures I was searching for.

Among several notable people buried in this huge cemetery are Mark Twain, Ernie Davis, Heisman Trophy winner, famous movie producer Hal Roach, and John W. Jones. Jones was born a slave in Virginia in 1817 and after fleeing north to Elmira, aided in the escape of 800 slaves via the Underground Railroad. In 1859 he became the sexton of Woodlawn cemetery and was personally responsible for the burial of almost 3,000 Confederate Prisoners from the Elmira Prison Camp. He kept such precise records that in 1877 their burial site within Woodlawn was declared a national cemetery.

I expect to return to the Elmira area one day in the not to distance future and another walk through this fasinating resting place for so many, known and unknown will be at the top of my list of things to do while there.

Historic Hudson Valley Trail Hunt

2010-09-05T19:49:00.006-04:00

I had a great Friday and Saturday in Red Hook, New York and the surrounding Hudson Valley. Much letterboxing and hiking was done by all. It was a great gathering in one of the most beautiful parts of New York, *and* one that is resplendent with great carvers and planters. With this weekend's finds I have finished the logbook I started in 2004. This coming weekend in Elmira at L.O.S.T. at Tanglewood Nature Center I'll start my new logbook, 2010 - ????!

The only showing of Hurricane Earl was some passing sprinkles and a lot of humidity on Friday. Saturday was perfect boxing weather, sunny, breezy, and dry.

There were visitors from Georgia, Wisconsin, and Connecticut. And those are just the states I know about. I finally got to meet Wisconsin Hiker and Martini Man and spend time with them chatting over pasta and some awesome guacamole prepared by Tamsyn. Martini Man is a great 'mater slicer'.

I have to take back everything I said about having to use a certain web site to feel a part of a larger boxing community. Wisconsin Hiker made me realize otherwise.

I would have stayed longer but wasn't feeling well, so I drove home this morning and am feeling better after taking a Sunday afternoon nap, also one of the joys of life, along with letterboxing!

Historic Hudson Gathering

2010-08-30T23:13:00.004-04:00

I spent this morning and part of the afternoon planting four boxes for 3 blind mice's gathering in Red Hook, New York this coming weekend, a three box series of his and one box that I carved.

It's shaping up to be a great weekend with friends.

And after planting, I stopped at Pete's in Hyde Park for some lemon meringue pie.

Life, she is good.

Which Side Is Up?

2010-08-27T22:11:00.004-04:00

Ok, after I walk to the back of the cemetary, just exactly which side of the Celtic Cross would you like me to face before I go to the left side? Ohhhh, I'm supposed to guess. Right. Uh huh.

~signed Grumpy Gotham Letterboxer

I'm Loving Retirement

2010-08-21T23:56:00.007-04:00

I've always loved to write and I haven't been doing very much of it for quite a while. That needs to change.

It's been almost 8 months since I retired and so far I'm loving it. I have been doing a lot more boxing and hiking and can hike farther and on steeper trails than when I only went once in a while on the weekends. My endurance has gotten better and I'm pretty proud of that. I've gone on some fun boxing trips to Vermont, the Adirondacks, and North Carolina, not to mention more trips to the Hudson Valley area of upstate New York, my usual stomping grounds for boxing.

I've joined a bookclub and am doing volunteer work on Wednesdays with God's Love We Deliver.

Even when I don't go boxing I make sure I get out and walk, either around the neighborhood or in Blue Mountain Reservation up in Westchester County.

I've read that women deal with better and enjoy retirement more than men. Men look at retirement as the end of something and women see it as a beginning, the next phase. I'm in the "next phase" catagory and loving it so far, even if I'm home on a lazy afternoon reading a juicy mystery.

I always used to say that I would retire as soon as I could even if I had nothing better to do than sit on a park bench and feed the pidgeons. I saw so many people on my job who stayed far longer than they had to for no other reason than they didn't know what else to do. If they couldn't go to work each day they had no reason to get up in the morning. Life is way too damn short for that!

And so far, I haven't been near a park bench except to stamp into a tasty box.

South Mountain

2010-07-20T09:53:00.002-04:00

Went hiking up South Mountain in the Catskills this past Sunday and had a great time, found several tasty boxes, and was very proud of myself for the long hike that involved some climbing to one box in particular. Great day.

Whew....

2010-07-01T22:08:00.004-04:00

It was the charger and it's up and running. Hopefully I'll be heading upstate tomorrow and it will be put to good use.

Oh NOOO!

2010-06-06T22:24:00.002-04:00

My GPS has stopped working! I hope it just needs a new battery!

Susquehanna Sojourn III

2010-06-06T22:13:00.003-04:00

Camp Sertoma in Kirkwood, New York is really a wonderful place for a gathering and this year's was just as enjoyable as last year's. The trails are great and all the images were beautiful and wonderfully carved by the talented organizers, Turtle song, Scout, and eiryn. They are amazingly talented. It is always great hitting the trail with friends and Saturday was no exception. The rain held off so there were no rain splashed logbook pages!

I had a great day!

Ode to "Spring" Training

2010-05-10T18:09:00.003-04:00

Spring passed over Mendon Ponds Park for greener, warmer pastures this past Saturday and the few of us brave to leave the building roamed around in the wind, rain, and cold. But it was a blast.

Spring also avoided Syracuse, where I crashed with Lockwench coming to and going from the gathering. When I left Sunday morning I had to clean some fluffy, wet snow off the windshield! I believe it was a record snowfall for that date.

Forgotten Souls

2010-05-01T20:50:00.004-04:00

Some of the forgotten folks at the cemetery of Indian Castle Church, built in 1769, Little Falls, New York.

I Still Love Civil Service

2010-05-01T20:42:00.003-04:00

Why you may ask. Or not. Well, I'll tell you anyway. Because after working full time for the city of New York since 1972, I am now retired and only 59 years old. I know that to someone in their 30s or 40s, 59 may be not so young, but trust me kids, when you're 59 you'll feel vastly different.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with the rest of my life and I ain't gonna worry about it! I'm still in that first stage, which I call Thank You God. I'm just happy to no longer be going to a job I had grown so damn tired of.

When I get to the next stage, I'll let you know. You probably don't care, but that's ok.

Vacation Has Rolled Around Again

2009-11-29T10:57:00.002-05:00

God I love civil service.

I'm on vacation this week and plan to do as much boxing as possible, as always, providing the weather holds out. I was up in Westchester County yesterday in Pound Ridge Reservation and after much driving and wandering, found one box. Such is life. But I hiked up to an overlook and while making sure I didn't get blown off the top of the hill by the awesome winds that blew all day yesterday, enjoyed a really great view.

Today is Coming Back Home From Thanksgiving day and the traffic into the city will be a nightmare this evening. Rather than drive upstate, only to have a lovely day ruined by hours in bumper to bumper traffic, I think I'll hit a movie.

That Old Numbers Game

2009-09-21T03:06:00.004-04:00

A week ago, I hit my 700th find on AQ. I hate to get hung up on numbers, but it was a thrill to see that '7' come up. I have more finds than that in my real logbook so I'm not sure what it means, if anything. I wish I could be like those people who don't care about logging their finds on AQ but I can't. I get a charge out of it and it makes me smile. Something that makes me smile must be okay so I suppose I shouldn't worry about it.

Catching Up

2009-08-02T17:58:00.002-04:00

I see I haven't been here for quite a while. I always make a new resolution to make regular entries and then fail miserably. Such is life.

I have been doing a lot of boxing. I set a goal for myself to get out and box more often. There have been so many weekends in the past that after working all week I just didn't want to make what is almost always a long drive to a hike for boxes and then a long drive back home. I am happy to say that I have been working to keep that goal. I say "work" because sometimes it can be very hard to make those drives. But I almost always have a great time boxing and am always glad I made the effort to go.

I have been to Back To Our Roots in West Dover, Vermont, Susquehanna Sorjourne II in Binghamton, New York, I Love New York in Mt. Kisco, New York and most recently, Summer Is Here in Stanfordville, New York. These were all great gatherings but have to admit my favorite was Susquehanna Sojourne II. The organizers requested that no letterboxes be brought to the gathering that wouldn't be hidden with clues. So there were no table treats to keep everyone inside all day. Everyone hit the great trails and found lots of beautiful stamps.

Considering all the rainy days, I am happy that I was able to do as much boxing as I have so far this summer. And I'm not done yet!

Boom and Crash

2009-04-20T19:13:00.003-04:00

One of the larger limbs on that beautiful tree broke off in the wind today and fell across the sidewalk. Luckily no one was hurt and it looks like the cars that were there might have just gotten some scratches.

Dark, windy and COLD April day in Gotham

Middle-Aged Butt

2009-04-19T14:52:00.007-04:00

HAH! Made ya look!

Contrary to what you folks out there in the heartland may think, Gotham is not just tall buildings, taxicabs, and crowded sidewalks.

This is the view directly outside my livingroom window this afternoon. My tree (I think of it as my tree) is in full bloom and is stunning. Spring is indeed starting to spring.

Why am I not outside in this stunning and springing day you may ask? I was on a much needed and well deserved vacation this week, and I boxed my middle-aged bum off. I was out on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and on Monday I planted a new box in Manhattan. Today I rest, if you can call doing battle with the Laundry Monster resting.

I am also carving a stamp for a boxer who is planning a big series and had one of the carvers pull a disappearing act, probably because of that much over used excuse, "life got in the way". If you make a promise to carve and can't keep that promise, you let the planner know in plenty of time for them to find someone else. As the person who asked me to do this said, "I would have pulled the 'get ugly' switch weeks ago. But I digress, as I often do.

Back to the old work grind on Monday. Retirement cannot come too soon!

Winter Blues BEGONE!

2009-04-12T17:12:00.013-04:00

While I was lying around the house for the months of January and February, gazing mournfully out the window at the snow and ice while I recovered from minor foot surgery, I made a promise to myself to get out and box more often, long weekend drives notwithstanding.

So far I've been pretty much true to that promise, having made a couple of nice trips up to the Rhinebeck, New York area, veered over to the Red Hook area and generally wandered around various and sundry historic sites and preserves. I am working my way through a list of boxes planted by 3 blind mice. My how that man can carve! He's just informed me that he and the family will be planting quite a few more in the next couple of months. I'll never get caught up!

Closer to home is Mt. Kisco and the Westmoreland Sanctuary. This is a lovely, quiet little place to hike and find some hidden gems.

Today I was just "up the road" in Rockland County, New York. Many people think you have to take a long road trip to "get out of the city", but that's not the case. Rockland County is chocked full of beautiful places to hike, and tiny little villages and towns along the magnificent Hudson River.

Lots of pre-July and August I just want to stay inside with the air conditioner going full blast boxing to do!

Woo-Hoo!

A Blast From The Past

2008-11-16T18:29:00.005-05:00

I'm So Ashamed

2008-10-14T00:05:00.002-04:00

Hi, my name is MissMoon and I used a Lock n Lock for food today. It was the little square one. It was so perfect for something I wanted to take to work. I tried to talk myself out of it. I tried so hard. I really did. But the size was just too perfect. I can't look at the other Lock n Lock containers. I feel so dirty, so ashamed.

Not His Natural Habitat

2008-10-12T12:51:00.009-04:00

Although this is not the rhino's natural habatit, at least this one doesn't have to worry about becoming extinct. He's pretty sturdy.

mystery, new york

Seven Legged Boxing Bug

2008-10-03T04:29:00.004-04:00

Poodle Dudes, who hails from Eugene, Oregon, took this too funny picture of some folks stamping into my Johnny Appleseed box at Live & Breathe.

Cracks me up.

Not The Yellow Brick Road

2008-07-27T09:51:00.004-04:00

but the winding road....

and find a rose where you least expect it!

Beam Me Up Scotty!

2008-07-14T18:43:00.027-04:00

If you come to Gotham, you should do this box. It's truly urban, in a neighborhood tourists seldom visit and the location is a lovely surprise where you would least expect one.

Set Phasers to AWESOME, or Riker Squared

You can go by car but if you use public transportation you can take a break along the way and try the Bubble Tea.

Black Creek Preserve

2008-05-17T19:43:00.005-04:00

I headed upstate today, to Black Creek Preserve in Ulster County and did phynstar's "MY PLB Series". She always carves very nice stamps and her clues are interesting. She forces you to notice your surroundings and work a little. I had no trouble following the clues for this series so they were probably pretty easy! It was a nice day for a hike and the trails are easy. The weather was beautiful and it's always great to get OUT OF GOTHAM!

BACK FROM B.A.B.E.

2008-04-30T16:48:00.007-04:00

As it turned out, there were actually more than the 10 spaces that were posted about because you could park on the edge of the road. *And* as it turned out, at least as far as the impression I got, there was no parking problem because it wasn't a big gathering like I expected. I don't know if not everyone showed up or there was no problem just due to people coming and going. And you did have to drive to most of the boxes not at the pavillion unless you had all the time in the world to hike around and do them all in a very leisurely fashion, which we did not. And many of them were a hike of some kind after driving to the location. But it seemed to me like a regular sized gathering, not a so called big "national anniversary" gathering. I have a tendency to get overwhelmed when there are too many people and too much of a stamping frenzy and I never felt like that while I was there. It was a nice gathering with a very good, friendly feeling to it.

I guess we were at the pavillion from around 1???.... untill around 3???? We had driven from Roanoke, Virginia and then did 3 boxes in Hot Springs before we got there. After we left the pavillion we went and did the event boxes and only got 8 of them, mostly because of the time factor and the fact that we were very tired. I have an issue with hiding the event stamps all over the place but that was her choice. People coming from a long distance had time and traveling issues that I don't think were taken into consideration. People who came and stayed for 2-3-4 days had time to do it all with no problem but not everyone can do that with a so called national gathering. But it's over and done with now. She has the right to do what she wants to. All in all it was a good gathering and I really enjoyed meeting some very nice people from a different part of the country. I also finally met the Gallant Rogue himself!!

And it never rained on Saturday as far as I know. If there were any scattered sprinkles we never saw them.

We went back and did Max Patch the next morning before leaving the area. We had stayed in Newport, Tennessee, about 26 miles away and did the comfortable bed, steak and crab cakes for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's boxing thing as opposed to the hard, cold ground boxing thing. ++A boxer does not a camper have to be. There's room for those who enjoy sleeping on the cold hard ground and for those that enjoy a nice mattress.++

Max Patch is an easy box to get once you get up to it, but the drive willllllll kill ya!! LOL But it's BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Then we stopped in Bristol, Virginia and did two boxes before the rain started there. We didn't have time to wait till it stopped and do the other two. So by the time 4survivors and I got back to DC and I took the train baaaaaaaaaaaak here, it was midnight. So guess who took advantage of being a civil servant and called in sick today?! God I love not working in the private sector where you actually have to go to work every day!! LOL

Did I mention North Carolina is extraordinarily beautiful? North Carolina is extraordinarily beautiful! I hope I can go back down there and see more of it.

Escape From Gotham!

2008-03-23T14:13:00.011-04:00

On Saturday Lockwench and I took a ride up to the New Paltz area, about an hour and a half from here in upstate New York. We did two series on the Rail Trail that made for a nice hike on a very nice day, sunny with a crisp chill in the air. Only one box that was supposed to be in the town of New Paltz itself was missing. Lockwench fell on her butt and I lost some clues. All in all it was a pretty typical boxing day!

The trail has several entrances and this caboose was at one of them. Caboose......rail trail......get it? Sorry but it was just too easy to pass up.

We walked along the main street in New Paltz and checked out some of the little stores, especially the books stores and the art supply store. Can a letterboxer ever walk past an art supply store without going in?! Lockwench found a book that had some interesting and little known locations for new letterboxes.

We hit a local restaurant, had some delicious Greek food for lunch and managed to escape out the door without sampling the Bakalava. After that we walked back up the little main street, retrieved our cars and went to a couple of easy drive-bys before hitting the road for home sweet home. It was a good day with good boxing and good company. And that's pretty much what it's all about isn't it?

Tha' Great North West

2008-03-16T16:14:00.011-04:00

I have the week of April 13 off, which also happens to be my birthday, so happy birthday to me!

On the 14th I'm off to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon to be exact. My dear friend Karen, better known to boxers the world over as esmereldaofthesplendidbuccaneers is living out there these days as opposed to the family homestead in Beautiful Western Colorado. We'll drive north from the Medford area up to Salem and meet up with some local boxers from Eugene who are going to host us with the mostess. Then we'll drive down the gorgeous coast, doing some more boxing along the way. I'll find a few and plant a couple. Or three. I've been to northern California but never this far up the coast so I'm really looking forward to this trip! And Karen and I haven't seen each other in way too long! The tripod is coming with me so there will be photo opportunities galore! Stay tuned!

Whew!!

2008-03-02T09:58:00.004-05:00

Some Red hat Boxers take a much needed break from beach boxing

QTLPGT IWT XSTH DU BPGRW

2007-11-29T10:00:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday Mizscarlet and I had a very nice little hike and she helped find a good spot for a new mystery box. It was perfect boxing weather! I'm also in the process of replanting some of my previously retired boxes here in Gotham. This week I managed to replant Little Apple In The Big Apple and hope to get at least one more done this week. Little Apple lasted about two years before it fell to the hands of gardners, so I think it should last a good long while again.

When I'm finished replanting I'll tip toe quietly over to the Big Scary List and post about it, then tiptoe quietly back out before I get flamed for, oh I don't know, tiptoeing?

Road Trip!!

2007-11-18T12:14:00.002-05:00

You know what that means! On Saturday, Lockwench, Lisa Lisa, and yours truly packed Lockwench's car with boxing paraphnalia, Lockwench's trusty GPS, fried chicken for hungry treasure hunters and headed for the Mystery Gathering in Rhode Island. As some of you may know, Lockwench has recently relocated to Connecticut from upstate New York. I drove to her place near Hartford, we grabbed Lisa Lisa from her house a few blocks away and hit the road! Now rather than possibly commit a Letterboxing Faux Paux and risk incurring the wrath of anyone at all on the planet, the location of this event shall remain a mystery. I'll just say it was cold near the water. That will present you with a bit of a mental picture without giving anything away. It was a beautiful location and the weather was perfect, brisk and sunny with no wind to speak of unless you wandered too near the water, which of course we eventually did! Brrrrrrrr!

That's yours truly, Lockwench, and Lisa Lisa. There were a few familiar faces there, but most were attached to trail names I have seen on various lists over the years and never met.

I'm also happy to report that I shook hands with and buried the hatchet with a certain boxer. Life is just to freakin' short! I felt good about that. And no, it's not who some of you may think it is. We arrived at the gathering around 12 and were there until it started getting dark. We spent most of the time chatting, exchanging, and getting various images. Got one *particularly* interesting image to add to my collection of other *particularly* interesting images. We found the five boxes that were planted for the gathering. There were some really beautiful stamps carved by some very talanted boxers. All in all it was a good gathering and a fun time.

My dear friend and fellow boxer esmereldaofthesplendidbuccaneers of Oregon was asked to do the event stamp. She is an excellent carver. Varoom, varoom, back to Connecticut!

First we hit Lockwench's place and I pounced on some of her great images that I didn't have. THEN...............it being totally dark outside, where else would we go but to the cemetery? I believe this was my first boxing done in complete darkness. We made our way through the headstones to the box. Very cool. Then we headed to the home of a local boxer who keeps a couple of boxes in his front yard. We peered at the windows and saw strips of light. They're home!! Exchanges all around! Pet the cats! Chat! Admiring of stamps from the gathering, some sword play, (yes, swordplay) and the passing on of a cootie. I was forced to do that!

Lockwench has a most comfortable couch and the eggs benedict at The Brass Key in Manchester were yummy.
Varoom, varoom, back to Gotham! A grand day was had by all!

The Ongoing Adventures of The Boxing Broads

2007-11-12T04:07:00.001-05:00

Thus far the Boxing Broads have confined their adventures to Pennsylvania. A certain wooden picnic table in a certain state park bears the scars and Gettysburg may never be the same, especially a certain bus driver who shall remain nameless. The names and faces change from time to time but the goal remains the same......boxing, fun, good friends, good food, laughter, and more laughter. There's a lot of laughter. Really. A lot. All the time. The Swedish Egg Coffee flows freely and the table is always strewn with stamps, ink pads, various logbooks, and clues of nearby boxes.

Alcohol is never consumed. I also have a bridge here in Gotham that I can let you have for a song. Credit report required.

From time to time I will share the Boxing Broads' adventures with you, the letterboxing public. Names may be changed to protect the innocent.