Another Interview!

Our eighth interview with Carol Stearns is now complete. We consider Carol as the Godmother of CT letterboxing, due to her herculean efforts in planting boxes all around the Mansfield, CT area. We hope you enjoy this intimate portrait into what makes Mother Moo tick!

Are You Cross???

Eyze on the Prize, from MA, has just placed a new box called Lettered Letterbox. Check it out if you want to see a unique way in which to clue a box. This box is located in Chelmsford, MA. Click the graphic to eye the clue!

Eyze on the Prize, along with oldpatterns and Team Randalstik, are the hosts for the upcoming April 23rd Ice Scream Sunday Letterboxing Event in nearby Carlisle, MA.

Help the Pacific NW Talk List!

Photo courtesy of Piggy Travel

Like others before them, the Pacific Northwest Talk List is now voting on the design of their own regional letterboxing patch. Our readers have been invited to place their votes as to their preference.

Instructions: Click the link above, go to the Photos section and find the "Patch Ideas" folder. Once you open that, you'll find a number of designs from which to choose. Make note of your favorite - both name and designer. Then go to the Polls section and place your vote.

You may have to join the list to vote - we're not sure since we're members there already. Sue & I have placed our vote and hope these patches are ready for purchase once we make our way to OR this June!

Finally, Some Goodies!!!

In keeping with the new Chinese New Year, our Box of the Week is Archimedes Screw's Year of the Dog. Located in South Dennis on the Cape in MA, this box celebrates the Chinese New Year. If you want to find out some of the characteristics of those born in the year of the dog or any other sign, click our little friend at the top.

Our Poll of the Week deals with the Box of the Week. It gets more difficult to highlight unusual boxes every week. We ask for your input as to how frequent, if at all, should we choose this feature. As a reader, have you tired of this feature; want to see it less frequently? Sue & I look forward to your input!

Poison Ivy's "Rash!"

No, Poison Ivy hasn't come down with an illness; but has just debuted in the blogosphere! Look for PI's new blog, The Rash, hosted like this site, on blogger.com. The Rash, although not related to letterboxing as yet, will host PI's "weekly rant of things that make you go AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" As a fan of the ivied one, we look forward to insight, insults and inuendo!

New Series in Redding, CT

Bandaid has just placed a new series of 4 boxes in scenic Redding, CT. This series, Topstone Park Series, is located in the park of the same name, Topstone Park, which was the former estate of photographer Edward Steichen.

This 3 mile hike will take you around the park that Redding bought in 1971 which contains a 25 acre lake name after the shutterbug. Redding is also home to 10 more letterboxes located within its boundaries.

Chapter 11 is Ready!

Now that Chapter 11 is ready in the on-going mysterious saga of The Case of the Vanished Lover, we have a favor to ask. Enigma Stealthboxxer, the writer and star of this novella would like to hear your feedback. Many of you have written to me over the past months commenting on your views of this mystery. We ask that you please write again and offer constructive comments both pro and con. Our author is wondering how he is doing his job!

An important point: Many of you initially posted and commented that you thought I was the author of this sad story of love lost. Please be aware that I am not; which is the reason for requesting your emails - I will forward them to the mysterious one so that he might continue on the case and keep this wonderful story going. We are pleased that this letterboxing writer has chosen our site as the only vehicle for this story. Thanks!

Vermont Feels Some Boxing Love!

Those of you who follow this webpage know that Vermont is like our second home (and would be our first if I had anything to say about it!!!) Several weeks ago, we received an email from a letterboxer named Peace and Balance, who had found one of our VT boxes. At that time, he said that he had several new letterboxes to put out in the Rutland area.

Yesterday, he posted the clues to 4 new boxes: Lookout Below, Pine Hill Park Love, Pine Hill Park Peace and Pine Hill Park Strength. Thanks, Peace and Balance, for showing one of our favorite states a little letterboxing love!

New England Gatherings Page

Finally, after lagging behind and several emails and meeting 2 great letterboxers today in Winsted, we've updated our New England Area Gatherings page. If you have an event you'd like covered and are in the New England area, please let us know!

Our First New Box of 2006

As a tribute to my most favorite painter, Sue & I planted our newest letterbox today, Hello Dali! It's a mystery box and how fitting for a man whose life was a mystery and a work in progress! Hope you enjoy both his paintings and our newest box!

A Key Letterboxing Ingredient

Early this morning, we learned via email from a letterboxing friend of the death of one of their loved ones. Immediately we sent back an email expressing our sorrow at their loss and wished them comfort in these difficult times.

On my drive into work, all I could think of was how wonderful that this person thought enough of Sue and I to share this person trial in their lives with us. We greatly respect this person and we've had contact over the years, but to open up and share such a personal piece of information got us to thinking about letterboxing and the people we meet in this crazy game of ours.

The reason, I believe, that this boxer shared with us, besides our friendship, was due to a sense of community. We letterboxers are certainly a strange breed - you have to admit! Who else would plan vacations around gatherings? Who else would wander in the deep woods as long as there was a slight shred of daylight left in search of an elusive box? Who else would spend time hand stitching logbooks so they would be more specific to a carved stamp or location? Admit it - we're a strange breed of bird, to say the least.

But there is a commonality in our strangeness! A sense of community that the talk lists and gatherings foster. This community, while frisky at times, is one of caring people; brought together by the simple act of hunting Tupperware in the woods! Sure, we have our characters and a few that make us angry at times, but, all in all, letterboxers are some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet.

The handcrafted stamps, the out-of-the-way locations, the unique clues are all part of what makes up letterboxing. But, we would venture to say, it's the strong sense of community that ties it all together and makes sense of it all. We are a mixed group to say the least - ethnically, financially, intellectually and even geographically! In "normal" society, would we interact? I tend to doubt it but it's the common bond of our love of this hobby that creates a sense of community by which we are all equal and can share this addiction in a way we might not otherwise interact.

After all, what fun would this hobby be if we didn't have a sense of community? It makes perfect sense to not only share our triumphs as well as our tears.

So let's not linger on our differences but rejoice in our common affection for this strange and wonderful community of letterboxers!

A Letterboxing.Org Milestone!

20,000 Boxes!!!

It came and went without much notice, but a few days ago, letterboxing.org reached it's 20,000th letterbox! The honor of this milestone went to Kelsung and their Yellow Flower box. Now when you factor in the boxes not registered there, guess we all had better "just get out there & box!!!"

New CT State Forest Series

The CT State Forests, under the auspices of the Department of Environmental Protection, has just initiated a new letterbox series, "The Seedling Series." As you may remember, CT Forest rangers carved and hid boxes to foster interest in CT's State Forests as a way to commemorate their 100th anniversary in 2003.

This year, they plan to plant 32 boxes in this newest Seedling series, in order to the growing response of letterboxing in CT State Forests! Clues to both series are located in list form here or map form here.

Once again, CT takes the forefront in responsible public lands letterboxing. We hope to see other states following CT's lead in using public lands in this recreational manner. If a program such as this can prosper in CT, it can also in other states. When you talk to your local or state officials, refer them to CT's forestry website. Public lands and letterboxing can peacefully coexist and even flourish!

Butterfly's Birthday Bash!

Click the butterfly above to read the story!

Leesburg Pub Crawl Report!

Thanks to Poison Ivy, we are pleased to feature his Pub Crawl Report from this past Saturday's Leesburg event. We understand that several letterboxers are still feeling the effects of this great gathering!

What in the Sam Hill???

Seems we've been contacted from the grave! A letterboxer, known by the moniker Sam Hill, has seen fit to email us at the Atlas Quest website inviting us to mention his or her new mystery gathering. Can a ghost use a computer?

Well, in the interest of keeping in good stead with the spirit world, here goes: The mystery gathering is called the Stargazer Consortium and will take place in a mystery location in WA. The date and time is clued as "five days after the first new moon in the sign of the crab!" There are already 16 hardy leftcoasters signed up and ready to star gaze at a mystery location that is "not far from my final resting place."

There - are you satisfied Sam???

A New TGD Mystery!

It isn't everyday that TeamGreenDragon puts out a new box and a mystery one at that. Their newest letterbox is entitled "One Small Step" and is located somewhere in Rhode Island. Knowing Brian's unparalleled carving prowess, this is one box you won't want to ignore! For the picture clue, click the dragon above.

Great CT News!

Alan/Letterboxer2002 announced today the he and his wife, Amy, are expecting their first child. For those of you that don't know Alan, he was the first American to be accepted into the Dartmoor 100 Club. We wish Alan and Amy the best. Seems they are expecting a little boy - already named Matthew Thomas. Check out the new website for the baby and in true letterboxing tradition, there's a traveler tied to the new baby as well!

And Now Chapter 10

Fly, Bus or Walk to the Pub Crawl!

I am so bummed that we can't make the Leesburg, VA Pub Crawl, hosted by our new best friend, Poison Ivy, that is taking place this Saturday, January 14. We encourage those of you that can make it, to get there by whatever means are available. We are sure that there are some surprises in store for those that participate, besides the morning hangover!

We've had a preview of the event stamp - sooooo cooooool! PI's carving abilities are legendary and this event stamp truly sets a new standard! To find out more info and to rsvp, visit the Crawl's page on Atlas Quest.
And PI - I want to see pictures!!!

Chapter 9 Now Available!

He's Back on the Case!

After a hiatus from his hectic and harrowing hunts, Enigma Stealthboxer is back on the case! I just received his request for a new retainer so that the investigation of The Case of the Vanished Lover may be resumed. We are sending a cashiers check out posthaste so as not to delay his return back to work. We hope the trail hasn't gotten too cold!

Look for Chapter 9 to appear tomorrow!

Rest and Relaxation

Sue & I had a wonderful 10 days in VT. Had time to relax and recreate. It snowed almost every day and we felt the stress from the holiday preparation and busy times at work just melt away in front of a nightly blazing fire.





One of the highlights of our vacation was a day and a half spent with Susan Davis, who was our guest mid week. We showed Susan how to make monkey journals for logbooks, listened as she recounted highlights from the early days of letterboxing and had the chance to examine the original Prayer Rock logbook, which Susan had brought along. In showing us her personal logbook, Susan got to the page in her logbook that had all of the 1999 Letterboxing Convention participants signature stamps and I asked if I could take a picture of it. You see that picture above.

A story that we particularly enjoyed related to Rae Record's wonderful video that is part of her interview we did in early December. There is a part of the video that shows some of the attendees searching for the box hidden in an old abandoned car. Susan Davis told us that she had planted that box early on Sunday morning at about 5am the last day of the event. Planning to be up before anyone, Susan had to watch for Randy Hall, who was already up and out for his morning run. Knowing that there was a snow cover and Randy and some of the others were very astute, Susan jumped from log to rock to rock to reach the car wreck and back so as not to leave a trace of footprints for those that would later search for this box! We hope to bring more of these early stories forward once we interview Susan Davis later this year.

Need your opinion . . .

I've just added a new Poll of the Week that wonders if you have a personal letterboxing New Year's resolution. You can vote now for the one that most fits yours.

The other item that is usually posted is the Box of the Week. As time has gone on, I find it more difficult to post a new box every week. Sure, there are plenty of new ones but we just wonder if this feature has run its course.

It was the very first "extra" item that we added back in the day, but we wonder if it's time to stop this weekly choice. Increasing numbers of boxers are watching the What's New page on Letterboxing.org and now that our website is read by boxers around the country, our choices of local boxes might not have the interest or impact it once did when this blog was beginning and had a more regional readership. Please drop us an email and a simple yes or no vote as to whether the Box of the Week should be continued. Thanks!

We're Baaaccckkkk!

Boy, go away for 10 days without a computer and look what happens~ all kinds of new developments! Nice to see things picking up after the slow holiday season. Sue & I had a wonderful time in VT - very relaxing. More on that tomorrow.

We'll try, over the next few days, to dig ourself out and start posting items that we think might interest you. If you emailed us anywhere from December 30 through today, give us some time but we'll answer you or post your first find or your gathering, etc.

Tonight's post is gatherings-related. While away, several new gatherings have been posted and in our area! Excellent! And one was changed so that now Sue & I can attend!



We received the following info via email from Nature & Caiphora:

Now that Winter is upon us and many boxes are covered with snow, it seems to be a great time for an indoor gathering. Unlike typical gatherings (where everyone is rushing around trying to get the event boxes), there won't be a specific series of boxes set out. Instead, we'd like to be able to spend more time on exchanges, have a carving demo and raffle, and enjoy the potluck and company of the other boxers we often meet on the trails.

In the spirit of this, we've reserved the conference room of the Super 8 Motel in Manchester, CT for a meet-and-greet gathering. Check their website for directions. Please bring a potluck dish (refreshments will be provided), and carving materials if you'd like to attend the demo. Of course, don't forget your personal stamps and/or travelers!

Also, in order to cover the cost of the room, we are asking for a small monetary donation from the attendees. Please join us for an afternoon of food, fun, and friends - we'll be raffling off some great prizes, and, though there isn't a set of event boxes, if you are clever enough there will be a few secret boxes hidden at the event. There are also many existing boxes in the Manchester area. RSVP is required so we can give the hotel a head count, so please let us know if you'll be attending via the atlasquest.com website or emailing tmalbernaz@hotmail.com.

This event is on Sat, Feb 4th from 12-3pm at 20 Taylor Street, Manchester, CT. We look forward to seeing you there!

Nature & Caipora




Team Randalstick has posted that there will be an Ice Scream Sunday Event in April somewhere in MA. Details to come so stay tuned - letterboxing, ice cream, scary things - the perfect ingredients for a great time!