We're Ready!

Sue & I are ready to make our first trip to the West Coast and spend 9 days letterboxing with Deanne & Dave! Our bags are packed and we have 10 new Pinecone Productions that we're bringing along with us to leave in OR. Watch for clues when we return. We leave early Friday morning and return late on the following Saturday. Our sons are minding the store while we're gone - how many parties do you think they'll plan in our absence????

From preliminary plans, it looks like a whirlwind trip but we'll have a special porcine guide with us - Funhog. The four of us, with Hog in tow, will have an opportunity to visit the high desert that the Funhog spoke so eloquently about in the interview we did together a while back. Joining us for some desert boxing will be Don & Gwen, those lovable silverbacks from CA.

On Friday evening, we are being feted with a meet and greet at the location of DMS' Spirit of Dartmoor box. What a wonderful opportunity to meet some good friends with whom we've corresponded with over the years and never met like Ryan Carpenter, Atlas Quest tycoon. Plus we'll get a chance to make some new friends with those we don't know! And to finally meet Mitch Klink, Der Mad Stamper, who gave us an exclusive interview on his return back to letterboxing a year and a half ago. He's been raising hell since and we're excited to talk letterboxing with him!

I will try to sneak a few posts from OR when Sue isn't looking on Dave's laptop that he's bringing along. Wish you could all come with us! Who knows - maybe we'll organize a trip to OR someday! Let's get back from OR and to Dartmoor in September 2007 first!!!

Be good to each other while we're gone. Hopefully we'll have a few reports from the road. If not, we promise our usual trip report with tons of pictures and commentary like we've done in the past. Have a great week!

Which Boxing "Sign" Are You???

Once again, PI has come up with another winner! This post just appeared on the big list and we post it here for those that don't read that list or might have missed it:


The Letterboxing Zodiac according to Poison Ivy

The Letterboxing Zodiac consists of a 12 year cycle, each year of which is named after a different letterboxer that imparts distinct characteristics to its year. According to this legend, the year of a person's birth is the primary factor in determining that person's degree of letterboxing success and happiness throughout life. People born in that year will become like that boxer, taking on its characteristics and identifying with it for their entire lives. If YOU are immortalized in this calendar, you have the qualities next to your name, regardless of your birth year.

Poison Ivy
1910 1922 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006

A dramatic, but reputable boxer who works systematically to find large quantities of boxes in a given area. The Poison Ivy boxer is outspoken and loves to attract attention, takes good care of their boxes and can handle criticism well.


Hikers & Hounds
1911 1923 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007

With a deep sense of justice, loyalty, and responsibility the Hikers & Hounds has a glib tongue, but is also practical and realistic. This boxer is trustworthy and generous with clues.


Adventure Seeker
1900 1912 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996

Diligent, courageous, and hateful of quarrels. The Adventure Seekerboxer is a perfect letterboxing companion, but also rather hectic. Though not good at handling a compass, boxes are always around.


Wanda & Pete
1901 1913 1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997

Highly ambitious, the Wanda & Pete Boxer is a true opportunist when it comes to reaching boxing goals, though a bit obsessive about the hobby and tends to travel.


Green Tortuga
1902 1914 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998

Intelligent and confident, the Green Tortuga is a born leader who works systematically, takes responsibility for boxes and believes in moderation.


Choi
1903 1915 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999

A dynamic seeker and the center of attention, the Choi is considerate of geocachers and affectionate regarding letterboxing. A roaring success awaits.


Mark & Sue
1904 1916 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000

Peace-loving, with impeccable manners in the pursuit of a good box, the Mark & Sue is intelligent in blogging and has a creative mind, though sometimes moody and indifferent to idiotic posts.


TeamGreenDragon
1905 1917 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001

Full of vitality, self-assured, bright, and the master of success, the Team Green Dragon is sometimes proud and quick-tempered, but always creates attractive letterboxes.


Lady Prisspott
1906 1918 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002

Charming in personality and elegant in dress and being a skeptic and a deep thinker, the Lady Prisspott likes to judge carving and clues mercilessly and is fortunate in boxing throughout life.


Spring Chick
1907 1919 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003

Cheerful, quick-witted and popular. The Spring Chick has a happy outlook, and prospers as an independent boxer. Spring Chicks are diligent at handling double bagged boxes.


Alafair
1908 1920 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004

Kind and helpful, the Alafair has artistic inclinations but tends to be pessimistic about clue writing ability. Even though unsure of left and right, Alafairs have fantastic box-finding luck throughout life.


Funhog
1921 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005

Clever and innovative, and a fast carver with a good memory, the Funhog knows boxing skills well, but can be guarded in sharing WOM clues. Also unbeatable in terms of talent and beauty.


(This calendar was almost completely ripped off from the Chinese Zodiac Calendar - but hey, traditions have to start somewhere.)

Thanks, PI.
We know there are letterboxers all over the country right this very minute figuring out their boxing signs!

Our Newest Boxes

After a nice graduation party for our son, Steve, on Saturday, we spent a fairly quiet weekend as we rested up from the party and prepared for our coming trip to OR on Friday.

But it wasn't so quiet that we didn't find the time to plant our latest - a series of 3 boxes called Dog Walk. These 3 boxes hold stamps carved by The Engraver and are in a dog-friendly park in Kensington, CT. We hope you enjoy them.

Ever Wonder About Greenwood, SC???

Zoemomma just planted a series of boxes relating to Greenwood throughout the year: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December. What a huge undertaking and we hope to get down to Greenwood someday to look for a whole year of Greenwood boxes!


UPDATE: Thanks to Zoemomma and the Wolfs for their emails setting this Yankee straight! Our original post said GreenVILLE, not GreenWOOD! Sorry about the mix-up!

This Box is Nowhere!

A Holiday to Remember . . .

Have a safe holiday.

Don't forget to remember those who have served this country and paid the ultimate sacrifice in service for the principles of freedom. Please take a minute from your activities to click the image above to learn more about Memorial Day and the meaning of this special day.

Hope you have some time in this 3 day weekend to get out there and box and to kiss a vet!!!

Symbols of Freedom!

The image above represents Choi's latest box entitled Quilt Codes, which were images put into quilts that helped slaves seeking freedom via the Underground Railroad.

This series of 10 boxes highlights some representative symbols and translates the meaning of the symbols into clues or directions for an escape from slavery to freedom. Thanks, Choi, for another innovative box and leaving behind a piece of history in addition to what we can bet is a great set of stamps!

Can You Believe It? Goodies!!!

After a long hiatus, our new Box of the Month is back!

It's funny - it got to be really tedious for us to choose a new box every week. A few months ago, we ran a poll and our readers decided to see a Box of the Month instead of the weekly one or discontinuing it all together. Well, we even got lazy doing that!

Then, at the recent Spring into Boxing gathering, we were talking to a group of friends and they told us how thrilled they all were to have their names and boxes chosen as a Box of the Week. "It may not mean much to you but to be mentioned on your website was a big deal!" RTRW, in her Atlas Quest profile, refers to her 15 minutes of fame as being mentioned on this blog. Come on people - it's just a blog! :-)

So - it's back! The Box of the Month will remain a feature of this site.

This month's (June) Box of the Month is Dragon's newest Art in the Park. It's a series of 6 boxes that celebrates the art and tessellations of Dutch artist, MC Escher. Located near Green Bay, this series must be a gem! Click the artwork above to see the clues and learn more about tessellations! We witnessed some of Dragon's boxes at last year's Great Lakes Gathering with his innovated hiding techniques and the wonderful carvings of his Mustang box. We're still talking about it!

Our Poll of the Week inquires as to your stamp inking media of choice. It's ready and waiting for your vote!

The Four Directions

The fantastic letterboxing series, The Four Directions, the brainchild of Koyote, is in great condition and awaiting your discovery! This past weekend, a group of prolific boxers made their way to the northwest corner of CT to do this series. Reports are that all of the boxes are alive and well. This important series celebrates the different nations of Native Americans. Click the medicine wheel above to be taken to the main clue page for this series. We are proud to host this important series and hope that you will visit these boxes that have been contributed by many boxers from around the country.

It's an Anniversary!

We've been so busy as of late that we missed a milestone - the 2 year anniversary of our Newboxers list! After this short time, membership now stands at 725 members - the second largest letterboxing talk list on Yahoo - surpassed in membership only by the big list.

Thanks to all of our active members there - especially present and past moderators MayEve, Uneksia and Catbead, and "oldies" who help the newbies - especially SpringChick and Don. Your contributions have been vital in creating a safe place for newbies to learn and post. Happy Anniversary, Newbies!

A Confession . . .

OK - I did it! I stole the PZ Kut!

But I had the greater community's interest at heart! Why should DMS be the only one with the white PZ Kut? Hasn't he carved enough stamps over the years??? I thought it was only fair to spread the wealth - and it would have gone smoothly had he not cried like a little school girl!

Here's the report from Inspector Bacon that was just announced on the talk lists:


Dear Fellow Letterboxers,

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Purloined PZ Kut Caper has been solved. Before the winner is announced there are a few acknowledgments in order.

Many thanks to the victim, suspects and culprit in this mystery who participated on faith, not knowing who was asking them to join in, nor what their role would be. I appreciate their involvement, entertaining banter and good sportsmanship. My hat is off to Der Mad Stamper, Don & Gwen, Stealthboxxer, Green Tortuga, Poison Ivy, Sewsowbizzy, BarefootLucy, SpringChick, TeamGreenDragon and Mark & Sue. Without their willing participation this little suspense for your enjoyment would not have been possible.

Congratulations to RaqsEnigma whose perseverance and many long hours has paid off in fingering none other than Mark Pepe as the culprit.

While many have submitted guesses and logical deductions it is RaqsEnigma who broke the code and submitted the correct answer...... Mark Share. Conclusion is ...... Mark stole the PZKut to share.


Sincerely,

Investigator Francis Bacon

New Chat Schedule

Last night, Dragonrider posted on the newbies list that he would be in the chatroom located here on our blog. I stopped in at 10pm (after The Sopranos, of course) and was pleased to see about 5 others there yakking it up.

We have decided that from now on we will have an organized chat session for newbies & oldies alike at 8pm Eastern time every Sunday evening. Mark your calendars and hope to chat with you soon!

The chatroom button is located in the right column of this homepage.

The Joy of . . .

I witnessed 2 forms of letterboxing discovery this weekend.

The first was a post on the Newboxers list by someone who is quite new. While surfing our webpage, they noticed and read our Dartmoor Trip Report with the Baker's Dozen from a few years ago. They thanked Sue & I for offering a vehicle that made them feel as if they were there with us on the trip. They were pleased to make the discovery of this Dartmoor report.

The second discovery item was an email from someone who is not new to letterboxing. They were elated to discover a hidden clue on our blog for a box, it turns out, is located very close to where they live! They immediately recognized the clue and were so glad they had found this hidden WOM.

Two instances in as many days of finding something when you didn't expect it - the thrill of discovery. Many of us miss those hidden letterboxing discoveries that proliferate in the file sections of the talk lists to which we belong, or the web pages that we read or even in the talk list posts that we delete because we never understand this person's posts. Clues and hints are everywhere. And finding them can be a thrill in themselves!

We were discussing the evolution of letterboxing with our good friends TeamGreenDragon at the Spring Into Boxing event several weeks ago. Sue & I started in letterboxing about the same time as the dragon and we fondly remembered days gone by on the big list with a cast of character that have since left - to pursue other games or who have gone underground. We remarked that those were really exciting times. Each post was analyzed and it was almost a race, at times, to see who decoded the clue first - Brian or myself. Our emails seem to include "did you see the new clue on ....." It was always self-satisfying when one of us found something the other had not. But we always shared since it was like an unwritten pact.

Those were the days when you weighed each post for a clue - a hint - something that might lead to another wonderful box. Sometimes just a post from one of these characters was enough to signal the presence of some boxing love hidden somewhere in a public file.

The point I'm trying to make here is the thrill of discovery in letterboxing is not always finding the box - or the trip it takes to get there. The thrill of discovery can be finding a precious clue that needs solving for a month of nights and that may, if you've done your homework correctly, lead to a wonderful piece of artwork that has been left for you. That, dear readers, is one of those things we love about this game. The thrill of discovery - there's nothing like it.

We wish you a letterboxing discovery of your own one of these days. One that will take your breath away and make you shout with glee. They surely are moments to remember!

A Big Day Tomorrow!

While not letterboxing-related, tomorrow is going to be a very special day in the Pinecone household!

Our youngest son, Steve, graduates from CCSU tomorrow after 5 years of schooling. He'll make a great physical education teacher. Sue & I are so proud of both Steve and his older brother, Matt. Great job, Steve!

Next challenge - finding a job!

A Message . . .

We'd like to welcome CT's newest letterboxer, Matthew Thomas Smith, son of Alan (Letterboxer2002) and CT_Sunflower, who was born on Monday, May 15 at 6:07 pm. Matthew weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces and all are doing well.



Alan holding Matthew

For more photos, click the stork above!

A Limited Engagement Box!

Check out this special box, by our good friend Poison Ivy, that's available only until this Sunday, May 21. After this play closes, this little gem will become a HH - out there as free as a bird. Catch it while you can! And - Ivy - break a leg!

Got My Carving Mojo Workin'!!!

Don't know what's going on but I've been carving up a storm the last 2 weeks! I've carved a total of 14 stamps - 2 for the Lotsa Lincoln series (Sue hates that name!) that premiered at the Spring gathering in Glastonbury and the rest of my babies are asleep in the basement on top of the bar! Our trip to OR is on our minds and we've been selecting images that correspond with the area there. Not sure that we'll take all 12 - we'll have to see.

Sue calls me a "carving fool" - or was that just "fool?!?"

Spring Into Boxing Gathering Report

Yesterday was a fun day spent with new and old friends. When we arrived, there were about 40 boxers in the room and at times later in the day, the count exceeded 50. People came from near and far - with Marmalade, from Portland, OR traveling the farthest. Celtic Quinn hopped a bus for some 11 hours from home, near Buffalo, NY to make this event as well as Butterfly's granddaughter, Heaven from CO, who was visiting and joined us for the day. The weather looked threatening at times, so our hosts, MayEve and Wild Rover hid the "day only" boxes around the facility and on the grounds of the beautiful Riverside Community Center in Glastonbury, CT.



Group shot


This is the first time Sue & I have attended an event and just stayed put. Normally, we're scurrying around, looking for the event boxes in the area. At this gathering, we just remained inside and spent a nice afternoon getting to know new boxers and spending time with old friends. It was great to just have a leisurely afternoon - talking, exchanging, eating, and stamping, of course.



Music Woman demonstrates a carving technique



Krusty Krab, daughter of Wild Rover, carves a crustacean creation!



MayEve shows us one of her pre-assembled kit for the logbooks


Highlights included a stamp carving class by Music Woman and a Japanese stab bookbinding session by MayEve. Both were very instructional and the attendees seemed to get a lot out of them! These sessions help improve the quality of letterboxes that are put forth since it translates into better carved stamps and more creative boxes that include specially-designed logbooks that carry through the theme of the stamp, location and logbook - that symbiotic relationship that we all try to achieve in a good letterbox.


RTRW and Bandaid at the logbook-making class



Sue puts together a logbook - look for it in one of our new boxes soon!



"Letterboxing 101" Display by Sojourner

Another hit at the gathering was Sojourner's "Letterboxing 101" display, which made it's premiere at last month's Ice Scream gathering in MA. Not only was the display educational, it covered every question you might have about letterboxing. Sojourner also made up some small brochures with all of the same information as the display for those that wanted to bring them home and read more thoroughly. This educational component at gatherings is something we've long advocated at gatherings and hope to see it continue with displays, classes, etc.



Letterboxing 101 brochure



MayEve, proud grandmother, with her granddaugher Samantha



Celtic Quinn from NY and Marmalade from OR exchange their sig stamps


The event stamp was wonderfully-carved by RTRW, who we believe, is one of the best carvers in New England, if not the country. The subject was the seal of the town of Glastonbury.



The best boots award went to Bookworm!



Heaven, Butterfly's granddaughter, can't believe the fun she's having!



The raffle table with many great prizes


Close to 3:30, after an afternoon of fun, Wild Rover began the raffle. There were many duplicate winners, with some winning 2 and 3 times. Can't say too much about that since Sue & I won twice and ended up with 2 lock-n-locks with homemade logbooks and inkpads inside! All we need to do is add a stamp.



Vintage Speedball set - how sweet is this?
Thanks to Marmalade for helping me with the setup of this shot!



Closeup of the contents of this wonderful collectible


The highlight of the raffle, for us, was a vintage Speedball set that was purchased on eBay. This collectible was complete with it's original box and all of the handles and cutting blades. Thanks to Little Monkey, winner of the prize for letting us photograph and drool over this great prize! Someone even mentioned that the blades were still sharp!

Thanks go to MayEve and Wild Rover for once again throwing a great gathering that was so enjoyed by all. It was wonderful attending a gathering in CT where we didn't know about half of the attendees. The new blood coming into this game is growing exponentially and their exposure early on in their boxing careers can only benefit them in knowledge of the game - and ultimately, the letterboxing community as a whole.



The traditional group photo courtesy of Music Woman
The photo was taken late in the day after some boxers had left

Special Spring Into Boxing Page

Click the robin above to be taken to a special page with clue links as well as a map of the area to print out for tomorrow's gathering. Clues may not be posted on some boxes until after 8pm tonight - so stop back if you don't find them the first time! See you there.

UPDATE: Because of the inclement weather, clues for the "day only" boxes will be available at the Riverfront Community Center the day of the gathering.

Boxes located on the map on the special gathering page are permanent, except for our newest box, Lotsa Lincolns, which will be relocated to Vermont after this event.

For further information - times, etc, please read the article below. Thanks!

Spring Into Boxing Gathering Heats Up!

The boxes are being planted, the clues are being written, the beautiful Riverside Community Center in Glastonbury, CT is getting ready and the gathering is almost here! The event is this Saturday, May 13, from noon to 4pm. Special one day boxes will be at the event and new boxes by MayEve, Wild Rover, RTRW, Donutz, Music Woman and Mark & Sue.

The day, despite the weather, will hold much in store for those that attend besides the special boxes mentioned above. MayEve will teach a logbook-making session, Music Woman a carving demo and on display all day will be "Letterboxing 101," a display that teaches all you need to know to become a successful letterboxer prepared by Sojourner!

Don't forget the yummy pot luck luncheon and raffle with some great prizes. Please give generously to the donation jar that will help defray the costs of this beautiful facility. Sue & I are planning on attending rain or shine! What better way to get to know your fellow letterboxers than to attend this gathering? If you haven't registered or want to find out more info, please check out Atlas Quest's Event Page for the Spring Into Boxing gathering.

We will be hosting a special webpage with a complete map of the area, and links to all of the clues that are either premiering or one day boxes for that event! Check out this blog on Friday night after 8pm for the link to this special gathering clue page!

Recarve or Not Recarve . . .

That is the question!

There's a discussion ongoing on Atlas Quest as well as our Newboxers talk list. A letterboxer asked the question about the proper etiquette in replacing and recarving an early box when that boxer's carving skills were still new. Should they recarve since they've come a long way in their carving skills? Was that proper? This boxer was almost ashamed of the way these early carvings look in comparison to present skills.

There were some interesting comments. Some thought that sure, it would be fine. Afterall the box ultimately belongs to the placer and any new visitor would never know that box had been redone. Others thought that the older stamp should remain - as it's a little piece of history and really documents the development of that particular boxer's skills.

Earlier this year, Sue & I did some of Jay Drew's early boxes. Those that don't know Jay - he's a terrific carver and person as well! It was so great to find some of his earlier efforts and to marvel at how far his carving prowess has come! That record in his early boxes is to us a nice way to keep a little bit of history in place. Should Susan Davis recarve Prayer Rock?

While our everyday boxes do not have the status of the Prayer Rock box, they are bits of you and I. So we vote "Keep 'em as they are - store-bought or poorly carved chucks o'rubber." They are all important pieces of us and show our development as carvers and letterboxers alike!

Delicious New Box!

Colorful Poll of the Week!

Got ink?

That's the subject of our new Poll of the Week - do you include ink in your letterboxes. With the cold New England winters and the advent of markers and boxers' desires for multi-colored images, Sue & I have stopped including ink in our boxes. What do you do? Please vote!

Dogs with Wings Update!

We received this email this morning from Jan of Team Little Dog. If you remember, Jan began an appeal a few weeks ago to raise money for Sherry and Lee, two letterboxers who need a helping hand from our community.


Just wanted to give you an update on the Dogs with Wings fundraiser. We had the Rubbermade Road Rally yesterday and raised over $225 which pushed us above the $500 goal. I do expect a few more checks in the mail and I am really hoping to be able to present Sherry and Lee with this precious gift in about two weeks. I am still in awe over people's generosity and kindness and I am very grateful to be part of this community.

Jan of Team Little Dog


If you haven't written out and mailed your check yet, we urge you to do so. Sue & I plan to get our check in the mail this week. Let's spread some letterboxing love for two boxers who need our help!

National . . .

The following post appeared on most of the talk lists by Azroadie. We hope that you will all participate in this national project!

The active participants in the message boards at the Atlas Quest Letterboxing website have selected May 24 as the National Letterboxing Day. They are urging all letterboxers to place a new box and make the placing date May 24 and also post the clues on May 24. I am sure you can place a new box a few days earlier, but be sure to make the placing date May 24 and wait and post the clues on May 24. That is what I will be doing.

Thay are urging the new clues be listed at Atlas Quest (in addition to LbNA if you regularly post your clues there). They are trying to create a new record for the number of new boxes placed and posted on the same day (on Atlas Quest). To post clues at Atlas Quest, you do not have to retype the entire clues. You can just put a link to your clues on LbNA. If you are not familiar with Atlas Quest, the URL for it is: http://www.atlasquest.com/.

-Azroadie

Carving, Stamping and Packaging

A harbinger of spring and the Spring into Boxing gather

With the upcoming Spring into Boxing gathering in Glastonbury, CT only a week away (May 13th,) we've been awful busy this morning! Rounding up our stamps, mounting them, stamping into our logbooks and packing these little creatures into lock-n-locks. We will have 2 new boxes for this event called Lotsa Lincolns, in honor of one of our history heroes, Abe Lincoln. Clues for these boxes will be available Friday evening.

Thanks to MayEve and WildRover for hosting this event, with a special event stamp from CT's queen of carving, RTRW! Like last years spring gathering hosted by this dynamic brother and sister act, there will be many new creations that will premiere the day of the event.

To check out which new boxes will be there, go to the LBNA site and search by town and input Glastonbury, CT. You'll see some of MayEve's boxes that have the caveat that clues will be available later in the week. All the specifics for the event are located on Atlas Quest's event page. Don't forget to RSVP and to bring an item for the potluck. As of this writing, there are 71 signed up for the event.

Sunday We Will Roar!

After months and months of waiting, Sue & I and the Schmoopies are heading out to see The Lion King musical at the Bushnell in Hartford on Sunday. We had the opportunity to see this musical on Broadway and were just amazed. This is one of our favorite Disney movies and when we learned many years ago that it was being made into a Broadway play, we just couldn't imagine how well this great animated movie would translate to the stage.

We were just in awe as we watched the play on Broadway. The unique scenery and the method that they employ to portray the animals is truly terrific theatre. The opening of the play is also a winner. We've heard from several co-workers and friends that this road show of Lion King is even better than the Broadway musical - if that's possible.

Whatever you do this weekend - be safe and have fun!

Our OR Trip is Four Weeks Away!

We've spent the little free time we have running off clues, checking out maps, making logbooks and carving little pinecone creations to leave in our wake when we hit the great state of OR early in June. It's been great fun researching a new state and looking for appropriate images that deal with the wildlife, the history and geography of this great state. It's also been a blast solving some of those cryptic DMS and others mystery clues - one in particular by DMS had us with tape and scissors cutting and pasting at midnight on our bed one night! Tell me we're not crazy!

So - that leaves us in a little bit of a quandry. Is it right that we leave 4 to 6 boxes behind in Portland and the Redmond area when we know that we can't do any proper maintenance on them? Do we rely on the kindness of OR boxers or other visitors? Is it wrong to even consider planting?

Maybe one of the Oregon boxers will volunteer to watch over our boxes in our absence. While we know already that 9 days will not be enough for all we want to do and that we will most likely be back in Hogland, it will not happen for several years. Any volunteers?

As an aside - Deanne & Dave are bringing a laptop with them on the trip and we may sneak a little OR report now and then for our blog during our time out west.

Shhhhhh - don't tell Sue!

A Message from The . . .

CT's own Engraver published a post yesterday on the LBNe talk list as well as sending us an email. She needs your help. She recently underwent surgery to repair 2 ruptured disks in her back on Valentine's Day and woke up from the surgery without feeling in her left leg.

Since this is maintenance season, The Engraver asks that you give her a hand in maintaining her letterboxes this spring and early summer. If you hunt for some of her terrific boxes, please be prepared to show her some letterboxing love and replace a baggie or dry out a wet container. Anything you can do will really be appreciated. Thanks for being there for one of our own who needs a helping hand from the local boxing community!

And, Donna Mae, you get yourself better! We hope to see you on the trails or at a gathering real soon!

Bird Flu in Leominster, MA!!!

GOTCHA! :-)

Hartman Park Redux!

The group early in the day, stamping into a box


Stamping in: Clueless, Dave and Silent Doug

For the second year in a row, a group of us spent the day on Saturday, April 29 in Hartman Park in Lyme, CT. Last year, there was a much smaller group but this year our group grew! We all arrived at 10am on a cool, crystal-clear day in southern CT. Hartman is about a 4 mile hike round trip but that figure is based on just hiking - not letterboxing. We ended up, according to Tony's GPS at about 5 miles by the end of the day - some 6.5 hours after we started.


Clueless and Brian, of TeamGreenDragon, at Hartman

The group was comprised of TeamGreenDragon, Silent Doug & Jennifer (Clueless,) Tony & Veronica, Deanne & Dave and Sue & I. These plans had been made for months and we were all pretty excited about spending the day together. The day ended up meeting and exceeding our expectations.


One of many rock formations and foundations at Hartman

Right off the bat, it looked like my boxing radar was on track as I found our first box which also had a brand new HH in it. Within this mystery box was the Domedreamers' HH that commemorated their first year of letterboxing! Two firsts to start of the day!


Springtime at Hartman

After a great day on the trails at Hartman, we ended up at a local Italian restaurant (what else?) for some great pizza, grinders, beer and a rehash of the days events. Looks like there may be a Hartman 3 next year. Hope you enjoy the pictures.


Tell me these two don't look like they're up to something!


Lori, of TeamGreenDragon