What Would You Do?

Faithful blog readers know about the drama of getting rid of old couch. Well, I have a new sofa-related dilemma and I'm curious as to how you would handle it.

Old couch lasted 11 years in pretty good shape (we had it for 17, so there you go). New couch sprang a problem within a couple of months. The stitching on one of the cushions is completely coming undone. I'm not a terrific seamstress to begin with, and it's a little tricky. I could never get the piping to look right. So, after procrastinating for a bit, and watching the problem worsen, I finally managed to call customer service and talk to them.

Turns out, they'll happily send me a new cushion in 3 months, which is longer to wait than I've had the couch. Or, they'll deliver a new couch next Wednesday. Yep, you read that right, a whole brand-spanking-new couch.

There seems to be some sort of "for a lack of a nail" parable here. It seems very wasteful to me to get a whole new couch for something that I thought could be fixed in the first place (by someone who just sews better than I do). On the other hand, I'm having a houseful of company for the holidays and I need them to be able to sit. And maybe the whole couch is a lemon.

What would you do?

First Virtual

I have not done that many virtuals, but I think that they have real potential for mystery and puzzle boxes. Instead of using an encryption technique that has to lead to the name of a park or the entire clue, you can create a puzzle where someone just needs to discover the password. And the password can be any combination of letters and numbers. The traditional box clue then just appears as part of the congratulatory message.

I created my first virtual to go along with my Season's Greetings traditional box. This stamp image took me longer than I think any image ever has to carve, many hours over several days. The virtual is not that difficult, at least I don't think so. I hope people find it fun. The image for the virtual box is different, but on the same theme.

It also strikes me that by creating virtuals I can do better tutorials on puzzling techniques. That way, those readers who are not near enough to find my traditional boxes would still have a reward for their efforts. Would that be something you would like me to create? I'd be interested in hearing readers' thoughts.

The theme of my first virtual is peace. And not coincidentally, that's my wish for you and for this world this holiday season.

~dewberry

For the Girls

I generally letterbox with boys--my husband and two sons. So, when picking boxes, I usually choose themes and places that are going to appeal to the males of the species.

They will go along with me on most boxes as long as the spot is cool and they can skip stones, climb boulders, shimmy up trees, search out fungi or generally explore. But, it's a more fun experience for everyone when they're as excited about the subject matter of the letterboxes as I am.

As soon as the clues were published, I knew there was one set of boxes I'd never get them enthused about: Dress Up Daisy, a series of boxes with a paper doll & her outfits. When mentioning it, all I got were eye rolls.

Luckily, I have a good letterboxing friend with daughters, so we hit the trail yesterday to find this delightful series by Sandibox.

The weather was fabulous (about 15 degrees cooler than it had been and no humidity), the trail was scenic & the company was top-notch. What a nice morning, and a real relief after a busy & stressful week.

Sunday, before & after

Before:

After:

Art Attack

This is one of my favorite activities of the fall. Today is the annual art show for the studio where my kids take art lessons (after school, not part of the regular curriculum). They feel like such grown-ups, with their art displayed on the walls and on blocks. There's even a reception.

I love their art teacher, an Israeli woman in her 70s who is still spry and animated and eager to share her love of art with kids and adults. She's very infectious, but she also is diligent about teaching them technique.

They get to work in all media--from clay to collage, water color to paper mache. New this year were these amazing Mondrian-like sculptures formed out of styrofoam blocks. They chiseled away at the blocks, creating 3-d sculptures with many facets. Each facet was outlined in black and then painted in bright colors. The overall effect was stunning.

This really doesn't have all that much to do with letterboxing except for the last photo below. My son's print is the top row, second from the right, the sun & moon. This brought back vivid memories of work not happily done. Do you remember carving linoleum blocks in elementary school art? I had such a hard time visualizing the final print. The tools were so foreign and each cut seemed random and not cohesive. I didn't have a sense of where I was going and I was never happy with the results. But now, thanks to all this practice work carving rubber, I think I might like the opportunity to go back and try elementary school art again.

Is it really November?

Doesn't it seem like the year has disappeared into the ether faster than normal? This fall is a blur. Above is the photo of part of the group from last month's OZ gathering.

I post it because Mother of Five and I (and the singing letterboxing baby, who is no longer a baby and only sometimes sings now) were able to go to Memorial Park yesterday and find a couple of the OZ boxes. I've been saving them, because they're near enough to my house that I can zip over and find one when I'm in need of a little letterboxing fix.

I blather on about Memorial Park, but I think we're lucky to have this little spot o' green in the middle of the 610 traffic crawl. There are times when I'm frustrated by the demands on me--volunteer, family, community, etc--and I just have to get away (but I still have to pick up kids in an hour). The jogging trail is a nice outing, but crowded with exercisers. I much prefer to be alone with my thoughts in the woods. About halfway through the yellow trail, when I can't hear traffic and haven't seen anyone for 10 minutes, there's this moment...and instead of the red in my head, I start to notice the differences from the last time I was there--a rooting armadillo, a newly fallen tree from the last storm, seasonal color on the leaves, an american beauty bush now in fruit. I hear the sounds--the tip-tapping of woodpeckers, rustling of snakes, twittering of squirrels, the whistling of wind in the treetops. And I feel my footsteps, going up and down these familiar hills (sliding some if it's rained recently), matching my own unique internal rhythm. Magically, the crowded thoughts dissipate and I feel myself relaxing, balance restored.

Anyway, there are still to-be-explored areas of this great park, and I highly recommend Bailey's Bunch's box A Texas Tornado in OZ in order to find one. It was fabulous, a great box. I love it when I'm surprised in a happy way.

Follow the Reader - Solving a Mystery

I've been meaning to get back to giving some steps for how to solve some mystery and puzzle boxes.

I'm going to use one of my own boxes as a bit of a walk-through, but we're going to solve it together. It's the box I planted for Plant-a-Mystery Box day, called Follow the Reader (click on the link to see the clues). This box has had one finder and I'm pretty sure she won't mind me giving others some hints.

To figure out where the box is, you have to solve this code

0439554934
0375826688
0439709105
0439888069
0440416795
0142401072
0064472590
0061227285
0192750976
0517189682
1557091625
0440415632
0142400890
0064403149
0440439884
0439228905
0441005489
0385732953
0590664875
0807593664

Any ideas where to start? Let's work it out together through the comments section. No idea is wrong in the beginning...in fact the more ideas you have, the more broadly you can think, the more likely you are to arrive at techniques to try. So, what do you notice when you look at this stream of numbers?

One hint: The title of the box is a definite clue. This box has a lot to do with books.

Falling into Fall

Isn't this cool? This was the sign-in banner for the Wizard of Oz gathering we did. I really like doing the banners on cloth, because you can fold them up and store them easily. Mother of Five made this one, and it turned out great with the yellow bricks.

There's not a whole lot really pressing in my letterboxing world. I've been managing to get out with Mother of Five some (and that's been great), including one day where we boxed with Sandibox & SoccerChik and ran into BootsTex & Lone Star Quilter. I love how the Terrors of Telge series has grown and I'd like to do more group projects like that--it's fun when you can be both a planter and a finder.

Not to whine, but it seems like we don't grow new planters in Houston--there's just a handful of people who have planted more than 2 boxes. We've gotten a few new ones in the last year, but others have disappeared due to other commitments & interests, with no net growth. And with TeamKing moving to England, we lost yet another good planter! I'm thinking of ways to encourage people to plant, including a series of boxes available only for those who plant during certain months.

Finally, I'm working on my holiday series & I've planted a few new boxes, including my hefe-bison, which has some of my favorite clues ever.

Satisfaction

As a carver, do you know that hopeful moment when you ink up one of your creations for the first time? The stamp's roughly carved, and although you can see the shading from the transfer, there's still quite a bit of doubt about the overall effect.

The pressing question: How will it look?

So, if you're me, you just can't stand it...you have to know! You pick the ink color, you daub it on, you scrounge around for some scrap paper, and then....the moment of truth! Stamp hits paper, you lift...and then?

Well, in this case a sigh of great satisfaction. I am in love with my Satchmo stamp for the Winter Holiday music ring. Even though we're not that religious, I am a sucker for Holiday music (all kinds). And this album, Christmas Through the Years, is one of my perennial favorites. If I was stuck in a retail store from November 15th to December 24th at 6pm, required to play only one holiday music album over and over all day while maintaining a cheerful demeanor, I think this is the one that perhaps would not send me off the cliff.

I'm glad I did Satchmo justice. But, lest you think I've gotten a big head, I put ink to stamp earlier for my quilt block and the result? Blech! I was going for lots of tiny detail. It looked okay on the stamp, but the image? Double Blech! I'm going to recarve it. If I send them out and I'm not satisfied, I never am happy. It's much better for me if I take the time to recarve, even if it's a bit late going out.

But for now, I can look at Louis and be happy. And he's not due to ship out until November 9th, so I have plenty of time to forget where I stashed him.

Terrors of Telge

This week, Mother of Five and I had the chance to go check on a few existing boxes and plan our annual additions to the Terrors of Telge. I even planted a box or so for this year's haunting season.

Two years ago, we held our first small Houston gathering at Telge park...and the Terrors of Telge were born! Unfortunately, when it came time for the gathering itself, I was throwing-up ill and missed my own gather. But, my husband and kids went, and had a blast!

In the intervening period, plenty of new boxes on the terrors theme have been added to the park. And, unfortunately this spring, with record rains, we lost a few of the ones along the creek side. It's always fun to see what people come up with, and what new Terrors are lurking.

Right now, things are great at Telge. All the trails are dry, and the mosquitos are minimal. Great boxing weather!

One of my favorite all-time plants, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, is at Telge. Its last visitor was in November, 2006. It always amuses me when people whine about not having frequent enough visitors to their boxes. For me, that's just the norm. Even though there are lots of boxes in Houston, a lot of them go long periods unvisited. That's why I try to let go after I plant. In my book, you plant what you love, and hopefully how ever many visitors you do get will enjoy the experience; everything else is out of your control. There are people who love my boxes, and probably people who don't. I plant for myself and those who enjoy what I do.

MS' Frankenstein has some pretty tricky clues (on purpose) that have tripped more than one boxer up. But, I love that box and I'm happy to report that it's alive and well and just waiting to be found by someone who wants to try and conquer it.

Who will be the next to brave the Terrors of Telge?

Last Minute Clues

Well, I didn't even manage to get all my existing OZ boxes planted (I walked around a certain trail forever looking for a spot for TikTok), but I had to do one last carve this evening when inspiration struck.

If you're at the gathering tomorrow, tell me who is the Real Life Wizard of Oz and I'll get you some special clues. If I'm not around, Mushroom Hunter should have them, but he'll be there a little late as soccer field glory calls.

If you're having trouble thinking of the Real Life Wizard of Oz, it may help if you know a little bit about me.

~dewberry

Off to Find the Wizard

We've Got Game!

It may come as no surprise to those who read this blog that we love strategy board games around here. All four of us spent a big chunk of yesterday playing Cathedral World, pictured above. We were already big fans of Cathedral, where you place buildings around a central safe spot, the cross piece, and try and claim territory for yourself. Cathedral World has a slightly different set of rules, so it was fun figuring out the strategy differences. But what's also neat is that your playing pieces are famous landmarks from around the world. It adds an interesting dimension.

I thought I'd list some of our favorite family games, or at least ones we've been playing a lot recently, in addition to Cathedral.

Abalone
Apples to Apples
Bendominos
Blokus
Davinci's Code
Frog Juice
Katamino
Life: Pirates of the Caribbean Edition
Pente
Quoridor
Risk
Scrabble
Scrambled States of America
Set
Stratego: Star Wars

The sheer number of board games we have is slightly embarrassing, so this is an abridged list. Feel free to add your family favorites to the comments section.

The Answer

I know you've been burning with curiosity about my couch and how long it lasted....

The answer: 4 or 8 minutes, depending on how you count.

We set it out at 7:21pm on Sunday evening. By 7:25, the first person had stopped. It took them 4 minutes to test it out (they sat on every cushion) and load it up. By 7:29 it was gone, like it had never been there.

New couch was delivered today.

Freecycling the Old-Fashioned Way

note: The following entry has not one thing to do with letterboxing. It just amuses me.

Let's say you have a couch. It was a wedding present, so you've had it for a long time (17 years to be exact). In that span of time, couch has hosted a menagerie of dogs & cats, babies & children, Thanksgiving guests & book club friends. It's watched (and endured the cheers, tears and moans of the humans perched on it) Super Bowls, terrorist attacks, election returns, home movies, and lots and lots of good and bad sitcoms. It's had dog poop and cat pee and red wine and baby vomit and apple juice cleaned off of its cushions. With all that use, it's certainly gotten a little ragged. For the last 5 years, couch has sported a slipcover to keep its bare spots from showing and to prolong its life a bit. But, that slipcover is annoying...it's always riding up askew. And one day, you've just had enough of couch and its slipcover.

You decide to get a new couch to replace it (this could be a whole entry about what the travesty that it's cheaper to buy a new couch than re-upholster the old one). And said new couch is arriving Tuesday.

And it just so happens that Monday is heavy trash pick-up day.

So, with permission, the kids somersault off and jump up and down on old couch one last time (seriously, they can't do that on new couch and no juice either--but you know they will). And then after saying your goodbyes, you put old couch out by the curb on Sunday evening. There's a bare spot on the den floor now which reminds you of when you moved into this house 16 years ago and didn't have nearly enough furniture to fill it (whole rooms were barren then). Now, there's stuff everywhere (and of course that's a whole different blog entry itself). Sure, you're nostalgic for all the things old couch has seen (and remembering how much stronger your back was when you carried OC into the house all those years ago).

So, my question to you, oh blog readers, is this: How long does old couch stay by the curb before someone picks him up? Answer coming later, but let's hear your guesses...

The Puzzle Queen

I am delighted to host clues on this blog for a letterbox created by my friend Mother of Five. This box was my birthday present, so it's special...I hope you have as much fun finding it as I did!

Procede in an orderly fashion. Smoke comes before fire.

A 6 A 3 6 10 Q / 4 2 6 K / A 3 9 2 8 2 10 2 3 10 K 6 / 8 6 2 10 Q 7 . 8 2 K 6 / 6 6 5 / 8 6 2 10 Q / 4 2 7 8 / 3 10 8 / 7 8 3 2 6 / J 2 Q Q / 8 3 / J 9 2 4 10 3 2 / 3 7 / 3 Q 9 6 / 8 6 2 10 Q. 8 3 / 6 10 8 9 8. 2 8 / 8 3 4 / 3 7 / A 2 2 /A 2 5 6 / J 3 3 5 6 2 /9 10 Q Q / Q 3 3 K / 6 10 8 9 8 / 7 3 6 / 2 6 2 6 3 Q / 4 6 3 8 6 4 8 6 5 / 7 8 9 A 4 / 8 9 2 8 / 9 3 Q 5 7 / Q 3 9 6 / 4 9 10 A 6.

Carving Oz

I've had a lot of fun carving some of the characters from OZ. Above is an image of the Winkie soldiers running away which I just finished. Below are my results so you can compare. I'm not entirely happy with some of the detail, but it's okay. I have a special spot in mind for the Winkie Soldiers, one that illustrates some of the history of Memorial Park.

Many of the OZ illustrations are in the public domain, but some of the characters are hard to find images for. I've pulled out some of our books and searched the Internet. Whoa are there are a ton of OZ-fan sites out there!

I'm concentrating on some of the characters from the books. Some obscure, some less so. I am trying VERY hard not to get carried away, but when I have fun with something, well, that's the whole point.

I also have a special traveler for the event, and I'll go ahead and give the clue. There's a special word that allows the speaker to transmogrify anything (but only if the magic word is pronounced exactly correctly). Originally, only one person knew the word, but later it was discovered by others. Because you'll never pronounce it right, you can go ahead and give me your best try. After you do so, you'll receive the traveler.

Countdown to Oz

In 2006, I hosted or helped with major portions of three gatherings. Even though they were a lot of fun and we really enjoyed them, that level of organization about did me in...and one of my New Year's Resolutions was no more hosting of gatherings!

10 months into 2007, and I'm breaking that resolution. My buddy MoWizLiz is coming to Houston, and there are so many new letterboxers around that we just couldn't resist! So Mother of Five and I are busily planning Follow the Yellow Trail, an ode to the wonderful world of Oz. I avidly read most of the OZ books as a kid, so the characters and places are dear to me.

Click here to see details for
Follow the Yellow Brick Trail

The event will be October 6th at my favorite Urban spot, Memorial Park. Some weeks I walk the trails of Memorial Park 3-4 times. I never tire of them, as they seem to be constantly changing. I've seen some amazing wildlife in this serene oasis surrounded by loud hustle and bustle: coyotes, baby armadillos (and mom), tarantulas, venomous snakes (coral and water moccasin), owls, swamp rabbits, rare migratory birds and more. And there are days (like Wednesday when I took a four mile hike along the green trail) where I don't see another human. Those trails are my respite (and where I work out my next mystery box clues).

We're trying to keep things simple, and not overdo. The focus is on friends (new and old), with some boxes thrown in. There already are a ton of boxes in Memorial Park, but the place is huge, and others will be more than welcome. Already, the gathering has blossomed from a mini to a normal size (50 people), which is a good, manageable size. But keeping it low-key is not always easy for me. As I explained to someone, I'm of the "What if we run out of dip?" school of party planning. Overplanning and overcooking are just part of my genetic make-up. There are always left-overs at one of my parties.

As far as boxes, I'm just carving the OZ images I love and whatever I get around to planting I plant. And some lovely friends from across the US volunteered to send stamps, so that makes the job easier. We're having a special Jack Pumpkinhead pumpkin patch for the young boxers, and good friends are carving pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns for that. It's like a letterboxing potluck!

All in all, I'm getting excited. See you in OZ!

Way Down Upon the Suwannee....

One of our stops in our live oak letterboxing tour of the South was the Stephen C. Foster Folk Culture Center in White Springs, FL. There are five letterboxes at the park, including two-in-one hidden near this beautiful gazebo on the Suwannee River. It was raining quite a bit when we were there, so we didn't get to take the planned hike, but we toured the visitor's center and walked around the park a bit.

Stephen C. Foster is the composer of such American classics as Camptown Races, Oh Susanna!, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, Old Folks at Home, My Old Kentucky Home and more. There is a carillon tower at the park with 97 bells. Every two hours, there is a bell concert of some of his music (different selections). We timed it so we arrived at the visitor's center at 11:45, which gave us enough time to look at some of the dioramas (there are dioramas that represent about 10 of his songs--they have moving parts and you peer at them through a glass window) before the concert started. Then, we walked through the rain listening to the bells to the Tower itself, where there are additional pieces of memorabilia and much more information about his life. Listening to the carillon and the drip drip drip of a gentle rain was just amazing.

I have to confess. This whole visitors' center creeped me out. The bell music was lovely; as was the gazebo on the river. I bet the hiking trails are gorgeous. But, the dioramas? They were a 1950s view of the Antebellum South, complete with happy darkies whistling tunes (see Old Folks at Home, to the left) while they work. We were stunned to see this viewpoint prominently on display throughout the visitor's center.

Stephen C. Foster's music is emblematic of the period in which he composed it (mainly from 1850-1864, when he caught pneumonia and died shortly thereafter). It is worth remembering and recognizing; the music is a part of our American cultural legacy. But it is time for a re-evaluation of how this era and Stephen C. Foster's amazing music are presented at the park, now that we are no longer looking at the Antebellum South through an idealized lens.

Next up: Potent Potables in Savannah.

Optical IllusionWell, I've been playing with optical illusions a bit. Mainly for my own amusement. But also for my buddy Puddle Splasher, who is coming to Houston next month.

But I thought you might like to see one thing that I'm working on.



What do you make of that?

Letterboxing Under the Live Oaks

Last month, we traveled to South Carolina for an extended family vacation. The kids were coming with the grandparents after a week at Camp Fun (staying at their house in St. Louis), so it was just the adults. Our basic voyage consisted of travelling all the way across I-10 to Jacksonville, FL, then hanging a giant left to travel up the eastern coast to near Charleston.

Without side trips, it's a 20 hour drive (which we did in two days on the way back with the kids. On the way there, we took four days, an eternity in road trip time, and took plenty of side trips and detours. The live oak pictured above is in New Iberia, LA at a lovely city park with two letterboxes. To the right? That's the chile fish at the gift shop on Avery Island at the Tabasco tour. The tabasco factory tour is an odd one, no other way to describe it. You have to pay $1 to get on the island, although the tour is free. The entire tour is similar to attending a booster club pep rally for the McIlhenny family, original & current owners. But, I'm a sucker for bottling lines and spicy things, so it was worth the side trip. And New Iberia is an amazingly charming town...I'd recommend it for a weekend getaway.

One of the boxes hidden by the Weatherlys in New Iberia was at this little grotto. I just love the little unexpected things out there, and this shrine next to the public library was one of them.

Other high points of Louisiana included meat pies in Lafayette, dining at the Abita Brew Pub (which we always do when coming through), having breakfast at Louie & The RedHead in Mandeville (a must), the UCM museum in Abita Springs (dogigator & friends as seen on roadside America) and seeing the sugar mill ruins at Fountainbleau State Park. Yes, there's a lot of food mentioned there, but what can I say? It was the live oak, letterboxing, dining & brew pub tour of the South.

Low point of Louisiana? That would be a letterbox where the clues were vague and could easily have referred to one of about 50 live oaks in a grove. We got a stick and poked into a hole in a promising one and what should come out? A swarm of yellowjackets! Yes, for the second time while letterboxing, I was stung by a mess of angry yellowjackets. I just got a few stings, but I dropped my sunglasses as soon as I felt the first prick. My darling husband thought that he could retrieve them (over my protestations)...result? Two stung adults and you guessed it, no sunglasses. And no box.

The last time we were stung, my husband didn't get hit. Now he found out how much it hurts. It's tough when the person you're whining to is also hurting.

Look for another few posts about our trip, specifically why the Stephen C. Foster Folk Art Center in Florida is like a time-warp to the 1950s. And not in a good way.

Back to School & Reality

It seems like August was a time-away-from-time month. We just kind of did our own things. We traveled for the first two weeks. Look for some upcoming posts about letterboxing under the Live Oaks as we worked our way across the South to our ultimate destination of Charleston. (And about how yellow jackets can live in the crevice of a live oak; be careful about where you poke with a stick-ow!)

There, we didn't box, but had a relaxing week with friends and family at the beach. We had much to celebrate and just being with this group was wonderful.

Then, it was a few letterboxes on the hurried trip back to Houston.

Here, we tried to squeeze the last little bit of fun out of summer. At the beginning of June, the kids and I had made a giant list of what we wanted to do this summer. With two weeks to go, we re-evaluated. Everyone got to pick one thing that they wanted to do. Me? I got to go to the DFW area for a whirlwind letterboxing tour with MoWizLiz and a fun mini-meet with area boxers (look for a post just about that too). I didn't worry about the blog, mainly because I still haven't downloaded the pictures from vacation & beyond.

And then, in a blink of an eye summer was over. Time for back to school and all the rigors of establishing a schedule (especially the going to bed early enough and waking up parts). The kids are doing their homework; I'm trying to re-organize a whole summer's full of art projects & lego creations. In addition, we started re-doing their room and bathroom, so that's half-completed. If we're lucky that will be finished by December.

We're taking a bit of time to get re-situated. Look for some more upcoming posts about cipher solving and our upcoming Wizard of Oz themed gathering.

Crystal Beach

The kids were at their grandparents' home in St. Louis, being spoiled rotten (of course), so Asterix and I decided to take a little road trip last Sunday. We always have such fun just meandering around seeing what we can see and not really worrying about time.

Luckily, Tejas Angel had placed several boxes on the Bolivar Peninsula, so we got a relatively early start, drove down to Galveston and took the ferry over. We planned on doing a large loop, coming back up through Anahuac National Wildlife Reserve and then perhaps going a bit further north to Liberty.

We had one short rain shower after the ferry ride, but for the most part, we just enjoyed the drive. There are three letterboxes on the island, so we had several stops along the way.

Our favorite stop was probably the one at Old Fort Travis Park, where we found the aptly named Old Fort Travis letterbox. This historical site consists of four different Batteries, developed to defend Galveston Bay from enemy attack. These bunkers were built at differing times, from before the Spanish American War (1898) up through World World II. The picture above is of the last bunker, built during WWII to defend against Axis invaders. One of the original batteries was pretty well destroyed during the 1900 hurricane, but the ruins are still there, as are those of the other original battery. The one below is of Battery Kimble, built between the World Wars. You can see that the ocean side is earthen (to disguise them from the enemy), with the front made of concrete and steel. The original bunkers had the guns mounted on the top, but after air attacks became more common, defense strategies changed and the gun mounts were moved to the sides of the batteries. There is a nice loop trail at the park with historical information at each kiosk. We were the only people walking around, most people were either fishing, picnicking or grilling.


Anyway, this is a fun kind of letterbox for us, one that shows us a bit of history, especially when we weren't expecting it. Asterix is not a letterboxer at heart, but he is usually game if the location is interesting or if there's a good hike involved. He's very patient about helping everyone stamp in, no easy feat with all the different logbooks and stamps involved.

We did make it to the Anahuac Wildlife Preserve (no gator sightings to report), but not all the way to Liberty. Another day, another drive!

We'll be heading off later this week for our road trip to South Carolina & big family birthday party at the beach (yes it's true, Dewberry is turning 40). I may check in from the road or not, we'll see how everything goes.

Czech Stop

Just a little post to mention how much we enjoyed the Czech Stop in West, Texas where we stopped for lunch on our drive home from Fort Worth. Stargazer planted a letterbox at this gorgeous gazebo, but the real reason to stop is the kolaches and sausage at the Czech Stop. The stamp in our logbooks is just a great reminder of a wonderful lunch.

The Force Was With Us

A couple of weeks ago, we road tripped up to Fort Worth to see the Science of Star Wars Exhibit. It's on its last stop, and this is one exhibit we really wanted to see. All four of us loved it, for different reasons. I loved seeing the models that were used to make the original trilogy. Asterix was fond of the real-life applications of the Star Wars technology. Mushroom Hunter dug the robotics (he spent ages playing with them) and Baby Turtle loved the audio tour.

While in Fort Worth, we had the chance to go to the Botanic Gardens and letterbox. The gardens are open late, until sunset (although the Japanese Gardens close earlier). This gave us the chance to stroll around when it wasn't so HOT!

There are lots of stunning letterboxes at the park, but we particularly enjoyed Puddle Splasher's Artist Series. Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Monet's Water Lilies, and O'Keefe's Poppies seemed particularly at home in this setting. It's a magnificent pairing.

After a while, the boys' patience ran out, so we left a few letterboxes unfound and went off for ice cream.

I've found that it's much better for my long-term letterboxing prospects if I'll stop before I'm ready, but when they are. We had so much fun in Fort Worth (I also got to do the Cattle Pen Maze that was in The Amazing Race 5, the one won by Chip & Kim. Apparently I wouldn't be as good at that as I thought as my older son beat me by 10 minutes, but he ran while I strolled) that we definitely plan to return.

Maintenance & Mumblings

I've had some bad box reports recently...

• Pirate's Puzzle has been co-opted by geocachers, with the stamp gone. This one was in place before the geocache (for over 2 years) and had happily co-existed with the cache for a long time. But, all it takes is one geocacher who doesn't know about letterboxing, and all the labeling in the world won't save your stamp.
• Georgie and the Dragon, a short series, was swept away in the recent Spring Creek Flooding. I'm torn about whether to replace it or not. The clues were in story form, and a favorite for kids. But, I often put new boxes out when others go so that the loyal letterboxers in this area will have something new to find. I have fears for some other boxes along Spring Creek, but am not sure when I'll get out to check on them. My kids aren't keen on letterboxing in 95 degree weather.
  
• Abita Beer is gone too, lost to park redevelopment. This is one I really struggle over whether to replace or not. It's located 6 1/2 hours from my house, so it's not one I'm going to get to very often. There just aren't that many letterboxers in the area. But, the box survived Hurricane Katrina and the downed trees in the area, and lasted for almost a year in a temporary spot due to a park closure. And, the park where it is located is an idyllic little spot, with the added draw of the brewpub next door. I just love the placement. And it so happens that we'll be back by there in about 3 weeks. I'm leaning towards replacement, but will have to rely on the kindness of others for maintenance help. There are lots of schools of thought about whether long-distance box placement is a good idea, and I've never really made up my mind one way or another.
  

Anyway, I braved mud & mosquitos to check on these boxes today: Surrender Dorothy!, Magical Mystery Tour and Stop and Look are all where they need to be. A couple finders have been working on Dorothy, so far to no avail (no finders since last December). Dorothy is the box that has given a lot of people fits, so I wanted to make sure the final reward was in place. Two of the boxes need new containers, but their contents were nice and dry in spite of the rain. The log housing MMT has started to degrade, so I'm going to consider moving that one. But, it's been returned to its hiding space for now.

I went to another section of Memorial Park to check on Team King's birthday boxes and another mysterious box with hard-to-find clues. However, when confronted with a lake of ankle deep green algae, I let the heat win and decided to check on them another day.

Return of an emeny

It's baaaack!
For 37 years I thought I was immune to the effects of poison ivy. Every summer, my sister and I would go to a kids' camp in the Missouri Ozarks. She would return with a bad case, itchy, blistered and miserable. Me? Not a rash or a blister. Our family camped and hiked through dozens of National Parks, canoed on the Jack's Fork every summer....and still...no reaction. I continued hiking as an adult, in and out of the forest often. I never worried about it and took absolutely no precautions.

And then, I started letterboxing (and going off trail). Somehow, I am assuming from repeated exposure, I developed a sensitivity. The first time was a big shock as it took me a while to figure out what the rash on my legs was. I've had it a few times since then. Recent news reports of the fact that Poison Ivy is becoming more potent have filled me with dread.

Last summer was the worst. I wanted to get a box hidden in a log completely covered in PI vine. I was by myself, so I used a stick to remove the box, and one to put it back. But, probably the box itself was coated with urushiol. Anyway, I washed my hands when I got home, but I hadn't realized that I had touched the back of my head. The ensuing rash all over the back of my scalp and neck left me itchy and miserable for weeks (I wore pigtails to try and keep air on the scalp). I didn't letterbox for the bulk of the summer.

This year's version is mild, mainly limited to my right forearm (can you see me reaching down to get the box and brushing a plant? ). Thanks to liberal applications of my friends tecnu, zanfel, ice and calamine, the itch is down to a dull roar. And as it is so localized, I am far from miserable, mainly just irritated and trying hard to remember not to scratch.

Poison ivy can spring up quickly, and a previously free area can become a dense patch during the summer. As a result, I've been known to give up on a box and plan to return during the more-dormant winter instead. However, a lot of planters were like my old self, and don't know how to recognize it. Do me a favor, and visit this site...learn to avoid the leaves of three when you're planting!

In some ways, this noxious plant is kind of fascinating. It's quite simply amazing how different poison ivy plants manifest such different looks, depending on the season, the climate and the plant variation. In Houston, we have lots of vines on the trees. A great rule to remember about vines: if it's hairy, it's scary! Even in the winter...a tree hosting a vine with lots of exposed roots (resembling a shaggy beard) should be avoided.

In the meantime, pass the calydryl!

Letterboxers Incognito

First the good news: the temperatures are low. In the 80s in Houston in July! Virtually unheard of weather.

So then the bad news: rain, rain, rain...lots of it and more today. All this rain = slop & mud & mosquitos! (and lung issues). This makes letterboxing and hiking somewhat unpleasant. Much easier to sit around the house and read or play MLB baseball.

But, there's some additional good news (this would be the third hand if you're keeping track). In some ways this deluge is good for our letterboxing adventures. As you can see from the photo above, the boys have become very interested in mycology. We have about 4 different books about mushrooms & fungi, which they avidly study. The kids are very interested in outings where they can also mushroom hunt (our version of hunting is to photograph and try to identify the species we find. We don't pick). Of course, I may choose parks & trails that "just happen" to have letterboxes too. And all that rain has led to a myriad of species, just waiting to be found. Jellies, bunches, fairy rings, chanterelles, puffballs, slimes...we're searching for them all!

And this leads to good letterboxing practices. We have no need to make up excuses for why we're poking around in the woods. If ever confronted or observed, we have our books and our photographs. We are letterboxers incognito, disguised as fungi fanatics!

These photos were all taken at Little Cypress Creek Preserve, only open weekends.

Texas Sea Turtles (and a few boxes too)

We took a pre-Fourth break and headed to Galveston Island for a quick respite. The rain followed us there, but it wasn't thundering when we arrived, so the kids were able to swim in the pool for hours. After dinner, the skies cleared and we strolled on the beach. Being near the ocean is always so calming. Unless you're 9 years old, when it is an opportunity to run around like mad.

Today was nicer, so we hit the beach, then the pool, then the seafood house. After lunch, we toured the NOAA Fisheries Sea Turtle Facility. This is a very interesting tour, where you can see the Kemp's Ridleys and the Loggerheads being housed until they are big enough to be released into the wild. The Kemp's Ridleys were all hatched on Texas beaches, and each of them is missing part of a flipper. When they're bigger, they can be released and will compensate. The Loggerhead pictured above is 3 years old. In the wild, it would not be nearly as large, but in the fishery, they are fed an ample diet and the water is warm enough that they grow all year, rather than the six months they do in the wild. The Loggerheads are all from Georgia, and were imprinted on that beach, so they must be rereleased there.

The 2007 hatchlings haven't arrived yet, so these turtles were all between one and three years old.

This doesn't have much to do with letterboxing, unless you count that I have a now missing Kemp's Ridley box. But cool nonetheless.

We did find letterboxes at two rather neat locations: Seawolf Park and Kempner Park. The one at Sea Wolf Park celebrates the SS Selma, one of 19 concrete ships constructed in 1919, now sunk off Galveston Island. I'm glad someone planted a box so we would see it.

You can't make stuff up as interesting as real life.