When a Box Goes Missing

Sometimes it seems like "it takes a village" in letterboxing. One person to plant a box, infinite others to find it, but all have to be caring and responsible or the box won't live on.

My Oh Deer! box is a good example of a box that has been well-cared-for over its two and a half year life. And now, apparently, it's gone. I'm a little surprised at how upset I am by that. But then again, maybe I shouldn't be surprised...

Oh Deer! was my first successful box. My third plant, it followed Caldwell Zoo and Killough Monument, both of which were foolishly placed. In retrospect, and applying current knowledge, I should've known better. Oh well. That's why newbie boxes go missing at a higher rate than other boxes.

I planted Oh Deer! and I waited and waited and waited to find it had been visited. This was before the day of automatic notifications or logging finds online, and maybe even before AtlasQuest was around. We checked it several times and each time we opened the book - nothing.

Finally, we were near Fairfield so we stopped by to do what we figured would be a typical fruitless check, and when we opened it - and turned the page - we found the stamp image of the inimitable Gryzzled Gryphon! Texas boxers had only just begun to see his stamp around at that time, but there it was - in OUR logbook! And surprise, surprise, I turned another page and there were the familiar stamps of Silver Eagle and his brother, Baby Bear! And what's more, they logged in the very day we were checking the box! I jerked my head up expecting to see them retreating into the woods, but to no avail. I made my wonderful LSS, Fearless Fox, drive through the park so we could look for them camping somewhere. I later learned that they had passed through very early - before 7 a.m. and logged it and left a couple boxes of their own and moved on. It's probably a good thing I didn't find them because I might've kissed them for finally finding my first box!

So anyway, the worst part of losing a box is losing the logbook. That's a real bummer. Otherwise, boxes, like people, have a lifecycle and they should be allowed to come and go with dignity. Still though, losing that particular box is like losing an old friend, an old standby that could be counted on. It was the proof to myself that I was a real letterboxer, not just a finder, but a planter.

Stir Crazy!

Okay, this hot weather really has me down. We had a few days of cool weather when I could've gotten outside and hiked and boxed, but I was sick, and not only sick but busy! Yuk!

Hoping to get out and go this weekend, at least briefly.

Here's a link to my site with more stuff on letterboxing:

http://www.geocities.com/barefootlucy

I NEED...

I'm getting a little edgy. I really NEED to go letterboxing. I told Fearless Fox that last night and he laughed - HE LAUGHED. He questioned whether I really NEED to go letterboxing. "Yes", I told him, "I NEED to go letterboxing."

Letterboxing is how I let go and relax for a little while. It's something I do just for me. Well I've been scouting hard for several weeks now and I'm tired. I need a break. Not that I don't really enjoy scouts because I do, but it's a lot of work and a lot of responsibility leading 40 little boys while wearing one scout hat and shepherding 30 scout leaders while wearing another.

Letterboxing is what I do where I only have to worry about my own, and maybe Lightning's, safety. Where if Lightning and I are having fun it's all good, where I don't have to worry about the lesson behind the activity or the moral of the story, where no one is watching me to see what I say when I stub my toe. It's what I do to burn off energy and then get refreshed and ready to go all over again.

So yes - I NEED to go letterboxing! Looks like I may get my opportunity next weekend. Fearless Fox is taking his den camping. I've about got him convinced to take them somewhere where there are lots of boxes so I can get my fix while they do scout-y stuff. And if he doesn't go there?

No matter - because I'm going SOMEWHERE!