Four More Ready to Go

As of tonight, I have four more letterboxes ready to be planted between Owen Sound and Wiarton.  However, the weather is much cooler and it’s supposed to be rainy for the next several days, so don’t expect them to be there before next week some time.   But you can count on as soon as the weather is nice enough…….. we’ll be out there planting.

I’ve been reading some of your blogs (other letterboxers from AtlasQuest) and I am envious of those of you who live in a spot where there are many boxes to find.   We have to drive 3 or more hours just to find a couple and by the time we do that, my family is in NO mood to do a marathon letterbox search.  So we usually end up with just a couple and then we come home.  With the price of gas these days, we just aren’t doing it very often.

Anyways… once I have these four planted I will post the clues and add new pages to this letterblog.   That’s it for now.

A Quick Saturday Driveby

This afternoon on my way home from Leamington (no time to do the Windsor boxes), I zipped into the London Calling box near London, Ontario and picked up a quick stamp.   I found this one interesting.  The theme of the stamp was really cool, with the British telephone booth across the road.  BUT, the box itself was not only hidden on private property (no one close around but still….), it was also very close to an extremely busy highway.  No chance for stealth on this one.  And then the stamp itself was hyped up to be very special and I personally did not find it to be that exceptional of a carve, although it was nicely done.  (Maybe I am just way too critical).  And then I made the mistake of using the ink pad left in the box and it was almost dried out and didn’t leave a good impression.  Oh well…… next time I will use my own markers (in the same colour of course).  I tried to redo a second impression over the original and it just ‘fuzzed’ it up.   Oh well… another ‘find’ for the log book.

Earth Day Expedition

Yeah!!! This afternoon (after a morning dentist appointment), we hiked the trails through three different conservations areas to plant three more letterboxes.   I have to say, this is an extremely scenic series with fairly short, family friendly hikes and lots of “views”.   Well worth the drive to the Bruce (if I am a little biased about this myself!!).

We began at Pottawatomi Conservation Area near Owen Sound with a short hike out to Jones Falls.   Then we drove north to the hamlet of Copper Kettle and explored “The Glen Management Area“.  This was a lovely walk of about 20 minutes (one way) with a great hiding place at the end.  The spring wildflowers were just starting and there were as of yet no mosquitos to bother us, so we had a nice afternoon ramble.  Another short drive northward, and we were at Kemble Mountain Lookout.  This time I was on my own (my family being all tuckered out) as I ambled out through the woods to the escarpment edge.  My walk was greeted by a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers calling and drumming me into the forest.  Then, upon reaching the escarpment brow I was serenaded by a wood thrush.   I could hear the frogs in the marsh below and then a cacaphony of geese (something must have disturbed them from their rest on the marsh).   I had to go a fair distance (about another 20 minutes) along the brow of the escarpment before I found anything distinctive enough to use as a clue, but the great spring weather and wonderful atmosphere made the hike quite enjoyable.   No regrets at all.

And then, when I arrived home, it was to discover a pair (and a third intruder male) of bluebirds taking over one of the nest boxes I had installed on the corner of the yard on Sunday.  How exciting is that???

So all in all, a very rewarding and relaxing earth day.  Happy Earth Day to all!

Sunday afternoon puttering

Well…. today I was hoping to spend the afternoon letterboxing.  However, my family was NOT IN THE MOOD!!!  So instead, after a quick nap (I remember my Mom doing this and wondering “what on earth is she doing napping in the afternoon?”, and now I find it sooooo easy.   I guess I’m showing my age!), I settled in to finish up a couple of letterboxes.  I am happy to report that I have three more completely ready to go and four more that are close to being there.   By next weekend, there will be three more of the Niagara Escarpment Series boxes planted between Owen Sound and Wiarton.  Almost worth a letterboxing weekend “up north”.  

An Afternoon in Kitchener

On Thursday, I had a meeting in Kitchener in the late afternoon, so I went early with the idea of scooping up a few letterboxes.   I started off with Wunderbar, which begins at the Oktoberfest Pavilion in the downtown area.   A cute little stamp in a deserted playground/park.   It was a fairly easy find and a nice short walk on a sunny spring afternoon. 

Then I went to another playground park where I could not find Mummies in the Park.  (A “muggle” came out on his back porch and asked me if I was looking for “the letterbox”.  Apparently he has watched / helped a number of families find this one last fall.)  However, when he came out to look it was definately gone. 

Next I went to the Dance School at #139 where I found Dancer in the Garden.  I was very impressed by the way the clue, the location, the box and the stamp all worked together around the theme.   It was a very neat little hidden community garden.

Then I drove over to Monarch Woods to try to find Butterflies and Raccoons.  What a lovely little forest area with a bubbling stream running through the centre and boardwalks and bridges throughout.  There were a number of folks out enjoying the spring air and sunshine.   There was another letterboxer there at the same time I was.  I first spotted him because he had a backpack and was waving around a piece of white paper (just like I was).   At that point, I was on the other side of the stream and he was poking around through the bush at the end of a bunch of logs.   (Funny to watch from a distance when you “suspect” what’s happening.)  I often do not box in urban areas, so it was a bit different for me to even see someone who I suspected might be after the same “treasure” as I was.  Anyways… I waited until he had finished up, rehid and left before I went in for the find.  Sure enough, his stamp was there in the logbook ~ Venture5.   (I couldn’t find him in the AQ listing, so maybe he is a geocacher/hybrid.  He did have a stamp that he left behind).   Anyways….   that was box number two.  Despite following the directions for box #1 (the butterfly one) in several different directions for several different attempts, I was unable to get anywhere close (as far as I could tell).   There were a lot of fresh trees down which really helped to confuse the picture as far as the clues were concerned.  Anyways….. the Raccoon logbook was “really neat” and the walk in the woods was quite lovely on a refreshing spring day.   Well worth the time and effort.

All around, a good afternoon, even though I found only three of the five I went for. 

Our First Plant of the Season

Today was a beautiful spring day.  We went on a fairly substantial hike along the escarpment edge at White Bluff north of Lion’s Head to hide our FIRST LETTERBOX of the season.  Yahoo!!! It has begun.   What a lovely afternoon for the family and a great hike/hunt anticipated for any who are brave enough to dare  (see the clue for details).  The views out across Georgian Bay and south toward Lion’s Head are spectacular.

Here it Comes ….

A sunny warm week coming up.  THE SNOW IS ALMOST GONE!!!!  I may just try to get out and get one of my new boxes planted in the next couple of days.  Woo hoo!!   (In the midst of starting all my seeds for a summer garden.)  Spring weather is on the way, finally…….