First Plant of 2009

Well, it took a bit of thinking and searching (I wasn’t initially planning to try and plant letterboxes in winter), but I found a location for my first Quilt Stamp ~ Mennonites of Waterloo County.  This is the beginning of a series of 20 quilt stamps that will take you to different “Mennonite” locations in the extended Kitchener-Waterloo area.  (I have the 20 quilt squares picked out, but not all yet carved).  This one is in St. Jacob’s, the hub of Mennonite country.  It was a lovely excuse to get out of the truck and go for a short walk and get some fresh air and see some of the countryside.  (When I travel to KW I am spending 6 hours in the truck minimum).   I personally don’t enjoy the “hum” of the town as much as I enjoy the solitude of the trail.   There were lots of winter birds feeding along the trail and I got this picture of a downy woodpecker just after it left a suet ball.   It was a lovely afternoon jaunt ~ and there’s a new LB out there with a HH in it ~ for those of you in Ontario to search out.  Have fun!!!

First Find of 2009 ~ Blair Sheaves Tower

Today I made a trip to the KW area and decided to take in a letterbox (so I could send my Nativity: Shepherd HH on it’s way).   I chose Blair Sheaves because it seems like it gets a fair bit of traffic ~ LB traffic that is.    A lovely spot (on a crisp, sunny winter day) and a cool stamp ~ well worth the trip.  BUT….. it was a smaller box in an altoids tin, so no room for my HH.   So now I have a bit of a dilemma.   I need to get the HH on the road.   AH HAH!!!  I just got a brain wave.   Make (and plant) a new box in that area that all the active boxers will want to come and find and put the HH in it.   OK… I’m off to carve another stamp!!!!

Planning a Spring Trip

Each year I attend a Camping Conference, usually in the States and usually in PA.   This will be my third year (next year it is in Ontario, so no travelling!!)  It happens the week after March break which is usually the middle of the month.   So…. I have already planned to letterbox my way down and back.  This year it is in Mercersburg, PA, which is just across the state border from Hagerstown MD.    So…. having never boxed in any states other than NY and PA, I’ve decided to make a foray to the south on the day the conference ends.  I will pick up a couple of boxes in Maryland, a couple in West Virginia and a couple in Virginia, not to mention Punxsetawny Phil in PA.  (Now that is a cool one, since I have my own Wiarton Willie box here in Ontario.   I think Wiarton Willie will even make a trip down to visit his buddy Phil).   Anyways…. I have spent the last day coordinating the trip, searching out letterboxes that I want to find, etc. etc.    I’m already excited about the trip and it’s three months away!!!