This has been a long work week for only four days. Feeling very Old today! Hopefully I will feel more perky tomorrow and have a great boxing day with temps in the 60s!

Clue 4 = gold

Another guess is allowable until noon on 9.06.2025. I will be traveling tomorrow but will still try to post sometime in the morning. Somewhere between driving, boxing, and playing golf. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Sorry for missing a day. Sitting on the 9th tee now. Certainly have enjoyed traversing many country roads this weekend. On the way to one more rural waterfall before taking more windy road home.

Clue 5 = Denver

One guess until noon on Monday!

Clue 6 = 75.4 miles

One guess until noon Tuesday 9.09.2025.

Wow! I am surprised that y'all are not getting this one with six clues already. Stay calm and do some more digging through those resources to come up with a solid product. We have had one correct boxers and two that were really warm before that number clue! Hoping to wrap this up soon and definitely before the weekend. This clue is an odd phrase that might get you a funny look in my neck of the woods.

Clue 7 - yunz

Another guess accepted until noon on Wednesday 9.10.2025

I am surprised the last clue didn't give things away. If you are still down a baseball rabbit hole you should probably have noted that the Diamond clue was capitalized meaning it was a proper noun!

Clue 8: miners versus mills

Hopefully this will be the final clue. Definitely need to wrap it up by 3:30 Saturday!

Clue 9 = Rivalry

Let's Goooooooooooooooo............

Sorry this is so long winded, they don't call me Jabber for nothing.

There are three kinds of Postals: Micro, Standard, and Heavy. Micro is a #10 envelope less than one ounce. Standard is carte blanche usually less than 13 ounces. Heavy postals can contain a Book or a Jigsaw Puzzle no limits to size or weight. All are still valid.

In the beginning, at the dawn of AQ, there was a Yahoo Group. From 2004 until 2017 postal letterboxes mainly consisted of a good sized carved stamp (regular thickness--maybe even mounted) and some kind of creative logbook. Usually in a 6x9" bubble mailer, but carte blanche ruled the day.

The recipient was expected to take the package to the post office for weighing and postage and send it on its way. The price of postage was about $1 in the beginning for a well-crafted 6x9" bubble mailer. Postage just kept going up.

AQ developed Trackers, the Yahoo Group disbanded and migrated to AQ. The make-up of Postals continued as they always had been, big and heavy. Then someone came up with the idea for the MicroPostal and gradually we all got on board learning as we went. These lightweight beauties have become the default. A #10 envelope and a Forever stamp--no trip to the PO as long as you had a supply of stamps on hand.

The old Standard 6x9" is still valid just not the default anymore. They cost upwards of $5+/- in postage and a trip to the post office for the recipient. MicroPLBs cost the recipient one Forever stamp, and are required to include extra postage only if one Forever stamp is not enough. There are many requirements for MicroPLBs besides size and weight such as: thickness, rigidity, lumpiness, not violating barcode area, aspect ratio...it doesn't help that the PO keeps changing the rules.

Descriptions for Postal trackers should include information regarding what's expected. The word "Micro" or #10, or carte blanche, 6x9, extra heavy (there's an attribute). If there's confusion ask the person who owns the tracker.

Everything you want to know is in the Wiki Help on AQ.

All the stuff you'd ever need to know:
https://www.atlasquest.com/about/wiki/browse.php?catId=4

Specifically regarding shaving off the back: https://www.atlasquest.com/about/wiki/browse.php?catId=33#q792

Specifically regarding setting up a Tracker
https://www.atlasquest.com/about/wiki/browse.php?catId=42

There are not any additional clues. You may want to read things on my profile. Free guesses until 3:30 p.m. Saturday the 13th. Hope to be singing Country Roads by 7:00 pm.

Just an add-on to


I was able to by-pass the trip to the post office by using my digital kitchen scale at home for the weighing, and PayPal to print and pay for my tracked mailing label. I Dropped off the package with the out-going mail at work. So nice and easy!

Now that I’m retired, I still weigh packages and print labels at home. In our area, we can leave letters/small packages in our mailbox for the letter carrier to pick up, but we usually take the packages to the PO and just drop it in the packages bin (no waiting in line).

When I list a postal tracker these days, I always say if it is a Micro, or a Standard, and if it is a Standard I also give its weight, so people can make an informed decision whether or not to join.

For the postal I mailed today, including its inkpad, USPS Ground postage was $7.60, plus I paid $1.99 for the 6x9 padded mailer.

That's exactly why micro-postals have become by far the most popular today. And I would emphasize the importance of the host making clear in their tracker listing, what mailing method will be needed for their postal, so participants don't get an unexpected and expensive surprise.

This is the boxer’s first tracker and only my second postal. In addition to the stamp and full-size inkpad, the logbook was a little hardcover journal about 1/2-inch thick.

The three items arrived in just a plain business envelope with two Forever stamps. However the envelope was torn, and I’d guess the post office had to hand-cancel it.

Thanks for the backstory. I wasn't around and I remember getting a package instead of micro. Was not planning on that.

I think going forward, if its not listed what type of postal is, I have to try to remember to ask if its a micro.

Also check to see if the letterboxer is new because most likely they wont know the difference.

Great post.

Congratulations to the winners.
Expect the next mystery in October.

Mystery Postal 2503 Solution and Explanation of clues:
The answer is the Backyard Brawl. This is the name of the WVU(West Virginia University) -Pitt (University of Pittsburgh) rivalry in football. Sometimes the annual basketball and baseball games also go by that name.

Clue 1 ¾ of a gross =108 This is the number of times the rivalry has been played.

Clue 2 blue. This is one color of both rivals.

Clue 3 Diamond. This refers to Neil Diamond (capitalization distinguished this from the common diamond so this does not apply to baseball although that was the rabbit hole for many.) The Pitt band traditionally plays Sweet Caroline at the end of the third quarter. It is a lovely song but WVU fans add a few extra lyrics for the three beats after Caroline (E.S.P.). Just google WVU Sweet Caroline to find multiple clips of the crowd singing the song. A Neil Diamond song title was also in the message board dialogue September Morn.

Clue 4 gold. The message board included a capitalized Old word in the dialogue. WVU’s second color is old gold. Pitt is just gold.

Clue 5 Denver. John Denver’s 1970s hit County Roads was played in person at the opening of the current WVU stadium in the fall of 1980. This immediately became a traditional way to celebrate a WVU win by linking arms with anyone around swaying and singing loudly for all to hear. Another rabbit hole for some living in Colorado of course went Rocky Mountain High and based guesses including the Rockies baseball team. The dialogue of course had me discussing my weekend road trip via “county roads”.

Clue 6 75.4 miles. This is the current distance based on Google Maps between the two football stadiums.

Clue 7 Yunz or Yinz or Yuons is spoken in Pittsburgh and western PA in comparison to Y’all used in WV. It literally was a term identifying which side of the Mason-Dixon line you were raised. The Mason-Dixon line forms part of the border running east-west between Morgantown and Pittsburgh.

Clue 8 Miners vs Mills. This was how the original rivalry was portrayed. Working man cities based on coal mining and steel mills. Yes, that is where the NFL Steelers name also is derived.

Clue 9 Rivalry. The Backyard Brawl has been a bitter rivalry for my area since 1895. I have attended a few and fortunately all were WVU wins. The most gut-wrenching loss was in 2007. It was the final game of the year. WVU only needed a win at home on senior night on a frozen field to finish #1 in the nation and play in the championship game against Ohio State. Pitt was 4-7 and not viewed as a threat, but that is when a rivalry really can bite you. WVU had the most prolific offense in the nation but only managed 9 points and also missed three field goals. Pitt finally scored a TD late in the 4th to win 13-9. The offense played very conservatively and of course it was found that Rich Rodriguez had already secretly met with Michigan to leave WVU. Don’t think he threw the game but was ultra conservative. He certainly was distracted by flying that week for a clandestine interview. LSU with a similar offensive style as WVU crushed Ohio State for the title.

As fitting in any good rivalry this game went OT. A monster WVU win! Unfortunately, the rivalry will be on hold until 2033.

Jabber is making me nostalgic for the good ole' days when postal boxing was prolific. Just about went extinct other than a few annual ones. I personally hate the micro postal movement but totally understand it from a cost and convenience standpoint. My biggest difficulty is cutting down the thickness and of course carving shallower than normal.

There are a few annuals still going such as the Springbok Puzzle ring I have hosted for many years but did not create. Mailing is once a month, so it is a yearlong experience with 11-12 new puzzles to solve. These can go in a flat rate priority padded envelope for around $11 which is still cheaper than buying a new puzzle every month. Pieces go in a large baggie and just a single sheet of paper with the image. The back of the completed puzzle serves as the logbook. When I retire it is likely this annual tradition may need to pass to a younger boxer. I also continue to run a USPS commemorative postage stamp each year since 2009. This is now a micro and there are still spots open for 2025 stamps if you want to join.

Some other interesting postal rings were musical and books. For the musical one you burned a CD (yeah obsolete technology) of songs related to a topic. My favorite CD was one with songs including cowbells. A takeoff of the SNL skit of Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken called "More Cowbell". The book one was a monthly mailing throughout the year. It involved mailing a paperback with a stamp image related to the book.

There is also a hybrid yearly one called Box of the Month. Unique in that it is a postal and a traditional rolled into one experience. It is a postal ring, but the stamp is planted as a traditional for three weeks at each stop before heading back into the mail. The traditional box is the same location with a series of 12 stamps that cycle through being activated and retired as they are received and mailed on. Since this requires a monthly visit in hot and cold weather, I typically make this a driveby. I have been in and out of this one in both Martinsburg and Culloden. I rejoined for 2026 since they were looking to fill out this one. Looks like there is a spot for one more person.

Oh, yes -- I miss the golden days of postals, too. I was part of many musical rings, and enjoyed finding the Box of the Month when a local boxer was a member of that ring. (sadly, no more). It's too bad that postage rates have increased so much!

Mystery Postal #2504 is now open. For rules checkout the tracker at:
https://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.php?trackerId=12200

It is finally October, and the baseball playoffs are starting today. Hope to watch the Dodgers cruise to another World Series Championship. Ironically facing the Reds in the first round brings back memories of my youth when the Big Red Machine (Rose, Bench, Morgan etc) and Dodgers were the two best teams in the west division throughout the 1970s (1969-1993).
At the end of the day the ingrained hatred is still reserved for the Yankees and Giants reaching back to the NY rivalries before the 1960s westward movement. May have to watch the Uncivil Rivalry about the Yankees and Dodgers to get into the mood.

Then there are the once again woeful Mets. At their core and inception, they were a replacement team for the Giants and Dodgers in New York. If you notice the Mets colors are Giant’s orange and Dodger’s blue. The Mets need a new manager and a bigger checkbook!

Clue 1: Jeter

One clue is allowed by noon on October 1, 2025. Expect a clue per day until there are ten successful letterboxers.

Dodgers win game 1. Only need 12 more wins! Yankees lost.

Back to our mystery. Time for a math term to ponder.

Clue 2 = Full Angle

One additional clue through noon on 10.02.2025.

Dodgers moving on to face the Phillies! BTW this postal topic IS NOT about BASEBALL! Tomorrow I likely will once again jibber about recent travels to another part of WV. Hope everyone was able to figure out what a full angle looks like.

Clue 3 = Ruffian

Another guess is available until noon on October 4th.

Does anyone know if the post office delivering mail during the federal government shutdown?

Yes, Post Office doesn't affect during the shutdown because it is a self-funded, independent agency.

I did make it back to the eastern panhandle this week where I lived for 28 years. Got me thinking about things that used to be and old haunts. Led us to Williamsport MD to the C&O Canal. This was a working canal from Cumberland MD to Georgetown in DC. The visitor center has restored a lock, fixed the aquaduct, and re-watered a stretch of the canal. They have two canal boats now and can only guess they now offer rides. Marveled at the simple technology of the locks made with stone, wood, and some iron/steel.

Clue 4: James Rumsey

One additional guess until noon 10.4.2025

Clue 5 = gears

There haven't been many guesses lately but there has been one correct answer already. (BTW Dodgers beat Phillies in game one of division series)

Clue 6 = goggles

Submit one guess by noon 10.06.2025

Back on those country roads for work starting tomorrow. How about those Dodgers taking two from the Phillies in Philadelphia!

Clue 7: Sub-Genre

Clue 8 - Infernal Devices.

This is the final clue. Tracker clues end at 5pm on 10.09.2025.

This mystery postal is now closed. Solution and clue explanation coming soon.

I just published my first tracker, a microPLB ring called Winter Wonderland. Please be gentle! I have just enough tracker experience to be dangerous.

I'm finally back home! Was traveling for work and then had joined the Hunt for Hunt event! An amazing event hosted by Orchid!

Clue 1 Jeter is for Kevin Wayne Jeter credited with coining the term Steampunk. (definitely not about any coincidental name of an ancient Yankee)
Clue 2 Full Angle is a circle or a 360-degree angle like a clock or gear
Clue 3 Ruffian another word for punk
Clue 4 James Rumsey the real inventor of the STEAMboat.
Clue 5 gears are a classic example of steampunk costumes
Clue 6 goggles same as previous reason
Clue 7 Sub-Genre. This is how Steampunk is mainly described for movies and books.
Clue 8 Infernal Devices is a Jeter book in Steampunk genre.
BTW Dodgers – Brewers starts Monday! Tough for Philadelphia fans having the Phillies eliminate themselves on what I call a triple screw up. It should be one mental fart (not throwing to first base) and two errors (fumbling the ball and throwing it away). But also having the Eagles embarrassed by the Giants the same night!

At what point do I change a tracker from open to closed? All the spots are filled, however the tracker doesn’t start until January.

As soon as it's filled. If someone drops out before the due date, you could reopen it. Or maybe have a waitlist if you know someone didn't get in before it was full.