Event #1855

Gargoyles by the Light of the Moon

CastleKeeper's Gargoyle Preserve, Points, WV

Registered Boxes: All Traditional HH/Cootie/Flea Postal LTC Event Box Traveler Other

Starts	Fri May 13, 2011 6:00pm
Ends	Sun May 15, 2011 3:30pm
Owner	CastleKeepers
Admins	CastleKeepers
Signups	49/∞
Location	CastleKeeper's Gargoyle Preserve, Points, WV View Map
Add to Calendar	Google calendar ICS file (e.g. Outlook, iCal, etc.)

Description

"GARGOYLES BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON"
CastleKeeper’s Gargoyle Preserve
May 13 – 15, 2011 (the full moon is May 17)

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This Gathering will also be a Camping event
at CastleKeeper’s Gargoyle Preserve in Points, West Virginia
To get closer to our exact location, use Google Maps and search for Creekvale, WV
Creekvale is just a spot on the map - nothing but a farm exists there now, so don't expect a Welcome to Creekvale sign
Make sure to follow the maps and directions we will send you by e-mail
Navigation tools like GPS, maps and directions on your phone WILL NOT WORK out there and you may never find us if you depend on those.

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Come early, stay late, stay for all of it, or just a few hours.

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Updated May 8/9 middle of the night
CONFESSION TIME . . . I am soooooooooo bad at estimating my time
I have ALL of the clues ALMOST done and some of them all done but the whole dern thing is not quite ready to post since it all works together.
I'm sorry to be slow but I need another 24 hours to get it TOTALLY ready to post/send with the directions and maps.
GB and I had a really productive 48 hours at the Preserve this weekend but so much to do and sooooooo little time - 5 days and counting!
I really want to post everything at once, not piecemeal - and with no internet out there it was a little tricky.
Thanks for your patience!!!
P.S. Do you know how fast grass and weeds grow in West Virginia countyside with a little drizzle and lots of sun?
I swear we could see it growing, as fast as we cut and weeded.

I'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow night posting of clues and e-mailing of maps and directions!

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Most Recent Stamp Counts:
47+ resident creatures;
60+ Critters
Several special event stamps
26 night boxing stamps (2 sets of 12 +2 bonus stamps)
15 Route 127/29 boxes
8 Romney Loop boxes
10+ Gargoyle Wanna-Bees

170 or so Total

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Added May 5, 2011
After having offers from many of you to bring something to the event, we decided to take you up on the offer and make Saturday night kindof a pot luck after all - definitley still plan your own meal, but also plan to bring a food or drink donation or an afternoon snack to donate. i.e. trail mix, brownies, cookies, sodas, bottled water, side dish, chips, something fun and yummy to share. We'll have a small community area with things like PB&J makings, drinks, and snacks -- and then for Saturday night dinner, lets all plan to eat about the same time, about 6:30pm or so - we'll make a small community food area to supplement what everyone fixes for themselves and their families. I am going to make potato salad and Fluffy Angel is going to make chocolate chip cookies - Gargoyle Bob will start us out with a case of bottled water in the ice trough. Please revisit your sign-up and see if you can add whatever it is you might want to share.

A little bit of boxing info --- More to follow on Sunday afternoon after we get back from WVA and finalizing details:
Aside from the other boxes you decide to find on your way, there are 9 stamps we have planted from the WVA state line on Route 127 the next 18 miles to the Preserve - it will be interesting to hear how long it takes 2 of you to do the whole route -- if you choose to come in that way. AND, if you make the turn-off to PawPaw (about half an hour from our place) and decide to add in the PawPaw Excursion (about a 12-14 mile driving detour each direction and a 1.1 mile walk each direction to go through the tunnel -- so about a 1.5 hour walk with 4 to 5 boxes to find) you might want to plan that in.

And then the Romney Loop is a 39-mile driving loop that takes you to a dozen or so of our boxes and by extending a little bit, you can find 3 additional ones not too far from Romney.

Of course I will be posting all the specifics before or over this weekend. Probably Sunday at this rate."

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Info updated May 1, 2011:

Friday - What's Happening?

All Boxes along the Rt. 127/29 thoroughfare, Route 3 and at PawPaw will be available by dawn on Friday morning
Gargoyle Wanna-Bees (Warning - Low Flying Gargoyles) will be available as of noon on Friday and through the weekend
Arrive at the Preserve any time after 2pm to set up your campsite or settle into your luxury accommodations for the weekend
Prepare/Eat dinner - prepare and cook your own (a couple Coleman propane stoves are available - please bring your own small propane bottle) 3 fire circle cooking stations will also be ready for your use - even if you are not camping at the Preserve
5pm - All boxes on the Preserve will be available (except night boxes) - start hunting!
Barnside Movie "Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue" as soon as it's dark enough to see the movie on the barn (weather permitting)
NIGHT BOXING starts about 8:00pm - - - 2 series and three routes are available for your night-boxing fun - 12 stamps in each series - Pirates and Zodiacs

Night boxes will also be in place for Saturday night and you'll have the opportunity to watch the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" (animated) barnside on Saturday night.

Saturday - What's Happening?

Breakfast whenever
Boxing whenever
6:30pm -- Dinner - you cook your own but lets all try to be available for a big group dinner together at 6:30.
7:00pm Carving Contest Results (see additional information about carving contest with supplies we provide :o)
8:00pm -- Barn-side Movie (weather permitting)
8:00pm -- Night Boxing Starts
Campfire Fun (S'mores, singing, exchanges, stories)

Sunday - What's Happening?

Breakfast whenever
Boxing whenever
Whatever, whenever

Make sure to bring water shoes or some sort of footwear to cross the river as there is no bridge and it will be a wade - depth will depend on the spring rains. You have to traverse the river to get to the pond :o) Please Note - Boxing in, across and down the river will require great care, as it is chilly and there could be quite a current - depending on any rain during the week prior to the event.

PLEASE DON'T PLAN TO HUNT FOR BOXES ON THE PRESERVE UNTIL AFTER 3pm FRIDAY evening or the full complement won't be available and you might have to re-strategize. Night boxing can start any time after it gets dark enough to see the reflectors and hear the ground-rules.

Instead of a Barnraising this year, we will engage in BarnWatching . . .

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If you don't like the idea of camping, (or air matressing in the barn) there are two places to stay in Romney (half hour from our cabin and the route to and from it takes you by/near at least 8 planted boxes (maybe 10). It's called the Koolwink Motel - looks old but we've heard good things about it and the reviews on TripAdvisor are really positive.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g59487-d266864-Reviews-Koolwink_Motel-Romney_West_Virginia.html

2 queen beds for 2 people seem to run $69 a night -- Their website is http://www.koolwink.com/index.htm

There's also the South Branch Inn in Romney - We don't know anything about it, but we've been by it - it sits right next to the big grocery store between Romney and Augusta. It looks clean and moderately modern and has a restaurant for guests.
http://www.wvafun.com/sbi-files/sbir.html I have no idea what their rates are - I couldn't find rates on their website, but will look into it and post them here shortly.

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The big barn and the small cottage sit on 4 acres on the Little Cacapon River.

What it is:
Letterboxing, Campout (for those who want to camp), good excuse for an event out in the Wilds of West Virginia ! ! !

Why???
GargoyleBob, WebCatcher, Fluffy Angel, and Julia from Germany, want to invite all their friends (old, new and prospective)
to visit their little riverfront cottage in Points, West Virginia.

Where???
POINTS, WV – The “town” of Points has a post office and . . . . . . OK, that’s all they have
– but our cell phones work up there (2 miles from the house). You’ll most likely drive through
Slanesville, WV (4 miles away) to get to our house ---- unless you get lost. Slanesville has
a post office, a volunteer fire station & a gas station/mini grocery/hardware/pizza place.

What’s this near???

Romney, WV is 25 minutes away. Romney is a bustling metropolis ;o), complete with some historic

landmarks and several neat little craft shops (and a Subway, McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Dominoes Pizza, & Food Lion)

Winchester, VA is 50 minutes away – and Winchester is a big town
Fairfax City, VA is 2 hours away
Woodbridge, VA is 2.5 hours away
Washington D.C. is also 2.5 hours away
Charles Town, WV is 1.5 hours away
Matthews, NC is 7 hours away - about 400 miles
Brunswick, Maine is 11 hours away

Sleeping Accommodations:

Sleep under the stars
Pitch a tent on the property (in pre-designated spots)
Pitch a tent or roll out a sleeping bag in the barn (for those who enjoy camping but want to ensure dryness) (Sleeping in the barn will probably be akin to a big slumber party)
Camp at Milleson's Walnut Grove Campground if you want access to a shower and a "real" campground (http://www.millesonscampground.com/index.html) 12 miles from the Gargoyle Preserve in Springfield, WV and right on the Potomac River

Camping (Tax Included) Standard
Primitive Sites by the River $20
Electric (20/30/50) by the River $25
Back-in Water & Electric $25
Pull Thru Electric & Septic $25
Full Service WSE $28
Day Use (per person) $ 5
Ages 12 and under are FREE.

OR, you can camp at the campgroud at the PawPaw Tunnel - beautiful location, tent sites and bathrooms and water. More info can be found at http://bikewashington.org/canal/canal_l.php
Tent sites are $10.00 a night. . .12 tent sites and no reservations required.

No Matter where you sleep, you'll have daytime access to a bathroom in the cabin.
Our biggest limitation will be providing bathroom access for this big number of people but we are looking into a port-a-potty or two for the weekend.
Definitely don't plan to shower in the cabin, as we definitely don't have accommodations for that, for a big number of visitors.
River water is clean and cool! :o)

What’ll you do???

A wildlife letterbox hunt
A farm animal letterbox hunt
Water activities (some there at the house, some in the bigger Potomac and Cacapon River nearby)
Fishing * River Swimming * Tubing * Bring a canoe, kayak and/or other water floaty things
A Gargoyle/Fantasy Creature Search
Night Boxing - both Friday and Saturday nights - Two different series of 12
Campfire activities: S’-mores, singing, stories, swatting bugs, annoying Dudley, whatever
Spontaneous carving contest – with items we supply
More Letterboxing of Course (additional details to follow)
Relax & Have Fun
Tour of the “Estate” -- all 4 acres of it :o) self-guided while boxing
Star-gazing - enjoying the light of the moon - cross your fingers and toes for great weather
Hiking
Help us build stone walls and cairns

(No stress or difficult manual labor involved – we've brought river stones to a couple designated areas
and piled them up - you get to arrange them in creative and picturesque ways.)

Definitely Bring with You:

Something edible to share - (i.e. side dish or dessert or chips or drinks) for Saturday dinner
*OR* Snack to share for during the day Sat or Sun or a case of water or sodas
Camp Chair(s) * Towels (shower and/or beach)
Flashlight and Lantern
Something to sleep in/on/with
BYOB and drinks and food
Cooler/Ice Chest and ice to keep your food cold -we found our one refrigerator fills up really fast, so bring an ice chest or two and plenty of ice :o)
Whatever you want to eat Friday, Saturday and Sunday and any snacks
A roll or two of toilet paper to donate to the good of the toilette order
A dry pair of shoes in case yours get wet while you adventurously try to cross or descend the river for the "extreme" boxes
OR a pair of Crocs would work wonderfully for crossing the river

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You might want to bring a bicycle and spend a little time on a bike ride along the C&O canal towpath. They ask you not to ride through the tunnel, but you can ride from the parking area or campground to the tunnel entrance, walk your bike through the tunnel (after finding the 2 letterboxes at/near the entrance), find the box or two IN the very dark tunnel (it is SO cool inside - literally and figuratively), and then bike or walk out the far side to find the Girl with Glasses letterbox near the lock on the far side of the tunnel. This is a great 2.5-3.5+ hour excursion.

Camp table if you have it
Shoes for walking, playing, or fishing in the river - it's a rocky bottom
Outdoor “toys”: i.e. fishing equipment, floats, tubes, canoe or kayak (deeper water close by), hiking boots, balls, bats, flying contraptions {kites, flying saucers or remote-controlled toys}
Bug Spray
Tent and Picnic Canopy if you have one
Bicycle or comfy shoes for the tunnel walk - and definitely a flashlight
A desire for adventure

Did we mention that we will be raising and harboring Gargoyles at our new West Virginia Preserve?
In addition to Gargoyles, ALL species of fantasy creatures are welcome and encouraged to take up residence

If you have or find, any wayward fantasy creatures THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THEIR HOME AT CastleKeeper's Gargoyle Preserve, please bring them with you, and we promise to make them welcome.
Gargoyles and dragons are particularly coveted.

There will be a special Letterbox provided to every individual who brings a new resident to seek sanctuary at CastleKeeper’s Gargoyle Preserve.

As you follow directions, and make your way to the Gargoyle Preserve, watch for "GARGOYLE" signs along the last stretch of your route (the last mile of the trip) – they indicate a letterbox is very close at hand. PLEASE make sure to pull off the road in a safe place - each spot we chose has a small somewhere to pull over within 50 feet of the signs! Be as discreet as possible so the passing neighbors don't get annoyed or suspicious. Only one of the 9 or so boxes takes a bit of "extreme lb" mentality to reach. None are located more than 12 or so feet from the side of the road.

Once you have signed up for this event, please send us your regular, off AQ e-mail address, and WebCatcher will send you specific directions to the Preserve, including maps, and info about Letterboxes to look for along your way. Directions and clues will be e-mailed to those signed up by the Sunday prior to the event. In the meantime, if you want to find the property location using Mapquest or Google Maps, enter Creekvale, WV. That point puts you about 1/3 mile from the driveway to the Preserve.

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Apr 29, 2011: Gargoyles by the Light of the Moon event
The gargoyle event is just 2 weeks from today. Don't forget to send me your off AQ email address so we can send you maps, directions, and special clues.
Most boxes and clues will be posted by next Sunday, May 8th. Any boxes not posted by Sunday night at 10pm, will be printed and handed out AT the event.
See you soon!
WebCatcher, Fluffy Angel, Gargoyle Bob, and J from G

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May 5, 2011: Gargoyle Event - Mad Hatter Tea Party Sunday, May 15
Hi All,

Knights of Columbo asked me to pass along the following message:
Alice in Wonderland Tea Party photo

Anyone willing to dress up and sit for photos in an Alice in Wonderland tea party shoot on Sunday will get my photo stamp. Crazy hats, costumes, etc. are encouraged. Check this site for fun creative costume ideas. http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/fun/alice-in-wonderland-costume-ideas.html

Please email me if interested in participating - justplaingeorge@yahoo.com

I’ll be doing the scene photos regardless to practice photography and would love to have a variety of people in them if possible. Shell/Knights of Columbo

P.S. Shell has used Fluffy and Julia for a variety of neat photos ops in the past few months - "abandoned ren faire princesses", a whole series of beautiful shots of the girls in costumes at the Bloomery Iron Furnace, nesting birds on a spring morning, and a couple other immaginative things. It's great fun and her pix are amazing. This Tea Party theme fits right in with our fantasy weekend activities, so dig out your bizarrely best outfits and bring them along - kids and adults!

It will make for a fun group picture for the event as well.

May 15, 2011: Gargoyle Event follow-up
Hi Everybody,
We just want to thank ALL of you who made it out to the boonies of Points, WV this past weekend. We had a great time and hope all of you did as well!

Despite the work and lack of sleep, we had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed having ALL of you out to the Gargoyle Preserve for the weekend.

Right now WebCatcher is dozing at the keyboard and Bob is spending one last night in WVa getting things back to the dreary order of a week before the event.

WebCatcher is writing to ask if any of you object to us posting pictures on AQ that include your kids -- (ZigZags, 4 if by Sea, Wolf Family, Chicken Little, DaizyGirls) -- I have bunches of great random pictures from the weekend.

Also, Knights of Columbo sent me an e-mail with a link to the pictures she took over the weeknd (very cool pix), and asked me to forward it to the group of people who attended.

From Knights of Columbo ==Here's the link to photos. Played with some of them. Will probably play more when I have time. Please forward to the event list. Thanks!

http://tinyurl.com/6ehj8cq Shell
Enjoy!

We only barely scraped the surface of the 67 e-mails AQ says are there for us - we'll finish and respond to those later today - snoozy time now. WebCatcher will get pix posted by the end of the upcoming weekend. . .and we'll e-mail you the total critter list - which will lay out what stamp was what, and how to log them. And try to clear up any confusion about some of the boxes.

Thanks SO MUCH for coming - we had an amazing time, and enjoyed sharing the Gargoyle Preserve with each and every one of you! Nighty night!

Carol, Bob and Fluffy

Jun 10, 2011: Gargoyles by the Light of the Moon finished posting
Finally finished listing all the boxes (we think). If there's some you don't find, please let us know. Check bonus for campfire, event box for potty, and ck recent plants for the rest.
Webcatcher, fluffy and gb

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