Quote

The ones that disappeared were Mark's, Scooter's Mom, Granny and Paw Paw, Sweeties' Mom, Dragon Slayers, and some newbies' images. bzmom's, BOXDN's, and Eli and Aubrey's images are just barely there.

Scooter will be competing in agility at the park on March 6. We can re-stamp the log book while we're there.
Smiling Face has been a very popular box!
Scooters Mom

Hi Funhog,

I must apologize that I'm a bit of a computer illiterate. And I don't have this cut and paste thing down yet.

You posted a message quite some time ago. It was about "the Disney infiltration at LbNA" And you were worried about people thinking that it was some big treasure hunt and walking off with the boxes.
I think the only people who would walk off with the boxes are people who don't know anything about letterboxing.

There are a number of boxes hidden at Disney. Most of the clues are very easy. But the boxes are hidden quite well. (The ones that I have found anyway)

If Disney happens to find the boxes, if they throw them away...fine. If I happen to get marched off to the security office...fine.

My big fear? <<Ducking head and lowering voice>>
That Disney will like the idea.
Nothing against Disney, but I would really hate to see this wonderful hobby get 'Disney-fied'.
Look at what happened to pin trading

~~Dawn ...The Orlando Knit Wit

PS ...I have carved a pirate stamp. The box is small.
2 1/4" by 2" by 1 1/4"
I have a friend, Wolf Scout, who works at Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean. She promises that she knows of sites that nobody looks in. I'll go over soon to check it out.
And I also have plans for sites at Epcot, at the Norway and China pavilions.

Quote

I think the only people who would walk off with the boxes are people who don't know anything about letterboxing.

...and those are the very ones I worry about finding our boxes if they come to them via the National Treasure website.

I'm not surprised that there are boxes hidden at Disney. I'm just surprised that they have any longevity at all! Knowing that they are verboten, and how well manicured that place is, I am amazed that a letterbox would last more than a few days there. Funhog

I think the only people who would walk off with the boxes are people who don't know anything about letterboxing

We have found that "new" letterboxers fail to be discrete, or rehide the letterbox properly, and then letterboxes go missing.

That Disney will like the idea.

Only if they think they can make $ at it, and that would be difficult when there is free access to clues.

I also have plans for sites at Epcot, at the Norway and China pavilions.

I guess there is room for all types of letterboxes, but Gwen & I like to place them at special locations that are off the main trail of life, when ever we can.

Don

Quote

I'm not surprised that there are boxes hidden at Disney. I'm just surprised that they have any longevity at all! Knowing that they are verboten, and how well manicured that place is, I am amazed that a letterbox would last more than a few days there. Funhog

Ditto! I have tried planting a few dummy boxes (i.e. containers only) at Disneyland to see how well they fare and so far, only one has survived (although I haven't checked it recently). If that one box is still there after 6 months, I will consider it a good spot and go ahead and put a stamp in it.

I haven't seen National Treasure yet. But I hear that it appeals to the letterboxing spirit.
I need to check out the web site.

The only stamps we've found at Disney have been store bought <sigh> So I am excited to get my hand carved Pirate Treasure planted. <grin>

Letterbox hunting at Disney definately has a different feel to it.
We (the Elf Trio) always go as a group.
We went sneaking through a Disney hotel lobby at midnight a few weeks ago. We were giggling like a bunch of girls going to raid a cookie jar.
We scored another last night. It was crowded and dark. It was easy to go unnoticed. There is a truck in a display. The box was hidden under the driver's seat. An easy reach through the window with your buddies keeping watch.
Remember too that Disney has a lot of details. Tucking something behind one of those details is not really that hard.

I still see myself at the security office one day. ;-)
"A good friend posts your bail. A great friend sits beside you and says 'Wow, that was fun'"

~~Dawn the OKW

Quote

I have tried planting a few dummy boxes (i.e. containers only) at Disneyland to see how well they fare and so far, only one has survived (although I haven't checked it recently).

Man, that's what I call some long-term planning! I bet you would have made a great band robber in a former life. ;o)

Quote

I still see myself at the security office one day. ;-)

We'll be looking for reports on the news about a suspected terrorist planting 'unidentified devices' at Disney World.

I'll pass hiding boxes in theme parks. Too great a possibility of them going missing, and also a good possibility it could cause a bomb scare.

-- Ryan

Quote

I still see myself at the security office one day. ;-)

I have been informed in no uncertain terms by my wife that if I am arrested while letterboxing or benchmark hunting that I should not waste my one phone call on her. ;)

Quote

We'll be looking for reports on the news about a suspected terrorist planting 'unidentified devices' at Disney World.

I'll pass hiding boxes in theme parks. Too great a possibility of them going missing, and also a good possibility it could cause a bomb scare.

Disneyland had one of those last year with a geocache. It was one that had been in place for two years before a gardener discovered it.

Actually, this is intriguing! We always like the boxes that are in those beautiful, out of the way woodland hideaways, but there's something really tantalizing about the "Mission Impossible" boxes. We love all the cloak and dagger involved in trying to nab a box like that (for example, all the NY State Thruway boxes!), so it ends up being just as much fun as the quiet leisurely walks in the woods.

Heck, man, we're all for ANY boxes...who're WE kiddin'?! :-)

The (little bit citified) Sprite & the (little bit country boy) Highlander

All this talk has gotten me a little nervous about our trip down in a couple weeks. I would be the one to get caught "planting a device" as my two kids kept guard. Well, the little one usually does the sneaky stuff =) That could be even worse!! Throw in some child abuse as well. We will have to carefully consider the boxing part. Definitely will have to carve a "family stamp" before the trip. It takes FOREVER to stamp in 4 times.

bzmom

bz
where is your sense of adventure? Didn't yall learn anything from my trip to GA.;)

Boxdn

BZ-have fun and do it all! You can be discreet and do okay. Just make sure it is a really good spot before leaving something if you plant. You can do a family stamp, but I think a good rule of thumb anytime is to take the box a little bit away, usually where I can still see the original site, and stamp up there. It's more discreet that way and you don't have to worry about being spotted, you're just "journaling" or "keeping the kids occupied for a break."

ps. I remember reading about the geocache the gardner. There was debate about if it was a geocache or an LB. It definitely reminds us about choosing places wisely, although the spot can't have been bad if it lasted for two years in somewhere as manicured as Disney.

Ha! I don't need your kind of adventure =) I'll have my children with me =) Besides, with a 4 year old, every day is an adventure!

bz

Well, we have been home since Christmas Eve, but this is the first chance I have had to get online. The wedding was wonderful. I have to say that everything was much more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. It was great to see Mark and finally meet Mysteryletterboxer. And yes, the gift is quite wonderful. We love it. But I can't tell what it is yet. You know, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so soon, I'll get a picture up.

We had a small mishap the first night. My maid of honor had gone to our cabin to light candles and start a fire in the fireplaces. We got there (quite loudly due to the cans streaming from the back of the car) about and hour and a half after she'd been there. We're standing at the car, thanking the couple who'd came out to tell us congratulations, when I hear this loud beeping noise. I suddenly realize the fire alarm is going off. We hurry inside. The entire place is filled with smoke. Ally had forgotten to open the thing on the fireplace that lets the smoke out. It took about an hour for the smoke to clear and it wasn't exactly the entrance I had always imagined, but lots worse could have happened.

The honeymoon was wonderful. We went to Disney and stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort. It's very beautiful. We did all four parks. Exhausting to say the least. But very very fun. We also went to Cirque de Soleil, which was amazing. We went to a luau, which was probably my favorite thing we did. We shared a special dance in front of everyone there because we were newleyweds, which I thought was great!

We got home Christmas Eve to piles of presents. Iy was fun- kind of like Christmas twice.

It was great to sit here and read all your posts. You guys are great. It's so neat that so many people we have never met care so much about us. I got emails from a few of you too and it was neat to read those. Thanks for caring.

On another note, I am going to pull Paul Frank tribute tomorrow temporarialy. It needs some work. I'll let you know when it gets back out.

Can't wait to meet all of you. I am excited about Victorianna's. Thanks again everyone.

Desi

I can't believe nobody has posted yet on stamp carving! I will start one off. So are any of you like me--full of plans each winter to spend the cold, snowy days carving so you have tons of boxes to plant, only to get busy and kick yourself in the spring when you don't have a treasure trove of new boxes? If anyone has a solution to find more time for the carving, let me know! (okay, I guess leaving my office before dark might be a good start!)

Cadenza

Eventually, people will come. Look! You're already the first! =)

I'm usually in the habit of carving stamps as I need them. I'd bet 90% of them are carved within 24 hours of when I plant them. I do have a few I carved as a stock pile for while hiking the Appalachian Trail that I never got around to hiding and they still lurk in my stock pile drawer, however. I've been known to dip into that supply when I'm REALLY desperate for a stamp to hide. =)

But then, why do I need to go carving stamps when I can work on this website instead? It makes a great little winter project! ;o)

-- Ryan

Quote

If anyone has a solution to find more time for the carving, let me know!

I need a solution for finding less time for carving. My box of stamps just gets fuller and fuller, the books by my bedside don't get read and dinner is late. It's simple! Just neglect all the things you '"should" be doing and you'll have plenty of time for carving. Funhog

Congratulations & Welcome Home!!!!!!

I'm so glad you enjoyed your honeymoon! Fredbird & I stayed at Caribbean Beach for ours as well, and coincidentally, so did our best friends a year and a half earlier. I think that resort is a good omen for marriages...nothing like starting your life together with some island vacationing AND some hectic park-going, right?

Anyway, we're glad the whole experience (minus the near burn-out) was great. Congrats!

Lady Buzz

Fredbird & I had a great day yesterday - For our anniversary, we left the kids at Grandma & Grandpa's, and we headed out to an undisclosed location to pick up Red's Bunch's SSH! series. We also got another box that happens to be nearby...ended up hiking at least 7 miles, due to some lack of brainpower on my part & skipping part of the clues, but oh well!

I had a box ready to plant in a nearby municipality, but as we had dinner reservations in Buckhead (and due to the hit my ego took in the clue-reading dept!), we didn't have time. I'll just add it to my stack of GA Counties boxes that haven't found homes yet. ;)

Thanks, all, for the great boxes & scenery, and for our best anniversary yet!
LB

QuoteIf anyone has a solution to find more time for the carving, let me know!

I need a solution for finding less time for carving. My box of stamps just gets fuller and fuller, the books by my bedside don't get read and dinner is late. It's simple! Just neglect all the things you '"should" be doing and you'll have plenty of time for carving. Funhog

RETIRE!!
Don

We're smiling again now that the logbook is dry, the stamp's been recarved, and the letterbox rehidden!

Amyrica

Lady Buzz

I loved hearing about your anniverary adventure. We found our very first letterbox on our 39th anniversary this year. It was the beginning of a very wonderful new sport for us. We have hiked for years but adding letterboxing to the hikes makes them very special. We owe a big thank you to Mark for introducing us to the sport and thanks to so many of you for hiding the boxes and helping us get started with this fun. We will be getting boxes out very soon. It is pay back time.
Gardening Granny

Quote

We found our very first letterbox on our 39th anniversary this year

Ooh! I hope we're still celebrating our anniversaries in such a fun way in 32 years! Thanks for the inspiration.

Quote

We will be getting boxes out very soon.

I cannot wait!

Quote

Here is an interesting website with a real treasure hunt for gold tokens hidden around the country!

I put this as a link on the main homepage of Atlas Quest a few days ago. So far, one person even bought a copy! =) Don't know who, but if you win the prize, let everyone know you got your copy though Atlas Quest. ;o)

I'm itching to check out the book myself, but I'm too cheap to buy it. I'll have to find a copy at a library somewhere. Hmmm....

-- Ryan

Since Amanda and I--if all goes well--are planning to head off to Panama for some sun and fun (and too see a total solar eclipse) in April, I decided it was time I learned more about this fine Central American country.

Found this book by David McCullough (who also write Truman, another fine book I've never read) about the building of the Panama Canal, and it's absolutely FASCINATING! I love history, and this book is bursting with it. It's got everything: Scandals, deaths, vision, triumph, and failures. So far, no sex or drugs, but I've only made it through the first 150 pages so far. =)

Two things I've learned that I had no idea about before--before Panama became an independent country, it used to be a part of Columbia! And the building of the canal helped split the country in two--figuratively and literally.

And the other thing I learned--there was some serious debate about whether the canal between the Pacific and Atlantic should be built through Nicaragua or Panama. Nicaragua?! It never even occurred to me that that would be a viable option. On a map, Panama seems like the obvious place for a canal--that's where the two oceans come closest together. But for a variety of reasons, Nicaragua was thought to be the faster, cheaper way to create a canal between the seas by many people. And almost ALL the engineers who knew what they were talking about were for putting it through Nicaragua. How different Central American history may have turned out had they had their way.

And the French--oh, those poor, sorry dolts. *shaking head* They were going to build a sea-level canal through Pamana. Imagine the effort that would have required. *shaking head* Well, the French failed and Americans picked up the effort with a bit more reasonable of a plan.

Anyway, I was excited to go to Panama before, but now it's just killing me that I have to wait until April. I want to see all the areas discussed in this book. Walk through the streets of Panama City and Colon. Check out the canal and the terrain around it. *sigh*

Well, back to reading.... Let's see what happens next! =)

-- Ryan

This might be a bit late, but I figured some of you might still enjoy it. It's supposed to be the best fruitcake ever!!!! =)

Holiday Fruitcake
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
lemon juice
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
nuts
2 cups flour
1 or 2 qts. whiskey

Before you start, sample the whiskey to check for
quality. Good, isn't it? Now go ahead. Select a large
mixing bowl, measuring cups, etc. Check the whiskey
again as it must be just right. To be sure the
whiskey is of the highest quality, pour one level cup
into a glass and drink it, as fast as you can.
Repeat....

With an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of butter in a
large fluffy bowl. Add 1 tsp. of thugar and beat
again. Meanwhile, make sure that the whiskey is
of finest quality. Cry another tup. Open second
quart if necessary. Add 2 arge leggs, 2 cups fried
druit and beat till high. If drult gets stuck in
beaters, just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Same the whiskey again, checking for tonscisticity.
Next sift 3 cups of salt or anthing, it really
doesn't matter. ...Sample the whiskey... Sift 1/2 pint
lemon juice. Fold in chopped butter and strained
nuts. Add one bablespoon of brown thugar, or whatever
color you can find, and mix mell.

Grease oven and turn cake pan to 350 gredees. Now
pour the whole mess into the coven and ake. Check
the whiskey again, and bo to ged!

Actually, this is MY family recipe! How did you get ahold of if Ryan??!!
-Amanda from Seattle
(I like to cook with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food)

Don-If it means more fishing/kayaking/letterboxing trips with you and Gwen, I'm in! Although, at 30, I'm not so sure how long the retirement could last. Maybe I better rethink this. Funhog's solution might work better in the short run :) Oh, and Ryan, I think my carvings are a lot like your's--carved the day before. I have a few dandys I put more time into before, but most of the general ones I carved for later planting ended up floating around in my supplies box.

Cadenza

see ya!
Cadenza

The last post got me thinking about how I saw Don's nifty old cigar box that he kept his carving tools and such in. Are you still using that? It seems like the last time I saw you, you had something else.

That box inspired me to start using a fun French military first aid kit that I got at the local Army/Navy surplus store. It is heavy duty and has metal ring handles that lay flat on the sides when not being used. I'm not sure how old it is, but the label inside looks pretty old. It has been a fun and unique place to keep my stuff, use as a carving surface when I'm not at a table, etc.

I'm curious if others have found fun places to stash their stuff?

Cadenza

>This might be a bit late, but I figured some of you might still enjoy it. It's supposed to be the best fruitcake ever!!!! =)
>Holiday Fruitcake

I've been working on this letterbox clue for 26 hours straight, only kept awake by Peet's coffee and letterboxing ambition. I think I've finally cracked the code, and will let you all know of the results after I return from the North Pole.
--Buzzard