You might be interested in visiting Alki Beach. It's just a few miles from downtown Seattle and doesn't even require crossing the street if you find a good parking spot. =) At very low tides, there are TONS of people looking around out there. Not the best tide pools in the world out there, but there is stuff out there. *shrug* I've seen all sorts of wildlife walking along it, though, and is probably something you could get a lot of really neat photo. My favorite is the bald eagle that sometimes sits out on the beach, just out of reach of the surf. My camera doesn't have a good zoom lens, so I haven't gotten any good pictures of it.

Two words of warning, however. First, on July 4th, I read that much of the main street along Alki Beach will be closed off on the fourth of July except for local traffic. It's a very popular spot to watch the fireworks from (I'll be there with my mom!)--especially since you can actually watch two major fireworks shows at the same time. (One over Elliot Bay and the other over Lake Union.) Anyhow, I guess emergency vehicles have trouble getting to emergencies in years past, so they're blocking off many of the streets in the area which might mean walking. I'm not sure if they'd make an exception for handicapped folks, but you might be able to talk your way through anyhow. ;o) The closed off streets only apply to Friday in any case.

The other word of warning is that a bunch of pirates are going to storm Alki Beach on Saturday (the 5th) which will likely draw in very large crowds. Parking may be particularly difficult during that time period. But if you want to watch the pirates landing, it's the Seafair, and it happens on Saturday.

Actually, Alki Beach will likely be pretty darned busy all weekend--it's a very popular spot for locals and visitors alike to visit on summer weekends. To avoid the crowds, you'd want to hit the beach as early in the morning as possible. Friday night (fireworks) and Saturday afternoon (pirate landing) will be especially busy times. The least busy times would be in the morning and on weekdays. (Not counting Friday, since that's a holiday for most people and thus should be counted as part of the weekend!)

Frankly, I enjoy Alki more in the winter months when I get the whole place to myself. =) But it's still a beautiful area!

-- Ryan

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Kyak Bandit could come along and clean some computor monitors while you guys were there. :)

My bags are packed!
----/---- '(*!*)'

On the flip side, he would go CRAZY over CUTE hermit crabs, snakes, bugs, spiders, and now his very beloved Bearded Dragon he carries around and strokes.

Sounds like my kind o' guy!!
Turtlelove :o)

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I see the cooties passed immigration and have made it to England. WHAT FUN!!! My first international plants!!

Oh, me too, me too, Granny!! Ain't it grand!! My lady bug cootie made it over there too, I'm so elated!! One more happy thing to think about. Made my day yesterday. But I'm still smilin' today because of it. TnT thanks for passing it around. Hope you are having a great time!
Happy Cake day, Granny!

Okie Dog

I'm looking at the boards now and keep going back to Team Springamajacks' posts and there is NO cake by their name.

You're looking at the message summaries. You need to look at a view that shows all of the person's icons--not just the profile, logbook, and contact icons. Use the extended view or view an individual message by Team Springamajack and you'll see the cake.

-- Ryan

is there a plan formulating here?

I have my own, see here:

http://www.atlasquest.com/boards/message.html?gMsgId=245711;gThreadId=35778

That could change, however, if phynstar starts the 99 Bottles before then, though.

*S

Ohhh, you're killing me!

That sounds like heaven!

KuKu

We like reptiles too. We have a doggie.... medium sized corgi mix.... and 3 aquatic turtles.

Not all doggies dislike me..... I've been letterboxing with Frank before and enjoyed my company...... and he's a very well behaved dog. But.... I don't think he KNOWS he's a dog.
hahahahaha
Maybe that's why he likes me !!!!

Bibendum was a good carve, and the bonus too. Sorry you have had to make them unavailable or retired! :(
Jan

Attaching it to something is a fantastic idea! Can't believe I had never thought of that. Does anyone have pictures of a box where the stamp is attached at all? I'd love to see an example of how this was done.
Thanks!

I think they think it's like water from the toilet...

Well...

... technically...

... it might be.

A big plastic saver...STOP BUYING BOTTLES OF WATER!!!!

Actually, what you're saving is MONEY, because you're supposed to RECYCLE those bottles! For example, Mohawk turns those PET bottles into carpet and other plastics items. Sometimes they're turned into more bottles, or other stuff.

The reusable bottles (Nalgene and the knock-offs) have come under fire for containing BPAs (look 'em up) that leach into the liquids in the bottle and can cause developmental problems. But it's not that simple, so do the research and make your own judgment call before believing me.

*S

aha, I knew I was not insane ;} Thanks Milagro

Now, see, my understanding is that a letterboxer is supposed to answer "I haven't got a clue!" But if we all agree on the pointing up thing, so be it

Where on Earth did you hear that? Because here on AQ and even on the LbNA Yahoo! group the concept of North?/Up! was widely discussed and pretty much determined to be the most widely accepted form of identifying fellow 'boxers.

But, as you say, not everybody knows about this stuff.

Which brings to light a different subject: how to get people to find and read the Help files and Getting Started pages. Perhaps the email you get from AQ when you first sign up could include links to the most helpful Help pages....?

*S

I don't think he KNOWS he's a dog.

Haven't you wondered why he frequents Starbucks?? Hehehe...
Turtlelove

I’ve just done a major clean up of my letterboxing area(s). I’ve found that my boxing buddies have been coming home and I haven’t been sending them back out! They are bored and ready to travel!

We’re not after heavy boxers or anyone who feels they need to add lots of stamps to their logs. What we would like are pictures and descriptions added to their books so that we can really feel like we were there. If you feel you’d like to host one of these buddies here are the details:

Zamboni: Zamboni has the distinction of being the first boxing buddy mentioned when the boxing buddy concept was announced. He’s a 6” tall, hand crocheted elephant that my son (the elephant lover) named. If you’d like to host a bit of boxing buddy history, ask for Zamboni.

Pastel: Pastel is a boxing buddy webkinz Panda! She comes with not only her own log, stamp and camera but also with her own (recently updated) webkinz account! She was updated with an on-line penguin friend and has a brand new stamp! If you have kids who love webkinz or kids who would like to give it a try, ask for Pastel.

Robin: Robin is also a boxing buddy webkinz. He spent 8 months traveling around the country with the webkinz postal letterboxing ring. He’s a tree frog, was named after Kermit’s nephew Robin and his webkinz account has been recently updated with an on-line pinto friend. Robin can’t wait to go boxing but has one additional request.

He’s gotten a little jealous of all the squished pennies arriving around here (from the squished penny plb rings and now the squished penny LTCs) and would like to start his own collection. If you have a machine near you or even better yet, near a letterbox, he would love to have one added to his log along with the details of any letterboxing adventures you are able to take him on. If you’d like to add penny machines to your list of things you search for, ask for Robin!

Looking forward to getting these three out on the road!

jacks

Completely understand. I used to do a lot of programming (dabbled in SQL some but not too much) but it has been years. That is why I was trying to think of it in more of a simplistic manner where the group accounts aren't really accounts but solely associated. Such as adding another column to the current account records which associates them to a group name (that is set up by the person that initiates the group). I'm trying to see what could be done with as little change as possible, without actually knowing how the records are set up in the database itself.

Forgive my rambling, but I was talking it out with my wife and, with the exception of setting up the group and adding trail names to it, an additional bit of data in each of the individual records could associate the record to that group and on the group page it would simply list the trail names associated with that group name (with the same link icons that we already see) and an aggregate list of PFX's from all of the members (not individual stats which are already on their specific pages, but totals from all the members.)

Again, I'm going off of a simplistic idea without any real knowledge of the datasets already in use...

NavyCop

First-sorry for the long post...read on if you want my opinion.

Honestly- for me at least- If my box disappeared I don't know if I'd replant. If I did and I was CERTAIN it was due to a cacher and that it was nearby a cache- I'd probably do some research myself and relocate the box if I chose to replant, even if I was there first. I don't mean to say that's what anyone SHOULD do- that's just probably the course of action I would personally take if I was concerned that it'd happen again.

I really enjoy both hobbies personally. There is a caching "code of ethics" (see http://www.geocreed.info/). While it's not listed directly on the geocaching.com website, it is in the forum for newbies.

To me it's kind of like the bulk bins of candy grocery stores have- some people (whether out of choice or being unaware of the rules) don't consider "taking" or "tasting" these stealing, when really it is. Once they know, most people are governed by a moral compass that prevents them from doing so ("ettiquette"). I kind of feel like it's the same with a stamp in a Lb- when you cache (or box) you're excited when you find what you're looking for. There it is- if you don't know better you might take it. Caching certainly gets more press than letterboxing (even though this is unfortunate)- so I'd bet the uninitiated think they are SUPPOSED to take it, assuming it's a cache (think "free samples") and not a Lb. This is why I feel awareness is more relevant than ettiquette, per se.

It would be unfortunate if the situation you described did actually occur, but I don't forsee any sort of retaliation being imminent. In your above scenario, the BOXER retaliates for rudeness (neither actions are necessary) by removing the cache first, which is uncalled for as the cache planter probably didn't take the stamp- it was probably someone looking for the cache instead, someone the planter themselves cannot control.

The hobbies are two totally different games, but as in life, we need to learn to peacefully co-exist. I think the whole situation can be entirely avoided by creating the awareness you seek in cachers yourself. It just takes a little creativity sometimes. Try a proactive approach where you as a letterboxer take the initiative to resolve the problem instead of just hoping cachers would adapt the letterboxer's ethics (or add it to their site). You'll probably be more successful this way, since it's easier to change your own behavior than that of others. I've found, if you start it off, others will quickly catch on.
Maybe you could ask the cache owner to include info about your Lb in their cache (i.e. "if you happen upon a box nearby with just a log book and stamp- don't take the stamp- it's a Lb, NOT a cache") and you could do likewise in your box and encourage them to continue looking for the cache.

I think the point that was trying to be made with a box being "for all" is that the spirit of placing a box (or cache) is meant as a spirit of sharing. I know many people put a great deal of time into their stamps (which is appreciated), but if you love something...set it free, and be willing to deal with what happens to it, even if it's bad.
Part of what makes BOTH games fun is the little bit of risk involved, both in hunting and placing. Without some risk, there is no gain...this is true in many aspects of life.
For both games, the object is to see more of this beautiful Earth, which we all share.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/01/24/images/mucus2.jpg

that's great, especially the shirt

There is a "box" here that is attatched to a tree limb at the end it is nailed to the limb...instead of stamping into a notebook you stamp onto the limb...it is very cool...

You actually stamp the tree itself? That'd be odd...

That is why I was trying to think of it in more of a simplistic manner where the group accounts aren't really accounts but solely associated.

It's an intriguing idea I hadn't considered before and might be quite workable. I just need time to think about it and consider all the ramifications involved. =) Before I'd always been thinking in a "parent-child" kind of relationship, where one user could be a "superuser" over multiple other users, and it was such a messy way of dealing with things. A separate table specifically to handle group details has a lot of appeal to it, but there's now over 100 tables in the database, and I need to think about how it would affect other things. Should I allow people to send AQ mail to a group? Should the group account have it's own password, or should I designate one account in the group as being "in control"? There's a lot to consider and quite a bit of coding that likely would be involved, but it's logically a lot simpler than the ideas I'd been kicking around for years. =)

-- Ryan

You might find this page particularly interesting if you want to know a lot of people's favorite boxes. =)

-- Ryan

Thanks for spreading the letterboxing love! What a great way to share an awesome hobby with more people!

Anyone back from the Letterboxing cruise? I would love to hear about it and I hope there are pictures!!

What? Has Wassamatta_u not been keeping you up-to-date with our adventures? *shaking head* Sheeze.... =)

All I can say at the moment is that nobody died. The usual injuries and mayhem, but happily no deaths, rogue waves, or boxes overboard.

Several people have already posted photos in the event photo album. I'm sure more will be going up for the next several days. I still plan to blog a post or two about my own adventures thru-hiking Bermuda as well. =)

-- Ryan

Kopachuck takes a bit of trail walking to get to the water if I remember right.

Kopachuck is really nice, but I would not recommend it for anyone who has trouble walking, unless they've done some kind of trail improvement since I was last there. It was quite a steep climb, at least for a chunky middle-aged lady ;)
Sunnyside seems like it would be more easily accessible.

Also, on a sunny 3 day weekend, especially since this is the first really warm weather we've had so far this year, Kopachuck (and Alki) will have quite a number of people relaxing with their coolers and boomboxes. Penrose Point is more likely to be a bit quieter, at least in past years. I haven't been down there for a couple of years, but it is very beautiful. Bit of a drive from Seattle though.

Mariette
(grew up in Tacoma, used to BE one of those annoying teenagers at Kopachuck and Owen Beach with coolers and boomboxes)

aren't there some nice tidepools by the Ferry Dock in Edmonds?

Not sure exactly how the boxing buddies travel from place to place. Do you send them like a postal?
If so (since I have no idea where you are, but it's probably far away), my daughter (Curious Kitty) and I would be SO excited to try this! She loves Webkinz for sure and there is a penny squisher nearby, but only one I think.
If they haven't been spoken for, send me a message. We'll get you some pictures for sure!

tell us how old you are!

47

Shiloh

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Not all doggies dislike me.....

And it probably wasn't even you - maybe your pants flapped or something and that set him off - it's hard to tell with those littler guys, who can be rather high strung. Our little high strung dog (who may be part Westie, he has the hair) can't stand dad the muggle fox and BARKS at hime!! And this is after living with him for over a year. Now that I think about it - he pretty much hates everyone but me (obviously a dog of excellent taste - lol!). He will tolerate Baby Fox for a few minutes but does not like to be petted by anyone. But he's the only decent watch dog on the place!

I agree with everyone about the dog control - that woman was not being a responsible pet owner! We have a Boston Terrier who is SO friendly and LOVES everyone so much that everyone she sees is "LOOK, MY NEW BEST FRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I don't like to take her letterboxing because she's SO busy trying to greet everyone that I get tired of dealing with her. And at 6 years old I think she's calmed down about as much as she's gonna! But she's a great hiker, lots of energy.

Hope you're ok Dina B.!!!!

Mama Fox

I AQ mailed you...