Here comes a long over due mystery postal. Hopefully this will keep you sane among all the Christmas music and movies. For those who are new to mystery postal world and for those who need a refresher the rules follow.

To get this postal you will have to guess the theme/name/subject of the stamp. Clues will be posted on the postal boards and on this tracker. I will try and post one per day. For each clue posted each person may make one guess prior to the next clue being posted.

Guesses should be sent to IrishRef via AQMail, not posted on the boards! Guesses will only be accepted from AQ members through AQMail.

Even if you have no clue take a guess anyway. Half the enjoyment is seeing the range of incorrect answers and how people connected clues for those guesses. You will only get a response from IR if you: A. Have the correct answer, B. Are very close or I need to clarify your guess, or C. Your guess peaks my fancy.

The first 10 members correctly guessing will be notified by AQMail. Tracker order will typically be determined by order correct answer receipt (Exception to this are international winners who will be at the end of the tracker). The correct answer with how each clue is related will be posted once the postal is full.

Clues:

1. Roswell

Check out the tracker at the following link:

https://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.php?trackerId=10036

I'm feeling lucky!

We are off to a running start with several nicely twisted guesses on clue one. A couple intrigue me and one hit my funny bone. I failed to mention that this is Mystery Postal #417. However, it is listed as such on the tracker.

As the newbies will learn the clues will all match somehow but are rarely straight forward. That being said the first clue has most focused on the obvious while I will more than likely veer off in another tangent tomorrow. Best advice is to always look at the clues as a collection toward one answer. The trap is trying to make all the clues fit down one rabbit hole. That being said there are not any red herrings but many clues can have multiple meanings. And as Grand Flyers would tell you there is more than one Roswell in the USA.

mwhahahahaha!

mm..maybe not so lucky

To allow those not interested to ignore the thread, I will keep all the clues related to the first post.

Clue 2 - Red Raider

Glad to see you back! Was beginning to wonder....

Yeah work was rather hectic this fall.

Amazingly there has now been one correct answer!!!

Clue 3: NASA

Well, it obviously wasn't me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Two correct answers already.

Clue 4 = September 6, 1980

Make that 3 correct and that was an obscure clue 8nless you were already on the correct track. Shifting gears slightly with clue 5. Remember ALL the clues must fit.

Clue 5 :The Golden Circle

The guesses really fell off with the last clue. I'm sorry these clues have been so challenging. It amazes me how creative and resourceful y'all can get. Don't quit now no matter how hopeless it seems. Follow me to the end of the clue thread.

Clue 6: Alien Covenant

Clue 7 Logan Lucky.

Mystery 417 is now closed. The answer and explanation of clues will soon follow. Look for another one after Christmas. Thanks to all who made attempts to solve.

Looking forward to seeing the answer! I couldn't get it

Dead Pool 2019 still has 2 more spaces left. The last day to sign up is December 15th.
List of names is due by midnight Dec 31. Mailout is Jan 31.

The correct answer to mystery #417 is John Denver:

Clue 1 Roswell - He was born in Roswell, NM.
Clue 2 Red Raider - He studied architecture at Texas Tech. Their mascot is red raider. (a few went down the Santa Claus route with this one and Red Raider.)
Clue 3 NASA - This one led everyone back to the alien theme. NASA awarded him the Public Service Medal for his work on the Citizen in Space Program.
Clue 4 September 6, 1980. This was obscure but pivotal. John landed (helicopter) in Mountaineer Stadium to sing Country Roads. This was the first game in the new stadium, new coach, new uniforms, new WVU logo, and my first live game in Morgantown. I was in the top of the stadium on the 50 yard line in the student section. My wife was a freshman that year. John asked the crowd to sing with him. Ultimately starting the post-game stadium tradition of arms around your neighbors swaying and singing loudly for all to here.
Clue 5: : Golden Circle - This was for the movie Kingsmen: The Golden Circle. Two of John Denver's songs are featured including a rendition of Country Roads.
Clue 6: Alien Covenant. Did anyone pickup on the THREE John Denver song titles in my encouraging jibber jabber? Definitely a bonus clue hidden in plain sight (I'm Sorry, It Amazes Me and Follow Me) Hitting that alien theme really hard again. There are multiple sites for movie trailers with Country Roads as background music. One showing this song's beat heard in a static message from a distant planet. Leading the crew to their doom.
Clue 7: Lucky Logan was the final movie reference for Country Roads. The ending of this movie has a little girl starting a crowd rendition.

Those who answered quickly had either a history of solving my clues, recent info on John and/or know my connections to WVU and singing Country Roads.

Watch for the next one after Christmas. If you want more John to get you in the mood there is always John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together, John Denver and The Muppets on Rocky Mountain Holiday Parts 1-5. A Christmas Together was the alternate choice considered for Clue 7.

Oh, man, I should have had this one! I'm a BIG John Denver fan. But I went down the alien/UFO route and never corrected. .......Off to watch the original John Denver and the Muppets Christmas special now.......

I was trying to follow a track that included Roswell, TX, a fictional town.

I was trying to follow a track that included Roswell, TX, a fictional town.

After IrishRef posted:

And as Grand Flyers would tell you there is more than one Roswell in the USA.

I went off in that direction too. I also found out about Roswell, Georgia, a place with quite a few letterboxes.

New Micro Postal tracker available. Perfect for those of use living in the tundra and can’t get out and box.

https://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.php?trackerId=10051

~ MamaFrog

So, any preferred size for the stamp? I can do the same image in ½" to 2" for a micro-postal.

Also, "emoji" can be a pretty broad category. Do you mean that they have to be a face emoji?

As long as it meets the weight for being in a standard envelope and one forever stamp it can be any size, and no it doesn’t have to be a Face Emoji, it can be any Emoji that’s your favorite or most used, my favorite just happens to be a face lol.

Oneore sport open for this micro postal :)

https://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.php?trackerId=10051

Hope all are doing well as we prepare to welcome 2019! Mystery 418 will open on Wednesday January 2, 2019.

Can't wait to try again!

Sorry that my Orange beat up on your Mountaineers!

Happy 2019!

For those who are new to mystery postals and for those who need a refresher the rules follow.

To get this postal you will have to guess the theme/name/subject of the stamp. Clues will be posted on the postal boards and on the tracker (See link below). I will try and post one per day. For each clue posted each person may make one guess prior to the next clue being posted.

Guesses should be sent to IrishRef via AQMail, not posted on the boards! Guesses will only be accepted from AQ members through AQMail.

Even if you have no clue take a guess anyway. Half the enjoyment is seeing the range of incorrect answers and how people connected clues for those guesses. You will only get a response from IR if you: A. Have the correct answer, B. Are very close or I need to clarify your guess, or C. Your guess peaks my fancy.

The first 10 members correctly guessing will be notified by AQMail. Tracker order will typically be determined by order correct answer receipt (Exception to this are international winners who will be at the end of the tracker). The correct answer with how each clue is related will be posted once the postal is full.

Clues:
1. River in Utah

https://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.php?trackerId=10067

Clue 2 = Fruit loops