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Updated - May 21, 2009
Tales from the Trail 
My poor attempt at blogging
Index
2009

May 21
- 1000?
May 12
- Grocery Store Wars
January 6
- A Handyman in Me
January 5
- Movin' In

2008

December 31
- Fear
November 5
- A Gloomy Morning
October 16
- A Truce?
October 14
- Banned!
October 9
- Drive-by Dilemma
October 7
- Phallfest Phun
August 27
- Do You Get It?
August 26
- Boxing the Brandywine
August 18
- Still Got It
August 4
- Something to Ponder
July 14
- Another Weekend
June 30
- Floating Apartments
June 23
- Time To Fly
June 12
- Sky Meadows
April 4
-Hiking in the Smokies
April 1
-McLetterboxing
February 25
- Real Men...
February 1
-A Helping Paw
-Conneaut Lake Fire
-Max Patch Thoughts
January 31
-My Hat is in the Ring
January 26
-Never Expected It

2007

December 11
-Personalizing It
- Diversity
December 10
- Installation Complete
November 28
- Sorry I mentioned it
November 19
- Slack Blogging
November 1
- Guns Over Women?
- Grocery Store Capers
October 29
- Worst... Tour... Ever
October 16
- RE: Look At Me!!!!!!
October 13
- Great Adventure
- The Dark Knight
- No Phall Phunfest Phor Me
- New Boxers?
- To Quell the Rumors
- Central PA
-Haunted Frostburg
- Don't Use That Word!
- Look At Meeeeee!!!
- Good Idea for a Gathering?
- Atlas Quest 2.0
- What's in a Stamp
October 3
- The City By The Bay II
September 18
- The City By The Bay
September 16
- In Walks Erma
- To The Left Coast
September 12
- Hard Working Beer
September 1
- The Beer Review IV
- Look Out Below
August 31
- Knoebels
August 22
- Real Men...
August 15
- Summer Colds Suck
August 5
- The Beer Review III
July 31
- Into Amish Country
July 29
- The Beer Review II
July 26
- More on The Flying Turns
July 25
- The Beer Review I
July 24
- Moving Day For The Boy Scouts
- Summer Is Over
July 23
- Flying Turns Update
- Why Can't People Write?
July 17
- No Appreciation
July 16
- A Birthday Bash
- Across The Great Divide
July 12
- Working Hard
July 10
- The Fake Furlough
July 8
- Is The Thrill Gone?
July 5
- Boxing Buddies
- I Don't Get It
July 4
-Independence
- Blogging and Atlas Quest
July 3
- French Creek Rocks
June 24
- NYC
May 3
- SNAP!
May 2
- Getting Into Gear
April 30
- Knoebels!
April 17
- Potato Chips
April 10
- So Lazy
March 23
- No Pork?
March 19
- Odds and Ends
March 14
- More Kittens
March 11
- New Toys
March 6
- Great Adventure Update
February 25
- Babies
February 21
- Ewww... Cooties
February 20
- SNOW!
February 11
- I Love Marines
January 25
- Cats and Dogs
January 14
- Recovery
January 10
- A Year in Photos
2006 Archive
December 5
- Who's Counting
December 3
- Stop and smell the Plastic
November 29
- A Little Poem...
November 23
- Thankful...?
November 19
- Still Alive
June 25
- A New Box
June 6
-Remembrance
May 16
- Democratic Candidates at Your Door
May 11
- South of the Border
May 8
- Road Rall

1000? - At least by my rough count
May 21, 2009
So, about a month ago I did a rough count of my letterbox finds.  I don't often, but sometimes it is interesting to see how many I really have found.  Or at least how many I remember and fit the standards of what I consider to really be a letterbox.  It is amazing how much grey area has developed over the last few years that make you wonder.

Anyway, I finally looked over my logbook on AQ, axed ones that I didn't think were really letterboxes in my eyes and added some I did.  I came out with a number in the 980's

"Hmmm," I thought.  If I really plan things right I could make something special out of my 1000th find.  Then, Becky and I were biking the W&OD trail out towards Vienna.  We went past an area called Clark's Crossing.

"The first letterbox I ever actually found was out there." She says to me.

"Is it still there?"

"I don't know, it is an old box."

So I went looking for clues, and found them in the letterboxing.org basement.  That meant the clues had been basically abandoned on the site, and there was no telling if the box was still there as it is no longer being maintained.  Well, that has never stopped me from looking.

I worked my way up to 999.  I managed to find a bunch of mystery boxes over the last few weeks, and Becky and I went out a few times as well.  Last Friday, although I was very ill, we decided to go looking for the box on the way out to get dinner since we had some extra time.

It was a warm afternoon, none the helped by my own raging fever, and humid.  The trail was very muddy and the bugs were biting, but the woods were pleasant and I none the less enjoyed the walk with Becky.

When we finally reached the final part of the very straight forward clue we were not sure we were in the right place, but I peered around the tree I thought it was and sure enough, there is a giant pile of twigs hiding a massive, old rubbermaid container.

The box was soaked inside, but the contents were sealed well in bags and somewhat dry.  There was a separate box inside that had the logbook archives, which were wet but can be saved.  We plan to restore the box and see about getting it out of the basement to encourage others to enjoy it.

I do love these old boxes, to look back on who has visited over the years.  Not only way it Becky's first box, but also Scarab's first so many years ago.  I would love for these boxes to last forever, but I also love to see them stay as they are, and not replaced if they do go missing.  This box is a great piece of local letterboxing history, and I am glad to find it and see it still where it was originally placed over nine years ago.

Feedback - I know, I said I wasn't counting - Email me
Grocery Store Wars - I miss where I used to shop
May 12, 2009
I know, it has been a while since I have written, I've been busy and this blog has been a bit low on the priority list, but I figure I should take some time every few days to say something, anything, so here we go, again.

I hate those shopper cards the grocery stores have.  Really, please, I just want to buy what I put in my cart, I want it at the sales price they list, and I don't want to have to carry some stupid card around and be on a mailing list.  Is that so hard?  Not for some places, they get it.  Up in Pennsylvania, Giant food stores, not to be confused with the stores of the same name down here, have a shoppers card but have no problem if you don't want one.  They ring it through with a smile and never an argument about it.  Same with AcmeRedners, which I dearly miss, doesn't even have one and they advertise as such.

Here, I have two very close stores, within walking distance.  Both have the shoppers cards.  The Safeway is a nice large store that has everything.  The store is well stocked, has a deli and bakery that is decent.  It is a bit more expensive then the close by Bottom Dollar, but the Bottom Dollar only has the basics.

Here is the big difference to me.  At Safeway I go to the register and they refuse to ring a card through for me, telling me they cannot, it is against company policy.  I walked out of the store, leaving a basket full of groceries the other night because of this. 

Bottom Dollar, on the other hand, seems to have no problem that I don't want a card, as I found out tonight, and I thanked the cashier and told her this is just why I will prefer to shop there over the Safeway.

I don't understand what it is that Safeway doesn't get?  It is simple, if it doesn't cost the company anything, and it will make a customer happy, then you do it, because they will come back.  I will be going back to Bottom Dollar, but will be avoiding the Safeway from now on.

Feedback - Email me
A Handyman in Me - Lots of work done, but much more ahead
January 6, 2009
453105172_EqG4s-XL.jpg (239011 bytes)I have lots of work with the house to do,  and it seems the list gets longer and more expensive each day.  I guess it is a "Welcome to home ownership" type of thing.  But, I did want a project, and as I get things done, I have been happy with the results.

453105119_dz33k-XL.jpg (129532 bytes)Over the past few days I have gotten a good deal done.  On Friday, with very little trouble, I changed the locks on the front door.  It had to be done, we had no key for the deadbolt and the door knob was less then secure.  It didn't take anymore then an hour, but by the time I was ready to start my folks had gotten here from Philly, I didn't expect them for another hour, so after the usual nickel tour I went to work, with my father's help (well, he moved some boxes around to get ready for the move in the next day, which was a big help) while Becky and my mother headed to Arlington to do some packing.  

453105071_pxkWx-XL.jpg (89547 bytes)That has not been the only project.  I spent four hours and got a brand new faucet installed on the kitchen sink.  It looks great, and I also installed new fittings and valves below it which stopped a slow leak under the sink.

A new cartridge in the bathtub stopped the slow dripping it was doing.  That was a job as well, as that thing just did not want to come out.

Becky had simply tried to change the light bulb in the bathroom and that fixture fell off the wall.  So it got replaced too.

My current project is the master bedroom.  It was wallpapered and then painted over, twice.  So I am stripping, though just two walls.  The other two and going to be meeting the business end of a sledge hammer within a year, so no sense in stripping them, I will just paint them a third time for now.

Well, just two weeks to her birthday party, and I think we are already seeing light at the end of the clean-up tunnel for this thing.

Feedback - Email me
Movin' In - We are finally home!
January 5, 2009
Well, we are finally in!  Moving day came and went, and it went very well.

I should start with our first night in the house, New Year's Eve.  We decided to stay at home, enjoy some beer and play some pool.  I got the radio going and we danced and had a really nice evening.  Next door they were having a party, a good one from the sounds of it.  At about ten after midnight, though, the power goes out, with lots of shouts coming from the party.  Seconds later it was back on, only to go out for good minutes later.  We decided, after fumbling around to find a flashlight, that it was time for bed, but it will be a first night to remember.

On Saturday we got a gang together to get Becky moved.  She and I stayed in Arlington that night to do some last minute packing.  Becky has soooo much stuff, lots of cloths and boxes and boxes of shoes.  Well, I guess she is a woman!  Anyway, Karen came over and we got things ready to go.  We picked up the truck and I started to load the little stuff while waiting for her cousins John and Tom to get there.  By noon we had everything out and loaded, and off to Sterling we went.

Tom had the wise idea to order ahead for pizza, and Becky stopped to pick it up so we had it when we got there.  I already had a ton of beer in the fridge.  

Karen had to leave, but we were aided in Sterling by General Judy who said she had never hired movers to help her.  She was a big help getting things into the house and situated.  Within just a few hours we were all unloaded.  Now to just figure out where to put everything.

Feedback - Email me
Fear - But with that there is also joy
December 31, 2008
415618078_Z44SH-XL.jpg (332138 bytes)I really don't know how else to say it.  I have just made a huge change in my life, one that I know is for the better, and it scares the hell out of me.

Becky and I have finally bought a house and are moving in together.

We settled on December 30, and the first thing we did was drive to the house, carry our new pool cues and balls in, and played a game.  She was thrilled that the owner left the pool table for us.  It is not the best table, but it works, and eventually we can get a nice one.  As she says, we just paid 270 grand for a pool table, but it came with this cool house for free.

We are very excited by the prospect, and very much looking forward to it.  The house is a nice place, but it also needs work, and we have decisions to make about what needs to be done.  While I would like to do some major renovations, I think we are going to just start out with some painting and just cleaning up.  Neither of us like wall paper too much, and the house is covered in it, so that alone is going to be a big project.  But at the same time, it will be fun to pick out colors and figure out what we want to do with different rooms.

415624413_Kckfd-XL.jpg (269764 bytes)The house itself is a split foyer.  When you come in the front door you can go upstairs to the living room, dinning room and kitchen.  There are also three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms upstairs.  Downstairs is another bedroom, an office and a large family room.  I think we will spend most of our time there, since we are going to make that our game room, with the TV and a pool table down there.  Eventually we want to install a fireplace, something she is dieing to have.

Out back is a very large deck, below which is a screened in porch.  It has a nice front yard and a smallish backyard that is covered in ivy.

415620238_6psAZ-XL.jpg (481470 bytes)There is much to do, but first we have to get moved in.  I moved all my stuff in last night.  Becky's friend Matt and I took care of the truck pretty quickly.  We need to have the carpets cleaned downstairs, so we tried to keep it all upstairs.  Saturday Becky is getting moved in.  So we have the next few days to get her packed up and ready to go first thing Saturday morning, though some stuff is moved already, and more will be done in our trips to and from.

We are excited, but it is a huge undertaking, and is very scary at the same time.  I have left my job in Philly, as well as my home there, and am transplanting myself in DC now.  I never thought I would do it, to be honest, but she is just such a wonderful woman, I just have to be with her, I love her so very much.  Becky is worth the change, and in the end I know it will be better.  She is taking on a huge new responsibility herself, home ownership.  The mortgage is vastly more then her rent, and while we can afford it, she has to carry us for a little bit while I get settled in and get some work.

Then there is the emotional toll.  I don't want to feel like I am leaching off her.  She is stressed out over the mortgage, electric, the move, and the holidays all at once.

But we both know that in the end we both love each other far too greatly to let these things get in the way.  The the fear of owning that new home will be over come and we will be better off in the long run for it.  We have a lot of work to do to truly make it our home, but we will face it together and have fun while doing it.

Feedback - Email me
A Gloomy Morning - There are dark clouds on the horizon
November 5, 2008
Thomas Paine wrote in "The American Crisis" that "These are the times that try men's souls."  He was writing of the most difficult days of the American Revolution.  The days when it seemed that all hope was lost, that America would lose in its fight for independence, and that the ideas of the enlightenment would die.  It truly was a time of crisis, but his words brought hope, hope that the spirit of America was still shining brightly through the dark, gloomy morning, and that the forces of the monarchy and tyranny would eventually fail.

They did fail, and the soul of the American spirit thrived.  It sputtered along the way, lost ground here and there, but continued on.  Americans continue to fight for that hope of liberty, hope of freedom from the tyranny of government, and the belief that the individual man, without government intervention, can do right for his family and his nation.

We have lost a great battle in this struggle last night.  The morning dawn revealed dark clouds on America's horizon.  The march of socialism, the belief that not the individual man, but government, will do right by you and your family, continues to plague this great nation.

But there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.  Sometimes man must be taken through a dark storm to realize just how bad things can be.  When he goes into his workplace and finds that he no longer has the right to a secret ballot.  When he opens his pay and finds that the government has taken much of what he has earned.  When the airwaves are silenced so the opposition to the government cannot be heard.  When the state no longer has the ability to make laws to serve their own people and federal law supersedes all.  When the government forces him to serve, watches over him at the point of a gun, takes his home so that those that have not earned it may have it.  When a man can no longer arm himself to protect him and his family.  Those are the dark days, the storm that is hovering over America.  Those will be the days that will try men's souls, and those are the days that will lead to the true hope that our founding fathers had for their fledgling nation over two hundred years ago.

The war of ideas is still being waged, and America will survive.  It will be long and hard, but America will be free again.

Feedback - While you still can - Email me
A Truce? - There was a war and I missed it?
October 16, 2008

First, let me set the record straight on my involvement on the newboxers list.  I had been a member of that list for about three years, and in that time I had made just 120 postings, hardly many, by any standard, for that time.  None of those posts have been derogatory towards other members of the list.  Most often I have posted helpful information, though sometimes I have disagreed with things that have been said.  Many times I have totally bitten my tongue, preferring not to say anything that would lead to an argument.

I also feel there is a fundamental problem with the list.  It is great that there is a place for folks that are new to the hobby to go and post questions that otherwise would be very, very repetitive in other places.  I think this was the goal of the list from the start, but I think it has also turned into a place for the elitists to groom new folks to their style of boxing, and I think this stifles creativity.  I do not think that the more veteran letterboxers should be posting topics of the week, discussing office politics or initiating discussion, that should be left to the new boxers themselves to do.  The veterans should simply sit back and answer questions that arise in an objective manner.

And objectivity is something that is needed when a list or forum of any type is being moderated.  That is not something that you seem to get with the newboxers list.  It is clear that I had done nothing wrong, and if there were complaints, which now I wonder if that is true, then they should have been brought to me first, not simply moderating and then minutes later banning me.  I have always conducted myself well on that list, and that is what Mark Pepe should have told those who have complained.  Instead, he let his own feelings get in the way and.  Further, he lied and tried to cover up for what he did, and for his own hypocrisy.

dear cyclonic,

the moderators and owner of the newboxers yahoo group wanted you to know that all posts referring to your moderation and banning have been deleted from the yahoo group. the purpose behind this is to not influence your reputation as an individual and letterboxer. while it is true that many have already seen the posts there are those in the future who will not.  we are all truly sorry for what has happened and wish you the best. 
sincerely,
uneksia

This is called covering up, and it is not for the betterment of my reputation, but for the betterment of that of Mark Pepe's and Don's reputation.  If they were truly sorry then Mark would have personally apologized for his actions and he would have removed himself as list owner and moderator.  Instead he has a poll to see if I should be allowed back, and then ignores it when the majority of the respondents say yes I should.

That list is not a place I would recommend for new boxers, they are better off with their local groups, such as the Mid-Atlantic list or the Great Lakes list.  There they can be welcomed, grow in the hobby, and see what it is truly about, not what some people want them to think it is about.  I wish no part of that list, and every time I see it recommended to a new boxer I will advise against it.  Further, I hope that other list owners who have Mark Pepe as a moderator take into serious consideration as to if he is someone who can actually do the job correctly and not be calling members names behind the scenes.

Finally, I would like to thank all who have sent me their overwhelming support.  It is greatly appreciated, and shows that I am not alone in thinking this is truly a travesty.  The many comments have all been added in the feedback section of the last entry.

Feedback - You are allowed to disagree with me - Email me
Banned! - Guess it is wrong to have a disagreement with the elitists.
October 14, 2008
So, I guess when you think one of the elitists is wrong you are not allowed to say so.

Don posted on the new boxers list:

How many mystery boxes are listed, linked, or filed here?
Do not post where you have found them, only the number.

I took that to mean he would like to know no who posted a box,  or where it was posted, but simply how many were listed.  I also felt that was something he should learn for himself.  So I replied:

Is that not something you should figure out for yourself?

I think that is reasonable, and I thought I got a reasonable response:

Actually Nathan the question was meant to try to get newboxers thinking 
outside of the box, but to tell you the truth my guess is that no one 
knows exactly how many mystery boxes are hidden amongst the various 
areas in this chatlist's nooks and crannies.

While I have my own guess, it may be woefully short.

Part of this chatlist's concept is to help educate newboxers rather 
than to lurk about and toss out comments once in a while that serve 
little purpose. The main list has sufficient numbers of those types of 
comments. Thus you now have my explanation for the original 'question'. 
I thought that the explanation would have been unnecessary for most 
letterboxers, but since you posed your own question about it I figured 
there may be others that needed a clearer explanation as well. Thank 
you for the opportunity for clearity.

OK, I get it.  Dense me didn't see his question that way, but I probably was not the only one.

I would have been more straightforward, but hey, I get it now.

Evidentally others thought I was being mean somehow and complained about me.  Perhaps even Don.

First I get a note from Mark saying that I was being put on moderation due to complaints.  I am confused, I don't really understand what there is to complain about, so I ask what kind of complaints?

his attitude 

seems like he's always picking a fight 

why is this guy so angry 

Those are 3 of the complaints.

This is the response I get.  OK, what was I angry about?  Before I can pose the question it is posted on the newboxers list that I have been banned:

Hi boxers,

I'm very sorry for the message that got through. I thought Don had 
emailed me privately.

Cyclonic has been banned from this list after repeated complaints from 
many of you today and other times.

Again, I'm sorry for my post - it wasn't intended for mass consumption.

Mark

What?  What message.  Then it posts to my email:


Don 

I just put the SOB on moderation and sent him an email to that effect. 

Why are some people so disagreeable. 

Anyway - we'll comb over his posts with a fine tooth comb. 

I'm hoping he'll get pissed enough to just go away.

What more can I say?  What more needs to be said?  I post a simple one line reply and get banned, while Mark posts this to the list.  Well, I don't think that is a list I need to be a part of anyway.  

But this should be a warning to all out there.  Don't disagree with the elitists, they are always right.  Always heap praise upon them, tell them how wonderful all of their ideas and plans are.  Hold your tongue should you think they are wrong, for they will get you too.

Feedback - You are allowed to disagree with me - Email me
pepe la pue!

nathan,
 
what an ass!
 
oh wait, did i accidentually post this on your blog?
let me apoligy and make my mistake go away!
 
david (team new hampshire)

Sweetie! I An official SOB and banned! I am so proud. 

Can you help me become the official Letterbox SL%* and banned too? Maybe you could write a book for us non-conformists on methods and irritating questions to post.

So angry = ask a question to a question?

"Why are the skies blue?"

"Must we use lock-n-lock boxes?"

"Why are the moderators so wonderful?"

" Can I use ziplock or must it be glad freezer baggies?"

I know why I lurk and just look for those clues (linked or otherwise) on the boards, but I admire your ability to provoke thought. Yes, you irritate me at times and our views are not always parallel. But it never angers me, makes me think and take a second look at something. That is what I have truly loved about this hobby. The wide diversity of the people. I have found so many people with differences (although there are many similarities too) and backgrounds from my own. We can still enjoy each other's company  and conversation because of this lunacy we call a hobby/sport/pastime. And I find that I love them anyway, despite our differences.

Hugz to you and Becky!
Pink
(Who finds this whole thing both hilarious and sad at the same time. And can think for herself what is right or wrong.....)

Nathan,
 
It's funny when I've talked with other letterboxers about you, they give me  the same reaction-- that you are mean-spirited and nasty.  I have never seen  you that way.  Yes, you can be a bit abrasive but even when we disagree you are  still 'nice'-- never name calling, never reduced yourself to that.  Then 
again, I think that overall people are ruled by emotions rather than by reason,  therefore instead of engaging you in debate they get their feelings hurt and think that you are mean.  But perhaps since I know you, I am able to understand your tone.  I am a bit shocked by the reaction from Mark Pepe-- it just seems kind of low, if you ask me.  I don't know what to say about that except something my great-grandmother used to say, "May those who love you love you! And those who don't may God turn their ankles so you will recognize them for their limp!"  
Take care, 
Cherish
PS Say hello to the lovely Becky for me!  How are wedding plans coming along? 
 I've been thinking of you both lately and I hope all is well.  

Just saw that you have felt the heavy hand of the post police.  Some of us Ohioans have been privately snickering at Don & Gwen for sometime for certain snotty comments he sends to folks.  That was the main reason I carved the 'Cry babies' stamps a couple weeks ago, a direct dig at the post police.

-Anonymous

Sorry you've been given the boot from the PC police.  Since you seem to not be able to see the follow-up argument and posts, here's what's posted for your perusal (including mine):
 
"Now that yesterday's fiasco is behind us, and everyone has had achance to calm down, I wonder what everyone thinks of what happened.Were multiple complaints enough to get Cyclonic banned? Did I act inhaste?It seems I've been accused of wanting people to box my way. I'vealways said this list is your list.Talk to me - do we invite Cyclonic back?Mark"
From the time on this post, is this causing you to lose sleep?
 
I don’t know what all went on as I didn’t pay attention to the whole thread. I only saw one response from him in the thread about Mystery boxes. Were his other posts that raised complaints already deleted?
Was Cyclonic contacted before being banned by the moderators? Is it possible he came into the middle of the discussion and really thought it was an inappropriate subject. I don’t think the subject was inappropriate and it in no way was asking people to reveal the location of Mystery boxes.
This is supposed to be a learning place for newboxers, and understanding things like Mystery boxes can be a mystery. Was Cyclonic stirring things up rather than being helpful? Such behavior from anyone will scare away people; there is a certain amount of responsibility that comes with participating on a board for newcomers.
However…
This may be better addressed off the board directly with Cyclonic and then the resolution brought to the board.
Baqash who is also up WAAAYYY to early
 
Several more basically, I think, misunderstood your intent, thought you were being disruptive and agreed "for the sake of the group" to keep you off the list.
 
You know... I don't think he's really going to care one way or theother. As someone who has had a ton of experience as moderators onYahoo group boards and within actual, honest-to-goodness, meet-you-in-a-brick-and-mortar-building support groups, Cyclonic is the type ofperson (sorry for boiling it down to a type) who is all around us.Groups can be formed with the intent to discourage this, but 1: theyare not going to stay away forever mainly because their actions areusually not personal and they like groups too AND 2: those groupsreally do themselves a disservice, especially in the cyber world asyou can just choose, as this anonymous poster has wisely done, toignore the things that make you jerk and learn everything they canotherwise.Letterboxing IS a fun hobby. This is a personal opinion, but it's funfor me because I get to get OUT with my flesh and bloodfamily/children/friends and enjoy the interaction. Sitting at thekeyboard/computer is a tool... sometimes a community... but mosty notpersonal experience as most of us will never see one another inperson or have anything else to do with one another. And certainlynot the meat and bulk of this hobby, no matter how much you like tolurk on the boards and research the online clues.I don't do a lot of posting on this site either, because I do find ithighly opinionated and it's mask is niceness. A PC kind of thing.It's the opposite extreme and I find it just as hard to read/listento as the devil's advocate side. That's ok. To each his own.Honestly, and it's hard, I try to adopt the ducks approach and justlet disagreeable things slide off... cause there's really too manyfights to fight already. But if this is your fight to fight, I wouldsay "get OUT there and box", cause this one's not going away, nomatter who you ban.Eeny Meany Miney Moe
 
The conversation is still going on.  Sorry about that.  But again, since you have your own blog and ready access to Atlas quest, I really don't think you care too much.
Feeling your "pain".
 
-EMMM

Hi Nathan,
 
Don't worry about the thought police, as I am sure that many of us have been subjected to a "Drive By Pepe-ing" at one time or another, be it in private or in public.  It is kind of like getting peed on or sprayed by a skunk - the annoyance is temporary and fades over time.  The hypocrisy of it all is that 'acquaintances' of his have done far worse than anything, yet nothing happens.
 
With all good wishes, always,
 
-LB

Dear Nathan

I'm so sorry about the abuse you've received on the list.  Currently there's
a poll to find out if the members think you should be "allowed" back.  I
told them you should be invited, as opposed to allowed, since I doubt you
want to be there - but you should be asked and apologized to.

I sympathize with your problems with Don.  I've received a few nasty emails
from him in the past for calling him on his hypocrisy.  My favorite was when
he admonished boxers that it was stupid to plant boxes in places with no
significance and to never do it.  Followed by admitting that he himself had
many boxes like that, but no one else should do it.  God, he's such an ass.

Even when you upset people, you're at least honest.  I'm so sick of the
two-faced attitudes and the veneration of the "famous" letterboxers.  Ick.

I hope to meet sometime in person!  If you're ever in Oregon, drop me a
line.  We'll avoid the self-important, self-righteous, famous boxers, I
promise.   ;) 

-Sam

I just want to say that while I may not always agree with you, I think the whole post on the new boxer list about the SOB and running you off the list and then banning you was a little uncalled for.  I really didn't see anything wrong with your question. So after reading my email with all the newboxer posts and reading your blog(to which I'm subscribed) I decided to leave the Newboxer list. I really didn't want to be on a list where people get banned for trying to get other people to think.  Like I said I don't always agree but you definitely make me think about stuff from other angles.  Just remember to get out there and BOX!!!

-HG

Weirdly, my first thought was that y'all were taking those fake potshots at each other that happens every so often under "Isn't it funny...they'll never know" bs that rears its ugly head every so often, makes onlookers not in the know uncomfortable, and passes along with the long-timers all slapping themselves on their backs,laughing all the way.

More stupid stuff from online community fun.

People speaking for you were a nice surprise and a good collection of folks, even if I say so myself.

-Patsy

From past experience with Mark Pepe, I do not believe he received a single complaint about your post.  I personally believe the man is lying and made it up.  Here's why --

A similar thing happened in the past where I was only tangentially involved.  A friend of mine, and an up and coming powerful personality in letterboxing (who Mark didn't realise was a friend of mine, and who
Mark seemed to have a mission to disparage (for reasons unknown to me)), made an offhand comment about one of my mystery boxes.  As you may or may not know, I dislike information leaks about my boxes (well, just about everyone, including Mark, knew this at the time).  The comment was so innocuous that even paranoid me didn't think twice about it.  The person who made the comment knew what he or she was doing.

Anyway, Mark did not realise I was lurking on the list where the comment was made.  After the post, Mark sent me an e-mail asserting that three different people had complained to _him_ about this person spoiling my box.

Ok, what is wrong with this picture?

"Those are 3 of the complaints." [from your blog]

Notice it is 3 in both cases.  Ok, not much.

More importantly, not a single person complained to _me_ about this individual spoiling my box.  Ok, why would three people complain to _Mark Pepe_ about person X spoiling my box, yet zero people 
complain to _me_? (Mark Pepe was not a moderator on the list in question, nor did he have any part whatsoever in the creative process behind the box).

Occam's Razor requires us to look for the most likely answer that  fits the facts.  Occam's Razor requires us to posit that Mark was lying about the fact that three people complained to him about spoiling
my box.  That is the most likely answer that fits the facts.  Moreover, a motive can be posited, is that Mark wished me to view the individual in question negatively, given the putative history (or desire) of/to disparaging this individual, and (presumably), not wishing them to be come part of the "elite cirque" (who Mark presumably thought I was part of -- barf!).

Given that we have reasonable reason to suggest that Mark was lying about e-mails received in my case, it seems reasonable to posit he was lying about e-mails received in your case.

In the interest of fairness and intellectual honesty, however, we must remember to be critical readers and separate the facts from conjecture in my comments above, and make their own conjectures
based on the presented facts.

That said, I remain convinced that Mark Pepe lied about individuals complaining to him about someone posting spoilers about my box, and lied about posters complaining about you.  Why?  Who knows?  Well, I have an idea, but that is for another time.

BTW, I do not know you or Mark well at all.  I have no reason to support you and disparage Mark, and vice versa.  I am simply a neutral observer who worships at the altar of fact and logic, with no agenda at all, and am simply trying to call this one as I see it IMHO.

Drive-by Dilemma - So many drive-bys, and they are boring!
October 9, 2008
Someone recently posted on AQ about the dumbing down that seems to be happening with letterboxing (I would say it was Don, and that it was on the Premium Members board so I can't link directly, but some folks would probably get mad at that).  Mr X had taken their planting record and reordered it according to the most recently found.  He found that 32 of the last 50 of his boxes found were drive-by boxes he had planted, and he plants a full variety of box types.

This got me to thinking, and everyone knows how dangerous that can be.  Becky and I went to Charlotte last month and I planed out a whole series of drive-bys to get.  I figured we would want to get the most boxes we could in the least amount of time.  Well, after that weekend we assessed what we had found, what we liked and didn't like, and found that with the exception of one of the drive-bys, we didn't really enjoy any of them.  We found more pleasure in the boxes we had to hike to, even if it was a short distance.  Clues and location are just as important as the stamp and box itself, and turn a good box into a great box.

So what was wrong with the drive-bys?  Well, most were not in particularly nice locations, and the clues were lackluster.  Some had no real reason for being, while others did but were just poorly executed.  I don't know, but if you are planting a box in honor of one of your favorite restaurants, why plant it in the parking lot?  Why not get permission to plant it inside, so people have to go in and see the place, maybe even eat there?  Give it a clever hiding spot and clues that people have to actually think about.  Some of the best boxes are those that are hidden in plain sight, with only the person finding it knowing about it.

What drive-by did we like?  Well, it was one that was just as I just described, Dilworth Coffee Shop.  Even with this box, more could have been done, but the clues were clever, and the owners of the small shop loved having us there.  It is just like Becky's own Beanetics box.  It is hidden in a local shop to her and the owner, Amy Starr, loves having it.  She loves meets folks from all over as they come in and search around the shop for the box.  Further, the box is not a box at all, but a mug with a fake mound of beans on it (I won't tell where she got that idea, or who built it).  It has clever clues and a neat hide, and is what I love to see in not only an indoor box, but also a drive-by.

Boxes that are indoors have the opportunity to be truly creative and do more then you can do outside, and they should because they don't usually have the walk involved.  I can only hope that planters are sparked to be creative in their planting, and not just plant a box for the sake of having one there.

Feedback - Go ahead, hit me with a drive-by! - Email me
Phallfest Phun - Knoebels Rocks
October 7, 2008
388120698_9onJU-M.jpg (88171 bytes)Boy, has it been a while since I have written.  I really have been meaning to, but have had myself so busy I just have not sat down and really done it.  This past weekend has been no different, though it proved to be a fun yet relaxed weekend.

Becky and I headed up to Knoebels this weekend for Phoenix Phall Phunfest.  It looked to be a very nice, yet cold, weekend, though we ended up getting a little rain which prevented us from getting a bike ride in to find the Natalie Miner's series.

388863835_kQ9Lu-L.jpg (109206 bytes)I started out early Friday morning and headed to Lancaster.  there I found a few boxes and also planted my second box with a cuckoo clue.  Cuckoo clues are something you never see anymore, so I have decided to plant a bunch of boxes in different places that use just cuckoo clues in the hope of getting more folks to do the same.  I think finding a clue in a box is a great bit of trail serendipity, not to mention they are easier to handle then hitch hikers as there is no extra work, they are just there and are simply moved along, no stamping required.

So I placed some clue cards in some of the boxes I found and also left one for Princess Lea and Amanda From Seattle, who were staying in Lancaster for a convention.  I then headed north, meeting Becky at Memorial Lake State Park where we got the local boxes and then headed for Knoebels.

388106753_pwd8R-L.jpg (96450 bytes)We actually got to Knoebels at a decent time.  We set up camp and relaxed a bit, walking around and taking in the Covered Bridge Festival.  The festival is just a giant craft fair, though we did see some very neat things, including some cool banks made from old post office boxes.

That evening we went into Bloomsburg to find some dinner and the Wal-Mart.  We never made it to Wal-Mart, but we had dinner at Kristen's Pub, a nice little place in downtown Bloomsburg.  The food was very good, and while we thought the entrees were pretty expensive, my sandwich and her salad were very good and inexpensive.  They had a nice tap too, but I decided I had plenty of stuff back at the campground.

The next morning we woke to a drizzle, which turned into a rain that lasted for about an hour or so.  We did not expect the rain, and so were putting up the tarp in the rain to cover the site.  A good thing we did as it would rain again Saturday night.  We went into the park for breakfast and then headed to the Wal-Mart.

388103829_wjbcn-L.jpg (157879 bytes)There were some boxes to get.  First up was White Deer, and then we rode down the Lewisburg to find the coffee shop series there.

The clues for the series stated the the first box had been in place for a while and the rest would be in by October 11.  So after finding the first box we decided, since the next box was only a few blocks away we would go see if it was there.  Sure enough, we enter the shop and there it is on the counter.  We continued to find the rest of the boxes in the wonderful series.  It offered a nice walk around the town and through the campus of Bucknell.  I really regret not carrying my camera with me, as there were some great chances for some really nice photos, including a bride and groom walking down Market Street toward the theatre for pictures.  It was just a great small town scene.

388103156_4LkZC-L.jpg (132003 bytes)388103583_JD2UX-L.jpg (82497 bytes)Back to Knoebels we got ready for the event that evening.  Phoenix Phall Phunfest is one of the largest coaster events of the year and is open to everyone.  The park takes great care to get the rides in top shape for the event, and the Phoenix and Twister were in top running form.  They also deck out the antique car ride as a haunted ride with all sorts of stunts and things going on below the Phoenix.

It also is the only event I know of where you can ride in costume so long as that costume doesn't interfere with the operation of the ride.  I brought out the horrible sharkman costume, complete with dorsal fin and mermaid like tail.  Becky was a purple flying thing, we never did really come up with a name for it, but she was very, very purple.  My costume is a lot of fun, defiantly weird, but does limit what I can ride easily.  For some rides I had to take part of it off to fit in, and I never did ride the Flyers, I wasn't sure how I was going to get up in them.  

388107176_zYXth-L.jpg (177836 bytes)We walked in the costume parade too, and all of our neighboring campers, a very large Indian family with four sites around us, cheer us on as we passed.  There was also a costume contest, which we had no intention of winning, but one of the judges was Mick Foley.

Sunday we hung out at the park the whole day, rode some more and checked out the festival further, especially the food.  There is no set checkout time in the campground in the fall, so we left everything up through the day so that it mostly dried out, and broke down, finally hitting the road at around 6.

388120054_FEHHx-L.jpg (117486 bytes)It was a nice weekend, we have camped a lot this summer and learned a good deal about how to really get things organized and also learned about each other.  I find that I still love Becky dearly, and that love has grown the more time I have spent with her.  We may do one more trip, returning to Hickory Run in November, but I think the search for a house and getting moved will take up most of the rest of the year.  I look forward to the time when we are finally moved in together in a new home.  It will be a lot of work, but so very much worth it.

Feedback - Email me

... immediately reminded me of the character Arty in the decidedly bizarre book "Geek Love".  We read it early this year for a book discussion group.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone else, but found it oddly interesting.  You can get an idea of what this strange, grotesque story is about with a glance at the Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek_Love

Debbie (Wisconsin Hiker)

Do You Get It? - What is the point to it all?
August 27, 2008
I posted this early this morning to the Premium Members board on AtlasQuest, but I really think it bares repeating here, in a more public place.  I think I really get into some of my more recent thoughts on some of the public forums and how people seem to more and more perceive what letterboxing is and is not.  I am not saying my thoughts on it are the right thoughts, but rather there really are no right thoughts, no right way, and that far too many people spend far too much time talking about doing things rather then actually doing them and being concerned about what others think of what they do.  Does that make sense?  Maybe I worry too much myself?

Well, here it is:

"Letterboxing has no set rules, or guidelines but there is some etiquette that I think most of us follow while we are on the trail."

Hey, you're catching on! Basically, the way I look at it, there is only one rule, do no harm, or at least, no irreparable harm.

"My question is what do you do if you find someone that is padding thier logbook with fake finds? Practicing very bad boxing habits, and passing them on to new boxers? Do you shrug it off and not worry about it, or do you say something even though you know it probably won't do any good?"

 

If someone is padding their logbook, that is something, that, in their own minds, they are going to have to come to terms with. I see lots of folks posting event boxes as traditional boxes, even when they are nothing more then table toppers. Sure, it messes with searching for real boxes in the location of the gathering, and it falsely adds to their total plants, and it may even get a blue diamond when it is not really a traditional box, but those folks must have come to terms with their decision, and that is on them.

Those who practice poor boxing habits often pick up the hobby for just a short time and then move on to other things. Often it is because they know no better.

A few weeks ago I found a box that the person before me had used a gold metallic ink to ink up the stamp with. I actually ran into the person who had done this later on. She was boxing with her two children and was very new at it. I politely explained, in an almost off handed manner, that she should not do that and why. She did not know, and how could she?

Not everyone does extensive reading and research before going out and finding their first box. I sure didn't, what fun is that? The fun is in finding the box. It is really the only way you learn.

Far too many people seem to go pointing fingers, telling people that it must be done this way or that. They have no idea what is really going on, that there are a ton of folks out there who never read a posting here or on any of the lists out there, who never read a FAQ sheet or the so called rules, who could care less about so called stealth methods, and who simply go out to find the boxes and enjoy them for what they are.

I often think there are too many here who have missed that point, and who spend much too much time talking about it instead of actually doing it? Have you found a box today? This week? This month? Did you enjoy the hunt? The clues? The artistry involved? The adventure?

Or is it all about logging that find and worrying about it being done "the right way?" Worrying if you are going to offend anyone if you do it "the wrong way?" Complaining about the container, or how well the last person hid the box, or if the clues were accurate and precise to your liking. Too many of you seem to worry about such nonsense as logging every single stamp, in the exact order you found it, timed and dated and commented on.

I mean, what are some of you folks really here for?

Jeez, just get out there and box already.

Feedback - Email me

I so loved this post. So many don't get it.  Suppose to be fun and not "you must agree to my ways or I will not share my clues" or "you do not have enough experience for my boxes", etc, etc. (ad nauseam). Oh well. Guess I'll remain clueless....
No surprise there, huh?
Do what you want, respect nature, meet people, enjoy the fantastic places this journey takes you!
-Pink Panther

Boxing the Brandywine - What took so long?
August 26, 2008
359502877_eNu3S-L.jpg (250922 bytes)I know, what took me so long to box the Brandywine?

In the past week I have been down there actually boxing twice, and a third time to meet with Sheba and Moon Owl.  Brandywine park is just a spectacular example of an urban park, with a great landscape, bridges, canals, and five wonderful boxes (two of which are mysteries).

359505016_LuBsN-L.jpg (77649 bytes)On Monday, August 18, I was headed home from Becky's.  I left when she left for work, 359504340_XwLKB-L.jpg (175178 bytes)and came across at the Bay Bridge and up 301.  This put me in the Philly area right at rush hour, so I gave Sheba a call and she printed off some clues for me, since I had none of my own, not really planning on this side trip.  So I spent the next two and a half hours exploring Brandywine Park.

Brandywine Park is part of the Wilmington State Parks and also has Delaware's only zoo, the small Brandywine Zoo.

As for the boxes, I really enjoyed FishMan's Fish of the Brandywine boxes.  The clues were very clever, you actually had to imagine that the park was underwater to follow the flow of the clues.  They took you to some less visited sections and trails on the park, which is something I really enjoy.  And the stamps were phenomenal.

I enjoyed the park so much that I decided I needed to return with Becky, 359504168_rxQea-L.jpg (254169 bytes)and so Sunday we did just that.  This time we went up river a bit to Alapocas Woods where we found the Cliffhanger series, but not before a quick stop at the Delaware Art Museum for hapPINEss beaCONEd, a Carters in Bear box.

The museum itself is very nice, and free on Sundays.  We wandered around a little bit, but not long, before finding the box.  I would like to return and actually tour the museum at some point.  The box was excellent though.

359504016_NYKtj-L.jpg (167604 bytes)Across to Alapocas Woods we now went.  There are several more boxes there as well that we will have to return for, as the Cliffhanger was enough of a challenge for one day, that and also I was not paying much attention to the other clues, though I should have.  It was an excellent walk looking for these great boxes on a beautiful day.  We even had a toad hop out from behind one of the boxes, much to Becky's delight.

We ended up getting to the bottom of the series and found a way to cut through to the neighboring Brandywine Park.  A trail is proposed to do this, 359503601_B5pq9-L.jpg (190571 bytes)but there is about a 500 foot section of that trail still missing, and a well worn path is in its place.  From there we were able to get to Becky's car, which we had parked there, and could travel back up the hill to mine in Alapocas Woods.

I certainly hope to return sooner, rather then later, to find the boxes I have missed, and maybe visit the zoo.

I managed to take a bunch of picture on my two visits.  far more then can be placed here, so feel free to visit the gallery.

Thanks to Fishman for the great boxes and allowing me to post some images.

 

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Still Got It - I guess I was just in a funk
August 18, 2008
Yup, I've still got it.  Lately I have been feeling in a funk.  I would go out boxing and just have trouble finding anything.  I've not had my head about me, not reading clues right, and just not with it.

Well, Becky and I biked to brunch on Sunday in Shirlington.  It is about a five mile ride down the W&OD Trail and the Shirlington trail to get to a Mexican restaurant that she likes.  We enjoyed a great brunch on the patio, it was a perfect day, lots of people about so I enjoyed some people watching, another pass time of mine, and generally enjoyed each other's company.

On the return we went for a box, the W&OD Trail Letterbox.  Becky had found it several years ago, and was not totally sure it was still there.  She also was not feeling too well at this point, and was pretty tired.  So, she rested at a pavilion in Glen Carlin Park while I went to find the box.  It was not far.

I rode down the trail.  There was supposed to be a sign directing you to the nature center that I was supposed to follow, but it was gone, so I figured out what trail it was and followed it.  Next I was supposed to follow a fence to the end, but there was no fence in sight, gone.  I did find the next landmark, a metal culvert, but a storm drain that was supposed to be there was gone, so I was not sure I was in the right spot.

I then looked up the hill and there it was, the tree.  It had to be it, it was large and looking like it could well hide a box.  I set my bike aside and headed up the hill.  I walked to the left around the tree, no hole, no hole, and then there it was, a big hole in the tree and a box totally exposed in it.

That moment of triumph is what I so enjoy about boxing.  The joy of finding a box that is difficult or you think is not there is truly a feeling I get with no other activity.  It is this joyous, almost euphoric reaction.  All the counting, the clever gimmicky boxes, the kids crap, all that stuff doesn't come close to making me as happy as I am when I am in the woods, just me, Becky, and the clues, looking things over, working them out, and finding the box.  I think that is what it is really all about, and I got it back!

Feedback - Email me - Have you still got it?
Something to Ponder - And other odds and ends
August 4, 2008

Here is something interesting that I thought worth thinking about:

"But isn't the clue what the clue is? It will never change, or at least it should never change. Things being what they are nowadays, what with every Tom, Dick and Harry who can write code changing the game, people feel the need for there to be an online record of what box has been found when and by who. Isn't the whole essence of a treasure hunt the overcoming of the degradation of the clue over time? With out doubt things in nature will change, should I change my clue to keep up with these changes? I think not, let the hunter figure out what might have changed and what they need to do to overcome the obstacles presented to them. I got some feedback on one of my boxes that said that rattlesnake's had taken up residency in the rock formation the box was hidden in. All I could think was "Awesome!! Have fun with that people." If a park makes changes to it's trail system in the time between me writing my clue and someone reading that clue, should it be up to me to make sure that info is passed on? Again, I think not. Get an old map if that is what it takes to find the box, or not, I could care less either way. I didn't place the box so that I could enjoy you finding it, I placed it for you to enjoy finding. If you find it or not means very little to me."

Brian
TeamGreenDragon

Now Brian is an old school letterboxes, and I don't buy into all of his thinking, though I do totally understand and agree on his wondering for the need for folks to have to log everything in some online database.  But, I digress, and the matter at hand is really if clues should be updated to reflect changes.

Personally, I think they should, within limits.  If there has been a dramatic change, one that totally effects the finding of the box, then yes.  Otherwise, I am agreeing with Brian here.  Letterboxing, in its essence, is still a treasure hunt.  You are still looking for something in the woods, and part of the joy of it is figuring through the clues to find it.

While clues can be frustrating, the point where you finally figure it out, the "Ah ha!" moment, it the moment that is worth it for me.  And, sometimes you fail, and that is an important lesson to learn as well.

Just recently there was discussion as to why the National Park Passport cancellations are not posted on AtlasQuest.  After all, they are stamps, the writer says.  But, they are not letterboxes, and that idea was pretty well thrown out, which is a good thing.

But, does everything have to be logged online?  Does anything?  In the end,  does it all really matter.  I record my finds so I can better keep track of what I have and have not found, but I have pretty much stepped away from logging anything else, except hitch hikers.  Why?  Because it doesn't really matter to me.  Event stamps, cooties, personal travelers, there are so many that it, in the end,  does not make a difference.  And as for the date, again, it does not matter.

We had dinner with Wisconsin Hiker and Martini Man a few months back.  She said something about letterboxing that I found pretty profound.

"Letterboxing is not a kids game,"  she said, "it is an adult's game that kids can learn to play.

I'll leave that one with the reader until next time.

Feedback - Email me - Give me something more to ponder
Another Weekend - The more I see her, the more I love her
July 14, 2008
332231377_Ui2EN-L.jpg (92984 bytes)It is true, the more I see her, the more time I spend with her, the more I love Becky.

This weekend could be summed up as wedding planning weekend.  I worked Saturday morning, well, all night actually, and knew I would be in no shape to drive down to Becky's after work.  So, I took the train.  

I have been wanting to make the train work, save fuel and some wear and tear on both the car and myself, but the schedules just would not work for me.  I finally figured it out though.  I could park at Sheba's house and walk to the local SEPTA station.  From there I could get to Wilmington in time to get an early Amtrak train to DC.  Reverse to get home, and I still get back in time for work.  With the cost of fuel I almost break even, it costs a bit more, but saves me from actually have to drive all that distance.  That was, until they raised the fares on the train I need to take.  The train an hour before, which makes the same stops, is $17 cheaper.  I would like someone at Amtrak explain to me how they are encouraging people to take the train if they don't at least make it comparable?  Well, I digress, it was still a good ride down, and I could sleep, so even better.

I was greeted at the gate by my Becky.  She seemed to be shimmering in the light from the station as I walked through the door, wearing the very pretty strapless blue dress she had gotten the week before.  She looked stunning.  She was holding some flowers she picked up for me.  This is a kind of role reversal, since I usually leave her flowers on my desk when she comes up here to Philadelphia.  I promptly presented her with the flowers with a smile.

We met with the caterer that afternoon and spent some time on the planning.  We made some changes to the servers and what we will be needing, and also the park is charging the caterer a smaller fee, so we were able to knock about $2000 off the bill, which is huge.  Further in the good news department, her cousin John gave her a call the next morning and said he talked to a photographer friend of his and she can do the wedding, and he is going to pay for it as a gift.  Becky was ecstatic, as looking at photography it was looking to be really expensive, even though we really didn't want to do anything elaborate.  So things in the wedding department keep looking up.

332230851_ZQJz2-L.jpg (229854 bytes)Sunday we took a ride over to Glen Echo to really take a good look at things.  I still need to call the events manager over there, we have the date penciled in, and I sent the preliminary form in, but have not heard back yet.  I need to know if we can or can't do some things, because, of course, the ideas with the location abound.  

We did, however, get to talk to the carousel operator.  My parents have offered to rent the carousel for an hour so guests can ride.  It also gives us a chance to get photos on it, which Becky is very excited about. We asked a few questions about the carousel and what can be done for the rental.  I asked about the band organ, and if I could request certain music to be played if they had it on rolls, which we could.  Becky was hoping to have some swing music on it, and we were lucky in that he had a special roll for it made up, and it was loaded that day.  A few minutes later, swing started playing on the organ, which was perfect.  The organ can be loaded with two rolls, each plays for about 25 minutes, so one will be the swing roll, and I would like the other to be something patriotic.

331789736_9tspo-L.jpg (168382 bytes)The park was also very pleasant.  We stood up by the bumper car pavilion for a while, they had a square dance going on in it.  There was a pleasant breeze coming across the park, and it was very comfortable there, so we are hoping for the same a year from now.

332231167_Np7a6-L.jpg (172959 bytes)Becky is getting really excited about the whole thing now.  We still have plenty of time, but we already have a few of the important things moving along.  We even have a preliminary schedule worked out, though I think it will change some what.  We have a lot of neat ideas that we have to work on in the next year, and I think that is where our time will really be spent, but I think it will all turn out in the end, or at least that is what I keep telling Becky.  I tend to be the optimist.  There is a lot of work ahead, but the outcome is going to be great.  Now to just figure out who I am supposed to send save the date cards to.

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She was "shimmering" in the train station?  Damn, bro--you start getting that lyrical, it better be concealing clues to a box again....  Glad you guys had a good weekend! -Sheba
Floating Apartments - I am not the strange one here.
June 30, 2008
322851558_3GNTK-XL.jpg (116557 bytes)A few weeks ago Becky says to me she left my house, looked down the street, and saw an apartment building floating by.  "Huh?" I asked.  She knew it was really a ship going down the river and was amazed the first time she saw it.  And they truly are amazing.  The freighters that move up and down the river are massive, and as they are passing they basically fill the entire opening to the river and wharf at the bottom of the street.  I was astonished the first time I stepped out and saw one too.

322851913_mPpbm-XL.jpg (325192 bytes)Yesterday was Celtic Day here in Bristol.  This is a great annual event, lots of Irish and Scottish acts that entertain all day long in Lion's Park.  I was down enjoying an Irish band when one of these massive freighters came rolling down the river, escorted by two tug boats maneuvering around it.  The crown moved toward the river and folks waved and took pictures as the massive ship passed by.  The crew was even on deck waving and taking pictures in return, and the ship sounded its horn in greeting.  It was a neat moment that capped off an enjoyable day in Bristol.

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Time To Fly - Sorry, not the Flying Turns
June 23, 2008
318462504_HwEF8-XL.jpg (282853 bytes)While I wish I could be writing about a ride on the Flying Turns, which seems to have hit a snag, I am instead referring to another Flyer which has been a long time in coming, the Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Park in Erie.

After more then a decade of litigation with a neighbor, Waldameer park was finally able to build this spectacular new coaster that sits on the edge of Lake Erie high above Presque Isle State Park.  Becky and I finally got to ride it a few weeks ago after Coaster Mania at Cedar Point.

At first I was not sure I was going to make the trip.  Becky is not too good with long car rides, and we would be going for Sandusky to Erie to Pittsburgh that day after a very long day at Cedar Point.  But a few weeks before hand I saw a POV posted and decided I have to get up there and give it a ride.  Both of us were glad we did because it turned out to be the best ride of the trip.

Yes, it was better then anything Cedar Point had to offer!  In fact, I would venture to say it is the best Gravity Group coaster I have ridden, being more fun then either Hades or Voyage.  The key to this ride is rerideablity, which this ride has loads of.  It is just plain fun to ride, with a great variety of elements that don't try to do too much.

Becky and I got to the park early.  I didn't think it was early, it was afternoon, but I had forgotten from a previous trip that the park doesn't open until 1PM, which is pretty late.  We had just limited time, and did not want to stay long, but ended up staying longer then planned, and could have stayed all day, the park is just that nice and fun.  We got our wristbands and walked around a bit.  We played some DDR in the arcade (Becky is good at it, I am terrible) and finally headed over the new coaster, getting in line to wait for it to open.

The wait was interesting.  There were some kids behind us who had never ridden a large wooden coaster before.  It was fun to listen to their fascination over every aspect of the ride.  It made me feel fresh again as well, getting some butterflies while anticipating the ride, a feeling I have not had in some time.  I was actually very excited and thrilled to get on this coaster, and it has been a very long time since I was very excited about any coaster.

We got into the station and headed to the frond seat.  There was no line for it as they had an attendant at the entrance to the station directing people where to go, but not doing a very good job at it, and we just kinda ignored her and got into the front seat queue behind one other couple.

The ride itself, well, it is just amazing.  You get to the top of the lift and are treated to a fantastic view of Lake Erie, which you almost feel as if you are going to dive right into as you make a turning drop down the ravine and across Peninsula Drive.  On the other side is an upward turnaround with a real rib cracking snap back down and over the drive again before the ride heads into a twisting mixing bowl behind the station that includes another nice drop into the ravine.  The ride is not too too long, just the right length, and it packs a punch with loads of airtime and some nice laterals, including a 90° banked turn for good measure.

I turned to Becky on the brake run, who is beeming, "Wanna ride again?"  A big head rattle is her response.  The coaster is very enjoyable and you can ride it over and over again.  It does not have the power or intensity of some of the larger coasters out there, but it is just plain fun, and I think that is the most important factor of any ride.

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Sky Meadows - There is a reason they call it that
June 12, 2008

We were presented with a choice for the end of May.  We could go to Campin 'n Stampin, which is what we really wanted to do, or we could go to her family's reunion, which we really had to do.  So we choose the later, figuring if we are going to be getting married, it might be a good idea for the family to get to know me.  Well, we are still working on that part.

We even considered doing the reunion and then driving the three hours to Tuckahoe State Park for the gathering, but thought that may be a bit much and instead decided to camp at Sky Meadows State park and do some hiking the next day.

311863386_KNik6-XL.jpg (222699 bytes)The reunion was in New Market, so we choose a few boxes to go looking for on the way there and left early.

We first stopped by Shenandoah River State Park.  Becky planted a few boxes a few weeks before and wanted me to check on her clues before she posted them.  As it turned out, the trail the boxes are on is now closed due to the construction of some cabins nearby.  In fact, most of the trails in the park were closed.  

I noticed a flyer about a class on geocaching the next day, and said we should go and ask about if permits are needed for geocaches, which would also translate to letterboxes.  As it turned out, permits were not needed, and the park simply asked to know where the boxes were, and were delighted to have them there.  So the stop was not a total loss.

We had no luck finding Lake Arrowhead, but we did check out the picnic pavilion nearby where someone was preping for a wedding.  It looked very nice and they were happy for us to have a look around.

We had better luck with Carillon in Luray.  Becky actually found this one a few weeks earlier, and loved Daughter of the Stars a little bit out of town next to the old Katharine Furnace.  We left the box just in time to miss a heavy storm that came rolling in.

311863521_4k9E9-XL.jpg (208102 bytes)Sky Meadows was Becky's first try at backpacking, though it was limited, the campground was less then a mile in from the parking area, and surprisingly it was packed.  There was a group of folks there from a hiking club that all hike with their dogs.  We ran into one of them in the parking lot.  She was out on the trail all day and got caught in that storm.  She said they thought it was going to miss them as the watched it pass other another ridge, but then all the sudden it just dumped on them.  We did get lucky, as we would catch no rain all weekend.

We hiked in, got camp set up, and collected wood and got a fire going.  After some coals were laid down I fixed dinner, prepared tin foil dinners, which hit the spot perfectly.  The night was prefect, not a cloud in the sky, and we spent some time just enjoying the stars and each other's company.

The next morning we did not break camp right away, but instead headed out for breakfast, finding a nice little diner not too far away.  We then collected our clues to do some of the boxes in the park, as well as check on one of her boxes.

311863287_fSs6L-XL.jpg (160850 bytes)We washed up before hitting the trail and visited the little gift shop and visitor's center.  The girl working the gift shop was more then happy to tell all about various creatures they had on display, pulling their corn snake out of its cage so we could get a closer look, and then handed it to me.  The snake was very pretty, a fiery red and orange, and seemed to be having a good time crawling up my arm and onto my shoulder and backpack, where it tied itself up.

We managed to dislodge the snake and finally got on the trail.  We first found her box, Mystic II.  The stamp was broken in half but the logbook looked great, but full.  We would later return with a replacement stamp and a fresh logbook, leaving the old for folks to enjoy.

311863337_6VDoS-XL.jpg (165283 bytes)On the same trail is Trees of Virginia, a four box series with very nice stamps.  We then headed up the mountain in search of John Singleton M