Hmm, thanks for posting Red. This is the kind of article that makes me nervous - not much
here on rehiding or discretion. Does anyone know the person in the article? Since they don't
have a hand carved stamp, they sound pretty new to me. Was anyone on the list approached
to be interviewed?

-- Princess Lea


--- In LbNCA@yahoogroups.com, "nicknameredinsf" wrote:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/y4y2cc
>

Frankly, the article isn't very spicy....so I doubt it will bring
hordes of would-be letterboxers into the game. However, I imagine
that Lea's Buffalo box might be in peril.

Lisascenic

Yeah, and the photo shows EXACTLY where Brandy's box "Off to See the
Wizard" is, and in the blurb going with the photo tells where it is.
She's in Delaware or something. We AQ mailed her and she would like
it moved (for obvious reasons). Is there anyone who would be able to
go and get it and find a safer place for it? Her AQ trail name is
Brandy. I'm sure she'd greatly appreciate any help a fine San
Francisco boxer could offer her. --dorkanon

ps, totally unrelated, and shamelessy self-promoting: i have a stoopid
blog you should read if you are not busy:

http://dorkanon.blogspot.com/

Although I'm not sure what good it will do, I went ahead and sent off a cranky crackpot
letter to the writer of the article. I berated him for not emphasizing the discretion part of
the game, and for giving away the location of Brandy's and my letterboxes. Also, I got an
email from the pal of the woman mentioned in the article (encountered by Lisa & Robb on
the trail yesterday) and plan to try and contact the newbies that way. I may even ask to
have letterboxing removed from that preschool's list of activities. I don't have an
objection to kids finding letterboxes as long as the parents understand that the ADULTS
should be in charge of rehiding. If they are just in it for the hunt, I say geocaching is more
rewarding for the kids.

-- Princess Lea (it must be Monday since I am feeling so cranky)

P.S. Thanks Dorks for the link to the blog - most enjoyable. Of course I liked the Nancy
Drew Chums page the best.

--- In LbNCA@yahoogroups.com, "Hunter" wrote:
>
> Yeah, and the photo shows EXACTLY where Brandy's box "Off to See the
> Wizard" is, and in the blurb going with the photo tells where it is.
> She's in Delaware or something. We AQ mailed her and she would like
> it moved (for obvious reasons). Is there anyone who would be able to
> go and get it and find a safer place for it? Her AQ trail name is
> Brandy. I'm sure she'd greatly appreciate any help a fine San
> Francisco boxer could offer her. --dorkanon
>
> ps, totally unrelated, and shamelessy self-promoting: i have a stoopid
> blog you should read if you are not busy:
>
> http://dorkanon.blogspot.com/
>

Robb and I had an interesting experience whilst letterboxing on Bay
Farm Island this weekend. We were "waiting out" a photographer,
before we rehid a letterbox, when along came a couple of moms and a
couple of kids. One mom was holding a piece of paper in her hand
and loudly reading clues for anyone to hear.

Robb and I immediately identified ourselves at letterboxers, and got
them chatting so we could pump them for information. Sure enough,
they had read the article in the Chronicle, and were out on their
first treasure hunt.

You know all those things that we worried about? Well, as nice as
these folks were, they exemplified our concerns. When I offered to
show them the hiding spot, the moms had me speak to their five year
old, because, they told me proudly, "He's our hider!" EEEEEK!

Robb and I cheerfully mentioned some of the niceties of letterbox re-
planting, and probably told them more than they wanted to hear.

Backtracking on the path, we found a ziplock style bag of the exact
style that was used in the boxes in this series. Conicidentce? I
dunno....This wasn't your standard food baggie.

We tried to check the nearest letterbox, but it was being sat on by
a couple having an Long Relationship Conversation.

As far as the photo in the article goes....I really don't think that
it is such a total give-away. After all there are an awful lot of
trees near the Conservatory of Flowers...

Lisa

I, too, started letterboxing with the kids (son & nieces) after reading an article- this one was in a Family Fun magazine in the spring. While we are a more noticable group than a lone boxer, we are usually in parks & such where we don't stand out too much. We also have a rule that only I can retrieve & rehide the box (I let them figure out clues enroute, but as we near the location it becomes my job) and we must move away from the area to stamp in.

That being said, I had a hard situation letterboxing last week- I had made sure the kids were well away from the hiding spot when I went back to rehide. While I was down the side of the hill replanting, though, a few teenagers rode up (fast!) across the way. I know they couldn't see what I was doing or where I hid the box, but there was only one way back up the hill due to brush, so there was no way to avoid having them see me come up. I don't think they paid me any mind (probably thought I was just down at the creek), but I am wondering if there is a standard operating procedure in these situations? I let the owner know there is a busy riding area nearby (it is actually a construction area, I think, so might not have been there when the box was planted), but didn't know if I should have done something else too.

Any suggestions?

Ladyaero


Lisa Lazar wrote:
Robb and I had an interesting experience whilst letterboxing on Bay
Farm Island this weekend. We were "waiting out" a photographer,
before we rehid a letterbox, when along came a couple of moms and a
couple of kids. One mom was holding a piece of paper in her hand
and loudly reading clues for anyone to hear.

Robb and I immediately identified ourselves at letterboxers, and got
them chatting so we could pump them for information. Sure enough,
they had read the article in the Chronicle, and were out on their
first treasure hunt.

You know all those things that we worried about? Well, as nice as
these folks were, they exemplified our concerns. When I offered to
show them the hiding spot, the moms had me speak to their five year
old, because, they told me proudly, "He's our hider!" EEEEEK!

Robb and I cheerfully mentioned some of the niceties of letterbox re-
planting, and probably told them more than they wanted to hear.

Backtracking on the path, we found a ziplock style bag of the exact
style that was used in the boxes in this series. Conicidentce? I
dunno....This wasn't your standard food baggie.

We tried to check the nearest letterbox, but it was being sat on by
a couple having an Long Relationship Conversation.

As far as the photo in the article goes....I really don't think that
it is such a total give-away. After all there are an awful lot of
trees near the Conservatory of Flowers...

Lisa






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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Lady Aero Wrote:

That being said, I had a hard situation letterboxing last week- I
had made sure the kids were well away from the hiding spot when I
went back to rehide. While I was down the side of the hill
replanting, though, a few teenagers rode up (fast!) across the way.
I know they couldn't see what I was doing or where I hid the box,
but there was only one way back up the hill due to brush, so there
was no way to avoid having them see me come up. I don't think they
paid me any mind (probably thought I was just down at the creek),
but I am wondering if there is a standard operating procedure in
these situations? I let the owner know there is a busy riding area
nearby (it is actually a construction area, I think, so might not
have been there when the box was planted), but didn't know if I
should have done something else too.

*********************************************************************

I'm sure you did just fine!
Lisascenic

Whenever I find myself suddenly discovered while scrambling out of a more
secluded area, I just call out something like "Sorry, I think that frisbee's
lost for good" or something along those lines.

-Aahz

On 10/23/06, Lisa Lazar wrote:
>
> Lady Aero Wrote:
>
> That being said, I had a hard situation letterboxing last week- I
> had made sure the kids were well away from the hiding spot when I
> went back to rehide. While I was down the side of the hill
> replanting, though, a few teenagers rode up (fast!) across the way.
> I know they couldn't see what I was doing or where I hid the box,
> but there was only one way back up the hill due to brush, so there
> was no way to avoid having them see me come up. I don't think they
> paid me any mind (probably thought I was just down at the creek),
> but I am wondering if there is a standard operating procedure in
> these situations? I let the owner know there is a busy riding area
> nearby (it is actually a construction area, I think, so might not
> have been there when the box was planted), but didn't know if I
> should have done something else too.
>
> *********************************************************************
>
> I'm sure you did just fine!
> Lisascenic
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]