Well...some are missing and a couple that were reported to be missing
aren't! But overall the letterboxes in the park have done some
languishing. It seems to me that the boxes that are "out in the open"
are all fine yet the ones that are really hidden back in the
trails/forested areas have suffered the greatest! I don't know if its
because they are in "secluded" areas that the local "ner-do-wells"
hang out at or what.

But here is an update..we tracked down every box in the park. There
were only two that we haven't found before but I didn't have all the
stamps in my logbook so that's why we "powerboxed" the whole shebang.

FUDRICK'S:
Red Squirrel is completely missing! Along with the hitchiker we
deposited there back in December. So unless anyone has visited the
box since December they both are gone. No traces of anything and we
searched all around the general area.

Dive On In is alive and well there was even a visitor there earlier
this month! Some names I didn't recognize and I saw that Amanda from
Seattle had visited just recently.

El Gaucho has departed to whom knows where. The entire area has been
recently "camped" in from what it looks like. IT may of been cleaned
out when the "transient" that apparently camped there was "evicted"
by the parks dept and Tacoma Police Dept. I know that on Jan 2nd it
was alive and well as we launched a hitchhiker there.

SCOUT DOGS:
Evil Yoda has been kidnapped! He was there on Jan 2nd but was not to
be found anywhere. We went round and round the three trees digging
and looking and scoured the general area. Alas this one really "chaps
my hide" as it was a wonderfully carved stamp! One would of sworn
that it was machine made because the detail work on it was awesome!!!

CHUCK STRAUB:
Wolfman was reported as missing a couple of months ago when Silver
Eagle was here. He is most definetly gone but the string that he was
hanging by still remains!! We said a breif prayer for his safety and
hope that whomever captured him appreciates him and had better hope
that the Wolfman doesn't rise and bite him/her.

RAYVENHAUS:
Casper's Cousin Carl was pillaged earlier this winter and to my
knowledge hasn't been replaced.

Trace Bats: ALIVE AND WELL...the fourth time was a charm. I found it
today after three previous attempts. I actually had to abandon my
attempt around 11am this morning since some kids were fishing right
by where we thought the box may be. So we came back around 1pm and
after two trips to the "twins" and back to the bench to consult the
compass I found the proper set of "tombstones". THis box is in great
shape ...albeit...a little lonely ...most likely the result of
several "missing" reports.

Grim Reaper: Alive and well...has been found by more "Geocachers"
than "Letterboxers". We pulled our "Snow Daze 2004" HH out of it
since there hasn't been a visitor there since Jan. 2nd when we
launched it. The HH was carved to celebrate the "Week of Snow" we had
at the beginning of 2004!

Evil Jack O. Lanturn: I think that he has probably ended up
somewhere with ElGaucho. Since they were in the same "glade". This
was another one of the ones we had found back in Nov/Dec so we knew
exactly where it was.

Mummy Dearest: Been missing for a long time! Wierd thing is that it
is probably in the most remote area of all!! Heck I grew up playing
in this park and I didn't even know this trail existed.

Singing for my Supper: Was reported missing but is ALIVE!! In fact I
had to carry the box around for 30 minutes because a family had
settled in at the picnic table and volleyball court nearby as we were
at the bench stamping.

Finally...I had heard a rumor of another box hidden in the park but
couldn't find any clues to it. So...dvn2r skr...decided after we had
met up and she stamped in the "Hearts Across America" PLB that she
needed to check on a certain "Scaredy Cat" to see if it was still
hiding..sure enough! The kitty was still there all snug behind the
rock!

All in all it was a fun afternoon of boxing and I am happy to report
that all is not lost int he park and if you talk to the right person
you can get a clue to a "secret" box aka a "Scaredy Cat".

Til later,
MiniBullyMom