Hey Everybody!!!

I had to change the location of my letterbox. I didn't want to do it, but I
had to. Dan'l suggested I changed it due to lack of interest, etc.
(privately), well, not exactly. Frankly, I thought I saw a rat down by my box
the other day when I was visiting it, and I just can't stand the thought of
having an out-of-towner seeing rats in Evanston. Besides, I HATE rats. Can't
stand them. I really liked the old location, but I had to change it. (I'll
try not to change again, I really view it as bad letterboxing practice to be
moving your box).

So here's the new clue...
It's better anyways...
Ready...
Here goes...

---------------------------------------
Go to Dempster and Lake Shore Blvd. (one block East of Forest). Turn left and
park.
Follow the large wall to the 28th cement parking block.
Do 17 jumping jacks while looking at the Lake.
It's 3 feet behind you.
---------------------------------------

Isn't it AWESOME??? Actually, no, it's not. Too easy, and the location kind
of sucks, I think. BUT there is a method to my madness. You stamp my book at
that location, and IN THE BOX is a map to the box's stamp for your book. And
believe you me, that is MUCH harder. Ah Hah. The map's in the box, but I'll
place the stamp by the end of the week. (and I know you were all about to
rush out to it, too, right?) Now that, my friends, is what we call cool. I'm
so excited. Can't wait for someone to visit it-hint,hint.

Rachel.

P.S.-I'll be visiting the Madison box(es, perhaps) in Dec. I think.
P.P.S.-Thanks Dan'l (he knows what I mean).
______________________________________________________________________
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Happy Love Litigating Lawyers Day!

Now that I have settled into my dorm, I have been able to actually
make the stamps. Each box will contain 2 stamps. Together, these
stamps portray the scene of one of the wackiest holidays that I have
ever heard of. You can guess if you want but the only clue that I
will give is that this holiday is in August. By chance, this was
around the day that I first got the idea for these boxes. I expect to
have these boxes mailed out to their respective destinations by
Wednesday, September 8th. Postage should cost no more than $3.00. Any
questions can be posted on the list or sent directly to me.

Happy and safe boxing!
Mystique

Thank you very much for helping us work towards sorting out this confusion. I suppose now we need to find the right contact person at that level!

Good holiday to you and yours,
Irish

--- On Mon, 12/7/09, Teresa Kight wrote:

> From: Teresa Kight
> Subject: RE: letterboxing
> To: "irishbain@rocketmail.com"
> Date: Monday, December 7, 2009, 5:26 AM
> The text below is not from
> Conservation Department policy, it appears to be State Park
> policy. We are two different agencies with different
> missions and different types of areas. The Missouri
> Department of Conservation is the state fish and game
> agency. Missouri State Parks are managed by the
> Department of Natural Resources.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Irish Bain [mailto:irishbain@rocketmail.com]
>
> Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 10:30 AM
> To: Teresa Kight
> Subject: RE: letterboxing
>
> I'm sending you a partial copy of one of the discussions
> taking place(not my post, but I'm trying not to identify
> others without permission). The statement that was
> identified as part of the state policy is what is triggering
> all of the upset. Maybe our research is incorrect?
>
> **************************
> 1b. Re: Boxing in Missouri
> Date: Thu Dec 3, 2009 2:01 pm ((PST))
>
> UH-OH! .. I just looked at the Missouri State
> Park policy and they lump
> geocaching & letterboxing together, including this
> statement that you are
> supposed to include in your cache/box:
>
>
> ... It is part of a worldwide game. You have found a
> Geocaching or
> Letterbox site. These
>
> games basically involve a player to hide a "treasure" (this
> container and
> its contents) and
>
> publish the exact coordinates or directional clues on the
> appropriate Web
> page so users can
>
> go on a "treasure hunt" to find it. The only rules are: if
> you take
> something from the cache,
>
> you must leave something for the cache, and you must log
> your visit in the
> logbook. Hopefully, the person that hid this container
> found a good spot
> that is not easily found by uninterested parties.
> Sometimes, a good spot
> turns out to be a bad spot, though.
>
>
>
> IF YOU FOUND THIS CONTAINER BY ACCIDENT:
>
> Great! You are welcome to join us! We ask only that you:
>
> . Please do not move or vandalize the container. The real
> treasure is just
> finding the
>
> container and sharing your thoughts with everyone else who
> finds it.
>
> . If you wish, go ahead and take something. But please also
> leave something
> of your
>
> own for others to find, and write it in the logbook.
>
>
>
> It seems to me that this is an open invitation to remove a
> stamp from a
> letterbox.
>
> ***************************************
>
>
>
>
> --- On Fri, 12/4/09, Teresa Kight
> wrote:
>
> > From: Teresa Kight
> > Subject: RE: letterboxing
> > To: "irishbain@rocketmail.com"
>
> > Date: Friday, December 4, 2009, 10:33 AM
> > Hello Irish,
> > Perhaps I'm missing something here but I'm not clear
> on
> > what you are referring to as far as a notice that is
> > supposed to be placed inside your boxes? We have a
> > requirement that the Special Use Permit number be on
> or in
> > the container, whether it be a geocache or a
> > letterbox. This is how a Conservation Agent would
> be
> > able to tell if the container was "legal" meaning that
> a
> > Special Use Permit had been obtained and was valid.
> Anyone
> > obtaining a special use permit for anything in our
> agency
> > must somehow have either the permit displayed (for
> instance
> > if they were using a picnic shelter) or have the
> permit
> > number displayed, as valid proof of permission having
> been
> > granted for that activity.
> >
> > We understand that clues lead people directly to the
> box
> > and that the area around the container is generally
> not
> > disturbed as it might be from people searching for a
> > geocache. Our permit system would not involve
> anything
> > being added to or removed from the letterbox. The
> only
> > issue that might arise from geocaching or letterboxing
> would
> > be a well-worn path being created from point A to
> point B,
> > at which point after the permit expires a manager
> might
> > request that the location be changed.
> >
> > Am I missing something? I am not clear on what is
> > causing the upset reactions. I can tell by looking
> > online that there appear to be many letterboxes on
> MDC
> > property. However, some of them may not be in
> > appropriate locations. Area managers will work with
> > folks to agree on locations that will not interfere
> with
> > other area users or with the primary activities for
> which
> > our conservation areas are managed.
> > Teresa
> >
> > Teresa Kight
> > Recreation Specialist
> > Adopt-A-Trail Program Coordinator
> > Wildlife Division
> > Missouri Department of Conservation
> > P.O. Box 180
> > Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180
> > 573-522-4115 ext. 3636
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Irish Bain [mailto:irishbain@rocketmail.com]
> >
> > Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 12:12 PM
> > To: Teresa Kight
> > Subject: letterboxing
> >
> > Ms. Kight,
> >
> > Thank you ever so much for your effort to reach the
> > letterboxing community. We often have nasty
> encounters
> > with officials who don't understand our hobby. How
> nice to
> > have someone reach out in such a pleasant way!
> >
> > Your letter was shared with one of our listserv
> > opportunities. Unfortunately, many of us are having
> > upset reactions after researching further on the
> state
> > website. Applying for permits isn't the problem.
> The
> > problem is that whomever wrote the notice that is
> supposed
> > to be placed inside our boxes, doesn't understand our
> > hobby.
> >
> > We strongly support 'leave no trace' behaviors in our
> > self-identified community and believe firmly in
> keeping our
> > clues so specific that there is no need to disturb
> the
> > placement area fruitlessly searching. Geocaching is
> _very_
> > different from letterboxing in one particularly
> important
> > factor: Letterboxers take/leave nothing but an image
> when
> > they visit a find. Geocachers 'swap' out swag from
> their
> > caches. If someone swaps or takes an item from a
> letterbox,
> > they have effectively destroyed that box. Losing the
> stamp
> > removes a box from the game. Losing the logbook
> > removes our history from the box. Both are
> essential
> > components.
> >
> > If it would be possible to recognize the difference
> and
> > have a separate statement made available for
> letterboxes,
> > that would go a long way to soothe the fears of our
> > hobbyists. Perhaps you would know where to start in
> > contacting the appropriate person?
> >
> > Your help is much appreciated and I hope you will join
> us
> > on the trail at some point!
> >
> > Irish Bain
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>