Good point. We will have to add one to our backpack. Incidentally,
this is why I am the one who always does the final step of actually
getting the box. My kids know now to wait for me and let me put
myself in harm's way, instead of them (which certainly appeals to
their self-preservation instinct).

~ the b's

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "yardfolk4"
wrote:
> today we were searching for a letterbox in Newton, MA with 6 children
> ages 7 and under. We sent the kids racing under a shrub for the
> prize. They came racing out being chased by an extremely angry swarm
> of wasps. The worst victim was a 5 year old with 10 stings. of
course
> this was very upsetting for everyone involved, especially since it
was
> the first box for our relatives. and we didn't even get the stamp!
> from now on, we'll be doing our searches with a first aid kit, I'd
> suggest that this is a good idea for everyone...
> Karen in MA

Somebody send that kid the BooBoo box!!


CPAScott


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "yardfolk4" wrote:
> today we were searching for a letterbox in Newton, MA with 6 children
> ages 7 and under. We sent the kids racing under a shrub for the
> prize. They came racing out being chased by an extremely angry swarm
> of wasps. The worst victim was a 5 year old with 10 stings. of course
> this was very upsetting for everyone involved, especially since it was
> the first box for our relatives. and we didn't even get the stamp!
> from now on, we'll be doing our searches with a first aid kit, I'd
> suggest that this is a good idea for everyone...
> Karen in MA

Pippi & Keith used to take underprivileged kids from the city out camping
from time to time so they'd get a little different environment plus gain a
little more self-confidence. They'd do a little boxing too if there were
any planted in the area.

This was why either Pippi or Keith (usually Keith pushing Pippi) would be
the ones to actually "grab" the box.

!! Snakes and spiders and bees oh my !!

The children would be rather excited because they were all given jobs.
Some as CIA sleuths -- posted to be on the lookout for muggles, tho Keith
was always Sargeant-at-Arms for the group in the vicinity of muggles;
One as Keeper of the Markers;
One as Keeper of the Stamp(s);
Some as Finders of the Best Stamping-in Place so as Not to be Discovered
While Stamping-in;
etc. The number of jobs they came up with depended on how many children
were along.

They worked at making all the jobs "important." Sounds kinda dumb but it
worked with the kids and nobody felt bad that they weren't the actually ones
to find the box at the very end. Pippi always seemed to be the one who
ended up dealing with the snakes and spiders and bees oh my! I know that,
even thru gloves, she got at least one extremely nasty spider bite.

And The Great American Yellowjacket Chase was pretty scarey too. Yellow
jackets love to nest underground, so they're often not noticeable until
there's suddenly a thousand of them mad, ugly, and eager to be noticed. A
fun time was not had by all that day.

~~ Mosey ~~



-----Original Message-----
From: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of yardfolk4
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2005 4:01 PM
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [LbNA] take a first aid kit with you!!!


today we were searching for a letterbox in Newton, MA with 6 children
ages 7 and under. We sent the kids racing under a shrub for the
prize. They came racing out being chased by an extremely angry swarm
of wasps. The worst victim was a 5 year old with 10 stings. of course
this was very upsetting for everyone involved, especially since it was
the first box for our relatives. and we didn't even get the stamp!
from now on, we'll be doing our searches with a first aid kit, I'd
suggest that this is a good idea for everyone...
Karen in MA

At 05:01 PM 8/19/2005, you wrote:
>from now on, we'll be doing our searches with a first aid kit, I'd
>suggest that this is a good idea for everyone...

I don't know that the moral of your story is really to always bring a
first aid kit. What if there had been a rattlesnake under the bush,
or a black widow spider (which can be found in Massachusetts) -- not
to mention what might have happened if one of the kids had been
previously undiagnosed as allergic to wasp stings?

With all the talk about safety on the list recently, I think it's
good to reflect on how we can best protect ourselves and our families
from the potential hazards that come with enjoying the great
outdoors. I rarely get up on a soapbox, but I think that kids need to
be properly supervised when they're out in the woods, letterboxing or
otherwise, and that parents have to teach their kids the proper
methods of exploring for letterboxes (don't randomly turn over rocks
and logs, don't reach into dark places without poking a stick in
first, be respectful of nature and the letterbox, learn how to rehide
a letterbox properly, etc.). I also don't believe that kids who are
very young are usually up to the responsibility (speaking as a parent
myself). There are too many problems that you can encounter outdoors
for which a first aid kit just isn't going to help you.

Besides having a letterboxer stranded on a cliff, we've had a
letterboxer who had to be rescued from mud by the fire department --
and not too long ago a geocacher tumbled off a cliff and died while
out by himself seeking a geocache (which could easily have been a
letterboxer trying to read a clue instead of watching his or her
step). These are all heartbreaking stories, and I'd be very happy to
not hear another one in my lifetime....

SD


|-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-|
Silent Doug, P50 F1006 X138 E18
silentdoug@letterboxing.info
http://www.letterboxing.info

I had an unpleasant experience searching for a box at the Holt Pond
Preserve in the Raymond/Standish area last summer for the Lakes Region
Gathering. I've never had an allergic reaction to a sting, but this
one was a whopper. I got stung so quickly, I barely had a chance to
see what it was. I was luckily with 2 other folks, Nautilus (who is
very allergic) and Isosceles. We quickly realized we had disturbed a
nest of wasps underneath a boardwalk by having walked behind another
person on the trail. We also realized it was way too late to turn
around and hike the rest of the mile long loop trail. We bushwacked it
through the woods and ran all the way back to the car. Needless to
say, I had a swolen, purple leg for a month afterwards.

Having seen a Chinese Herbalist, a Homeopath, and after a whole head
or two of cabbage leaves later, I have resolved to always carry Apis
Mellifica pellets with me. This is the homeopathic remedy for stings.
I cannot recommend this for everyone, nor can I even begin to explain
how well the cabbage worked (removes toxins from bloodstream), but as
someone who is certified in CPR and first aid, I would say that yes,
it might be suggested that you bring even a modified version of a
first aid kit with you.

If you are stung once, the chances are that you'll be stung again, and
the next time could trigger an allergic reaction. You do not build
immunity to all stings. A beekeeper will tell you differently, but in
the case of wasps, you are better safe than sorry. Carry an epi-pen if
you have (many) small children, and always make sure you don't send
them running into the woods to stir up dark piles of detritus and
other rotting materials.

phyto
with my 2cents

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "yardfolk4" wrote:
> today we were searching for a letterbox in Newton, MA with 6 children
> ages 7 and under. We sent the kids racing under a shrub for the
> prize. They came racing out being chased by an extremely angry swarm
> of wasps. The worst victim was a 5 year old with 10 stings. of course
> this was very upsetting for everyone involved, especially since it was
> the first box for our relatives. and we didn't even get the stamp!
> from now on, we'll be doing our searches with a first aid kit, I'd
> suggest that this is a good idea for everyone...
> Karen in MA