Please don't be so critical of those of us who can only manage drive
by boxes and dislike searching for a missing box. What is a drive by
box for you can take my three year old and me (with an infant on my
back) over an hour to reach. This is time for me to spend with my
sons, and I'd rather not have it end in tears because he can't find
the box. He doesn't understand missing. It's not the F count for him
-- he really can't count much past 10 -- but finding something someone
else hid for him to find. Believe me, he enjoys the journey. He
might not care about your waterfall or scenic vista, but we have an
acorn and rock collection that is his pride and joy. Maybe someday
when no one in my family needs to be carried or tires after a mile or
so, I'll feel differently, but for now, drive by boxes and the find
history are what makes letterboxing possible for us.

Wyassup Lake

> While I won't presume to answer for Jay, I certainly realize a few
> problems with these two functions. If you would look at it from
> a "Placers" perspective these two functions do not add anything
> positive to the placer's letterbox. On the contrary they tend to
> detract from the creation. Mystery is diminished if not eliminated.
> Finders may not even try for a letterbox if there is many "attempts"
> listed, and if the box hasn't been "found" in sometime the
> prevailing wisdom might be that it is missing. The only thing that
> really is effected is the search or lack of a search for
> the "Finders".
> There is a different mindset for the planter of a letterbox as
> compared to the finder. The planter has created this stamp, logbook,
> found a really neat spot that they want to share, taken the time to
> plant the box, write clues (sometimes very cleverly) and then post
> those clues.
> The finder (not all) on the other hand wants to increase their F
> count, checks to see if there is a history and when it was found
> last. If it is a driveby and near another boxes so much the better.
> Drives to the starting point, doesn't read the clues properly or
> maybe not completely, looks for the box and if successful, stamps in
> hurriedly and rushes off to the next letterbox. Doesn't even bother
> to hike 50 more feet up the trail to the cool little waterfall that
> was the reason in the first place for the letterbox. In their mind
> that is okay because they think they had a successful weekend in
> nabbing 30 letterboxes.
> Now many of us have done that very thing and many have come to a
> point that those multi-box weekends are less important. When it
> comes right down to it I don't really give a damn about an F count,
> what I care about is giving a gift of a neat spot, different
> experience, a passable hand carved stamp, and some time you can
> share with your family, friends or special person.
> Some folks have a problem with boxes they deem "missing" or they
> can't find easily. Not finding every letterbox is a part of
> letterboxing. Sometimes life isn't always finding every last Easter
> egg. Next time maybe you should think quality not quantity and not
> even bother to check a letterbox history and instead of cramming
> several searches into you weekend go out for a single letterbox and
> enjoy all of that "one" experience.
>
> Don(ranter)
>
>