Wow! That must be a record...... Bravo! ..... With a positive attitude
like that , you should have no trouble reaching your goal in no time.

Peace&Love ...... Budster of the Catskills


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

congratulations

when we checked on our DUNE FLYER LB on Cape COd
we noticed that you had visited

very glad to have had a small part in F12,500

dixie darlin'

Wandaandpete,
You're such an amazing example to all of us. My kids are always excited to think about what you've found, what you've planted, and if you've visited our boxes. They want to be like you someday, so donj't ever burn out on boxing!! Slowing down someday may be allowed, but that's it! Congrats on the milestone --
The Travelers Four

wandaandpete wrote:
Just had to say how happy I was to have reached F12,500 last weekend
along the Monoosnoc Ridge Trail in Leominster, MA! Old Hounder had
been telling me that I just had to go do the "Comb City Quest"
because I'd really enjoy getting back into that type of hiking, and -
sure enough - I completed all 13 boxes in one afternoon, had a great
time, and, appropriately enough, got "Pine Forest"( my old symbol
from my backpacking days!) as my 12,500th find!

Well, not so long ago it seems I was just joking about how I would
love to find 25,000 letterboxes in my lifetime, to go along with
those 25,000+ miles of solo long-distance backpacking that I did in
the '80's and 90's ( 5+ AT's, 3+ PCT's, the CDT, and much more!) -
and now it turns out I'm already halfway there! Actually, I don't
know if I could possibly even have the time, energy and drive to find
another 12,500 letterboxes left in me, but it has been fun getting
this far! Days like we had recently collecting over 200 beautiful
stamps from all over the country at the Great Book Adventure in
Tomball, Texas, or hiking half a dozen different conservation areas
on Cape Cod last month to find 75 boxes in a single short,rainy, non-
gathering afternoon are definitely not the "norm" in our letterboxing
experience, where the vast majority of our finds still come from long
walks for a single box or two! However, even with a combination of
what I call the "all-you-can-eat buffets" (gatherings), the regular
everyday fare, and those long searches for single gourmet delicacies,
reaching another 12,500 finds seems like quite a stretch! I'll try
to keep going, though, as long as time, health, and other life
factors permit, and I don't get "burned-out" on it! Meanwhile, thanks
so much for the encouragement, and thanks again to everyone who has
been so gracious about planting all these wonderful boxes for the
general public to enjoy!

Wanda from RI
P185 F12521 X1331






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

everytime we go out in search for a box, billy always has to check to see if you found the box. it is exciting that we are following in your foots steps. it is an honor to do so. i talk about you guys at work. even though it doesn't seem that they have the same lack of interest in this crazy addiction, i still find the time to talk about you. they snicker when i call you 2 "the gods of letterboxing." im sorry if no one else feels the same about you, but this is how i look at you. i look up to you and it seems that the boys do too. it was an honor to meet you guys.

congrats
david (team new hampshire)
http://teamnewhampshire.blogspot.com


dixiedarlin_snakedancer wrote:
congratulations

when we checked on our DUNE FLYER LB on Cape COd
we noticed that you had visited

very glad to have had a small part in F12,500

dixie darlin'






---------------------------------
Sponsored Link

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

Awesome, in the truest sense of the word!

Lord & Ladybug

Wow! Congratulations, Wanda, that's a remarkable achievement.

Connfederate (Who is celebrating his one year of letterboxing
anniversary today :D)

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "wandaandpete"
wrote:
>
> Just had to say how happy I was to have reached F12,500 last weekend
>
> Wanda from RI
> P185 F12521 X1331

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "wandaandpete"
wrote:
>
> or hiking half a dozen different conservation areas
> on Cape Cod last month to find 75 boxes in a single short,rainy, non-
> gathering afternoon...


No disrespect meant, but how is this possible? Even if a "short"
afternoon were 6.25 hours long, this would mean a box every 5 minutes.
Now perhaps I am doing something wrong, but 5 minutes is barely enough
time to pull the box out of its hiding spot, stamp in and rehide the
box thoroughly -- not to mention time to follow the clues getting to
each box and driving between the different conservation areas. Do you
east coasters have some secret to exponentially expanding the standard
60 second minute?

Congratulations none-the-less, this is an unbelievably incredible
number of finds!

SpringChick

well there was a haunted halloween hunt that turned up 13 boxes. it took us about an hour to find those boxes. of course if helps they were in someones front yard. i'm sure they got those!

can't you smell it? it smells like.......winter!
david (team new hampshire)
http://teamnewhampshire.blogspot.com


SpringChick wrote:
--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "wandaandpete"
wrote:
>
> or hiking half a dozen different conservation areas
> on Cape Cod last month to find 75 boxes in a single short,rainy, non-
> gathering afternoon...

No disrespect meant, but how is this possible? Even if a "short"
afternoon were 6.25 hours long, this would mean a box every 5 minutes.
Now perhaps I am doing something wrong, but 5 minutes is barely enough
time to pull the box out of its hiding spot, stamp in and rehide the
box thoroughly -- not to mention time to follow the clues getting to
each box and driving between the different conservation areas. Do you
east coasters have some secret to exponentially expanding the standard
60 second minute?

Congratulations none-the-less, this is an unbelievably incredible
number of finds!

SpringChick






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

Congrats Wanda and Pete! Wooo HOOooooo!! That's an amazing accomplishment!

Too bad letterboxing couldn't catch up to you. Just think how many boxes you would have snagged if there were boxes around when you first starting clocking all those miles on your hiking boots back in the day! It boggles the mind...

I wish you many happy finds in the future...I really enjoy you guys. But remember Wanda...I'm watching you! There will be NO sneaking of cooties out of other people's bags and packs just so you can log the find! It ain't a find if it ain't planted on YOU! :)

Much love -

LW PhD


---------------------------------
Check out the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster.

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

Congratulations! You continue to amaze us.

Didn't get to talk to you at the gathering, but your outfit was way cool.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and Pete.

Mary
TS


----- Original Message -----
From: wandaandpete
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 5:05 PM
Subject: [LbNA] Climbing to F12,500 in the Monoosnoc Hills!





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

Thanks for all the kind words, folks, especially considering that in a world often fraught
with animosity, jealousy and insecurity, it might be difficult for some people to be gracious
about the accomplishments of others! Yes, I certainly have put in more than my share of
"heavy duty" letterboxing days over the past 5 years, and many of them - like the miles I
did in my former backpacking days - could probably not be replicated, so I am just very
glad that I was able to do them when I did, and now have the stamps - and achey knees -
to show for all my efforts!

However, one experience that can be replicated these days, so that no one need feel
resentful or skeptical about it, is something that not so very long ago we used to joke
about, thinking that it was a physical impossibility, but is now accessible to any number of
folks who might really want to do it, and that is the "50+ box day". Of course, this may
have long been possible in Dartmoor and has become a fairly common occurence at some
recent gatherings, but even on a non-gathering day, it is now within reach of just about
anyone willing and able to put in the time, effort and organization in a few select
"letterboxing meccas". I remember when Alan and Jonathan became the first folks here to
do a "50+box day" because we were with them on that late November night a few years
back, and they did a fine job of rehiding the boxes, too! I personally found myself really
scrambling all afternoon to get the 50 states boxes & bonuses, smurfs, and other assorted
confections on a recent trip to Cape Cod (plus boxing well into the night with that great
little headlamp Eli & Aubrey gave me in Ithaca!), so I doubt that it will be very long before
someone somewhere is able to find 100+ boxes in a single non-gathering day! Once
again, however, I must repeat that these occasional "letterboxing feasts" are not the norm,
are not meant to be competitive, and may even contribute to letterboxing "burnout",
although they are great fun once in a while! Anyway, please let's just all try to be grateful
for whatever boxes we have access to, appreciate the hikes as well as the stamps, and
thanks to the many fine planters who keep this hobby going!
Cheers,

Wanda from RI in PA
P185 F12562 X1336

In a time when the biggest complaints we hear from letterboxers are about people overly emphasizing the numbers, being careless when replacing boxes and not caring about the letterboxing experience as a whole, why would anyone encourage a 50+ box day, even if it is physically possible? Instead let's put the focus back on the more leisurely aspects of letterboxing -- an enjoyable time in nature, with friends, enjoy the journey, take time to make sure you are being discreet and the box is replaced carefully -- a quality letterboxing experience with quality letterboxes that a person cannot find and stamp in 5 minutes.

As with so many other things in life, it is not about the numbers, rather it is about the experience. And if you do happen to be one of those folks for whom it is a competitive thing and numbers really are all that matter to you, please don't encourage this or hold it up as a goal for new letterboxers.

SpringChick


-------------- Original message --------------
From: "wandaandpete"
Thanks for all the kind words, folks, especially considering that in a world often fraught
with animosity, jealousy and insecurity, it might be difficult for some people to be gracious
about the accomplishments of others!


However, one experience that can be replicated these days, so that no one need feel
resentful or skeptical about it, is something that not so very long ago we used to joke
about, thinking that it was a physical impossibility, but is now accessible to any number of
folks who might really want to do it, and that is the "50+ box day".

Wanda from RI in PA
P185 F12562 X1336




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

In my opinion -- If it is not for you, it is not for you. It's not for me either. But if it's for
someone else and they want to share that with the group, they should be able to without
being censored. That is how someone else letterboxes and it is definitely an option.

For me, who knows. Maybe after 4-5 yrs I will be ready for a new challenge. Who can say?
I'm glad to hear about all the different options as regards this hobby.

And if someone doesn't care for it for ourselves of course, we can say so and why. But I
would not presume to tell others what they can or cannot do as regards letterboxing, if it
works for them and they enjoy it.

That is, "IN MY OPINION". that's a really good phrase to use, I find.

Freelance Mystic


>
>
> As with so many other things in life, it is not about the numbers, rather it is about the
experience. And if you do happen to be one of those folks for whom it is a competitive
thing and numbers really are all that matter to you, please don't encourage this or hold it
up as a goal for new letterboxers.

<< Thanks for all the kind words, folks, especially considering that in a
world often fraught
with animosity, jealousy and insecurity, it might be difficult for some
people to be gracious
about the accomplishments of others! >>

I can't say as that I have any animosity, jealousy or insecurity in the
letterboxing department. Hard to be jealous and insecure about something
that I wouldn't care to do anyway. :-) Accomplishments? Maybe. I guess.
If someone can do it in one day, personally, that's just not an
"accomplishment" to me. At least not one of any significance that I'd
celebrate for myself. It would simply mean that people planted boxes close
enough together in an area and that I had the time on my hands to be able to
do it. One reason why I was never interested in Dartmoor I guess. Boring.
But a ton of folks *do* have fun with Dartmoor. To each, his/her own.

For what I feel, I wouldn't use "animosity" or "jealousy" or "insecurity."
However, I *would* use the word "alarm."

In the midwest, in this area, we're experiencing somewhat of a problem with
boxes either badly rehidden or, even if well rehidden, the contents of the
boxes are left with baggies left open, or things just shoved back together
in the box in such a way that leaves a mess, and tops of boxes not replaced
properly. In other words, box destruction is becoming more of a problem.
These could be finders who just plain don't know any better, finders who
know better but just don't care, or finders who are normally responsible
boxers but were in a hurry for some reason that particular day.

By encouraging people to do 50+ boxes in a day, I'm just rather alarmed that
others could be tempted to try to achieve that goal thru irresponsibility.
I don't see anything wrong with trying to set a goal like that for oneself
and seeing if it can be pulled off. I don't know if the Guinness Book of
World Records shows anyone holding a title for Most Letterboxes Found In A
Day or not.

I can only hope & pray that if folks set that as a goal for themselves that
they attempt it with the utmost responsibility towards the placers' boxes.

Some folks like to slide and cruise thru water in a canoe or kayak, taking
their time, quietly seeing everything nature has to offer, other folks like
to come along with a 2000 HP motorboat towing 6 waterskiers with their
sights set on having a wild time. Some folks are cross-country skiers and
others vroom around on snowmobiles. To each his/her own. I would only hope
that the folks with the powerboats and the snowmobiles not destroy
everything in their wakes and that they encourage nobody else to destroy
everything.

~~ Mosey ~~

I don't disagree that what is for some may not be for others, however, you reap what you sow. I am constantly hearing people complain about missing boxes, in large part due to carelessness of other letterboxers not taking the time to rehide the box well. In my opinion a person who is racing the clock to accumulate huge numbers of finds in a single outing is likely not being as careful about rehiding boxes as they might otherwise be, and even if any one particular person is careful despite their haste, promoting this practice is sure to result in others who are careless in their attempt to quickly move on to the next box.

I know many people on this list are keen on the "no rules" mantra, but there are rules. There may be a wide range of interpretation and customization to play how best suits your tastes, but there are rules just as there is in any other activity. If you don't like dribbling a ball down the basketball court, you don't play basketball -- it is not an option to just do your own thing and run with the ball in hand instead. If we want people to "play right" and rehide the boxes well, encouraging power boxing and idolizing those who amass huge quantities of finds in a short amount of time is double talk.

While one of the biggest complaints of letterbox planters is careless boxers and missing boxes, one of the biggest complaints of new letterboxers is the lack of direction. Many feel they are left to figure it out on their own and read the Yahoo! groups looking for examples. Imagine being a new letterboxer and seeing that those finding 50+ boxes in a single afternoon are lauded for their great accomplishments. It would be conceivable to think that this is then the behavior they would try to emulate.

It seems to me that anyone preaching "do it however you want to" has no business complaining when people are just out there doing their own thing and not being as conscientious about being discreet and rehiding boxes as we would hope.

SpringChick





-------------- Original message --------------
From: "pell_lake_girl"
In my opinion -- If it is not for you, it is not for you. It's not for me either. But if it's for
someone else and they want to share that with the group, they should be able to without
being censored. That is how someone else letterboxes and it is definitely an option.

For me, who knows. Maybe after 4-5 yrs I will be ready for a new challenge. Who can say?
I'm glad to hear about all the different options as regards this hobby.

And if someone doesn't care for it for ourselves of course, we can say so and why. But I
would not presume to tell others what they can or cannot do as regards letterboxing, if it
works for them and they enjoy it.

That is, "IN MY OPINION". that's a really good phrase to use, I find.

Freelance Mystic

>
>
> As with so many other things in life, it is not about the numbers, rather it is about the
experience. And if you do happen to be one of those folks for whom it is a competitive
thing and numbers really are all that matter to you, please don't encourage this or hold it
up as a goal for new letterboxers.




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

what is the most amount of boxes you found in a day?

just wondering.
david (team new hampshire)
http://teamnewhampshire.blogspot.com


letterbox@comcast.net wrote:
I don't disagree that what is for some may not be for others, however, you reap what you sow. I am constantly hearing people complain about missing boxes, in large part due to carelessness of other letterboxers not taking the time to rehide the box well. In my opinion a person who is racing the clock to accumulate huge numbers of finds in a single outing is likely not being as careful about rehiding boxes as they might otherwise be, and even if any one particular person is careful despite their haste, promoting this practice is sure to result in others who are careless in their attempt to quickly move on to the next box.

I know many people on this list are keen on the "no rules" mantra, but there are rules. There may be a wide range of interpretation and customization to play how best suits your tastes, but there are rules just as there is in any other activity. If you don't like dribbling a ball down the basketball court, you don't play basketball -- it is not an option to just do your own thing and run with the ball in hand instead. If we want people to "play right" and rehide the boxes well, encouraging power boxing and idolizing those who amass huge quantities of finds in a short amount of time is double talk.

While one of the biggest complaints of letterbox planters is careless boxers and missing boxes, one of the biggest complaints of new letterboxers is the lack of direction. Many feel they are left to figure it out on their own and read the Yahoo! groups looking for examples. Imagine being a new letterboxer and seeing that those finding 50+ boxes in a single afternoon are lauded for their great accomplishments. It would be conceivable to think that this is then the behavior they would try to emulate.

It seems to me that anyone preaching "do it however you want to" has no business complaining when people are just out there doing their own thing and not being as conscientious about being discreet and rehiding boxes as we would hope.

SpringChick

-------------- Original message --------------
From: "pell_lake_girl"
In my opinion -- If it is not for you, it is not for you. It's not for me either. But if it's for
someone else and they want to share that with the group, they should be able to without
being censored. That is how someone else letterboxes and it is definitely an option.

For me, who knows. Maybe after 4-5 yrs I will be ready for a new challenge. Who can say?
I'm glad to hear about all the different options as regards this hobby.

And if someone doesn't care for it for ourselves of course, we can say so and why. But I
would not presume to tell others what they can or cannot do as regards letterboxing, if it
works for them and they enjoy it.

That is, "IN MY OPINION". that's a really good phrase to use, I find.

Freelance Mystic

>
>
> As with so many other things in life, it is not about the numbers, rather it is about the
experience. And if you do happen to be one of those folks for whom it is a competitive
thing and numbers really are all that matter to you, please don't encourage this or hold it
up as a goal for new letterboxers.

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






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

You make an excellent point I hope people take to heart. Too many
times people "jump into the fray" without hearing the concerns that
cause people to speak out about things. Good post!

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "xxxxxxxx"
wrote:
> For what I feel, I wouldn't use "animosity" or "jealousy"
or "insecurity." However, I *would* use the word "alarm."
>

> By encouraging people to do 50+ boxes in a day, I'm just rather
alarmed that others could be tempted to try to achieve that goal thru
irresponsibility.
>

Congratulations on the goal and also for all the work involved in the hunt.

I started in March myself and can appreciate the work involved through the 20 thousand miles I traveled this Summer on the boxing circuit across a few states and through many parks and points of interest.

Pioneer Spirit
P42F743X72

-----Original Message-----
From: wandaandpete@yahoo.com
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 5:05 PM
Subject: [LbNA] Climbing to F12,500 in the Monoosnoc Hills!

Just had to say how happy I was to have reached F12,500 last weekend
along the Monoosnoc Ridge Trail in Leominster, MA! Old Hounder had
been telling me that I just had to go do the "Comb City Quest"
because I'd really enjoy getting back into that type of hiking, and -
sure enough - I completed all 13 boxes in one afternoon, had a great
time, and, appropriately enough, got "Pine Forest"( my old symbol
from my backpacking days!) as my 12,500th find!

Well, not so long ago it seems I was just joking about how I would
love to find 25,000 letterboxes in my lifetime, to go along with
those 25,000+ miles of solo long-distance backpacking that I did in
the '80's and 90's ( 5+ AT's, 3+ PCT's, the CDT, and much more!) -
and now it turns out I'm already halfway there! Actually, I don't
know if I could possibly even have the time, energy and drive to find
another 12,500 letterboxes left in me, but it has been fun getting
this far! Days like we had recently collecting over 200 beautiful
stamps from all over the country at the Great Book Adventure in
Tomball, Texas, or hiking half a dozen different conservation areas
on Cape Cod last month to find 75 boxes in a single short,rainy, non-
gathering afternoon are definitely not the "norm" in our letterboxing
experience, where the vast majority of our finds still come from long
walks for a single box or two! However, even with a combination of
what I call the "all-you-can-eat buffets" (gatherings), the regular
everyday fare, and those long searches for single gourmet delicacies,
reaching another 12,500 finds seems like quite a stretch! I'll try
to keep going, though, as long as time, health, and other life
factors permit, and I don't get "burned-out" on it! Meanwhile, thanks
so much for the encouragement, and thanks again to everyone who has
been so gracious about planting all these wonderful boxes for the
general public to enjoy!

Wanda from RI
P185 F12521 X1331


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

Wow! You guys truely are die-hard boxers! I'm so new
at this that I'm just sticking to my OWN neighborhood,
as in the town I live in. Come spring I want to
branch out and do some traveling to mid and southern
Maine and find some boxes in my favorite sea-side
towns. However I do hope to find the boxes on Saphire
Beach in St. Thomas the first week of Dec when I'm on
my cruise. Wish me luck!

Kathy in VERY cold northern Maine

--- RMORGAN762@aol.com wrote:

> Congratulations on the goal and also for all the
> work involved in the hunt.
>
> I started in March myself and can appreciate the
> work involved through the 20 thousand miles I
> traveled this Summer on the boxing circuit across a
> few states and through many parks and points of
> interest.


Kathy Ann--the Maine-iac!

test'; ">

test'; ">



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