My Fellow Letterboxers,

With my belly full, I packed up the VW Microbus and headed over to New Mexico. Destination, the 28th Annual Great American Duck Race in the just ducky town of Deming.

For those of you with no knowledge of ducks, water is of major importance to this particular type of avian. As races go, and ducks live for racing, the Deming's race is the granddaddy of them all. Rescuing a Ruddy from a life of crime in Sibley Hole, fattening him up on turtle soup, and giving the traditional pep talk, we were ready for the wet track race. SpringChick, I heard that your chicken was disqualified from the races. Although the disguise was remarkable, I could not allow such flagrant disregard of the rules. Perhaps the bird would look better on a rotisserie?

The Monument to the Flying Paper Boy is a work of art not to be missed. After finally arriving at the remote location, I relaxed among the debris, pondering how a 72 year old could still be referred to as a boy.

Not reaching any conclusion, I gathered up the litter and headed out to Albuquerque. More than 600 motorcycle racers from around the country where competing in the 5th Annual Sandia Classic. I would have been one of them if SpringChick's retaliation skills were not so remarkable. But, I did not come here to talk about ducks, litter or motorcycles; I came to talk letterboxing.

Letterboxing in New Mexico is concentrated in the northern section with a scattering in the south. As of today there are a little over 200 letterboxes in New Mexico and only 16% of these are mysteries. Not a good percentage if you ask me. The letterboxes are in good shape. Seems New Mexico does not know how to write a mystery, but does know their containers. New Mexico, a state worth planting in! When hiking, please be aware that the weather, especially in the mountains, can change without notice. Late May through November is considered the best hiking time in the higher elevations. Even in those months, it's been known to storm and snow. With storms comes flash flooding. Be prepared at all times.

Sincerely,

Investigator Francis Bacon