As many of you know, Pete and I have had plans for putting in a series of letterboxes close to home on the Vin Gormley Trail for a very long time now - from even before we introduced my sister-in-law Trish and her family to our wonderful hobby of letterboxing on my birthday a year ago! We're happy to announce that The Lil' Rhody Runaround series, only a few miles from our home is now finally available, and may be found at http://alum.wpi.edu/~p_miner/Rhody_Run.html . This 4 box loop series was, in fact, supposed to have been our first letterbox placement attempt last fall, but, unlike many of you deft artistic types, we literally got "blocked" at the thought of carving our own stamps, so those boxes - full but uncarved - just sat around in our study for over half a year, until we finally moved on to placing our "bought stamp" boxes first.

Just this past weekend, however, at a family picnic at our home, I suggested reopening discussion to the letterboxing community on having a letterbox Gathering at Burlingame this fall, saying that would surely be an incentive for finally getting those old boxes of ours out there. Since we don't have a computer at home, Trish said she'd e-mail the group, and immediately took matters in hand. Trish is definitely one for getting things done and can be counted on to pull off a great gathering. However, since we've had these particular boxes planned, prepped and labeled for soooooo long, we really wanted to be able to put them out as planned and not in any assigned or specially designated section. In fact, we think it would be great for other folks to come around and put in their own boxes wherever they feel it is appropriate - the more the merrier! (The North-South Trail could certainly use a few more boxes, too!)

So, it seems the Burlingame area should be quite "well-stocked" for the big fall letterbox hunt. Trish just gave me a belated birthday present of a "Trailing Arbutus" stamp that she carved from a picture I had drawn in early March (when I was still hoping to get a hitchhiker out in time to go along with blooming season for my two April Kimball Arbutus boxes). That stamp will now be part of a bonus box, either at Kimball's or nearby Schoolhouse Pond, both bordering Burlingame. Between those four boxes and the four Rhody Runaround ones which make a rainbow by the way when found in order, we hope to have made a good start. We'll most likely be adding several others in September and possibly a home box as well, since we live so close. Add in the Drew Clan's nearby seaside boxes, a couple of mystery boxes and hitchhikers (including possibly Trish's Magic Tree House hitchhiker if she can ever find where she misplaced it :-) hint, hint), and whatever other boxes people might yet wish to plant in the area, plus the hundred or so boxes already located within a half hour's drive, and we should all have a great letterboxing field day!

I am really sorry it took so long for us to get these boxes out. I guess we just got too caught up in work projects, trips and hunting boxes! In fact, I'm only just now finally getting ready to head back up the Appalachian Trail to Maine - my short break from hiking in June has insidiously turned into another month-long "letterboxing fest"!

Anyway, I hope you're all having a great summer and we'll be looking forward to seeing a lot of you at Burlingame this fall. If a date has not yet been set, I would like to suggest either Sept 22-23 or Sept 29-30, so as not to conflict with Columbus Day weekend activities (including the 20th annual Gathering of Long Distance Hikers at Dartmouth College!), but please contact Trish if you have other suggestions. Meanwhile, best wishes and Happy letterboxing!



Wanda (of Wanda and Pete) from RI
P15 F389 X45