RI -- condition of some older letterboxes, not so good

From: moonstone_baby (moonstone_baby@yahoo.com) | Date: 2002-05-29 01:24:13 UTC

On Saturday I did the Breathe letterbox of "Live & Breathe" in
Exeter. The plastic container was shot and the ink pad was
completely dried out. I replace both the ink pad and the plastic
container (different color ink though) so the box is good for another
100,000 miles. I also replaced the pen when I dropped the box's pen
between a crack in the rocks where it refused to be reached.

Today I did the first three boxes of Fond Farewell in Newport. These
boxes are in very poor shape. All 3 boxes are in need of new plastic
containers and journals (all 3 had water inside them.) The journal
in the first and third boxes is completely soaked and will most
likely rot or mildew soon. I dried things out as best I could. I
replaced the plastic bag on the first box to prevent any further
damage to the journal. Much of what is written in the journal is
unreadable. The ink pad in the first box is so wet it is better not
used at it will saturate your journal. And worst of all, the stamp
in the third box is missing and has been missing for over 18 months.
That box is pretty well trashed anyway.

I didn't have time to get to the fourth box but my guess is it's
condition will be consistent with the other three.

moonstone_baby

Re: [LbNA] RI -- condition of some older letterboxes, not so good

From: M. Greene (rid25751@ride.ri.net) | Date: 2002-05-29 12:21:39 UTC-04:00

----- Original Message -----
From: "moonstone_baby"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 9:24 PM
Subject: [LbNA] RI -- condition of some older letterboxes, not so good

| On Saturday I did the Breathe letterbox of "Live & Breathe" in
| Exeter. The plastic container was shot and the ink pad was
| completely dried out. I replace both the ink pad and the plastic
| container (different color ink though) so the box is good for another
| 100,000 miles. I also replaced the pen when I dropped the box's pen
| between a crack in the rocks where it refused to be reached.

Wish I'd known you were going. I need to drag Dan out to LB more often.

| Today I did the first three boxes of Fond Farewell in Newport. These
| boxes are in very poor shape. All 3 boxes are in need of new plastic
| containers and journals (all 3 had water inside them.) The journal
| in the first and third boxes is completely soaked and will most
| likely rot or mildew soon. I dried things out as best I could. I
| replaced the plastic bag on the first box to prevent any further
| damage to the journal. Much of what is written in the journal is
| unreadable. The ink pad in the first box is so wet it is better not
| used at it will saturate your journal. And worst of all, the stamp
| in the third box is missing and has been missing for over 18 months.
| That box is pretty well trashed anyway.

Fast Passage and Fort Adams were pretty beat up when Danny and I went there
about a month ago, and we replaced some bags and boxes. The coastal boxes
take quite a beating from the weather. When we go out to do more on
Aquidneck Island, we'll bring more fresh boxes and baggies along and try to
help maintain these boxes for the Drew clan.

| I didn't have time to get to the fourth box but my guess is it's
| condition will be consistent with the other three.

If we go and find this one, I'll let you know.

This coming weekend we intend to do the second half of Canonchet's Waters.
I have been to the Ashville Pond box twice, and all was well, but on my
first trip to the Long Pond box, it was nowhere to be found, and I'm pretty
sure we were looking in the right spot. Even though I'm fairly certain it's
missing (and the clue page notes this), I want to return. It's a beautiful
area! Maybe we'll find the box thrown somewhere or maybe I was in the wrong
spot the first time. Want to join us if we go? It would most likely be
Sunday. If so, please email me.

Mary

Re: RI -- condition of some older letterboxes, not so good

From: drewclan11 (drewclan@aol.com) | Date: 2002-05-30 03:40:43 UTC

Janet and Mary (and the many others who have come to our rescue over
the years), thank you very much for your time and expense in fixing
up our letterboxes. Since we don't live and work in Newport [RI] any
more, lots of those letterboxes have fallen into disarry. Ben/Fur
have even made us a replacement stamp for the one that has been
missing (now where is that danged thing?).

We still love Newport best of all and spend as much time as possible
there, but it's mostly out on the bay sailing J105s. We'd love to
sink a letterbox by the nun buoy at the harbor's entrance...

Jay in CT

Re: [LbNA] Re: RI -- condition of some older letterboxes, not so good

From: Susan/Erik Davis (Davisarc@DavisVermont.com) | Date: 2002-05-30 13:02:29 UTC-04:00

We'd love to 
sink a letterbox by the nun buoy at the harbor's entrance...

Is a striped nun buoy in the harbor a "Sister Mister"? <Big grin>;)

Susan
in-too-much-fog-in-Vermont!