Letterboxers all!
Susan, our daughter and I had an opportunity to look for Randy's "6
layers of History" Letterbox this past Wednesday, while on a trip to
take our daughter to college.
We ended the drought by finding this Letterbox in a soaking downpour.
First, let me say, the clues were very well-done. Especially in
hindsight while slogging back to the car after the search. We did, I
think, find all the landmarks - our daughter was the lucky box-finder.
Lessons learned: letterbox hunters should keep ink-jet-printed clue
pages
in waterproof see-thru protection sleeves, as we were seriously in
danger of having the cryptic words first blur and smudge, then run down
our forearms into the historic clay. Also, carry an umbrella or other
shelter for the "stamping-up".
I was very gratified at our daughter's persistance - Suzi and I were
wearing thin - she wouldn't let us quit (even after nearly 2 hours of
searching).
The general area of the box has wonderful history to be learned and
savored - we will leave that for the next trip, as we were so cold and
wet that we all went to MacDonalds to use the hand blow-dryers, not
limited to our hands.
Perhaps this was a Dartmoor-typical experience? Cold, wet, slogging thru
all kinds of terrain, history all about, compass (and eyeglasses) too
wet to really take bearings, finding the object of one's search just
minutes before one had decided to quit.
This is nuts! But, really fun.
Thanks, Randy!
Vt. Viking and Family
West VA box found!
3 messages in this thread |
Started on 1999-08-29
[LbNA] West VA box found!
From: erik/susan davis (davisarc@wcvt.com) |
Date: 1999-08-29 22:00:38 UTC-07:00
[LbNA] Re: West VA box found!
From: Graham Howard (ghh2@tutor.open.ac.uk) |
Date: 1999-09-02 08:54:53 UTC+01:00
davisarc@wcvt.com,Internet writes:
>Letterboxers all!
>Susan, our daughter and I had an opportunity to look for Randy's "6
>layers of History" Letterbox this past Wednesday, while on a trip to
>take our daughter to college.
>
>We ended the drought by finding this Letterbox in a soaking downpour.
Ohh such joy .... I was beginning to think that it was all idyllic
letterboxing in LbNA land...
Rain, rain and more rain is the normal boxers delight in Dartmoor...and I
am beginning to believe that I am some sort of rain magnet myself....so
it's great to hear about a soggy slog in the your magical letterboxing
land.
..
..
..
> our daughter was the lucky box-finder.
Well..done....you dont say how old your daughter is...but I have always
advocated that it is a very handy letterboxing implement to take along ..
er that is I mean always "pack" a handy 10 - 15 year old.....they are very
"useful" to locate those boxes that the "more mature" boxers find
difficulty in bending down and seeking under rocks for !
My son (13) has the coined the expression..."boxious"....pronounced like
"anxious"..It means .."having the characteristics of a high state of
letterbox" for example ..a location can be said to be 'boxious' if (say)
there are lots of very suitable rocks just aching to have a tupperware
letterbox slid under them...or a person my be said to be 'boxious' if they
display a nervous character in such locations...and have the tendency to
look under rocks and skip from rock to rock in a frenzied search
pattern.....now this is best controlled by the "use" of a active and
friendly son or daughter who is more able to assist in all this physical
exercise...
My ideal is to arrive at a boxious location ..set up my folding directors
chair and ..sitting in the warm sun sipping my tea..set to directing my
son as he scrambles over the rockfield seeking the boxes whilst I
"helpfully" point here and there..maybe take a bearing or two and offer
encouraging advice...
But then it isn't like that actually....it's normally "raining" and Dad
has to keep looking else No. 1 son gets to moaning, "Dad you're not
looking hard enough !" so my ideal will never be achieved I fear !
>
>Lessons learned: letterbox hunters should keep ink-jet-printed clue
>pages
>in waterproof see-thru protection sleeves, as we were seriously in
>danger of having the cryptic words first blur and smudge, then run down
>our forearms into the historic clay. Also, carry an umbrella or other
>shelter for the "stamping-up".
Ahh now here is another area of Dartmoor folklore......What is the ideal
way to get boxes in the rain ?...ohh there are inflated plastic bag
thingys you can put box stamp and collectors book inside then inflate it
all up...so you can then stamp away using the techniques that they use to
handle dangerous chemicals with long gloved "hands"
....even tent like rain cagoules made extra large for boxers to sit in and
stamp away in the ..er "dry" (sic)...
But its usually also windy and that puts paid to a flapping cagoule...
So then yes those big deep clear brollies are favoured and even dark room
type bags where you pop your hands in the ends to change film in a
camera..only you sort of stamp away inside..very curious...lots of
techniques .. I wonder if you have any personal favourites....there are
lots of ways...though taking it home to stamp in the dry is not favoured !
>
>The general area of the box has wonderful history to be learned and
savoured
> - we will leave that for the next trip, as we were so cold and
>wet that we all went to MacDonalds to use the hand blow-dryers, not
>limited to our hands.
been there done that too ...
>
>
>Perhaps this was a Dartmoor-typical experience? Cold, wet, slogging thru
>all kinds of terrain, history all about, compass (and eyeglasses) too
>wet to really take bearings, finding the object of one's search just
>minutes before one had decided to quit.
ohh yes ...such joy... you aren't a true Letterboxers if you give
in.....just because of a "spot" of rain
Well done Erik and daughter...a lovely tale...and one I can very
definitely associate with !
.
>
>This is nuts! But, really fun.
yep !
Best wishes to all boxers "in peril" in the rain !...
Sounds like the title for a stirring boxers hymn to me !
Graham Howard
The Moorland Wizard
LbNA P0F0
>Letterboxers all!
>Susan, our daughter and I had an opportunity to look for Randy's "6
>layers of History" Letterbox this past Wednesday, while on a trip to
>take our daughter to college.
>
>We ended the drought by finding this Letterbox in a soaking downpour.
Ohh such joy .... I was beginning to think that it was all idyllic
letterboxing in LbNA land...
Rain, rain and more rain is the normal boxers delight in Dartmoor...and I
am beginning to believe that I am some sort of rain magnet myself....so
it's great to hear about a soggy slog in the your magical letterboxing
land.
..
..
..
> our daughter was the lucky box-finder.
Well..done....you dont say how old your daughter is...but I have always
advocated that it is a very handy letterboxing implement to take along ..
er that is I mean always "pack" a handy 10 - 15 year old.....they are very
"useful" to locate those boxes that the "more mature" boxers find
difficulty in bending down and seeking under rocks for !
My son (13) has the coined the expression..."boxious"....pronounced like
"anxious"..It means .."having the characteristics of a high state of
letterbox" for example ..a location can be said to be 'boxious' if (say)
there are lots of very suitable rocks just aching to have a tupperware
letterbox slid under them...or a person my be said to be 'boxious' if they
display a nervous character in such locations...and have the tendency to
look under rocks and skip from rock to rock in a frenzied search
pattern.....now this is best controlled by the "use" of a active and
friendly son or daughter who is more able to assist in all this physical
exercise...
My ideal is to arrive at a boxious location ..set up my folding directors
chair and ..sitting in the warm sun sipping my tea..set to directing my
son as he scrambles over the rockfield seeking the boxes whilst I
"helpfully" point here and there..maybe take a bearing or two and offer
encouraging advice...
But then it isn't like that actually....it's normally "raining" and Dad
has to keep looking else No. 1 son gets to moaning, "Dad you're not
looking hard enough !" so my ideal will never be achieved I fear !
>
>Lessons learned: letterbox hunters should keep ink-jet-printed clue
>pages
>in waterproof see-thru protection sleeves, as we were seriously in
>danger of having the cryptic words first blur and smudge, then run down
>our forearms into the historic clay. Also, carry an umbrella or other
>shelter for the "stamping-up".
Ahh now here is another area of Dartmoor folklore......What is the ideal
way to get boxes in the rain ?...ohh there are inflated plastic bag
thingys you can put box stamp and collectors book inside then inflate it
all up...so you can then stamp away using the techniques that they use to
handle dangerous chemicals with long gloved "hands"
....even tent like rain cagoules made extra large for boxers to sit in and
stamp away in the ..er "dry" (sic)...
But its usually also windy and that puts paid to a flapping cagoule...
So then yes those big deep clear brollies are favoured and even dark room
type bags where you pop your hands in the ends to change film in a
camera..only you sort of stamp away inside..very curious...lots of
techniques .. I wonder if you have any personal favourites....there are
lots of ways...though taking it home to stamp in the dry is not favoured !
>
>The general area of the box has wonderful history to be learned and
savoured
> - we will leave that for the next trip, as we were so cold and
>wet that we all went to MacDonalds to use the hand blow-dryers, not
>limited to our hands.
been there done that too ...
>
>
>Perhaps this was a Dartmoor-typical experience? Cold, wet, slogging thru
>all kinds of terrain, history all about, compass (and eyeglasses) too
>wet to really take bearings, finding the object of one's search just
>minutes before one had decided to quit.
ohh yes ...such joy... you aren't a true Letterboxers if you give
in.....just because of a "spot" of rain
Well done Erik and daughter...a lovely tale...and one I can very
definitely associate with !
.
>
>This is nuts! But, really fun.
yep !
Best wishes to all boxers "in peril" in the rain !...
Sounds like the title for a stirring boxers hymn to me !
Graham Howard
The Moorland Wizard
LbNA P0F0
[LbNA] Re: West VA box found!
From: (MixtMedia@aol.com) |
Date: 1999-09-07 02:51:04 UTC-04:00
In a message dated 9/2/99 2:59:16 AM Central Daylight Time,
ghh2@tutor.open.ac.uk writes:
> Ohh such joy .... I was beginning to think that it was all idyllic
> letterboxing in LbNA land...
>
> Rain, rain and more rain is the normal boxers delight in Dartmoor...and I
> am beginning to believe that I am some sort of rain magnet myself....so
> it's great to hear about a soggy slog in the your magical letterboxing
> land.
>
Graham! I'm extremely disappointed! My own personal dream of
Dartmoor is of the sun always shining and rainbows and temperatures
averaging 75 and an open pub always around the corner.
Oh well.... my daughters and I were going around singing from the
musical "Oliver" the other day ~ I think the school choir is singing
one of the songs this semester (was the movie made here or there?)...
there's that song that goes... "and the grass is green and dense, on
the right side of the fence..." :-}
Deborah
ghh2@tutor.open.ac.uk writes:
> Ohh such joy .... I was beginning to think that it was all idyllic
> letterboxing in LbNA land...
>
> Rain, rain and more rain is the normal boxers delight in Dartmoor...and I
> am beginning to believe that I am some sort of rain magnet myself....so
> it's great to hear about a soggy slog in the your magical letterboxing
> land.
>
Graham! I'm extremely disappointed! My own personal dream of
Dartmoor is of the sun always shining and rainbows and temperatures
averaging 75 and an open pub always around the corner.
Oh well.... my daughters and I were going around singing from the
musical "Oliver" the other day ~ I think the school choir is singing
one of the songs this semester (was the movie made here or there?)...
there's that song that goes... "and the grass is green and dense, on
the right side of the fence..." :-}
Deborah