VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
7 messages in this thread |
Started on 2002-11-25
VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
From: be ma (bema57@hotmail.com) |
Date: 2002-11-25 00:01:12 UTC
We should have known it was not the day to leave home for long. Dad injured
a hip playing tennis and mom had a spontaneous gusher of a nose bleed.
But,hey, we hadn't found a box all week (we finally placed one, but...). So
off we went to look for Froggy.
We arrived at Claude Moore park at about 3:15 and noticed the sign on the
gate -- park closes at 5 -- hey no problem! Everyone tumbled out of the car
and ran around the lake, over the dam (which I wouldn't have known was a dam
except for a well placed sign). We had no luck on box #1. We took PaPa
sized steps and MaMa sized steps, big brother, little sister and froggy
sized steps, but, no box. We think we found the pile of sticks behind the
tree. Could it be missing (not officially - I know, but we couldn't find
it). Not to be discouraged -- back we went and down the other side. We
walked through the woods, down a couple of winding paths into the woods and
we located the Oracle all nestled in safely. The box had some water but the
baggies were dry. We wished she could have told us to go no further!
Feeling better with a stamp in the books, we head off in search of #3. The
path was a little longer than we thought it would be and Dad is going a
little slowly (when little sister is way ahead of him, you KNOW something is
going on). Hobble, hobble up the hill, through the leaves.... The sun is
going down now...it didn't seem like it was that late... Hmmm, an injured
Dad, a very non-woodsy mom and two little ones and we have no idea where we
are... Really looking for Blue Blazes, looking really hard. It's getting
darker... We found our way to the fence but where is that? We look for
pine trees but they are scattered all over. Even in the twilight we try and
poke under twigs, under pines. Hmmm -- a high school football field....
REALLY don't remember a high school nearby on the way in.... It's almost 5
o'clock now and suddenly the sign on the gate seems a little menacing. They
don't really shut it if there is still a mommy car in the lot, do they?
Hobble, hobble... through another fence, poor kids are hobbling along too
cause mom and dad will no longer let them stop to take all the stuff out of
their sneakers... hmmmm no flashlight.... Only we could get lost in the
middle of suburbia. Down another gravel road and YAHOO! We see the
portapotties! We see the volley ball net! We see the pond and the dam!
and hot dam -- we see our car! The last little one in the parking lot.
Zoom into the car, through the gate and back into town. OK -- next time --
we will not set out so late in the day when it is getting dark so early, we
will bring a flashlight and a map of the area, we will stop as soon as we
feel injured and we will tape those little sneakers shut all along the socks
so we don't have to stop every ten steps to hop, hop, hop and empty them
out!
So, lessons learned, an adventure had, one very nice stamp and two failed
attempts. Well, froggy probably needed his privacy anyway.
Kids back home watching Star Wars, aliens and battles. They won't have
nightmares, but, mom and dad might, thinking about if we had stayed lost too
much longer....
The oh so wimpy, but happy to be home, BeMa team.
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Re: VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
From: adglbna (ADGLBNA@aol.com) |
Date: 2002-11-26 01:30:03 UTC
Oh My... I an cracking up reading your adventures for Froggy and his
hot date to my husband Jim. We will check on Froggy this weekend and
make sure he has not been relocated. It will be worth going back for
the other two and, if you look on the ADG web site you will see there
is a box 4 as well, "Froggy and Robyn's love child" (inspired and
carved by Firefly) So that should be ehough to make you brave it all
again. We did worry a little about all the paths that wind thier way
through the park, but the visitors center has some realy good maps
(and a cool kid's discovery area) so maybe stop there first?
Glad you liked the one you found, have fun going back!
Sarah ADG#3
hot date to my husband Jim. We will check on Froggy this weekend and
make sure he has not been relocated. It will be worth going back for
the other two and, if you look on the ADG web site you will see there
is a box 4 as well, "Froggy and Robyn's love child" (inspired and
carved by Firefly) So that should be ehough to make you brave it all
again. We did worry a little about all the paths that wind thier way
through the park, but the visitors center has some realy good maps
(and a cool kid's discovery area) so maybe stop there first?
Glad you liked the one you found, have fun going back!
Sarah ADG#3
Re: [LbNA] Re: VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
From: be ma (bema57@hotmail.com) |
Date: 2002-11-26 01:57:41 UTC
You know, stopping for a map would have been a really good idea. We almost
did it, but, we were so anxious to get started! Famous last words! Please
let us know if Froggy one is still there. If it is, mabe we can get an idea
of how we missed it. We retraced our route twice (mommy's version and then
daddy's version) Well, actually three times 'cause daddy was sure mommy had
gotten it wrong until mommy showed him where he made his error....
We also couldn't isolate which group of pine trees. There was one nice
arking overhang of sticks that looked like an "atrium" but it was a little
far back amongst a lot of brambles!
Next time we will follow the woman's point of view (sorry to be sexist) and
not the man's who didn't want the map and didn't want to ask the lone jogger
we saw "where the heck are we?!"
We are ready to try again (starting very early in the day). Please let us
know! BeMa
>From: "adglbna"
>Reply-To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
>To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [LbNA] Re: VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
>Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 01:30:03 -0000
>
>Oh My... I an cracking up reading your adventures for Froggy and his
>hot date to my husband Jim. We will check on Froggy this weekend and
>make sure he has not been relocated. It will be worth going back for
>the other two and, if you look on the ADG web site you will see there
>is a box 4 as well, "Froggy and Robyn's love child" (inspired and
>carved by Firefly) So that should be ehough to make you brave it all
>again. We did worry a little about all the paths that wind thier way
>through the park, but the visitors center has some realy good maps
>(and a cool kid's discovery area) so maybe stop there first?
>
>Glad you liked the one you found, have fun going back!
>
>Sarah ADG#3
>
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Re: VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
From: psycomommy2003 (ktborrelli@hotmail.com) |
Date: 2002-11-26 02:28:09 UTC
-Don't feel so bad BeMa, The Turtle and I got twisted around too on
this one. She was convinced her way was right and my way was wrong.
She finally took the clues from me and you guessed it! She was
correct! Aargh!!! I hate smart*** turtles!
And yes it is a long froggy walk to #3. We thought we were in the
correct spot twice before we really did find it.
You have to go back because ALL the stamps are well worth the time
spent.
Don't forget to find the #4 box too. It's a perfect end to the series.
Psychomommy
-- In letterbox-usa@y..., "be ma" wrote:
>
> You know, stopping for a map would have been a really good idea.
We almost
> did it, but, we were so anxious to get started! Famous last
words! Please
> let us know if Froggy one is still there. If it is, mabe we can
get an idea
> of how we missed it. We retraced our route twice (mommy's version
and then
> daddy's version) Well, actually three times 'cause daddy was sure
mommy had
> gotten it wrong until mommy showed him where he made his error....
>
> We also couldn't isolate which group of pine trees. There was one
nice
> arking overhang of sticks that looked like an "atrium" but it was a
little
> far back amongst a lot of brambles!
>
> Next time we will follow the woman's point of view (sorry to be
sexist) and
> not the man's who didn't want the map and didn't want to ask the
lone jogger
> we saw "where the heck are we?!"
>
> We are ready to try again (starting very early in the day). Please
let us
> know! BeMa
this one. She was convinced her way was right and my way was wrong.
She finally took the clues from me and you guessed it! She was
correct! Aargh!!! I hate smart*** turtles!
And yes it is a long froggy walk to #3. We thought we were in the
correct spot twice before we really did find it.
You have to go back because ALL the stamps are well worth the time
spent.
Don't forget to find the #4 box too. It's a perfect end to the series.
Psychomommy
-- In letterbox-usa@y..., "be ma"
>
> You know, stopping for a map would have been a really good idea.
We almost
> did it, but, we were so anxious to get started! Famous last
words! Please
> let us know if Froggy one is still there. If it is, mabe we can
get an idea
> of how we missed it. We retraced our route twice (mommy's version
and then
> daddy's version) Well, actually three times 'cause daddy was sure
mommy had
> gotten it wrong until mommy showed him where he made his error....
>
> We also couldn't isolate which group of pine trees. There was one
nice
> arking overhang of sticks that looked like an "atrium" but it was a
little
> far back amongst a lot of brambles!
>
> Next time we will follow the woman's point of view (sorry to be
sexist) and
> not the man's who didn't want the map and didn't want to ask the
lone jogger
> we saw "where the heck are we?!"
>
> We are ready to try again (starting very early in the day). Please
let us
> know! BeMa
Re: VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
From: mlgainey (mlgainey@yahoo.com) |
Date: 2002-11-26 04:36:52 UTC
--- In letterbox-usa@y..., "be ma" wrote:
>
> We arrived at Claude Moore park at about 3:15 and noticed the sign
on the
> gate -- park closes at 5 -- hey no problem!
I feel your pain. My coonhound puppy Bonnie and I went at about the
same time to a Richmond-area park on Halloween to plant some boxes.
This park closes at dusk in the fall and winter months. I, too,
thought we'd zip in and zip out because I had already scouted the park
and knew exactly where I wanted to plant and knew exactly where I was
going.
I planted a box and noticed it was getting a little dusky, but I was
still confident with my time management skills. Then I got to the part
of the park that reminds me of those wastelands that Frodo, Sam, and
Gollum fought their way through in "The Lord of the Rings," and I
realized that I had made a very big mistake.
So I turned around and raced through the wastelands (trying to ignore
all the slithery toves gyring and gimbling in the wabe), but Bonnie
was super juiced because she is an old huntin' dog at heart and kept
wanting to stop to smell things. I admit, I spoke rather crossly to
her at times. There was no moon that night, but I didn't freak out
until I got back to the wooded area.
People, have you ever been in the woods on a moonless night with a
hyper hound straining at the leash and only the penlight on the end of
your key ring to light your way? Oh, and lest we forget, it was also
Halloween. You think ya'll are the only ones who could get lost in
suburbia; I think I'm the only idiot dumb enough to go into the deep,
dark woods on Halloween basically by myself. Can anyone say Blair Witch?
I totally heard the estatic joy in your words when you wrote about
seeing the volleyball courts and the parking lot lights and your car.
When I finally broke out of those woods and into the parking lot, I
thought my legs would give way. I even forgave Bonnie for trying to
pull me into a ravine at one point because she must have smelled
something tasty in it.
Live and learn. Live and learn. I, too, carry a flashlight now and
look at my frickin' watch before I set out.
-- Marsha Gainey
Richmond, VA
>
> We arrived at Claude Moore park at about 3:15 and noticed the sign
on the
> gate -- park closes at 5 -- hey no problem!
I feel your pain. My coonhound puppy Bonnie and I went at about the
same time to a Richmond-area park on Halloween to plant some boxes.
This park closes at dusk in the fall and winter months. I, too,
thought we'd zip in and zip out because I had already scouted the park
and knew exactly where I wanted to plant and knew exactly where I was
going.
I planted a box and noticed it was getting a little dusky, but I was
still confident with my time management skills. Then I got to the part
of the park that reminds me of those wastelands that Frodo, Sam, and
Gollum fought their way through in "The Lord of the Rings," and I
realized that I had made a very big mistake.
So I turned around and raced through the wastelands (trying to ignore
all the slithery toves gyring and gimbling in the wabe), but Bonnie
was super juiced because she is an old huntin' dog at heart and kept
wanting to stop to smell things. I admit, I spoke rather crossly to
her at times. There was no moon that night, but I didn't freak out
until I got back to the wooded area.
People, have you ever been in the woods on a moonless night with a
hyper hound straining at the leash and only the penlight on the end of
your key ring to light your way? Oh, and lest we forget, it was also
Halloween. You think ya'll are the only ones who could get lost in
suburbia; I think I'm the only idiot dumb enough to go into the deep,
dark woods on Halloween basically by myself. Can anyone say Blair Witch?
I totally heard the estatic joy in your words when you wrote about
seeing the volleyball courts and the parking lot lights and your car.
When I finally broke out of those woods and into the parking lot, I
thought my legs would give way. I even forgave Bonnie for trying to
pull me into a ravine at one point because she must have smelled
something tasty in it.
Live and learn. Live and learn. I, too, carry a flashlight now and
look at my frickin' watch before I set out.
-- Marsha Gainey
Richmond, VA
Re: [LbNA] Re: VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
From: be ma (bema57@hotmail.com) |
Date: 2002-11-26 21:15:14 UTC
You yelled at your dog and we made our kids walk, fast, loaded up with mulch
in their sneakers! But, we needed to make our way out. I don't even think
Daddy BeMa has fully let on to how lost we were! I'm glad we are not the
only ones (but I hope that it doesn't happen too much more). BeMa
P.S. I wonder what the park service would have done if our car was in the
lot when the gate closed? Do they notice? Do they send a person out to
look for you or are you on your own? (I probably don't want to know the
answer to that one!)
>From: "mlgainey"
>Reply-To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
>To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [LbNA] Re: VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
>Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 04:36:52 -0000
>
>--- In letterbox-usa@y..., "be ma"
> >
>
> > We arrived at Claude Moore park at about 3:15 and noticed the sign
>on the
> > gate -- park closes at 5 -- hey no problem!
>
>I feel your pain. My coonhound puppy Bonnie and I went at about the
>same time to a Richmond-area park on Halloween to plant some boxes.
>This park closes at dusk in the fall and winter months. I, too,
>thought we'd zip in and zip out because I had already scouted the park
>and knew exactly where I wanted to plant and knew exactly where I was
>going.
>
>I planted a box and noticed it was getting a little dusky, but I was
>still confident with my time management skills. Then I got to the part
>of the park that reminds me of those wastelands that Frodo, Sam, and
>Gollum fought their way through in "The Lord of the Rings," and I
>realized that I had made a very big mistake.
>
>So I turned around and raced through the wastelands (trying to ignore
>all the slithery toves gyring and gimbling in the wabe), but Bonnie
>was super juiced because she is an old huntin' dog at heart and kept
>wanting to stop to smell things. I admit, I spoke rather crossly to
>her at times. There was no moon that night, but I didn't freak out
>until I got back to the wooded area.
>
>People, have you ever been in the woods on a moonless night with a
>hyper hound straining at the leash and only the penlight on the end of
>your key ring to light your way? Oh, and lest we forget, it was also
>Halloween. You think ya'll are the only ones who could get lost in
>suburbia; I think I'm the only idiot dumb enough to go into the deep,
>dark woods on Halloween basically by myself. Can anyone say Blair Witch?
>
>I totally heard the estatic joy in your words when you wrote about
>seeing the volleyball courts and the parking lot lights and your car.
>When I finally broke out of those woods and into the parking lot, I
>thought my legs would give way. I even forgave Bonnie for trying to
>pull me into a ravine at one point because she must have smelled
>something tasty in it.
>
>Live and learn. Live and learn. I, too, carry a flashlight now and
>look at my frickin' watch before I set out.
>
>-- Marsha Gainey
>Richmond, VA
>
>
>
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[LbNA] Re: VA - almost croaked pursuing froggy...
From: thurston_1701 (jmatthew@thurston.org) |
Date: 2002-11-27 15:31:03 UTC
--- In letterbox-usa@y..., "be ma" wrote:
>
> P.S. I wonder what the park service would have done if our car was
in the
> lot when the gate closed? Do they notice? Do they send a person
out to
> look for you or are you on your own? (I probably don't want to know
the
> answer to that one!)
When Peanunt and I were out hunting for the boxes (back when there
were only three), the park closed at 6:00. We found #3 at 5:45 and it
took us 20 minutes to hike back to the car. When we got back, there
was a Park Employee simply waiting by his car for the owners of the
remaining cars to return (at least we weren't the only ones late).
The gate was still open as we drove out at 6:10.
Now, I don't know if they would send out a search party if someone was
REALLY late, but at least they were nice enough to not lock us in.
Plain
>
> P.S. I wonder what the park service would have done if our car was
in the
> lot when the gate closed? Do they notice? Do they send a person
out to
> look for you or are you on your own? (I probably don't want to know
the
> answer to that one!)
When Peanunt and I were out hunting for the boxes (back when there
were only three), the park closed at 6:00. We found #3 at 5:45 and it
took us 20 minutes to hike back to the car. When we got back, there
was a Park Employee simply waiting by his car for the owners of the
remaining cars to return (at least we weren't the only ones late).
The gate was still open as we drove out at 6:10.
Now, I don't know if they would send out a search party if someone was
REALLY late, but at least they were nice enough to not lock us in.
Plain