First Gear

It's no secret that since school started and I've gone back to work that my letterboxing activities have slowed down significantly. I am having some withdrawals, but hopefully I'll get a shot at it over the three day weekend coming up over the Labor Day Holiday.

Of Interest: Mark and Sue have a website on which they list the first finds of letterboxers. This is to note the first LB adventure of boxers all over the US. You can visit the page here: http://firstfinds.blogspot.com/ They will also be happy to log the first box that you found if you contact them via e-mail.

I Found Your Box

I read a blog on another site concerning e-mailing the planter. This blogger stated that he doesn't respond to finders' e-mails when they contact him concerning finding his box in good or bad condition. As a finder, I like to get a response from the planter, at least just to know that I e-mailed the right person. Just a simple, "Glad you found my box" will do for me. If I get a response, then in the future if I have a question about another box from the same planter, I won't have to worry about whether or not I have the right address to contact them. I don't get offended if the planter doesn't respond, it just makes me wonder if something has gone hay-wire out there in cyber world.

Concerto No. 3

I was lucky enough to get out yesterday afternoon to Lake Striker, which is outside of Henderson to plant Autumn from the Vivaldi series. Lake Striker provides swimming, fishing, and camping and also has a lakeside restaurant. The clue to this box is listed on the LBNA website.

Some Day....

Some day, this will all be under water. This is what Blue Butterfly and I were thinking yesterday as we stamped in at Barefoot Lucy's Flying Again. BFL cleverly carved out a stamp of a space shuttle and hid it where Lake Columbia will be located in just a couple of years. The lake will be named after the space shuttle that tragically broke up over East Texas in the spring of 2004. As construction begins on the lake, the placer will be moving the box, so be sure to check out this "out of this world" letterbox.

Playground Fun

Today, I decided to get out and box with Stinky Monkey and Roarin' Lion. We visited Barefoot Lucy's Catchin' Any? which is located in a nice community park in Henderson, TX. The park has a small lake and lots of playground equipment including a giant snail to climb on. After we stamped in, we decided to play on the playground for a while. We had a great time together today and I got a few good pictures of my two favorite letterboxers.

Urban Nature

The La Nana Creek Trail is located in Nacogdoches, TX. It runs through the Stephen F. Austin State University campus, including their arboretum, a city park, and into the woods. This is a nice quiet walk which I've enjoyed several times through the past year. I have also hidden two letterboxes along this trail, both of which are fairly easy to find. Naturally Musical and Summer from the Vivaldi series are hidden amongst the piney woods of the La Nana Creek Trail. I hope you can take the time to enjoy this piece of serenity. You can find these boxes listed on the LBNA and Atlas Quest websites.

What's That Sound?

Blue Butterfly planted a new box this weekend in Joshua, TX which is located in Johnson County. She has named her new box Screechin' Owls and it is listed on the LBNA website.

I have not had the opportunity yet to plant Autumn, but I will make an effort to do that tomorrow. I'm very excited about completing the Vivaldi series and the people who will discover it. I'm also working on an idea for a box in Angelina County, TX. I'll give more details about the mysterious Angelina later.

The Falling Leaves....Drift by the Window....

I'm happy to report that I finished carving Autumn for the Vivaldi series today. I have it packed and ready to go, so hopefully I will be able to plant it before the week is over. I'm trying a new type of container (just because that's what I happen to have laying around the house), so hopefully it will stand up to the elements well.

Blue Butterfly reported that she stamped in at Catpawz2004's Texas Passport Series #3-Italy today. Blue Butterfly is quite impressed with the stamp and is ready to find the others in this series. I must admit, I'm ready to get out there and find these "foreign" Texas stamps myself!
Why must I report to work?!?! I'd rather be boxing!

Sowing and Reaping

Yesterday, I got out early to find The Frye's Chillin' at Tonkawa Box. This family did a great job with their stamp and I will eagerly await their future boxes. I was not able to visit the actual camp itself and take a dip in the pool, but I plan to make the trip again for that purpose fairly soon. As I was leaving the area, I spotted a family of deer inside the Camp's fence. I slowly got out of my car and gingerly stepped toward them as they watched me. They didn't run away until I got about 3 feet from them. I tried to get some pictures, but was not successful. I felt very honored to have shared that brief experience with the deer family.

Yesterday evening, I finished up Summer of the Four Seasons Series. I decided to get out and plant the box on the La Nana Creek Trail in Nacogdoches, TX. I feel that the hiding place I found is perfect for it. You can visit the clue to Summer here: http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=17543&boxname=Vivaldi's_Four_Seasons-Concerto_No._2:_Summer

Spring Has Arrived!

I am happy to report that I completed and planted my first box in the Vivaldi-Four Seasons series. I found a scenic overlook in East Texas to plant Spring and I'm sure the view here will be gorgeous as fall arrives. You can visit my clue here: http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=17514&boxname=Vivaldi

Now, I'm off to get ready to do a little box hunting of my own!

Planted Boxes

It's always a great feeling to hear from a fellow letterboxer who has stamped in at one of your boxes. For me, it's just as exciting to know someone has found my boxes as it is for me to find others' boxes. Knowing the time and effort I put forth to plant a box that has been enjoyed by a fellow boxer leaves me with a great feeling of pride in my work and appreciation of my fellow boxers. Thanks to all of you who take the time to find my boxes AND to those of you who plant boxes for ME to find.

Yellow Rose

If you are ever driving from Shreveport, LA into TX, be sure to stop at the Texas Welcome Center, rest your weary body, and find Blue Butterfly's Yellow Rose. The hand carved stamp will be a good addition to your log book. This welcome center and rest stop boasts fine facilities and friendly people to help navigate your way through Texas. Visit the clue here: www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=16728&boxname=Yellow_Rose

Gibraltar of the Confederacy

Blue Butterfly and I started letterboxing after she saw a piece about it on the CBS Morning Show. We were very curious and excited about the prospect of finding these little plastic boxes with their treasures of stamps inside. In June of 2005, we were in Vicksburg, MS on family business and we took along a clue to a local LB in the hopes that we might have time to find our first LB.

On our way out of Vicksburg that evening, we decided to take on the challenge even though we were physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. We stopped at the river side park, enjoyed the beautiful view of the river and the setting sun, and set out to decipher the clues.

We read and discussed, and finally got up the nerve to go through the bushes to this box. We were so excited to find it that all of our previous exhaustion went away for the next few minutes. Not only was this OUR first find, but we were the first finders of this box. The excitement of seeing that first hand-carved stamp was incredible. We stamped in, left our mark, and took the image of Gibraltar of the Confederacy with us.

Now we are hooked. Every time either of us are going out of town, the first thing on our agenda is to see if there are any letterboxes in the area. So far, I have collected over 40 stamps, and I hope to see that number grow. I enjoy finding them whether they are hikes, drive-bys, hand carved, or manufactured stamps. The thrill of the hunt and the feeling of victory as I decipher the clues and enjoy the treasure I've discovered is well worth it.

First LB in San Augustine County

Several weeks ago, I planted what I believe to be the first letterbox planted in San Augustine County, TX. It is a drive-by placed at a historical marker on the Old San Antonio Road. The marker was placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution.



Placement date: Jul 13 2005

State: Texas

County: San Augustine

Nearest city: San Augustine
Number of boxes: 1
Clues:
The Zits LB is a tribute to the comic strip by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman. It is located on TX Hwy 21 in San Augustine, TX. Early settlers came into San Augustine County on the Old San Antonio Road, also known as “El Camino Real de los Tejas”, now a designated National Historic Trail. San Augustine is the home of the first university, churches of all denominations, and the first American settlement in Texas. The abundant history in our area is evident in over 50 recorded Texas Historical Landmark homes and sites. San Augustine is located equal distances between Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn Reservoirs.

From Hwy 96 in San Augustine: Travel West on Hwy 21 for 4.1 miles. You will see a place to pull off the road on your right hand side.

From Nacogdoches: Travel East on Hwy 21. When you cross under Loop 224, you will travel 27.4 miles. You will see a place to pull off the road on your left hand side.

To the Box: You will see the sign facing the road that reads THE OLD SAN ANTONIO ROAD with a stone marker in front of it. Go behind the marker. In the middle of the marker under the gravel is the box. Please replace as found and post a comment to let me know the status of this box.

New Series

I am working on a new series of four based on Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I'm not sure when the first box will be planted, but I will keep you posted.

Houston County Letterboxes

Stinky Monkey, Blue Butterfly, and I took a trip out to Houston County yesterday to track down two letterboxes in Mission Tejas State Park. The park has a beautiful pond where one can fish or just sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. The boxes we found combined with the serenity of this park made the drive worthwhile. We stamped in at Silver Eagle's Spanish Flag and at Baby Bear's Tejas, both of which are works of art.