• Found 80 letterboxes in 2007.
• Planted 6 letterboxes in 2007.

Found 2 micro geocaches and 1 letterbox today.

Sparkle in the Park by Fiddleheads

A limited time box. I enjoyed the festive theme. Great stamp and logbook. The park is decorated for the holidays. I've always wanted to see the xmas decorations but never made time to go. Thanks to the Fiddleheads, I had a reason to make the journey this year.

Wilmington, North Carolina

Spent a short working holiday in Wilmington. Since this is off-season and staff outnumbered guests at the hotel, we were bumped up to the presidential suite. 2 rooms, jacuzzi tub, large shower, 2 HD TVs, great view of the ocean, balcony with lounges.

The weather was cool and the area was like autumn in Ontario - the deciduous trees had dropped their leaves. Loved all the trees in North Carolina - so much has been preserved. So many of the trees in SW Ontario have been cleared to make way for big box stores and suburban sprawl. It was a pleasant surprise to see all the pine, oak and magnolia. It was also refreshing to see all the housing with more than 10 feet between houses. Although, there were signs of impending urban pressure on Wilmington, including squeezing new homes into smaller plots of land. The major roads were big 4+4 (8) lanes across. Traffic congestion on Friday made it slow to get around.

We went to some really nice restaurants - Jerry's (great seafood), Sweet & Savoury (great bakery atmosphere, really nice breakfast), Roy's Riverboat Landing (in the historic district by the water), Boombalati's (homemade icecream - offered a 4 mini scoops selection). I ate a lot of seafood - tuna, scallops, shrimp, catfish, and crab cakes.

Seahawk Refuge by noyb

Didn't find it. The directions were clear and once I reached my destination, the location was obvious. Stray Cats couldn't find this one either. I logged my attempt and emailed the owner. The location is nice and could use a few letterboxes. There are geocaches in the area but most of them are mysteries - I didn't have time to decipher the puzzles. I did manage to find 3 traditional (micro) geocaches while on campus.

Curtis Mayfield Remixed by noyb

We found the Grind (skate park). Unfortunately there was a damper at the start. There were some rather unsavory types near the washrooms at the lake, a couple of minutes later the cops came along to talk to them. My spouse, who is very safety conscious did not like this at all. Our host wanted to continue or we would have left right away. The rest of the walk in the park was very pleasant.

Our friend and I found the first bridge across the lake. But once we crossed over we didn't see a flagpole so we walked over to another bridge that we could see in the distance. No flagpole. So we walked back to the car.

Lucky for me our friend didn't want to give up. I was pretty sure that I read about a veteran's memorial in the park. So, we drove around the park and spotted the memorial and flagpole. It was our friend that spotted the stump and I retrieved the box. A park grounds person showed up, I think, because he was wondering what we were doing back there. Apparently someone has been dumping dead animals in the area. The area was nice though and we were hoping to get a peak at the alligator(s) that inhabitat the lake.

While they talked, I walked away and did my stamping. (The grounds guy was gone when I put the box back and covered it in leaves and pine needles and twigs).

What a surprise when I opened the box. Such a cool logbook - how creative and then there was the carved stamp of Curtis Mayfield - wow! I'm absolutely happy that we persisted and found this box. One letterbox find on the trip but what a nice one it was.

Kim's Ribbon by Fiddleheads

A special letterbox, dedicated to the memory of Fiddlehead's sister Kim. Great carved stamp and beautiful commercial stamp. In a park that Kim spent many hours.

Wroyal Wrec by kfulton8 GC16Y4H

The stamp was a commercial stamp that did not match the location or theme (although I'm not sure what wroyal wrec is referring to). The location was nice, maybe a little to out in the open since so much time is needed to reef it out of it's tight spot. A bicyclist passed by while I was trying to retrieve it.

Canada = Culture by kfulton8 GC16Y4R

This one is just feet away from where the "Exhibition Park" letterbox used to be. It's funny that not only a geocache but a letterbox/cache should be planted in almost the same spot. The chances of the that happening must be very slim.

The stamp is a commercial stamp and it doesn't match the theme "Canada=Culture". It's always nice to find a letterbox or cache but even better when there's a stamp that matches the location or theme and especially nice when the stamp is handcarved (but not necessary of course).

A beautiful warm autumn day to enjoy Crawford Lake. The lake is rare because it is meromictic.

Ancient Greek Women by Fiddleheads

As usual Fiddleheads did an excellent job of picking a great location, creating a write-up that teaches and informs, writing good clear directions and clues and did a great job of putting the letterboxes together (handmade logbooks, hand-carved stamps, lock n lock containers).

We are lucky to have such a talented carver in our midst. Always a treat to find a Fiddleheads letterbox.

Alpine Adventure Kitchener   LbNA #: 34520 by Prime Minister's Fam

Pleasant walk in the woods. Good directions. My dog met a very dog-friendly family. Ziploc container covered in a white grocery bag (this appears to be the norm for Kitchener boxes - containers wrapped in plastic bags). Commercial stamp.

Sunrise in Kitchener LBNA #: 31714 by Meades from Manitoba

Nice walk between the ponds. Lots of goldenrod and purple aster. Met up with 2 very friendly dogs and their owner so my dog joined in for a quick romp. The box location was nice and quiet. Hand-carved stamp - a little piece of art to add to my letterbox logbook. The logbook was a handmade book fitting the theme of the letterbox. Oddly, the stamp and logbook were only in a ziploc baggie, no tupperware container. With regular maintenance it should be OK.

Topsy Turvey by LBNA#: 32967 by Family Fun

I recognized this place from a couple of years ago, when I found a geocache in the area. Can't forget that roller coaster lumber walk. The directions were clear so I'm pretty sure I looked in the right spot but then I broadened my search to a few posts before and after on both sides. I feel I did a thorough search but unfortunately no box.

A walk through the woods in Bechtel Park by Preston Pirates

Got some help and confirmation from Preston Pirates. Had a couple of hours to spare between work and dinner, so grabbed the dog and headed back out to Waterloo.

Found the box quickly. I was the first finder. Cute commercial stamp. The box was placed by a young boy and his family. His/their first letterbox hide.

The Preston Pirates went to so much trouble to help me locate the box. They even went back to the park and took photos of the area it's hidden in and emailed them to me. The Pirates get an A+ for being finder-friendly. :)

Dancer in the Garden by the Sehl Gang

Squeezed in a quick visit to this hidden tiny community garden in Waterloo. No one around so it made searching easy. The hand-carved stamp was lovely. The box included a handmade logbook. It was a bit icky removing the box from the 3 plastic bags covering the paper box container (2 of the outer bags had numerous holes) because the bags tend to trap moisture and dirt then they get a bit moldy, but the paper box was surprisingly in good shape and dry. The Sehl Gang's artistry always impresses me.

Today I was a grumpy letterboxer. I drove about 50km and came up empty handed. Tried for 2 letterboxes in the Kitchener area.

A walk through the woods in Bechtel Park by Preston Pirates

The clues were just too vague for me. I thought I was following directions and instead of ending up at a stone bridge I came upon a cement bridge with metal railings. But I decided to continue (maybe the hider thought that cement and stone were pretty much the same thing). I continued along the path with the creek to my left and came upon boulders that were obviously used as stepping stones to get across the creek. Could this be the stone bridge (but it would require taking the left trail rather than the right). So assuming this was the stone bridge I back tracked to the cement bridge and took the left trail. But I didn't find a leaning tree with exposed roots.

I went back to the starting point and noticed stones in mesh wiring somewhat near the trailhead. A pipe ran under it to allow water to run down the hill. Could this be the stone bridge? If so then at the next t-section I should turn left. So I tried again. But when I turned left I never came upon a stone bridge. Eventually I ended up at an elbow in the creek, the path turned up and was eventually back near the children's play area.

I gave up on this one and headed out again to hopefully find one letterbox before heading back in to work my evening shift.

Update Sep 24-25: Preston Pirates were quick to get back to me. They want more details on my track as "we do not want others to also get frustrated". So great to see such caring letterbox hiders. My grumpiness has drastically decreased knowing that the Preston Pirates want to work together to decrease finder frustration. :) I'll be sending them a track of the paths that I walked (I had my GPS unit with me. It kept track of where I walked.)

Update Sep 25: Sent the track to Preston Pirates. PP was especially helpful and let me know that the first attempt was the correct attempt and I had found the correct bridge. I will go back soon and have another look for the leaning tree near the bridge. Kudos to the PP for being so good about keeping in touch with finders.

Poison Oak Trek by Eagle Eye Club

I did a lot of research on this one and I'm pretty sure I was at the right park. I walked into the "brown-eyed girl" park between the houses where there was a mix of evergreen trees and a few large deciduous trees but nothing that I thought was particularly unique about 10 feet into this path. And the path didn't split until much further up after I walked past the children's playground.

Before the children's playground was a forested area. I saw a small trail that went into the trees so I took a look, saw some large trees but didn't see a large stone to stand on.

Back to the paved path. I walked further up this path to where it split left and right in a couple of places. I took the more obvious split to the right but still didn't see a unique tree to the right with a large stone nearby. So I went back and took the short path to the right that went between houses and ended quickly up at a street, again no unique tree to the right with a large stone. I scanned the general area of the park and saw no large stone.

I have emailed Eagle Eye Club to ask if I was in the right area.

Update Sep 25: they emailed me back and told me which parking lot to start at but I'm pretty sure that's where I started. So I emailed them back for clarification.

Update Sep 27: they emailed me back again but didn't confirm if I found the right parking spot and the right park. Told me where to begin my walk. Not enough information for me to try again. I'll watch to see if anyone else finds it before I try again.

Eerie Sanatorium by Fiddleheads and Kirbert

Too nice a day not to get out and enjoy a brand new letterbox - especially one created by Fiddleheads and Kirbert.

The directions were excellent and fun.

I was, as always, impressed with the craftmanship of the stamp. Loved the spooky theme (as halloween is just around the corner).

The logbook design was a nice surprise.

After stamping and signing I replaced the box then enjoyed a nice walk (with my dog) in the area. Can't beat this time of year for pleasant walks and pleasant letterboxing.

Thanks so much, Fiddleheads and Kirbert, for hiding a top-notch letterbox.

Found 2 geocache letterboxes. One had a hand-carved stamp. One had commercial Crayola marker stamps.

Reforestation Letterbox by Rideau Rangers

Met Rideau Rangers at the GHAGAFAP event. They each carved their own stamp while at my demo.

It was a great afternoon for a walk in the woods with my dog. This was my first true hybrid find (i.e. a stamp AND trinkets). Loved the hand-carved stamp - it makes a nice addition to my letterbox logbook (I've collected over 100 images (so far)).

Lost Tranquility by res2100

Crayola marker stampers. You don't need a GPS to find this one. Coords take you to parking/trailhead. Directions take you to the letterbox.Good cardiovascular workout. Steep hill.

Checked on K9 Everythings coming up ROSES in Acton, on my way back. It wasn't there. My guess is the grounds people found it and removed it. I logged the attempt and emailed the owner.

Back out to the Halton area to visit Hilton Falls CA and Rattlesnake Point CA.

Beautiful day to be out in the parks and especially parks with panaromic views.

Ancient Greek Monsters: Grogon by Fiddleheads

Very busy with hikers today. My second attempt. This time I had no trouble finding the right path (D>C). Saw the 2 large maples and the blue blaze with the fallen tree. Fantastic Grogon stamp - you put so much work into that image.

I was surprised to see that a geocacher had accidently found your letterbox - must have been one adventurous and curious geocacher since there are no geocaches in the park. Maybe he was thinking that that spot would be a good place to hide a cache.

Nutty Letterbox by Raeleanne

After finding Grogon I headed over to Rattlesnake Point CA to try to find Trafalgar Point. That park could really use some more signage. I knew by the map that it was left of Pinnacle Point but I couldn't figure out how to get there and the people I asked didn't know where TP was. Turns out it's only a few feet to the left up a little hard-to-see rocky path. Anyway it was well worth the return visit - a gorgeous view from Trafalgar. Found Nutty. The box, with a nice commercial stamp, was in great shape.

We attended the GHAGAFAP event where I demo'd 'how to carve your own stamp'.

The event drew over 100 people - the total count isn't in yet. What a great time I had, my demo was a big hit. We got there at 10:30am and left at 4:45pm - non-stop stamping. For the first few hours I carved stamps by request. People (mostly kids) picked from a selection of images I had printed out and I did the carving while they watched and while others dropped by to see what I was doing. They asked questions while I carved. Then an adult handed me a printed image and I asked if she'd like to try it herself. She was keen and caught on to the basics really quickly. Her and I carved while others dropped by the table to watch and then more people wanted to carve. I had 4 handles (with gouges) but had an average of 6 people (adults and kids) at a time, carving and waiting patiently for their turn to get a linoleum handle and gouge. Everyone caught on so quickly, no one got hurt, and everyone surprised me with their carving skills - especially the kids, such dexterity.

I used a variety of carving materials - erasers, softoleum and safety kut.

The kids were so well-behaved, patient and keen.

I had a great time and loved how people were so surprised at their own talent.

Some photos of people carving at GHAGAFAP. Photographer: Fizbot

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

I'm a Mountain by Gemini Boy

Mt. Nemo Conservation Area. Great view of the valley and Toronto and Lake Ontario at the lookout. Found the double birch tree to the left with waist-high cut trunk and the tree with the yellow trail marker to the right. Found a number of oak trees to the right but there was one with boulders at its roots. Checked under all the boulders, used a stick to poke around and remove leaf debris. No box. Continued on my way to a cache further up the trail and found the geocache.

Ancient Greek Gods by Fiddleheads

Didn't have to pay to get into the Rattlesnake Point Conservation area since I still had my stub from the Mt Nemo CA (bonus!). Lovely park and great views. I got turned around a couple of times, trying to understand which trail to take in order to get to the lookouts. The trailmap is simplified. There are more trails then are marked on the map. Asked someone (a rock climber setting up ropes) and even he pointed me in the wrong direction for Nelson Lookout. But like the clues say "You can’t miss it; there is a low, limestone rock wall and a fabulous drop down the side of the escarpment" and one of the stones on the wall has the name 'Nelson Lookout' carved into it. Poseidon was well hidden. I was looking in the right spot but it took me about 5 minutes to uncover it. Had a heck of a time trying to find Trafalgar Lookout. I didn't end up finding it - no signage anywhere. I think I may have been in the right area. I'll have to come back for Nutty some other day. Back to the Bruce trail where I quickly found Hermes. Then a little ways ahead found Zeus - a little harder to find then Hermes. All the boxes were nicely hidden away. The carved stamps, as always, are terrific. Great park, great views, great stamps.

A beautiful day to be out treasure hunting. Found 4 geocaches and 1 letterbox.

FABulous Aussie

Found in lovely community park in Strabane. Had the place to myself. Easy find. Container is in very good shape. Commercial stamp.

Google My Maps

Just thought I'd pass on a google tool that I found helpful while planning a trip. To mark letterboxes on your own personal google map:

• go to http://maps.google.ca/
• log in
• click on the "My Maps" tab to create your own map
• find the general location of letterboxes on the google map using the letterbox clues
• mark the map with placemarks - just right-click to add a placemark
• add text descriptions, like the title of the letterbox
• zoom in and out and check the proximity of one box to another
• "get directions" to the letterbox location
• save your map

View Larger Map

West Montrose

I really like the hand-carved stamp. Looks like the image was hand-drawn (something I'm not good at). After finding the stamp, my dog and I sat next to the bridge in front of the river and enjoyed the scenery and the great weather while I stamped up. No Mennonite buggies trotting by today. That's always a pleasant sight to see. If you are into photography, bring your camera. This is a kodak moment.

One thing I didn't see was the name Conrad. I did see 4 names though and then found the baggie quickly, so it did not hamper the find at all.

One caveat: watch out for cars. They're usually slow moving through here but take care anyway.

Pilkington

Checked on Gone Fishing in Pilkington boxes. All's well. I was hoping that someone left a hitchhiker - no such luck. The view is really attractive at this time of the year.

Creemore

Beer Bottle

Fun find with the family. Creemore is a lovely, quaint small country town full of little restaurants and boutiques. A very nice visit and a nice little letterbox with a hand-carved themed stamp.

Ottawa

Aug 20

Late afternoon arrival. We've been here a number times but this was the most security we had ever seen on the hill. At least 100 police and security personal. Lots of barriers. The officers seemed in a good mood so we weren't particularly worried as we headed towards the cat sanctuary to start our search for the Political Players letterboxes. We passed the cats and made our way to the steps but were disappointed to find that the steps were barricaded. For some reason the police did not want anyone using these steps to go down hill. On our way back to the car we asked an officer why there was so much security - turns out we picked a bad day, US President Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderón were in Canada and they expected possible hostile demonstrations on the Hill. But it was currently very peaceful with a handful of tourists scattered around the grounds taking photos with the parliament buildings as a backdrop.

Aug 21

After a wonderful evening spent with friends in Quebec we returned to Ottawa to try 2 Birds and Political Players.

Two Birds with One Stone

For some reason I thought the park was going to be across the street from the Chateau Laurier, so we spent way to much time where the historical statues were located near the Chateau and the canal. Finally I checked a map in a bus shelter and found that Confederation Park was about 2 blocks away (out of view of the CL). Checking the clues it does mention the intersection Elgin and Laurier - wish I had paid attention to that part of the clue. The Park is very lovely with the fountain and Canadian-themed statues. We found the location of the letterbox and pulled out a ziplock bag marked 'Two birds with one stone by the Patonkers'. Inside was a note that someone from Toronto (they did not leave their trailnames) had written that they couldn't find the box so they used a small stone and put the inked stone in the ziplock bag. The note was dated 8/13/07.

Political Players - Mulroney

We decided to see if we could get to the lower path via the canals and lucky for us we could. We passed a set of stairs but decided that they were probably not the right set so we continued along to another set and tried to find the Chretien box. But the clues didn't match the location. Looking back up towards the Parliament buildings we realized our mistake and had walked too far. So we walked back and found the 2 benches first. Quickly found the flat gray stones but no box in the crevice. Tried to be quick and stealthy as the heightened security made me a little nervous about looking suspicious. I was pretty sure I was looking in the right place so ended the search and continued on the Chretien.

Political Players - Chretien

We spotted the 90° walls - there were a few of them. We debated which one held the box. My husband went one way I went the other and found the box. I was so glad I found at least one of butterfly5's Players boxes. Fun stamp.

Kingston

Aug 19

Arrived in Kingston in the late afternoon. First checked out the Alexander Henry boat but we were too late, it was closed. We would try again the next day. Next stop Chuck's letterbox.

The Royal Family - Chuck
When I asked the bartendar for Chuck's letterbox he thought I was asking for some kind of new drink. I explained what it was and showed him The Royal Family write-up that I had downloaded to my iPAQ. He said they didn't have a letterbox behind the bar. We left, a little embarrassed - my husband wondered whether there really were letterboxes in Kingston.

Spent the evening in the Inn lounge figuring out where the letterboxes were located and marking the locations in my GPS unit for easy navigating the next day.

Aug 20

Lessen learned - sleep in. On a Monday most places are closed until 10am, some don't open until 12 noon. First stop Alexander Henry - not open for another 1/2 hour so off we go to another letterbox.

Star Wars Geek at Wallack's Art supplies - the clerk checked and confirmed that the box went missing a while ago.

Where the Wild Things Are at Novel Ideas book store is gone - the manager called out from behind the wall that "we don't do that anymore".

I couldn't get to Hetty & Hercule because the shop didn't open until noon and we weren't going to be able to get back in the afternoon (on our way to Ottawa).

Kingston LB at Chez Piggy was missing (so was the white downspout - it had been removed but we saw where it was and the rock it was likely hidden behind.

Emily Carr

Finally success. 6 failures and finally we found one. And what a nice one it was. I love these facilities so it was great to have the opportunity to visit this public place. The box was cleverly hidden. I hadn't seen a container like this used in this manner. The stamp was beautifully done. The logbook well done to match the theme. A most do if you're in Kingston.

Tina Turner

What a quirky jam-packed record shop and what a very friendly owner. He gets a kick out of the whole experience. He dug out the letterbox from behind a couple of boxes filled with records. What a surprise to see the unusual "box"! So creative. Loved the container, the stamp, the logbook.

Alexander Henry

Found all 5. Great tour of the boat. Great stamps. A good learning experience.

Next out to get the boxes at Olympic Park...

The Royal Family - her Maj
We really enjoyed our visit to Portsmouth Tavern. Absolutely loved the red purse and the comical Queen stamp. Again a super creative letterbox. We also enjoyed a really great lunch of burgers while we sat by the picture window with the unique view of the Kingston Pen.

King's Ton

Couldn't find it. Found the chain link and the yew bushes. Crawled underneath to get a good look but no box.

Really Nasty Canadians

Searched for about 15 minutes. Saw a triangular shaped rock - no box underneath. We shifted many rocks - could not find it. Most interesting location. Great title for this letterbox. Would have loved to have seen the stamp.

Guelphite

Found my own stamp. Sent it to Norasta back in 2006 for the Kingston Letterbox gathering. She picked a pleasant location on the grounds of the Tett Creativity Centre. The stamp and box were in very good shape.

Secret Garden - a mystery box by Fiddleheads

The Onion in the Sky by the Big Blue Team

Made by 3 grandsons with the help of their grandparents, their first hide. A quick find and a nice letterbox with a cute commercial stamp. Located in St Thomas, Ontario.

Atlas Quest makes sharing easier

Atlas Quest makes trip planning (near or far) easier Features:

• Trip planner - saves you hours of time planning, searching, finding counties, etc .(Currently US and NZ only, hopefully Canada someday)Select multiple boxes and print them all togetherSave multiple searchesWhenever you create a search, you can map the results through Google Maps.Create a search and download the clues to your PDA. Use Plucker or AvantGo to automatically download clues with every sync. Takes only seconds to download up to 50 clues per search. More information... Select a U.S. state for letterbox clues Use the letterbox directory to do a broad country search. Example - selecting Canada gives you a further breakdown by province.
• You can sort through boxes based on a multitude of factors including trail length, wheelchair or stroller accessibility, drive-bys, and the unique city-search engine sorts letterboxes based on the distance from a specified city or road. You can even store your favorite searches and be e-mailed automatically when a new box is added that fits one your favorite searches!

Toronto

Beeton

Lest We Forget by Trailfeathers

Nice quick find. Everything's in great shape.

Kitchener-Waterloo

The Other Side of the Tracks by the Good Life

Nice trail to walk the dog. Good instructions. Quick find. Hand-carved stamp. Nice spot to stamp up.

Lookout - Pioneer by the Lumberjacks

A job well done. Easy to follow instructions. Scenic and historic and a charming hand-carved stamp.

Kitchener-Waterloo

Butterflies and Racoonsby Family Fun

Guelph

Gee Bee Z by Fiddleheads and Kirbert

Sometimes a letterbox experience just comes together so nicely - the place, the hide, the stamp, the logbook.

I've never experienced a small airport close-up. Driving down the road to the airport is unique, with the airstrip just feet away to my left and a row of ranch-style homes to my right. What a unique place to live.

I parked in the parking lot next to the garden centre - strange huh? A garden centre next to an airport.

As I strolled along, I could walk right up to cessnas in their hangars. I took photos of the Tiger Boys hangar.

The tour of the hangars ended with a quick find of the letterbox. What a great collaboration between Fiddleheads, a keen hider in the Guelph area and Kirbert reknowned for his carving skills, his carving tutorial and his posts on the Atlas Quest boards. I'm thrilled to have Kirbert's Gee Bee Model 'Z' stamp image in my logbook. The yellow pencil is a nice touch. While stamping up under the shade of the hangar I watched as 2 cessnas took flight.

After placing the box back in its hiding spot, I headed back to the parking lot but decided to spend a little more time exploring. I paid a visit to the coffee shop - the sign made me think of the TV sitcom 'Wings' where the small airport had a small coffee shop for passengers and crew passing through.

On one of the tables flight maps were spread out. I ordered a lemonade then sat outside to watch the activity on the tarmack.

Finally it was time to move on but not before checking out the Garden Centre. The very helpful owner showed me a number of elderberry plants and I chose a very unique maroon elderberry. I'm looking forward to watching it grow big and tall.

Thank you Fiddleheads and Kirbert for a most unique and memorable experience. This is what treasure hunting games are all about - great letterbox, great location, great experience.

Kitchener-Waterloo

O-2 Skymaster by Fiddleheads and Kirbert

Kitchener-Waterloo

The plethora of new letterboxes in K-W is amazing. This time last year I think there were zero boxes in the area, now there are at least a dozen. Went out with family today and we managed to find 9 boxes in 6 hours before calling it a day.

Here's what we found:

A Clair View... of a Duck by the Pups

Our first letterbox of the day. Clair Lake Park is tidy and picturesque with ducks on the pond and weeping willows hanging over the water. Nice hide. Commercial stamp.

The Sehl Gang boxes we found:

• Bunny Tales - Creative. The family story about the lost bunny was cute and sad.
  
• Forget Me Not - Nice touch with the yellow pencil - it really sets the image. Thanks for taking us to the grounds of this old site. I've passed by it a few times but never entered. The architectural display is a worth the visit.
  
• Spare Tire - It was great to have the nearby pavillion to sit and stamp under the shade. Thanks for the find and introducing us to the Community Centre and Park.
  
• The Flames - My second visit. the box was there and in decent shape but the plastic bag had a lot of holes in it. The logbook is almost full.
  
• Back 2 School - My second visit. My sister and her niece really enjoyed the letterbox. We are all impressed with the stamp and the choice of logbook.
  
• A Pair of Red Doves for Michael Bird - My second visit. This one is a very popular box, so many visitors. Afterwards we had a quick visit to the gift shop.
  
  Also, found Celtic Quinn's Fear Itself: Chromophobia hitchhiker in the box but its logbook was missing. I grabbed the stamp to take it home and give it a new logbook before setting it off on its journey once more.
  
• Lucky Duck - My second visit. We enjoyed the walk in this small park.  All is well with the box. It was the last of the day for us. On our way back we just happened to drive past the cannon. I pointed it out to my sister and told her a box was nearby but I was too tired to go for it. We'll save it for another day.

Mummies in the Park

The Nickerson Family added a couple of cute creative things to the box. Watch out for the burrs, wear a cap/hat while looking for the box to protect your hair. The stamp is commercially made - it was my nieces favourite of the day.

Orangeville

Planted a letterbox in Orangeville to hopefully drum up more LB business in the area. Trailfeathers planted a hitchhiker hostel earlier this year but it's not getting visits (my Centennial HH is still in it). Hopefully more boxes means more visits.

Found the newest letterbox in the area. North of Orangeville on Hwy 89. A very nice picnic area is the hiding spot for Motorcycle Series: Yamaha. Quick find. Nice hide. Great stamp. Stealth is needed when the area is busy.

If you're a geocacher too - there are dozens of geocaches in the Orangeville/Mono/Hockley area. I found 4 in between finding and hiding letterboxes.

Acton

After the disappointment with the Cistes box I headed out to Acton where, I am happy to report, I found K9 Everythings coming up roses. The stamp is a cute foam commercial stamp that matches the theme. Good hide. Quick drive-by. It's the prettiest Port a Potty I've seen. Update: Sep 17 2007 - checked on the box and it is missing.

While you're in Acton, check out the Leather warehouse (Ye Old Hide House).

Google earth file of Lone R's letterboxes (.kml file). See the markers for the general starting point for each of the Lone R letterboxes. (July 12 2007)

More stamp-only logbook-less letterboxes. I found a couple more stamp-only letterboxes and added mine to the list:

• American Invasion Green Tortuga - it's in Lee Moor, UK. You can read about the hide here - look at the Mar 26 entry.
• Bookstore Box Green Tortuga
• Caffe Lena Mookie
• Calavera Catrina Aljan
• Fish Out of Water 2 FungusWoman
• Gateway to the West Princess Lea
• Go Pioneers! allemeyn (online logbook)
• The Grand Hall Green Tortuga
• The Great Northern Green Tortuga
• Grenadier Pond Lone R (online logbook)
• Gw-elf Lone R (online logbook)
• Mischief with Mallets Mookie
• Not Lonely Anymore Nitrocat & Kitten
• Ol' 103 Funhog (online logbook)
• See ya in the Morning Microbox Bulldawg (retired)
• Time to Cram Mookie
• Tooth of Time Lone R (online logbook)

There are lots of letterbox series where there are no logbooks except in the very last box of the series. My Hansel & Gretel letterbox series is an example of this.

The new thing - Boxing Buddies
A little buddy, letterboxing in places you could never hope to get to.

• It could be a little toy (a doll, a stuffed toy) or you can make one one as well.
• You make your buddy a log book and its own stamp and send it to someone away from you.
• The recepient will take your BB to boxes and log its' stamp into the logbooks and log the stamps into its' personal logbook and then the recepient will take a picture of the BB in the area of the box or with the box itself.
• The recepient will have the BB for a month or so and then send it back to the owner with the photos so they can see where their BB has been.

BB links:

• Boxing buddies yahoo group
• Boxing Buddy Blogsite
• Dude and Dan blog includes a list of other boxing buddy blogs
• List of boxing buddy blogs in the yahoo group database
• Boxing buddy thread on AQ

Dora and the Fiesta Trio

Tooth of Time

I finally did it - planted my first stamp-only (online logbook) letterbox. With Ryan's (AQ's webmaster) advice I used magnets and adhered them to the stamp. I used silicone sealant (Ryan has used gorilla glue successfully). Because this is my first stamp-only letterbox I wanted to place it somewhat nearby so I could have a look at it in a few months to see how the adhesive is holding up. If this works I'm thinking about placing stamp-only letterboxes while on trips to places I'll likely not visit often (or maybe never again), that way I don't have to maintain a plastic box and logbook. I hope that people will leave a message and share their experience in the online logbook and maybe even leave a link to an image of their sig stamp.

For more examples of stamp-only letterboxes see the May 1 entry.

Grey-Bruce

Spent a great week in the Grey-Bruce area and found some very creative letterboxes (along with some fun geocaches).

June 11
atch Me If You Can by the Sehl Gang, Chesley

So cute and so creative. Wonderful job [on the presentation and location] My sisters went along with me on our letterbox finds in the area and we all agree we really enjoy the letterboxing experience. This was a great intro for one of my sisters who had never found a letterbox. The box is in great shape and we were first finders. This one is a highly recommended, especially now while the box is at its peak condition.

Albert by the Sehl Gang (11 year old son), Tara

Cute hand-carved stamp. Good location. Quick find. Up and down a small hill by the road and next to a stream. Pastoral setting.

June 13
Eugenia Lake by Trailfeathers, Eugenia

Nice hide. So close to the trail ... yet very well hidden - not likely to be discovered by muggles. My sisters and I really enjoyed the area and the view of the falls. We found a good viewpoint further down the trail.

Old Baldy by Trailfeathers, Kimberley

We drove passed 7B twice before figuring out that the entrance to the conservation area must be up that road. I thought there might be signage but they didn't put up any. Chugged up the road - glad I had 4 wheel drive and past the sideroad to the C.A, but Sister L said she thought I should turn around and try the road we passed.

We were surprised that people lived up there, I couldn't imagine driving the roads in the winter (maybe those were summer houses). But on the way back, the spectacular view of the valley and hills made the anxious climb up and then back down the hill well worth the trip.

What a butt-clenching (sister S and I have a fear-of-heights but it's not serious enough to stop us from hiking the cliff area) yet beautiful walk along the escarpment. My sister L was the most daring, going out to the edge to get a better view, I was 2 feet behind her and sister S was 2 feet behind me. Sister L was also the one to go out to the large rock near the edge to do some searching in the gaps. Sister S and I were telling her to come back but she's comfortable with heights and crevices. Sister S was the one to find it next to the trail. We took it over to lookout 2 to do our stamping and enjoy the spectacular view.

Map of Old Baldy trails. Take road 7B (marked as Township Rd 5-7 on the map) off of Grey-Bruce 13.

Let's Go Sailing by butterfly5, Meaford

Here's my message (somewhat editted to remove spoilers) to butterfly5:

My sisters and I were vacationing in the Grey-Bruce area and I convinced them to go out letterboxing (and geocaching). From Eugenia and Kimberley we drove up to Meaford. What a beautiful spot by the water. We really enjoyed the view of the lake. After deciding that you really did mean left towards the smaller beacon, Sister S stayed back on the pier with the dog while the more daring and younger and more nimble Sister L volunteered to walk over to the beacon. She got about 1/3 of the way [without any problems] so I decided to follow. Actually, it was easier then it looked. Sister L did the honours and [found] the nicely hidden box. We enjoyed stamping out there... in the sun and with the lake breeze. A unique experience. Lovely stamp. Thanks for the adventure and for bringing us to this picturesque area in Meaford.

The Diver by butterfly5, Irish Mountain Lookout, Meaford

Here's my message to butterfly5:

Wonderful all around. Great location, great view, a covered pavillion for stamping while looking out at the valley. Good instructions, nice hide. Wonderful stamp and wonderful tribute to an obviously well-loved individual.

My sisters and I really enjoyed this box and we had the added bonus of finding my "Kissy Face" hitchhiker in the box. I had the opportunity to show my sisters something that I made that had travelled all the way from Guelph (placed in the box by Water Lily).

Thanks so much for bringing us to Irish Mountain Lookout and thanks for a great letterboxing experience.

June 14
Purple Plane by the Sehl Gang, Port Elgin airport

Here's my message (somewhat editted to remove spoilers) to the Sehl Gang:

We (my 2 sisters and myself) really enjoyed this letterbox for a number of reasons:

The weather was great too so it made for a pleasant all-round experience.

The ziploc bag had many holes chewed into it (by mice probably). We didn't have a ziploc bag big enough to hold the container plus if we did it would probably just end up chewed up too. The container was in great shape though. [But we're a little concerned that the weather may eventually spoil the container]

We were the first to find. Thanks for bringing us to the airport and thanks for another creative find.

Blanket of Love by the Sehl Gang, Fairy Lake, Southampton

Here's my message (somewhat editted to remove spoilers) to the Sehl Gang:

A very nice letterbox. Directions were very clear. Great logbook - I like how you used a themed greeting card for the cover. The additional ornamentation was a nice touch.

On our way out we stopped off at the pond where I spotted a couple of huge carp. When my eyes focussed I noticed that there were A LOT of carp. I called my sisters over to see them and then we noticed something swim up and put it's long nails on the rocks to lift itself higher out of the water and poke it's head out. It was a very friendly, large snapping turtle. We surmised that the carp and turtle were looking for food. I remembered that I had granola bars in my backpack so we crushed some and threw it in. The fish gobbled it up, the turtle let the granola bounce off its head. We didn't dare feed him by hand although he looked like he wanted us to. Then a bicyclist came along carrying a bag full of popcorn seeds. He dropped about 10 over the turtle's head. We watched the turtle opened up it's jaws, catch about 5 kernels and snap his jaws tightly. All the commotion attracted the attention of a painted turtle that swam up for his share of the food. The bicyclist pointed out the fish food in bubble gum dispensers right behind us so we bought a couple of handfuls and had a great time feeding the menagerie.

An all-around wonderful experience that we wouldn't have enjoyed if it wasn't for your Blanket of Love letterbox. Thanks. :)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Guelph

Found it! Here's my message (somewhat editted to remove spoilers) to "The Phoenix":

What a surprise to see a new box pop up on the Guelph search. And an even bigger surprise that it wasn't one of the usual hiders. Isn't the Arboretum one of the best places in Guelph? The Gosling Wildlife Gardens are gorgeous this time of year. Great photo on your clue page btw.

Before heading out to find the letterbox I googled 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom' to find out what that phrase was referring to. Amazon had a nice write up about all the alphabets climbing up on the coconut tree and finally weighing the tree down so much they all tumbled off. Cute story. Made finding the box more fun.

I knew just where to search but it still took me a few minutes to find - it blends in really well..

Took it down to the pit area for some quiet stamping. I marvelled at the stamp material - I know it isn't Speedy-Cut, Speedy-Stamp or Safety-Kut and it's too big for Mars Carve (or maybe it's not) so is it Mars Carve or PZ Kut? (I've never seen PZ Kut up here in Canada). [The Phoenix let me know that it's Marscarve.]

Once I found the box it was a race against time. As I was getting ready to stamp I heard rumblings, thinking at first that it was traffic noise then realizing I was too far from the road. I kept writing and stamping despite the thunder since there was no rain and the clouds above me looked OK. I was determined to leave a hitchhiker so there was all that extra stamping that was needed. I managed to dot all my i's and cross all my t's and put everything back together, re-hide and get back to the car before the rain fell. Phew.

My only regret is that I didn't get to read all the log entries. I'm guessing this was once a postal letterbox? But I'll make time to get back out there to finish reading all the entries.

Had a great time. Thanks for the find.

Lone R

P.S. I left Win's Elephant hitchhiker
http://www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/clue/index.html?gBoxId=43579
in the bag. The hitchhiker is in honour of my mother-in-law, she loved elephants. [Fiddleheads found it and will move it along (June 11)]

Rockwood letterboxes

Went out to enjoy a walk in the C.A.. If you're into scenery and geology (rock walls, lakes, streams, potholes, etc) this is a very nice park to visit.

Rockwood Forest - It's not there. I found all 3 boxes about a year and a half ago so I'm very sure I was looking in the right spot.

Rockwood Hiker - 85% sure that it's not there.

Happy Rabbit - I think I could make out part of the lid peaking out but I could not reach the box.

I've emailed Ili & Lil to let them know about Forest and Hiker. 'Happy Rabbit' is up for adoption so it looks like the owners are no longer letterboxing.

Elora Gorge Series, Elora

I checked the series - 2 of the boxes I had found about 2 years ago. All 3 boxes are missing. I've emailed Ili & Lil to let them know.

Acting Like an Idiom, Guelph

Nice hide. Really nice stamp. Fun clues. I always enjoy a Fiddleheads letterbox. Thanks!

Dropped off Bye bye birdie hitchhiker.

High Park, Toronto

Dream in High Park, Toronto

Easy peasy. Loved it. My dog loved it too. Nice quiet spot today, not even dogs around this section of the trail. Sat under the shade and stamped away. Great stamp. I love High Park in the Springtime.

High Park Train Trail, Toronto

Easy peasy for me. Fun find and fun stamp. This being a Wednesday it was relatively quiet and there was no one in the immediate area. Great letterbox. High Park iss a great place to be in the Springtime.

Blue Man Group, Toronto

2nd attempt. I'm confused by the directions. Can't figure out which trail to take. I've emailed Norasta asking for help. Norasta emailed me but I think I'm going to need someone to take me by the hand and lead me to them. I don't know what it is about that peninsula that confuses me so much.

The Great Etta James, Toronto

Same as above.

Milton, Ontario

Ancient Greek Monsters, Milton

I enjoyed the walk through Hilton Falls. Nice sunny, comfortable day. Quiet on the trails.

I had no problem finding Gryphon and Sphinx - great directions. I enjoyed the walk over the bridge/stream and the view of the falls from a different vantage point - really nice view from there with lots of water cascading over the rocks. Good hides - well camoflagued.

At the Sphinx I was searching around the one of the trees, then looked up to see green flesh. Further investigation revealed a shell covered in moss. Ooooo, I thought - a dead snapping turtle butt. Then I went back to the business of searching for the Sphinx and found it next to a the correct tree mentioned in the clues - good hide. Took the box back up to the top to do my stamping and stared at the dead turtle. Then I noticed that the eyes looked moist and I thought they blinked. So as I stamped I watched and slowly the turtle moved its head. Cool. I was glad to see that it was alive and I was glad that I didn't get to close to the mouth end.

Next the Gorgon. I couldn't find the huge maple trees or a blue blaze with a downed tree beside it. Retraced half of the trail but got too tired and gave up. Will have to try again with a little help from Fiddleheads.

Nice adventure, great exercise, fresh air and the 2 beautiful stamp images.

Update: Fiddleheads emailed me within a couple of hours. Looks like I may have taken the wrong trail back. Will have to try again soon.

Belleville, Cobourg, Newcastle

Belleville Marina, Belleville
This was my goal, get to Belleville Marina and work my way back west. Really enjoyed driving through Belleville. Beautiful town. Thanks for taking me to the waterfront. A quick find. It was fun looking through the letterbox at the familiar sig stamps and those that I'd never seen before. Wish I had time to stop by Ramada's off-leash dog park but we were heading to Pooch Path where my dog had an opportunity for off-leash fun.

Gizmo's Pooch Path, Belleville
We really enjoyed the off-leash trail. Did the whole loop. When we got to the birdhouses a couple of bluebirds swooped by us and the male landed on one of the boxes. What beautiful birds - I had never actually seen one before and this one let me have a close-up view.

I was excited to find Gizmo's letterbox, eager to see Gizmo's stamp. What a great portrait of the cute pooch. A terrific addition to my logbook.

GT Pod or Bay of Quinte
I don't know how I did this but, using the directions for Bay of Quinte I found GT Pod. Cute stamp. I found it the bushwacking way - a bit of a struggle with a few woody plants but do-able.
--Norasta confirmed that I found GT Pod.--

Waterfront Series, Cobourg
I'm amazed with all the secluded pristine waterfront area along this part of Lake Ontario. I grew up in Toronto so I'm not used to being the only one out there enjoying the sounds of the waves and the views of water and trees - no skyscrapers, no hoardes of people. Plus the water was a clear blue/green. I could see to the bottom of the lake bed. Growing up, the water in the lake was brown. This was almost a tropical ocean look. Great directions, hides and stamps. A very nice series.

As an added bonus I got to drive through downtown Cobourg. I was sorry that I couldn't stop for a little while. What a beautiful quaint place. I'll have to come back and have some coffee at the "Human Bean".

401 West Service Station, Newcastle
And the final box of the day. A letterbox find, followed by a quick bite to eat before continuing home along the 401. Enjoyed the hidden picnic area. No one around, had the place to myself. Nice hide, fun appropriate stamp. It was great to have picnic tables around to do my stamping.

Thanks Jiggs for your recommendations. Wish I could have gotten to them all.

Thanks everyone for your letterboxes. You made this letterboxer's day a happy one. :)

Planted 2 new hitchhikers

• Spirit
• Lone R's Ghost

I've planted 4 hitchhikers in the past 2 months. I have my fingers tightly crossed that people will log their finds when they retrieve them. So far Kissy Face Angels was retrieved but the finder did not log their find.

Water Music: second movement by the Fiddleheads
So serene. I fitting spot for something musical in the classical genre.

Get Your Bearings by the Fiddleheads
A great tour of a few arboretum specimens. Wonderful stamp. Well done.

Kitchener-Waterloo

Lucky Duck
First letterbox of the day. Lovely area, there was a dad and his young son fishing in the pond. Really nice place to walk the dog. Good hide, hand-carved stamp, good container, creative logbook. Nice Spring weather. Couldn't ask for more. What surprised me was all the visitors when I opened up the letterbox's logbook . I was the 8th visitor and the only trailname I recognized was Trailfeather's. Looks like the Sehl's article in the Record got a few people interested in letterboxing. Before leaving I put a little something extra in the box (it needs to move along – be kind, log your find :) ).

A Pair of Red Doves for Michael Bird
Paid a second visit to this one. Unfortunately the first one went missing but the Sehl Gang replaced it and hid it differently, so I came back to stamp into the new logbook. I really enjoyed "Red Doves". The area is great, the logbook is creative, the stamps are lovely.

In the Line of Fire
I first went out to find this box on April 2 but it wasn't there. There was a rock but only dirt under it. On April 30 the Sehl Gang confirmed that it was indeed there. So, being back in the area, I paid the spot another visit wondering how I could have missed it the first time. Found it under that rock but this time the dirt had been excavated and a package was waiting. As always, a great hand-carved stamp.

Back 2 School
I had a really great time here. They've packed so much to see and do in this park. And then there's so much to see and do just outside of the park too. Saw my first white peacock. Saw over 10 large carp in the lake. Saw over 10 mallard ducklings (so cute). Loved the logbook and the stamp. Also, enjoyed getting a close-up view of that most interesting "measurement around a shape or figure" institute. Well done Sehl Gang.

No physical logbook but an online logbook - just the stamp: Ol' 103 by Funhog

I like this idea. I hope to hide something similar one of these days. I wouldn't want to do this for all letterboxes but I can see it's application, especially for indoor boxes where a suspicious box could alarm people but a stamp by itself would not.

Found more logbook-less boxes. These are by the Green Tortuga (Ryan, webmaster of AQ):

• American Invasion - it's in Lee Moor, UK. You can read about the hide here - look at the Mar 26 entry.
• The Grand Hall
• Bookstore Box
• The Great Northern

Here's a few more by other letterboxers:

• See ya in the Morning Microbox
• Caffe Lena
• Mischief with Mallets
• Time to Cram
• Calavera Catrina
• Not Lonely Anymore
• Fish Out of Water 2

There are lots of letterbox series where there are no logbooks except in the very last box of the series. My Hansel & Gretel letterbox series is an example of this.

Making a Mountain out of a Mole Hill by the Fiddleheads

Another great box by Fiddleheads.

Sent mail to Fiddleheads (spoilers removed):

Woo hoo! Found it. What fun we had.

I saw your box announcement pop-up and read the description. I had a good idea which hill you were talking about...It was still quite light out so I grabbed the dog and off we went.

The walk up the hill was not too strenuous, I didn't even get winded. On our way up the hill we met up with a very nice family with a very friendly little girl and her brown lab. My dog had a great time with the girl and the lab. [The] Park is an off-leash area so it was wonderful for my dog to visit.

I found the gravel path and the dead tree and the y in the trail. [Removed spoiler section] my dog and I sat on the hill enjoying the beautiful evening weather and stamping the logbooks.

Excellent... stamp! Loved the... log book. A very nice all-round experience. Thanks so much.

Tie Fighter by Fiddleheads - found

Sent mail to Fiddleheads:

A job well done. Clear clues, really nice park and I love the carved stamp by the 7 year old artist. Thanks so much for placing a letterbox for me to enjoy. Keep up the good work! :)

P.S. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I wasn't the first finder.

Thanks for the note in your clue page pointing people to Fido and Friend and to Reservoir Dogs, it's much appreciated. :)

Letterboxing and Geocaching
2 great past times

New Kitchener Waterloo letterboxes by the Sehl gang

A pair of red doves for Michael Bird - found

Terrific area. Cryptic yet clear clues. Great box but I have concerns about the container. Very nice hand-carved stamps. I also have concerns about the hiding spot - too easy for groundskeepers to spot and toss. I checked the online clue and the status was changed to missing (I hope this is an error and that the box hasn't already disappeared.

April 15 - got a message from the Sehl gang - they have replaced the letterbox and modified the hiding spot and container. Great news!

The Flames - found

Good clues. Unique container. I have concerns about the location and durability of the container.

In the Line of Fire - couldn't find

The clues were very clear and I'm pretty sure I was in the right area. I found one rock near the post but there was no box under it. Also looked under tar/cement chunks in the area but didn't find a box.

April 30: got a message from the Sehl Gang - the box is there. I'll try again soon.

May 6: found it. I had looked in the correct spot but the Sehls hadn't planted it before posting it so it wasn't there on April 2 when I went to look for it.

Guelph Esker by valleyone (GC10BKV)

• tricky find, good hide
• needed clue but still took me 3 visits to finally find it because it's well hidden
• need a gps receiver to find the location
• nice commercial stamp

Crawford Tract Letterbox by valleyone (GC103KG)

• need a gps receiver to find the location
• nice commercial stamp
• a quick find

Guelph

North Little Tract Letterbox by valleyone (GC104K1)

• Nice find in the same tract as my Little Tract letterbox. This one is in the north end, mine is in the south end.
• need a gps receiver to find the location
• nice commercial stamp

The Big Beech Stub by valleyone (GC1009P)

• need a gps receiver to find the location
• nice commercial stamp
• in the same park as Fido and Reservoir Dog and Big Dog

Beaton's Boardwalk by valleyone (GC1009F)

• need a gps receiver to find the location
• nice commercial stamp
• in the same park as Fido and Reservoir Dog and Big Dog

Henry's Bridge by valleyone (GC1009C)

• need a gps receiver to find the location
• nice commercial stamp
• in the same park as Fido and Reservoir Dog and Big Dog

Postal letterboxing.

Received my very first postal letterbox, "Canadian Celebration: Greatest Canadian" by butterfly5.

'Canadian Celebration' is the very first Canadian-only postal letterbox. A great way to get Canadians to test the postal waters.