Desconstructing the Devil's Advocate, Part V: The Devil Himself

Okay, this might be the last of my very spoilery posts for a while, but once again, danger - spoilers!

Desconstructing the Devil's Advocate, Part IV: The Court's Decree is Poetry

Warning! Danger, Will Robinson! Spoilers ahead...

Desconstructing the Devil's Advocate, Part III: Alien Rights

Warning! Spoilers ahead...

Desconstructing the Devil's Advocate, Part II: Jail Bird

Danger! This box is still alive, and able to be found and logged.  Nevertheless, the clues is mostly broken down below.  Spoilers ahead...

Deconstructing the Devil's Advocate

Okay, so it really shouldn't be news to anyone who boxes in Ontario that the Devil's Advocate is an alias account that I have and that the four boxes were actually mine.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, I had to pull the Devil's Advocate box which makes the whole series of the puzzle impossible to solve.  Nevertheless, I really enjoyed putting that puzzle together, it was great fun, but for anyone who didn't get the chance to hunt them (or for anyone looking for inspiration for future puzzle boxes) I've decided to deconstruct the making of this puzzle series as well as the solution to it all.

In case you do *not* want to be spoiled or still think you can solve these, I'll try to put the content after a jump break.  You have been warned.

I love creating puzzles.  It's incredibly fun and part of the massive allure of letterboxing for me.  I'm not so great at solving ciphers in particular and can get notoriously frustrated, but I love putting them together and watching others.  It's the same feeling I get when I get an awesome Christmas present for someone.

I've been making tricky boxes for a while, but I had been wondering about how to make a clue that was based on an actual stamp itself.   Leave bits of clues everywhere and let the fun begin!  This, to me, is like the ARGs that I love so much (again, I follow them on the sidelines because I get notoriously frustrated).


SPOILERS AHOY!

I am the letterbox thief

The Grande Hermine {The Big Weasel} Jordan Harbour, Jordan Station, Ontario

Warning: spoiler photo at the end of this post.

Before I ever started letterboxing, another local boxer had done great work and had (has) marvelous boxes planted all over the province.  One day, without notice, she deleted all the clues, deleted the comments, and retired all of her boxes.  Why? I'll never know.  Those were some of my favourite boxes, they contained the amazing history of letterboxing in Ontario.  And now they're gone.  Poof.  This happened over a year ago, so I'm not sure why I'm whinging about it now...

Except now I've done the unthinkable.  I've taken someone else's letterbox.  On purpose.  With intent. Not to relocate because of danger, not to repair due to damage.  To keep. 

My log from 2010.

This particular box had special meaning to me; when I found it, where I found it, who I found it with. I was gutted to think it was gone when that letterboxer deleted the clues and retired the whole lot.  But I had this niggling suspicion that told me that there was no way she had physically pulled so many actual boxes given their geographic spread.  I pretty much knew that these boxes still existed.  I just had no way to find them, or even re-find the ones I had already had logged.

Nonetheless, after moving back to Burlington, I had decided I was going to replace the one box.  It's the perfect location, the perfect theme, and it's perfect to stop at if you're traveling along the QEW back/forth from Canada/US.  So I created a box and headed out today to replant with the hopes that even without the clue, I'd find the box.

I found it.  In perfect condition.  I took it and literally planted mine in its place.  I have it, it's mine.  The log is dry and only half filled...  Its clue is gone and the owner retired it.  This baffles me.  And those lovely boxes are still out there, lonely and unloved - abandoned.  Does anyone keep old clues?  I never have, and now I'm sad because I'll never be able to retrace my steps to some of these now lost gems.

Have I committed a letterboxing crime? I'm not sure.  I plan to show people this box and its contents, I plan to maintain my new replacement box (or at least not destroy it for future finders should I decide to retire from boxing...).

I hope you and future generations of letterboxers enjoy my replacement box.  If you ever want to see the old one, please let me know...

In with the new...

Out with the old, in with the new...

I know Fiddleheads would be disappointed with me if I didn't regularly recarve my signature stamp.  So with the move back to the area of my letterboxing roots comes a new stamp!

Old at the left, new at the right.

Hope you're all out on the trail this beautiful weekend!

Happy trails!