Letterboxing in High Park

What a gorgeous day.  Finally, out on the trail.  Though I was largely unsuccessful, I had a great time and am looking forward to some more letterboxing in my future.

I had plans with friends downtown, so I took the opportunity to then head to High Park to try and find some of the many boxes there I have yet to find. I can't recall how frequently I've posted about this, but I have a terrible time with the old High Park boxes. They are so hard but I want them so bad!

For those new to Ontario boxing, an event was held in High Park in September of 2009 (almost five years ago!) which, for the record, was before I started letterboxing.  Many boxes were planted, lovely, and are still sited to this day.

Nonetheless, High Park being the size it is, changes with time and trails and foliage undermine clues fairly uniformly.  As much as you spend in the park, you never really get a full sense of the whole of it and it's full of difficult plants.

I started with a Fiddleheads box and came across the most intriguing entry in a logbook that I've ever seen, here it is:

Sooo... besides the message, if they weren't looking, why did they have a stamp? Anyone read Mandarin?

Anyways.  I had a massively unsuccessful time next doing one of Gwynlais' first Smokin Festivals series.  Here's the thing: I actually got lost.  Lost.  Lost.  I didn't find a single box in the series and I'm glad I knew High Park as well as I did or I would have panicked when I got so turned around.

So I ended up back near the Grenadier Cafe, so I tried the Stockyards box and found it full of water.  Like full, full.  Like full of blue water, full.  And in a log with a bee nest in it.  So, yeah.

Full of water.  Full.

It was a beautiful day and a lovely walk through the park, so I'll consider it a win.

Hope you all enjoyed your first day of summer!
Happy trails!

In the mood...

I'm feeling the letterboxing itch.

I think it's time to finally pull out my gear, don't you?

*wink*

Happy trails!

In the news...

I love reading about letterboxing in the news, and it's amazing to hear non-boxer's perspectives on the hidden world of letterboxing.  For posterity, here's a lovely one with a great plot, great characters, and an excellent ending:

Schenectady City Hall mystery turns out to be a letterbox, by Kathleen Moore, The Daily Gazette.

It's officially spring, my peeps.  I'm wondering how my boxes have fared this winter...

Happy trails!

Missing the trail...

Hello all.

It has been quite the new year.  I moved, and it has been non-stop busy since.  I haven’t been able to slow down for even a second to catch my breath.  Favourite part of new home:  <30 minute work commute.  Worst part of new home: already have to replace the brand new floors.  Miss that?  Let me repeat: I have. To replace. My brand. New. Floors. Gawd.  I have no money for this.  My car also just decided to rot and I just put a few grand into it.

Sigh.  I’m whining.  My apologies.

I’ve even been so busy, I haven’t been keeping up with the goings on at AQ... (Anyone care to give me a quick summary in the comments? Any drastic changes I should be aware of?  Did Webfoot finally release some orange? Did the community come down on magnet-only boxes? Anyone finally oust Jiggs?)

Also, as everyone is aware, this winter sucks. Hard.  I’m so over winter.  I long for the trail. I have boxes to plant so I desperately need this snow to melt.  I’m also back in Burlington, so I would really like to go revisit some of my old boxes (and cull, maybe)...

Anyways, sorry for this whiny post.  I will be back.  I’ve got projects in my head and places to see.  Hopefully, we have a good letterboxing season ahead of us.

Happy melting trails!

OZ Cut: perfect for knife carving...

This past summer, I was asked to do a wedding invite stamp for a friend's wedding...

With a knife on OZ (click on image for bigger):

Back in Burlington, Ontario

Ugh. So tired, I feel like I could sleep through until the new year. 

So, while I have perhaps been MIA from the letterboxing world since L&BXV, I have been crazy busy at work and preparing to move. No letterboxing for me, and I haven't really been even lurking on the AQ boards lately. 

The good news is that I'm finally moved, and have now been a week in the new place in Burlington. And since I have more room, I've even set myself with a new crafty area with a desk just for my letterboxing stuff. Good times. 

I need I get my Christmas stamp & cards done, finish the rest of my parades, go on my cruise, get Christmas out of the way, and then I *swear* I'll be back to boxing. 

Sigh. 

Happy trails!

Happy Hallowe'en!

Sorry I haven't been around much - but of course I've been carving... Hope yours was spooktacular!

Letterboxing in Boston, Massachusetts

So, after leaving L&B, Fiddleheads and I headed into Boston.  After the trip down and all my irritating singing in the van, FH finally snapped, slowed to 100 and shoved me out of her van.  Luckily, it was close to the "subway" and I was able to get downtown and rent a place for the night.  Jeez.  She's so touchy.

Anyways, I've been to Boston, Massachusetts, a number of times before, so I decided to spend my time focusing on two important things: letterboxing and shopping (big cross-border exemption applied).

Since the weather forecast called for thundershowers in the next couple days (hopefully to get rid of the stifling heat we had through the whole L&B event) I decided to get my letterboxing out of the way on my first day...

Beautiful!

 First I headed out to Harvard's Arboretum for a couple letterboxes. Man it was hot.  I seriously questioned the logic in letterboxing in the heat.  However, the Arboretum was fantastic and it was definitely worth the experience.

First box, Mad Chef dating back to 2002 had a massive logbook, but the box was full of water.  Very sad.

 I also found the Best Gift Ever - which was really cute :)  I planted one of my own, and I was off!

 Next, to the Coolidge for the Most Extreme Cool of All Cools and Only at the Coolidge.  The Coolidge is this gorgeous art deco theatre that still is showing movies.  I loves me some art deco, so I was really happy to trek out to see these two boxes :)

Heading back out on the "subway".  This is the "subway" which is almost identical to Toronto's older streetcars.  Very confusing.

Except that the "subway" does go below ground sometimes as well.  Jeez... And don't get me started about the Silver Line.

Anyways, I went out a little farther for Art Theif! which I think might be my favourite find in Boston.  Very cute stamp and a lovely location for stamping in.

The next day, I planned to do some serious shopping, but I got up before the stores were open to try and get another two boxes - I ♥ Old North Church and Sonnet.  I used the boxes as a reason to do some nice long walking tours of Boston.  Note to self: Boston is gorgeous, I need to go back.

Happy trails!

My newest logbook

So just before leaving for Live & Breathe, my then current log book was nearly filled.  I'm pretty set in my ways, logbook-wise, so I went out on a hunt for another 5x7 hard-covered spiral bound book.  There's lots of them around, my current one was by Eco-Jot, but I had a harder time finding one this time around.

I did find one with a beige cover.  Ugh.  So I bought it.  Ick.  And while driving home a nice thought occurred to me: because of the cover colour, I could cover it with stamps! And I was heading to L&B, so what better thing to do than to have people put their stamps all over it during exchanges! Whee!!

So, here it is in its current glory:

Front and back

Inside front...

... and inside back.

As a result of L&B, I actually filled this brand-new book almost 2/3 of the way, so I'm already having to look for another book.  Have to say though that this is just about my favourite book :)

Happy trails!

Remembering We Live & Breathe XV

It was an amazing trip.  It truly was.

The venue was great.  Okay, it was a little hot and stuffy (care of mother-nature), but perfect for our needs.  The trails were fantastic, the types/varieties of boxes were great, and I loved meeting so many other letterboxers from across the country.

Not sure what more I can say, other than to say that words wouldn't describe it properly.  So instead, here are some more pics from the event.  

Wassa was there, in spirit (or clue) of course...

When in doubt: be suspicious and investigate.

If I can't get to Dartmoor, this is the next best thing (for now!)

There wasn't a clean hand in the place...

Der Mad Stamper's amazing top hat...

... love.

Other boxers on the trail...

... and people were stamping in everywhere.

Magical and fantastical box.

Too bad you can't photograph heat...

... cuz it was wicked hot - high 40s with the humidex.

It's a dressy Fiddleheads!

Yarn-bombed trees... stamps were there...

I don't collect patches, but this makes me want to...

Ours should have won (on the right, but of course).

Obligatory boob shot, care of FH.

Oh Wassa, you're so handsome in that shower...

Beware of beavers!

Already looking forward to We Live & Breathe XX...

Happy trails!