Mid-MO Fall LB Gathering Announcment

Greetings all. As many of you will know, I'm looking ahead and beginning to plan a Fall Gatheirng. This will be the long awaited arts and crafts gathering many of us have discussed. This gathering will have two main purposes.

The first is for everyone to share thier skills and techniques related to LB. Already we've had requests for workshops on carving, book making, paper alteration and ciphers. If there is something else you're interested in let me know and I'll make arrangements with the proper folks and try to have something set up.

The second goal is to meet the local LB community (with the excecption of our dear C2B2). At previous gatherings the majority of the time has been spent running down LBs and the only opportunity to visit has been on the trail or between events. This gathering should make up for it as there will be plenty of time to browse through logbooks (my favorite part) and get to know everyone.

While this won't be a GRAND LB adventure as previous gatherings have been, there may be a few LB surprises.

It appears the date will be November 4th, though the final decision has yet to be made.

If you're interested in attending this, or future gatherings, drop me a line and I will add you to the mailing list.

Lnd-Crzr

Brief introduction

Hello all, I thought I would introduce myself to you all before I meet some of you folks on the trail. I ran into Jenny J today and was so surprised meeting my first LBer in person that I completely forgot to ask for an exchange (rookie mistake). lol
Anyway, here is a little information on me. I am a health policy analyst at the Center for Health policy at MU. I have been residing in Columbia now for over 15 years and live out near Midway just west of town. I have been happily married going on ten years and have 22 month old twins (a boy and a girl) which keep me pretty busy when I am not working. My main hobbies include rock climbing, mushroom hunting, mountain biking, canoeing, and skiing when I can get to the mountains.
I have only been letterboxing since early August when I stumbled upon the Great Spirit box completely by accident while mushroom hunting. I opened the box looked inside and was intrigued by what I found. I couldn't beleive that such a hobby existed combining my love for hiking, puzzle solving and creative expression. After seeking out a few boxes I was hooked and after placing my first box there was no turning back.
I have spoken with many of you through email and I appreciate all of your help and guidance in answering some of my newbie questions. And I appreciate all of you who were able to find my first box despite my error-ridden first attempt at cyphering. I look forward to running into more of you on the trails and meeting the rest at upcoming gatherings.

Ahistory

"See You On The Trail"

That saying took a new meaning last weekend. Hannah was going for a walk at our local park in the evening and a man walked by. They passed each other with a friendly Mid MO "Hello". She knew the fellow but was not completely sure. Later in the walk, she spotted this man again, but this time he had a companion. Both had backpacks. They were coming back on the trail at an unusual spot. Unusual because we have one of our LB hid up in that area. Low and behold, the next day, I recieved email conformation that LND-CRZR and FOX-FYR had found the box. And they left a HH. So be aware, the next person you pass on the trail might have the same addiction that you have. We hope we can go for a walk and, " See You On The Trail"

ABS Family

Suggestions?

I'm gearing up for our first weekend of letterboxing in the Columbia this weekend. There are so many on LbNA that its a little daunting. Any suggestions for where to start? Which boxes are your favorites? I also need maybe 3 or 4 on campus boxes to do between classes Friday. Thanks for any help, and see you on the trails!

Mid Missouri Letterboxers

An Alarming Trend

I’ve noticed something rather alarming recently….boxes which are visible in their hiding places. It’s nothing new that occasionally a box will be uncovered, but the last few weeks we’ve found naked boxes almost every time we’ve been out…either clearly visible, or visible from an angle other than the direction we came from (i.e., the back or side of a hollow tree, etc.).

I’m assuming that animals are the ones responsible for this mischief, and I’m not sure what the solution is, except to be extra-vigilant when re-hiding a box, including looking around the hiding place from every angle to make sure it is completely concealed and covering it as much as possible. It would be a real loss for any of the boxes we’ve found to go missing!

The Art(isan) of Letterboxing -- a group box

Although letterboxing in Mid Missouri didn't start at the Cherry Street Artisan, many of us consider the coffee shop our "home."

Our first group meeting was an adventure in Rock Bridge State Park May 7, 2005 -- organized single-handledly by Lnd-Crzr. We had such fun that the next fall those of us who met at Rock Bridge decided to come together a bit more formally. Cherry Street Artisan was a central place to escape the weather, enjoy good food and share our season's scavenging the few boxes then available in Boone County. So on Oct. 22, a handful of us met again to form the germ of the Mid Missouri Letterboxers.

While we were displaying the Halloween microboxes we had made for the gathering, Artisan owner Tom Baird came over to the table. We explained letterboxing and the appeal of hiding objects to be found later. He was very enthusiastic and showed us a secret-but-public spot in the cafe where no one would ever guess a box would hide.

And that's how the Mid Missouri Letterboxers box came to be. Last Saturday, Jenny J, Grace to You and both halves of C2B2 (Lnd-Crzr couldn't make it) met Baird at the Artisan to plant the box. Jenny wrote the clues, Sandi made the book, Clyde built the box and Ron carved the stamp.

Jenny will post the clues on LBNA, but the hints I gave you in this post will be of minor help only. To find this special group box, you will have to study the clues carefully, take your time to really understand the restaurant and -- above all -- employ extreme stealth. This is, after all, a busy public establishment. Actually getting to the box will take a bit of legerdemain and perhaps some special timing. Don't try it at lunch or during busy weekend evenings.

One other request -- say thanks to Tom, his manager Jeremy and the rest of the crew. If you and your diet are really daring, try one of the whole-apple dumplings.

Lift your cup to your letterboxing friends, here and tucked away in the boxing world.

Put a penny in the box ...

I'm about to violate a good fellow's privacy for a good cause. All of you suffered through LBNA's recent computer troubles. And quite a few of you said if you had only known, you would have helped pay for the new computer resources.

Say no more. Just send a check to Choi the LBNA webmaster. His real name and address is:

John Chapman, 28 Birch Road, Andover, MA 01810.

John created and runs the site as a nonprofit. That was fine when it was a small hobby that could get by on a free site like this one. But popularity is expensive.

I'm a computer kind of guy, so I appreciate the hell he goes through just so I can have a good time. I'm sending my check. I suggest each of us send at least $1 for each box we have planted -- or better yet $1 for each box we have found. Many of us gladly spend that much on gas just driving around looking for carving material. Or looking for one of Lnd-Crzr's wild country boxes.

My students are always shocked when I explain that the Internet is not free. Operating it costs more and more daily. Most of us ride on the broad shoulders and pocketbooks of volunteers like Choi.

But there are limits to altruism. Give as you have received.

C2B2

Dog Walk 1

This is the first in a possible series of letterboxes found on great Mid-Missouri dog walks. Your hosts for this box are Jasper and Nika...my two canine kin, and constant letterboxing companions. Jasper is the older, if still waters run deep...he is about 2 fathoms. Nika is the younger and more gregarious of the two...she has an opinion about everything. They will critique the walk, and provide your clues. It is highly suggested that you bring a pal of the pup persuasion with. If you can't find one, contact Jasper and Nika...they are always interested. First...dogs rate the walk on a 5 biscuit scale:

Nika: "This walk has everything!!! Proximity to other great walks, gathering spots, and swim holes make this a great choice. Lots of room to run, without those pesky leash signs and poo bags! I give it 4 out of 5 biscuits!

Jasper: "Yeah...poo bags." 4 biscuits.


Now...the clues:

Letterboxing Gods

yeah- the LBNA site is back up!!- anxious to get back out in the woods for a battle with ticks and stinging nettle in hopes of a victorious tupperware prize!!

I recently went to Opryland in Nashville on a book buying excursion for work and had to opportunity to letterbox in the hotel- yes in the hotel, this place is nutty, like a little city under glass. I attempted 5 boxes and found 1 missing, 2 just could not find but the 1 box I did find was so funny I thought I would share. Upon arrival and on my way to the conference area I had noticed a piece of the clues (oh course I studied these on the way down on the road) and made note to come back to that spot. It is easy to get lost and turned around in this massive place. After a few hours of book buying, some dinner, hot tub and drinks, the tourist started to fade and it was time to letterbox. A work companion and LB recruit and myself took off on the hunt, and went back to the spot I had seen, we were in hot pursuit as the clues started to fall in place (i love it when that happens) and as we came to the final clue we were so busy finding the clues that once we found the box, my friend looked up and the resting spot for this box was right outside our room!! Mind you there are close to 3,000 rooms in this place and the room that I got was right across from a letterbox!!!! Maybe it was the hot tub, maybe the mojitos, but it was so hilarious and I had a cozy place to stamp up! So the letterbox gods were smiling at me last week! So kudos to "she who plants" for some fun boxes at Opryland- I hope to find the other boxes I attempted the next time I go- definitely worth the stop if you are passing through Nashville.

I also recently got a pretty fun book called "carve your own itch" by Bob Clark that is really fun that I will try and bring to the next gathering, fun gallery to look at in the book-

I am just finishing up my eldest son's 5th b-day box series to be released in September and am ready for C2B2's challenge- game on

see you on the trail-mamaroots

Moving to Central Missouri

Hello all, my name is Rachel, and as I said in my comment earlier, my fiance and I have been letterboxing for over a year now. Unfortunately, last summer he left for Marine Corps boot camp, and I went to college at Ohio University, so the letterboxing we have done is scattered between Kansas City, where we both call home, and what we could do visiting in Ohio and in Washington D.C. where he is stationed. I would say we have found about 25 boxes. Another result of our not seeing each other very often is that we haven't been able to find a place to plant our first box. It's put together, and ready to go, so it will most likely be placed the end of this month when he visits me at Mizzou, since I am transferring. I'll be sure to let everyone know when that is.

Letterboxing was actually a birthday present I gave Sean. He said he wanted something we could do together. I searched for weeks trying to find something unique and interesting that would keep us busy for a long time when I stumbled across an article in Travel and Leisure magazine about a fun "2 hour vacation". I was intrigued, and did some research (I think I read the entire LbNA website) and went out and bought all the materials we needed and printed off several sets of clues. That's how we spent the entire day of his birthday. The more boxes we find, the more we love it. We even had a romantic picnic one day at the place we first met, topped off by finding a letterbox that was on the grounds. We're always very careful about replacing the boxes just as we found them. I think my favorite part is reading through the logbooks and seeing the stamps and comments of the visitors before. I'm excited to be a part of this group since it has seemed like letterboxing is a sort of secret society (which it is) that the members never see each other. So thank you so much for being here, and I can't wait to meet you!

LBNA Website

Mid Missouri Letterboxers
According to postings on the yahoo groups letterboxing board, the LbNA website will be down until they find a new server to host the site. They have outgrown the current server (good news/bad news I guess).
As for other sites...Atlas Quest is the only one that has some local clues that I have found. I will be checking there and here and hoping to control the tremors until I get access to more clues. Take care all! Touchtrek