Monday, August 21, 2006

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.

2 comments:

ahistory said...

I ate at the artisan for lunch today and like you said it's all in the timing. Way too busy...will have to try again on an early morning.
I am new to LB and this group, but WOW you guys have made me a fanatic. Ingenius fun.

Fox-fyr said...

I;ve triced twice now. First time, I sat at a table with Lnd-Crzr, and we waited anxiously and watched a lady pecking away on her laptopfor forever. Or rather, _I_watched anxiously while Lnd-Crzr laughed at me as he watched me stare at the hiding spottrying to figure it out.
While we were there, One Mean Green Bean showed up. "Caught in the act!" she exclaimed when she saw us sitting there. She joined us and had a delicious-looking meal andshared the adventures of herprevious attempt for the same box while all three of us started at the woman on the couch, hoping she'd move.
Lnd-Crzr and I had other fish to fry that day, so to speak, so we headed up to Moberly to visit with General Omar Bradley, who is quite the remarkable man and well worth the 30 minute drive.
It seems One Mean Green Bean, who remained in wait, ran into some luck as the woman finally moved away and gave her the chance she needed to successfully retrieve the box.
I returned again today (after vainly driving around one of Columbia's busiest parking lots unsuccessfully on yet another hunt)and after another long wait, staring at the sructure for the better part of an hour, deduced where the box must be. I even found the smallest part of what I was looking for, but could not retrieve it without attracting a lot of attention. Sigh. This boxmay take quite a few cups of tea.
--Fox-fyr