Kingdom of Callaway Fails

After a five month hiatus of letterboxing, I am back at it, spurred on by the recent AQ mail I have received that there are people finding my micro-series in Columbia! Indeed, it is on of the better drugs to be hooked on: human interaction. 

I am now located out of Fulton and as such have started to tackle the boxes in the area, including abandoned or unknown ones. Today me and my forever LBing partner, 'lane line lover', searched for a box north of downtown Fulton called The Presbyter, which we found to no longer be in existence. 

Then we drove out past Williamsburg to look for a box by Lnd-Crzr named "Safe Cracker" in an attempt to stop the sinister Baron Von Krackhousen. We were able to crack the cipher and make it out to the field that the safe was located in. It was a very pleasant hike on this beautiful Halloween afternoon, but alas we got mixed up with the clues about 75% of the way there. We were also discouraged by the amount of bushwhacking through tall grass we would have to make to get where we needed to be. It might be a better box to do once January hits. 

Lane line lover and I would like to plant some more boxes in Fulton and find more boxes in Columbia, and we hope that anyone else in the area will join us! 

Thanks, and until i have another update, stay classy. 

Winter is here!

 Hello friends on the internet. What a time to be alive! I am back up in Kirksville for my final semester at university and there is loads of snow everywhere. 

The depressing state of the weather, combined with no chance of letterboxing for a while made me want to post once again on here, and mention a hike my fiance and I took a few weeks ago when it was nice. We went to Three Creeks Conservation area, and found the two boxes there which I had found once before on a solo boxing trip this past summer. They are Jenny J's boxes, one of which is the oldest LB in Boone county! 2002 I think! I was 3 then haha. 

THREE CREEKS BOX

I highly recommend those trails, and the past three times I have gone all the creeks have been bone dry. 

One last thing, and I hope she won't mind me mentioning it, but Jenny J informed me that her husband has recently passed. She said that although he never LB'ed himself he was always willing to hike with her to different boxes. Please send her your thoughts and prayers, as it is always sad for us to lose a member of the MidMo letterbox community. Stay safe and I'll see you all once the snow is gone!

POETS IN THE WOODS BOX

New Friends and Old Boxes

 Hello, hello, hello. 

It's me BedBeard. I have mentioned my introduction to LB'ing on my personal blog before, but I will say a little something here for those who don't know me:

I had an older sibling who was a boxer from the Boone county area. And he was involved in the community of boxing which went on between 2006 and 2008. Then he moved and his boxing slowed down (partially due to the big LB explosion among the scouts and such). However, during that period of time he was around, he took me along for some boxing and I only recently began to go on my own. (His trail name was "nugglebugs"... I'll include one of his old entries here in case you have your old stamps memorized). 

A little late, I know. But better late than never. And I actually think that the only thing I am missing out on because of my lateness is the events themselves. From the emails I have had and the old blog posts on this very page I can see that there was a very close group of LBers and lots of creativity in the area. And with the current state of the nation, there might not be a chance for a gathering of that kind for a while longer. 

I am currently at school in Kirksville until May 2021 (I will be graduating!!). After that, I will be in or around Columbia for the next year. Hopefully we will have most of Covid behind us and could have a meeting of some kind. I would love to connect more with the old timers in the area. 

But events aside, some positives come with being late to the party. One is the hilarious experiences that are a result of hunting for boxes that have been abandoned for over a decade, or boxes that haven't been hunted for since 2013. And I think that the rush of adrenaline or joy, or whatever it is you get when you find a box is even stronger if it's a box that you went to look for thinking it was lost. Another thing is that it adds to the feeling of treasure hunting, because sometimes the clues aren't updated that well and you have to try and imagine how the area has changed since the box was planted. 

I actually went to look for an old box this week. It was the Ace of Diamonds box by McMonkey Mom. I think it was planted in '07. I found the spot, and dug a bit for the box. I hit plastic and thought for sure I had found it, though the previous two boxers had failed. I managed to loosen the plastic object only to find that it was a concession stand cup that someone had shoved in the hole. Actually, it turned out that there were two of these cups in there! But there was no box to be seen. 

I will continue to LB in the area, and I am slowly crossing off the list of over 200 boxes in the mid-missouri area that I can access on both LBNA and Atlasquest. I have no idea what I am going to get when I go to look for a box because I seem to be the first one looking for them this decade (hence, I have about a 40% find rate). So if you have any boxes that are still out there or if you know you have boxes listed which have been since picked up please help me out. 

Stay safe and healthy, my friends.

BedBeard 

Return of Letterboxing to Mid-Missouri

 Letterboxing in Mid-Missouri went into dormancy a few years ago -- about the same time that the hobby was overrun as a "fad." Boxes were taken or abused and groups of scouts and others tromped clear paths to otherwise hidden boxes. The final blow was the rise in popularity of geocaching when that sport no longer required expensive GPS devices.  Now anyone can find a cache with a smartphone. It's clueless.

The sport had lost its uniqueness and appeal. Most of the oldtimers simply put their logbooks and stamps on the shelf.

But there is hope

Hugh Keene (BedBeard) of Kirksville is reviving letterboxing in Mid-Missouri. For the past several months he has sniffed out the old boxes still out in the field and planted several of his own. We are happy to welcome him to the group and encourage him to start the letterboxing conversation anew.

Who knows? Perhaps with BedBeard's enthusiasm, Letterboxing will make a comeback here. Good luck, Hugh.

C2B2

New letterboxers

I've had some reports recently from several new letterboxers in the Columbia area about the status of my letterboxes. It seems that most are still intact and in good shape. I am quite pleased that many of them have been in the wild for 5-7 years. Now that the summer heat has died down, it might be a good time to think about a Gathering...I know several local folks are itnerested...the trick is just picking a place, a time a theme and getting the word out (perhaps in November, a Thanksgiving theme? or a Yule party in December?) It would be a great way to maintain Columbia's tradition of letterbox survival due to proper re-hideation (thanks to Lnd-Crzr for coining that word).

Fox-fyr

New use for carving tools

I was carving jack-0-lanterns with those cheap little saws that come with pumpkin carving kits and was thinking,,,geez, I wish had some better carving tools.
and then it hit me...I have an entire arsenal of carving tools for stamps....pumpkins are soft enough that it should work on them just fine.

I manage to carve out quite a nice pumpkin this year using those tools. Will post pics as soon as I've had a chance to download them.

I would love to see pics of other people's pumpkin carves this year!

Fox-fyr

Boxing again!

I took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed out for a while today. Took a new trail buddy along. We started at the Mid-Mo Hicthchiker Hostel to drop a HH from Wisconsin. Picked up a new one. Boy, it's still pretty overgrown out there. More skeeters than I expected this time of year. Next we headed to Capen Park and had some success there. I think Forget Me Not is gone. We did look around at some suspicious piles of rocks at the foot of some trees and found a box without clues! It was a lot of fun to be out today. If you haven't been out for a long time, give it a try! It's as much fun as you remembered!

The little box that could

The rash of emails from new boxers and  the story about letterboxing in Columbia Homes rekindled my interest in our sport this month.  I've decided to check the condition of my stable of neglected boxes.  Tonight I stopped at Saarinen Microletterbox with low expectations.  It is, after all, in a very public place.

To my amazement, it was not only there but in fairly good shape.  The book was wet but in one piece and the stamp was still in its felt case.

That little box has done me in.  I've got the bug again.  I'll repair and replace the box and make the rounds of the others. ( It's been so long I'll have to read my own clues to find them, I'm afraid.)  I'm also in for Ron's suggested late summer gathering.

By the way, I spruced up the site a bit.  Let me know if the design works for you.

Letterboxes up for adoption; free LB supplies

I will be moving from Columbia, Missouri and re-locating to the state of Washington in early July. If anyone in the area wants to adopt any of my boxes, please let me know: difoxfire@gmail.com Please respond only if you have already found the box(es) you wish to adopt, and if you live in Columbia or within an easy driving distance of Columbia. I will also likely have some letterboxing supplies to donate as I am trying to reduce the number of items I will have to move (it's cheaper to re-stock than take it all with me). --Fox-fyr

Letterbox of the Week: Devil's Kitchen

I just saw a note on Atlasquest that my Devil's Kitchen box is the AQ letterbox of the week!
It's my first letterbox, still my favorite clue I've ever written, and has survived in the same location for five years. if you haven't found it yet, it's a great winter hike!

Fox-fyr
(who's had to put letterboxing on hold for more than a year due to the new baby who's now nine months old).

Maintenance Mayhem

Hello everyone, I wanted to say that I am trying to at least get back out and check all of my boxes over the coming months and maybe even replacing a few that have been pulled or went missing.

For those of you who have been out along the Katy, I recently relocated Sadako's Story and the Hen of the Woods box. If you have found them, there is no need to find them again as they have only been slightly moved, one to avoid potential flooding and another because its hidey hole literally disintegrated after 4 years.

The Chicken of the Woods box is currently pulled for the same reason. I hope to get it back out there in the next week or two. When I found it, it was just sitting in a pile of sawdust. The bonus box was also very exposed as the tree holding it had fallen over, luckily the box was just sitting in the mud.

Also, for those of you who had found either my Blackberry Hill or Diana Bend box (which is part of an "unnamed" series) and were a little confused when you looked at the contents, let me explain. I planted both of those at the same time in the dead of winter and I think the cold went to my head, becuase this summer when I was out picking blackberries and checked in on these I realized, I had placed each box in the other one's place. I switched them back, so now they are correctly where they need to be. If you only had found one, I would suggest going back to the hiding sport as now there should be a new box (the original) there for you to log.

I know everyone has gotten very busy this past year, so I thought I would see if anyone wanted to get together and catch up while checking boxes for maintenance. If so drop me a line and we can get out and hit a few and make sure the great boxes in our area are safe and sound for the next finders.

Need help

I have some boxes that are mostly finished that go aroudn Jeff City. I have moved about two hours north can can't seem to get these planted. Is there anyone interested in finishing this for me? The stamps are carved and have log books to go with them. I just need them sort of put together (I have containers) and planted. Any takers?

I can mail the package or perhaps meet you if I am coming that way. I have had these stamps for almost 2 years and can't seem to get them planted!!

PLEASE HELP!!

Just To Get the Ball Rolling ...

It sounds like we have some interest in a "low key" gathering. I'm going to toss out some ideas just to start a discussion.

How about a picnic/potluck type thing on a Saturday maybe at one of Columbia's parks, Rock Bridge, or? We might want to reserve a shelter. Dates that would work for me are May 22, June 12 or June 19.

I'd really just like to reconnect with some of you as well as meet you newer folks in lieu of contests or frenzied running around collecting stamps. Some folks have young children. Perhaps several of you would like to bring an activity for the kids and take turns with the kids so that everyone would have some time with the adults.

It might be good to try to update the status of as many of our local boxes as possible. Finders and box placers could exchange information. I know this would help me get my boxes up to date.

So go ahead pick this all apart or add some more input. Let's have an LB reunion!

(Lnd Crzr, are you out there?)

Anyone here?

I used to follow this blog a couple years ago. I have moved and had to set letterboxing aside for a while. Now I picked up my stuff and carved a few. Then decided to check this site to see what is going on. Sad to see no posts since July 2009!

Is anyone still here?

I haven't been out letterboxing this summer...

... but I think I've got a good excuse!



Hannah Elizabeth

Born: July 26, 2009 7:30 am

Weight: 8 pounds 10 ounces

Length: 21 inches

Just wondering...

Did anyone besides Lnd-Crzr go to LBCon? I'd LOVE to hear about it. Lots of people? From how far away? I'm so sorry I missed it. I was chaperoning a 16th birthday party for AJMonkeyMan. Let's hear the details!

1st EVER LB CON - In Our Backyard

For those of you who may be caught unaware, there is a national LB CON quickly approaching in St. Louis. Dates are July 17 - 19th at the University Missouri St Louis campus. Folks are coming in from across the US to 'Meet, Greet, Learn and Aid the Art'. Some of the 'big names' in LB will be there, such as Green Tortuga and Wassamata_U.

While the origional goal was to have it vendor heavy, that seems to have gone by the way-side. Instead, classes, games, boxes, exchanges and meeting/mingeling will be the draw.

I'll be there presenting a class on aging paper and I'll be releasing a series I've long been wanting to do. Here's a hint if anyone finds it; It's based on an Old English poem (author unknown) written between the 8th and 11th century. Is noted for its length (3,128 lines long) and is often cited as one of the most important pieces of Anglo-Saxon literature.

Click HERE to see the LB CON homepage.

Hope everyone is well! Miss you good people!

Lnd-Crzr

Treasure Hunting Volunteers

I've got about 150 people signed up for the Treasure Hunting Event this weekend April 11 fom noon to 4:30 and could definitely use volunteer help (see below). I will have more than 30 boxes hidden in the park, some new, some recyclyed from previous events, and some already established boxes. I am still in the process of planting them all and could use some help.


Volunteers:
In addition, I could use some volunteers anytime that morning starting at 8 a.m. I will have a few items to hide in already designated places, some Easter Eggs and Easter trinkets to "hide-in-plain-sight" for the younger kids, signs to place, help with the registration table, and will definitely need help with parking. I will also experienced letterbixers and geocachers willingto take newbies out for a hunt or two. The event starts at noon so if you show up sometime between 8 a.m. and noon you can fill out a temporary volunteer form so we can record your volunteer hours.
Please RSVP and let me know when you plan to arrive and what you'd be willing to help with.--Fox-fyr aka Kathryn DiFoxfire with Rock Bridge Memorial State Park

"Treasure Hunting with a Twist" Event

Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park is sponsoring a "Treasure Hunting with a Twist" program April 11, 2009 (Easter weekend) from noon to 4:30 p.m. This event is open to the public and is for all ages.

The park plans to hide a number of letterboxes and geocaches throughout the park (these will be temporary ones, available on the day of the event only). In addition, there will be several hidden-in-plain-sight type of hunts and other activities. Some activities will be easy and designed especially for small children; others will be more elaborate and require more hiking.

I am looking for volunteers wishing to help with the event. Volunteers are needed to make, hide and retrieve boxes, caches and other items (the park has a GPS unit if you'd like to hide a geocache) as well as write appropriate clues. I also need volunteers who wish to greet visitors at the registration table, help hand out clues and coordinates, and provide instructions. Volunteers are also needed to assist with the stamp carving workshop for beginners. If you have ideas for planning or activities you would like to see at this event, I would love your input.

Lastly, because we have limited funding for this event, I am looking for donations of materials and supplies, especially the following: stamp carving material, carving tools (these can be returned), logbooks, containers (these can be returned), trinkets to hide in the geocaches, first finders prizes for the letterboxes, already-carved stamps (to use as temporary signature stamps or to hide in letterboxes--these can also be returned).

I have no idea what kind of turnout we might get, but I have already advertised the event on both atlasquest.net and gecaching.com. We will also be advertising through our regular media channels. There is no registration limit, but if you wish to attend the event, you will need to call the park office at 673-449-7400 between March 11 and April 11 to register.
For more information, please contact me at the park phone number above.

Kathryn DiFoxfire aka Fox-fyr

ME