Treasure Seekers: Re-Carve, Re-Plant, Re-Peat!

It’s that time of year again when boxers finally stumble out of hibernation and you discover that many of your beloved boxes have disappeared. I try to be enthusiastic about re-carving my missing in action boxes to be a good LB citizen but I must admit that my enthusiasm really takes a dive when I add MIA boxes to my list of re-carves. Part of my issue is that I just want to work on new carvings/boxes. My early boxes were much simpler carvings that were often quickly planted. Today I am more excited about the carving than the early days. Currently I am working on a carving and have 5 hours of time into the image. Yesterday I spent an hour to re-carve four missing stamps. It’s not so much the time but the creativity behind the new boxes vs. the old boxes. Yet there is this tug that I feel in my heart to keep all of my boxes alive. It seems like cheating for me to retire boxes or to leave them as MIA indefinitely. The guilt finally set in a little and I am back to working on both new boxes and re-carves. Oh, the horrors of MIA boxes!

Yesterday a high school friend of Lizman’s (Kendra) came over and helped me prepare re-plants. She worked on the logbooks while I carved. Between the two of us we prepared 2 new boxes, 4 re-plants and one extra logbook for a box that needed a new one. We hooked back up today and drove from Meridian to Boise, Boise to Horseshoe Bend, Horseshoe Bend back to Boise. It took us about 5 hours to plant 6 boxes and repair 1. This was Kendra’s first experience letterboxing. She was a great sport about us visiting three different cemeteries and didn’t comment on how strange this whole Letterboxing hobby is. I can’t even imagine her mother’s reaction to hear she spend the day jotting down names on tomb stones.

We did sneak in a break or two while we were on the trail. Temperatures were in the upper 90’s today and we were melting under the clear skies with the sun bearing down on us. We stopped for lunch in Horseshoe Bend and had tasty Mexican food and stumbled upon a great retro candy store called Powell's Sweet Shoppe back in Boise. http://www.powellsss.com/go/index.cfm

Normally I bring along the Pei’s of Adventure to box but I started the morning at Eagle Island with an hour long off leash walk at 7:00 a.m. before boxing. With the heat today I knew Raisin and Jay would not last the ultra hot afternoon on the trail.

Hopefully I can keep my re-carve motivation up while I continue to work on the boxes I am really dying to carve. Below are my Idaho updates:

*“Flip Flop Fun” – REACTIVATED! Boise, Idaho*
http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=6314

Powell's Sweet Shoppe - Yum...Real Sugar in the Bubble Up!

Powell's Sweet Shoppe - Love the Retro Drinks!

Powell's Sweet Shoppe - How Do I Pick Just One???

Kendra Braves the Thorns to Plant Flip Flop Fun!

*Mallard in the Moonlight – REACTIVATED! Boise, Idaho*
http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=6248

Mallard is Re-Planted - What's with all the Cob-Webs?

Lunch Stop! Mucho Mexican Food In Horseshoe Bend!

*Visions of Angels – NEW SERIES! Horseshoe Bend, Idaho*
http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=119284
Box # 1 - Rahmiel (Angel of mercy and love)

Box # 2 – Hermesiel (Angel who leads one of the heavenly choirs)

Kendra Working on Clues - Hay These Are (We're) Really Old!