Down the Rabbit Hole – Saturday, October 20, 2012

Down the Rabbit Hole – Saturday, October 20, 2012 - Eagle, Idaho


It’s getting late so be sure to save the date for our fall Alice in Wonderland event!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Eagle, Idaho (Starting point to be announced soon)

Be sure to brush up on your Hidden-in-Plain Site skills as they may come in handy while you are in Wonderland.

Alice and the Red Queen will both be in attendance as will mouthwatering delectable treats from the Mad Hatters own kitchen.

Sign up today: http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gEventId=2561

Moon's Mini Meet This Morning

I was thrilled to have Wisconsin Hiker and Martini Man visit Boise today. Both are prolific hikers and are really looking forward to hitting the trails here in Idaho. I enjoyed hearing about their hiking adventures and their plans for their time here in Idaho. I was joined by Birds-on-a-Wire, FrogiNater and Cowboy Joe for breakfast too. FrogiNater and Cowboy Joe drove to Boise from Twin Falls last night (about 2 hours) so they did not need to make the drive this morning. It worked out perfectly. We visited, ate some delicious breakfast and exchanged signature stamps. After our mini meet everyone headed their own separate direction. The Boise Market was just outside the door of the restaurant and I was very tempted to check out the booths but I had boxing that needed to be done before the heat of the day hit its peak.

I first went down to the Green Belt to check on my Soaring Independence box. The last visitors said that it might be MIA and I think they may be correct. I am hesitant to say for sure since I do have a history of not finding my own boxes but the brush has really grown in the area since the box was planted in 2009. It was found in February but I am just not positive if it is gone or if I just missed it.

With so many Muggles around I abandoned my search and headed across town to change the Wizard of OZ BOM stamp on the Green Belt in Eagle. Oddly enough aside from near the actual park I was on the trail alone and easily changed the stamps without so much as a wisp of any concern on my part of any Muggles catching me in the act. I felt like I was cheating on Raisin and Jay a little visiting the box without them but by this point it was already over 80 degrees and the Pei’s do not do well in heat. In fact this is the reason that we walk so early and late each day. With all those wrinkles and their brush coat fur they melt in anything over 70 degrees. Jay has been known to stop dead in his tracks on a trail as soon as there is any shade and will refuse to hike any further. He will actually plop down in the dirt and not move. No one wants to carry an 80 lb. Shar-Pei off the trail.

When I returned home (a little flush from the heat myself) I peeked out back and two squirrels were running up and down one of the stakes in our back yard. I managed to snap a couple pictures of their antics. I feed the birds and squirrels in the back yard each morning before starting my day. Raisin and Jay get hours of cheap entertainment watching the squirrels run all over the back yard. I just think they are so darn cute. I know it makes the dogs nuts when the squirrels taunt them from the patio out back. Sometimes Raisin even talks when she is watching them. It’s pretty funny. Jay never has too much to say about things but Raisin is our talker and she definitely has a lot to say about those darn squirrels invading her back yard.

Mini Meet at Moon’s - June 30, 2012

Join Wisconsin Hiker & Martini Man for breakfast at Moon’s Kitchen as they breeze through Boise on their way to New Meadows.

Saturday - June 30, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.


Moon’s Kitchen – Downtown Boise - 712 West Idaho Street, Boise (next to Old Chicago Restaurant)

Breakfast Menu: http://moonskitchen.com/html/breakfast.htm

A staple in Boise since 1955 Moon’s Kitchen offers comfort food in a homey atmosphere in the heart of Boise. Good home-style breakfasts with giant pancakes. Also known for great burgers and old-fashioned shakes. Open breakfast and lunch only. The restaurant is filled with vintage signage and artwork and is a great meeting spot.

Sign up today: http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gEventId=2558

Motorcycle Riding and Letterboxing in Idaho City

Last weekend I rode my motorcycle (pictured above) to Idaho City with our family friend Martin (also pictured above).   We checked on my box at the Pioneer Cemetery, nabbed a few that have been planted since I last visited the area and had homemade pie at Trudy’s.  When you combine motorcycle riding and letterboxing you need to be very strategic on how you pack your Letterboxing supplies.  Fortunately my small letterboxing bad fits snug as a bug in my saddle bag.  I used the second bag to bring along some new boxes in case I ran across any boxers while I was zooming around but the new stamps and LTC’s returned to Boise unclaimed.  Martin is a great sport about boxing with me on occasion.  He was ready to go the long route (the full Lowman Loop) to check on another box of mine but I was only game for the short ride.  Even with not spending the whole day on the bike I didn’t make it back home until after 3 p.m.      

Multi Colored Embossing Powders

I tend to lean on my tried and true clear embossing powder when I emboss but sometimes an image needs a splash of embossing color and nothing else.  Today I pulled out my Santiago Sunset embossing powder and I think it worked perfectly on the LTC I was designing.  I purchased the powder ages and ages ago from a company that does not appear to be in business any longer but many companies sell mixed color embossing powders.  You just need to pick a color combination that catches your eye and then experiment with the results. 

Welcome to My Pond LTC

I had fun creating this LTC for my box at the new park in Meridian.  There are two ponds at the park and I thought this little fellow would fit right in.  I added the look of water by filling his bowl with Diamond Glaze.  Diamond Glaze is a dimensional adhesive that dries to a clear glass-like finish. It securely holds vellum, Embossable Window Plastic, glass beads, glitter and many other mediums.  In this case I just colored the back ground and added the Diamond Glaze.  I have used Diamond Glaze to affix other items like sesame seeds, beads and bobbles to cards and craft projects.  I usually allow the Diamond Glaze to dry undisturbed overnight. 

Memorial Park Obelisks

Kleiner Memorial Park features three 50-foot-tall obelisks. These sculptures were created by a woman named Amber Conger who specializes in art created by welding (http://www.refinerii.com/). The sculptures used materials that were recycled from old railroad supports taken from the original Kleiner family farm, upon which the park was built.


The sculptures are built out of plate steel, with accents of white powder-coated steel.  I think Amber's work is beautiful no matter the size.  She also creates jewelry and other unique one of a kind items.  The pictures above are from her blog as she was creating the sculptures and the ones below were taken by me on Sunday when the Pei's of Adventure and I visited the park.   

Welcome to Julius Kleiner Memorial Park

Julius Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian - Opened June 9, 2012.  The Pei's of Adventure and I visited the park on Sunday.  The new park includes 1,300 trees, 3.3 miles of pathways, 700 parking spaces and 37 total acres of turf. Three 50-foot-tall obelisks mark the boundaries, recycled from old railroad supports taken from the original Kleiner family farm, upon which the park was built.  Amenities include bocce ball courts, a sand volleyball pit, basketball courts, walking paths, a playground, two fishing ponds, picnic shelters, the new Meridian Senior Center, a band shell, amphitheater and one Letterbox.

Summer Splash – Welcome to My Pond
http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=199814

I decided to plant the letterbox using the Labyrinth as our puzzle source.  This move may either turn out to be genius or a complete disaster depending on how the seekers manage to navigate the Labyrinth.  The clues are based on the turns you take as you travel through the Labyrinth. 

The new park is beautiful but very maintained and secure with surveillance cameras and police on bikes.  The Pei's and I did our very best to be super stealth planters with the tiny box.  Now we will wait and see if it survives.  New parks like this really represent an incredible challenge in planting.  In addition the newness of the new park is crating a gigantic volume of Muggles. 

Now I hold my breath and wait to see who is willing to navigate the Labyrinth first.  Happy Hunting!

 

Re-Planting We Will Go

Braving heat, mosquitos and ticks the re-planting of my vandalized boxes started this weekend.  I managed to plant one new box, exchanged stamps in my BOM Wizard of Oz box, checked up on two existing boxes and re-planted four.  I even managed to make one new LTC out my “No Fishing” returned stamp before re-planting it this afternoon.  Don’t you just love the big bold fish lips!  The house did not get its usual cleaning since I was running all over the place but who needs a spotless house when you are out on the trails.  Raisin and Jay only joined me when it was cool enough since they do not tolerate heat very well.  Only 20 more to re-plant in-between the other projects I am working on.  Still I think 4 is a solid start.  I am encouraging everyone to watch the Idaho State AQ Board as I post updates to document my madness.  With moving boxes and images around it is a little confusing if you don’t pay attention to what is happening with the re-plants.  And just to spice things up I am tucking in some re-plant first re-finder gifts into the boxes too.  Most have nothing to do with the actual boxes but it’s still nice when there is a little something extra waiting for you.          

Christmas Traditions Traditional Box Planted

Tonight the Pei's of Adventure and I hit the trail to plant my Christmas Traditions Letterbox.


http://www.atlasquest.com/showinfo.html?gBoxId=198980

Considering the area we were in was a Wet Lands area it was totally dry and there were no mosquitos. This trail is along a neighborhood off of Eagle Road and it skims private property to your right. There are numerous signs to remind you of this fact. I have been very curious about what laid beyond the pretty waterfalls that stand on both sides of the entrance to the subdivision as I often see a car or two parked there and have always assumed it might be a fisherman looking for new access to the Boise River. Although we did not encounter anyone on the dirt and pebble path we did do a little bushwhacking where the weeds had grown above my head and braved the cheatgrass when it almost looked like the trail had hit a dead end. Raisin and Jay provided the clues for this plant in picture form since they are not so great about translating Pei into English.