Upon checking one of her letterbox series, this is what Jen found. This box was originally in a handsewn camoflauge bag, tied in the upper branches of the tree. Where is the bag? Who the hell just sticks a box in some branches? C'mon people, the buzzwords of this hobby are stealth and secrecy! Some new letterboxer came along and this is how they rehid the box, in plain view from the trail. There is much discussion going on our local boxing list about new boxers flooding the hobby due to magazine articles and publicity. Some, in the community, think it is fine and we should educate these new boxers in the mores and traditions of letterboxing, showing lots of gentleness and patience and tolerance. I say fine and dandy, let's educate them but let's be a little more careful in the first place as to who we discuss letterboxing. As in, 'keep your yap shut and stop talking to reporters!' I heard of letterboxing wom from a friend, not from some magazine filled with half the facts and none of the emphasis on what is important. This friend took me out, showed me the ropes and educated me. Trust me. If I was screwing up, she wouldn't have been nice and gentle about it. It would have been, 'Get your ass back there and rehide that box properly, you idiot! Someone worked very hard and gave us that gift so show some proper respect, dufus!' And I would have scrambled to do so!
Some say that when we plant a box, we need to be prepared to lose it. Yes, I agree. I am prepared to lose my planted boxes to animals, city ground crews, weather, and the occasional industrious non-boxer who might stumble across them. However, I am not prepared to lose my boxes to lazy-ass, can't-be-bothered-to-take-the-time-to-rehide-properly-gonna-let-my two-year-old-rehide-the-box-because-he-is-so-cute-and-we-found-out about-this-hobby-from-Family-Fun-magazine-and-it-is-so-great-and hurry-up-throw-that-box-down-in-that-pile-of-leaves-there-are-more-boxes-waiting-to-be-found letterboxers.
On the big list there was a new boxer who said she was going to sign off because she didn't like the attitude of some of the veteran boxers. She wanted information given to her, without her having to research the archives and other sources because with all her family obligations, her time was limited. This, of course, (rightly in my opinion), riled some people up and she was told that if her time was so limited that maybe the hobby wasn't for her. Well, the flame throwers came out. Those who thought she was being nasty and unwelcoming and some (me included) who thought she was just telling it like it is. Right on! Preach it, sister! :-)
I know boxes go missing. I was notified by a planter that her box went missing when I was the last finder. I was horrified. In my defense, the original hiding place was actually pretty pisspoor. According to the logbook, it had already been found by several non-boxers. I did my best to re-hide it but still.....I have agonized and beat myself up over that box ever since. What could I have done better? It was a wonderful stamp and I feel badly that it isn't around now for others to enjoy. You can't be too possessive about your plants. They are like children you raise and release into the world, hoping you have given them the means to stay safe. Things might happen to them and that is to be expected but that doesn't mean you will sit idly by while they are mistreated and not valued by the people who should value them the most. Ok, 'nuff said :-)
My next little rant is about poop. This new neighborhood.....I don't get it. Are they all too good to scoop their poop? Our old neighborhood, while a very nice, middle class neighborhood, wasn't in the same socio-economic scale as this new one. Very, very seldom in our old neighborhood, would you see poop on the streets. In this new one? Man, it is all over the place! They seem to think that as long as it isn't someone's private property that they can just leave it. It is just nasty, plain and simply nasty! It attracts vermin, insects, people can step in it, it smells. Pick it up, people! Since we don't have our fence yet (they are coming Monday to set the posts yea!) I have to walk all three dogs, at a minimum of 4 times a day. I am picking up a lotta poop! If my dogs poop in an unused building lot....I pick it up. If they poop on the road, I pick it up. If they poop in a public green area, I pick it up. I have probably picked up a hundred pounds of poop in the last three weeks. Show a little class and a little respect for your fellow human beings and PICK UP THE POOP!!!!!
