Sunday, July 10, 2011

Letterboxing to the west

Last Monday (July 4) we headed for the Lambton Shores area to do some letterboxing -- especially checking on a couple of our boxes, planting one, and finding a couple of boxes we'd missed last time around.

Like usual we packed a big picnic.  These boys like to eat!!!!!  Especially when they are so active.  And yes, I mean Hal as well as the 3 grandsons . . . LOL.  To pass the time between boxes I had printed off a scavenger hunt and some bingo cards I found on MomsMinivan.com.  Whoever won each game got to be the person to stamp into the next letterbox we found.  It worked out so nicely, no arguments.  And it was fun!

Our first stop was Dresden ON (Hal's hometown) to check on The Cannery and Uncle Tom's Rest.  Sadly, The Cannery has gone missing.  I really loved that stamp.  Uncle Tom's Rest is in great shape and waiting to be found.

Next stop was our third attempt at McKellar Tract Wildfowl.  It was also our last attempt.  We won't be trying again unless there is a change in the clues.  We had our 3 lucky charms with us this time and we still couldn't find the log at 2 o'clock.  Ticks were a big problem.  We spent some time picking them off each other.

We had our picnic of hot dogs, salads and fruit at the park across the road from Discovery in Petrolia.  A really nice park.  There was a chip wagon but our picnic tasted better.  We used to have a box planted at Discovery but it quickly went missing.  We really wanted to plant again there so we found a much sneakier spot and planted a new box, Discovering.

C showing a letterbox to Hal the Moose?


Homemade Jam was a nice easy find and a very cute carve in Forest ON.  After finding the box and posing for a cute photo we headed to Tim Horton's for a well-deserved coffee.  We bought the boys some timbits.

Austin:  Why can't I have coffee?
Me:  It will stunt your growth.
Austin, the boy in the Michigan State t-shirt who is taller than I am already, just rolled his eyes in that dramatic teenage way.  You know what I mean.  LOL  So Hal gives them each a toonie to buy a drink.

Austin:  Grandpa, what about the tax?

So Hal gives them each $2.25.  You could hear the negotiations going on at the counter as they figured out the best way to get the most for their money.  They came back with 12 cents change.


Next stop was Shashawandah Creatures in Kettle Point ON.  We had found 3 of the 5 boxes back in October.  With our Lucky Charms, we were able to find the remaining 2.  Yeah!!  There were plenty of mosquitoes which Hal and Austin HATE so we were covered in OFF for this trip into to woods.

This Veterans Monument is on Indian Line.  I have to say it was very representational for the area.  And all the different veterans, including a woman, were standing on the back of a giant turtle.

 



We tried to find Mukwa but the trail was so swampy and the mosquitoes were the size of small birds so we beat a hasty retreat and made a note to try again in the fall.

Next stop was the Island that Disappeared.  Everything is so overgrown with the hot wet spring we had that it made it difficult to find the shale path.  But we did.  And we found the box as well.

Our last stop of the day was Beware of Turkeys.  The bridge we were supposed to cross was gone.  All that remained was a few supports.  I emailed the owner and let him/her know.

We returned our three Lucky Charms to their parents muddy and bloody and tired after a light supper of tuna sandwiches.  We went home to rest but the poor boys had to go to basketball practice.  I bet they slept well that night.

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