Palm Springs CA, 2011 - Day 3 - Oh, This Can't Be Good!

Now that we have officially wasted 2 day of our vacation at airport of your pick, it was now time to do something to move past the horrible start. I woke up at 8:00am which was quite awesome. For months, I have had issues making it to the alarm, waking up before it goes off. Now keep it in mind, I woke up at 8:00am PST, which is 11:00am EST. Considering how I would always wake up prior to 6:00am, every single day, I was excited to have slept in so late. Original plans were to wake up early do to the time change screwing up my body, taking the children out to the desert, and leaving them there! No, I am kidding! We were gonna head out to the desert before it got to hot to check out the desert life. I had done this last year and I thought the children would love to see the native environment. We didn't end up doing this though because of the set back we suffered over the last few days, so instead, we were off to Sea World in San Diego.

The trip to San Diego started around 10:00am. Sarah and I had been to San Diego last year for the San Diego Zoo and a Padres game, so getting there wasn't hard. We had to take Route 74 through the mountains, which is an amazing road. it twists and turns through the mountains at speeds of 55mph. Seems a bit to fast but not for me! I love the speed around the corners. I would love those corners a bit more if we were driving my WRX instead of the Prius, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it either way. Can't say the same for Sarah. She used a few choice words as we cruised around some of those corners.

The trip to San Diego took about 2 hours. The parking lot was packed and the walk to the gate was long. Once we made it through the gate, we planned our route. The Shamu show had started already so we decided to come back to it a bit later. We saw plenty of fish, seals, whales, and sharks, on our way around the park. One place we stumbled on as we started around the park was an arena which hosted Cirque De La Mer. I had never seen one of these shows and it was gonna start in about 30 minutes so why not grab a seat before they all disappear.

We sat in the front row of this show and while we waited, two Cirque characters started a pre-show show. There was a platform out in the middle of the water where many more performers would do their thing in a little bit, but back to those two Cirque Characters. They would do a bit of a comedy act for the crowd and eventually make it to a platform which was right in front of everyone. This is where things got interesting. They started trying to impress each other by getting their respective half of the arena to cheer louder. What first started out as a hand raise quickly turned into arm flexing. What first started out as an act on this platform quickly turned into and act that went around the arena. The character on our side of the arena would stop at each row and do a bit of flexing and growling to get the crowd louder than his counter part. Row by row he would do this until he reached the last row. He would return back where he came repeating himself over and over again until....... he stopped in front of me. He flexed and gave a growl directed at me. I growled back and took a picture. It was at this point I knew I was in trouble. He pointed at me and called me "Paparazzi!" He grabbed my hand and brought me up to the platform in where we met his counterpart, whom had found someone himself. This was gonna get good!

We'll call my guy "Green," as he wore a green vest, and the other guy a "Blue," for the same reason. So Green indicated he wanted me to do what he does, so he flexed one arm, flexed the other, and did a jig. I can't say it did it exactly as he did, but I'd say it was rather close. I had almost fell over in laughter amaze by what I got myself into. Blue had done a few things and the person he found repeated. This would go back in forth for about 5 minutes, showing off my skills to the crowd, receiving applause for everything I did. Finally, they switched off, Blue indicating that I was not as good as I seemed. Blue had done a few karate chops which I did followed by the water sprinkler. I was having fun. Now Green showed the other guy a few things consisting of an arm flex, another arm flex, hand clap push ups, and a hand stand. Blue was flipping out as he felt his guy couldn't do it, but wouldn't you know, he attempted it anyway. I gave that guy such props for doing it all. in the end, Blue and his guy won the competition and I headed off to my seat. The guy that won had actually continued to be a part of the show. He ended up being bullied by Green and Blue during the whole show, getting stuck in a huge ball which floated in the water, hit from time to time by a jet ski during he show once it started. Even though it would have been awesome to be that guy, I had already done more than I thought I would have done all vacation. This totally made up for the beginning of my vacation.

Once the show ended, we continued around the park to a Sesame Street 4D show. It was cute and actually scary from time to time. Water would be shot at you from the back of the seat in front of you. Air would be shot from the same place as well as from under your seat. And once in a while, your seat would shake violently! Think about how crappy your cell phone vibrates and multiply that by a million! It was enough to scare anyone!

From there we ventured off to the seal lion show called "Sea Lion Live." It was kinda a knock off of Saturday Night Live, where they would do skits of different things. They did Sea Lion Idol, and Sea Lion S.I.. They had a seal dress up like Superman and an otter would show up from time to time and be a part of the act as well. A very cute way to do a show. A break from the norm.

Afterwards we headed off to the turtle reef. I guess this is a new exhibit in the park and the turtles they had came from all over the world. As we walked around this part of the park, we stumbled across a statue of a turtle on a fake sandy beach. I wanted to get picture of the children with the turtle but as we walked up to this statue, a small boy ran over to it and hope on. I have no idea what this kid was doing. It looked like he was trying to mate with it. Sarah and I watched, making comments about what the kid was doing. Eventually we started to grow frustrated with this child hoping he would stop humping it so we can get some pictures. I don't think he spoke any english as Sarah and I made comment indicating we want to get pictures when your done frisking it. A guy, whom I would assume was his father, finally came to get him, and we finally got to take pictures before someone else came by to hump the turtle.

After the turtle, went to get lunch. Food was outrageously expensive there but it wasn't half bad. It was a lot of food. So Sarah had 1 tray of food and I had another, hers seemed a bit heavier than mine. I placed my tray on the table we were to sit at outside, where all the tables were, and went back to help Sarah since she was lagging behind. As I started back to help her, a huge seagull which was walking in front of her, started to fly up and attack her, or at least that's what it looked like it was doing. I quickly grabbed the tray as Sarah started flipping out and brought it to the table. The bird flew away and Sarah calmed down and headed to our table. We discussed what had just happened and I noticed that some seagulls were hanging out around the tables looking for food. I put down a few fries and then started feeding them by hand. It was at that point when I started feeding them by hand that I had realized I was probably rewarding the bird that attacked Sarah, with fries. Oh well.

After we got done eating, we watch the most amazing animals on the planet. We saw the Blue Horizon show which took the grace and elegance of a dozen dolphins and some beautiful birds from all over the world and watched as they combined them both in a show. Dolphins jumped about 14 feet into the air, splashed some people, and danced atop the water with ease. I truly love dolphins as I think they are the smartest water animals. We had sat further back since Sarah didn't want to get wet, but even though we sat out of water range, I still enjoyed the show as the children did.

As the day turned to night, it was now time to head back. It was a long drive and I didn't want to be driving all night, and Sarah didn't either. So we left for Pines to Palms Highway. Now if you remember how I had mentioned Sarah's dislike of our drive earlier in the day, you can only imagine her dislike of the ride at night. Now last year when I took this route for the first time at night, I drove it rather slow. This time around, I was not taking any prisoners. I drove that road as if I owned it. Sarah had spit out more choice words this time around and it even got to a point where it seemed as though she started to cry. It was at this moment that I decided to slow down. Of course, it was at this point the highway was not so twisty and turny. Either way, she was not a happy camper and she was upset with me for the rest of the evening. Hey! We got back in record time, and I wanted to go to bed!

Palm Springs, CA 2011 - Day 2 - California Love

Day 2 started right where day 1 left off, in Logan Airport. Things started off quite interesting. Not only did we have to sleep in the airport out side of the security checkpoint, but we had to sleep on the floor! Yes, I said the floor. All the chairs were hard as heck and not that there was a chair to be found anywhere. So we dropped our bags on the floor and tried to do our best to get some sleep.

Now I had set the alarm for 4:00am to make sure we get up nice and early to try and get on the flight plane out of Boston. Little did I know, we would not need an alarm. All 3 of us would have our issues trying to sleep. Between the guy who had to clean the floor with his big loud cleaning machine, and the people who were arriving at the airport from other places, that was enough to make for a long night. There was one point were I woke up needed to use the bathroom. I found out it was all the way down towards the end of a long hallway, way down there! Not far from where the children and I was camped out was an older couple. I bothered the gentlemen for a second asking if he wouldn't mind watching the children for a moment while I head off to the bathroom. e said that would not be a problem. Except it was! When I turned to show Michaela and Bailey were sleeping, Bailey was no where to be found. He was not sleeping where I last saw him or around the pillar where Michaela and I were sleeping! Where did he go? I looked up and Bailey was heading my way with a Logan Airport employee, face full of tears. It sounded as though he had wandered off in his sleep. When he came to he realized he had no idea where he was and freaked out. Luckily, someone saw him and they started walking the length of the hall, eventually finding me. The guy stated he called the State Police and someone will be by to check on Bailey and I in a minute or so. He did show up and all was well.

We did manage to get about and hour more of sleep until we gave up and started watching old episodes of The Simpsons on Hulu, about and hours worth. Then, we saw that Lindsy and Valina were heading to the security checkpoint to ensure they got good spots in line. We would soon join them. At 4:00am, the checkpoint opened and we started filing through, until a small set back! "Bag check on 3!" Yes that was my bag! Now, I had not put anything extra into may bag since first arriving at Logan Airport the morning prior. What could possibly be in my bag that set the alarm off? It was the laptop. Now let me go back for a second to yesterday when we first arrived. I had my laptop in my backpack and sent it through the scanner as everyone else did, no problems. So why this time. The guy told me that I had to take the laptop out of the bag when it goes through the scanner as you can not see through the laptop. It's a security thing. I told him about how I didn't do it last time and nobody said anything to me and he did not look happy! I know better next time!

So we finally get through the checkpoint and we head back to terminal 33B where the first flight heads out at 6:00am. When the flight showed up on the terminal screen, it showed we were people 5,6,7, on the standby list. We had lost a few spots on the list. So getting out on the first flight did not look good at all for us, or what it would seem for anyone else for that matter. This was going to be a long day. First slight came and went, with only a couple of standby folk getting on the plane. Second flight was scheduled for 7:00am, and again a couple standby made it on the plane. 8:00am flight showed some signs, but when our name was called, we were informed they only had 1 seat. I had to turn it down. Now, something very strange happened when the 11:00 flight to Dallas popped on the screen. We were no longer on the standby list. Oh no, this would not do. I headed to the counter to find out what the issue was and the teller had no idea why I was taking off the list, but assured me that things would be fine. Of course, I had no idea what that meant, but I hoped she knew what she was talking about. Now, something I failed to mention earlier in this post, we were guaranteed to leave Logan at 6:45pm tonight, a direct flight to LAX, told to us last night just after the last flight left for Dallas. When I approached the counter, I asked if that was the reason we were taken off the list. I explained that half of my family is already in California and I am growing ever increasingly frustrated that the reason we slip up was to make it easier to get to Cali, not make it just as hard. she again told me everything would be fine. We would see.

So the 11:00am flight to Dallas started boarding and in the end, again only 1 seat was available. No such luck. Once the flight had gone, Valina and Lindsy came over and started to hang out with us. They were by themselves on the other end of terminal 32B now and figured we can all pass the time together. I got to know them a little better and the children had someone else to help pass the time. We would find out shortly that we were going to be leaving our company for the friendly location of Dallas Forth-Worth.

The 12:45pm flight for Dallas was boarding and I could here the teller calling a party of 3 several times before they gave up and called us to the counter. I raised 3 fingers to check if indeed it was for 3 seats and she shook her head yes! YES! We were out of here! 30 hours at Logan and no more! We boarded the plane after saying or goodbyes to Lindsy and Valina, wishing them luck. I never thought I would say this, but the flight was the worst ever! Now, don't get me wrong, I was certainly glad to get the heck out of Boston, but try sitting down for 30 hours in crappy seats and then fit yourself into an airplane seat for 3 more hours! They were not to forgiving either. It wasn't until we reached Dallas that our rear quarters got some relief.

I can't ever say I have actually spent anytime at the Dallas Forth-Worth Airport. I have been there several times but never had a layover of any sort. It was always get off the plane and hurry your tush up to the next terminal, all the way on the other side of the airport. We had an hour to eat lunch and relax a little before heading off to Santa Ana for our final destination. The children got to charge there portable DVD players and I the laptop. Surprisingly, my cell phone was doing rather well, still half charged, being as the charger was in my luggage, in California. I did do a lot of Facebooking on my phone in Boston before I figured out how the free Wi-Fi worked there. Anyhow, at 5:00pm, the flight for Santa Ana started boarding and we were one of the first on the plane. Found our seats and we were well on our way to California now!

In the plane looking out, you could see some of the wild fires still burning in Texas, the dried up lake beds and rivers that were to have fed them if they could. You could see huge canyons where water once flowed and mountains waving at us was we flew by. And then there was California, the Golden State greeting us on the runway. It never felt sweeter.

Sarah and Levi were to meet us at the airport. How to find her would be the tricky part as she does not do cell phones. I don't want to get into it right now, so don't get me started. We stood out by the curb once we exited the airport and waited for her. Probably about 10 minutes worth of waiting which felt twice as long as everyone else outside was being picked up. And then my phone rang! Pretty weird since I am waiting for someone whom doesn't carry a cell phone, and she is calling me. Come to find out, she was waiting for us inside the airport. I told her where I was and she met us outside. It was a happy moment seeing her again. I thought we would never get to California and have our vacation as a whole. We headed to the car and the drive began to Palm Springs. That was the best hour and a half drive I ever made! When we arrived, we ate real quick and we were all out cold.

Palm Springs, CA 2011 - Day 1 - You F*ckin Kidding Me!

The time is 3:ooam, when my alarm went off. It was important that we left on time to ensure we get to the airport on time. I took a shower and dressed and everyone was out the door, in the van, and on the road by 3:30am. Now the trip to Boston's Logan Airport is only an hour from our house. We stopped at the bank real quick as well as a gas station to grab some breakfast, which couldn't have taken any longer than 5 minutes at the most. traffic was light and the drive was rather smooth.

Now, here is where is gets real tricky. We arrive at the airport and had to find parking. I tried to get into the lot we parked in last year for this vacation, but it was not open. As I tried to circle the lot, but somehow I got on to Route 1A. I had to take the next exit and turn around. Easy! Went back to where we started and found the lot I needed to park in. Parked the van, grabbed our stuff and then boarded the shuttle bus. The bus took probably 5 minutes to get going and about another 5 minutes to get to our terminal. Got in the wrong line, was directed to the correct line, waited there for about 5 minutes, went to check in and found out we checked in a couple minutes to late. Now let me start by telling you that there were 5 of us. Sarah & I, Michaela, Bailey, & Levi. I kinda failed to inform you of this prior, but nonetheless, things were about to get interesting. I wanted to start crying. The women at the counter told us we needed to get in line over there and rebook our flight. I looked at that women and couldn't believe was she just said. She told us we were late and we needed to be here atleast 45 minutes before our flight. It was this moment I had realized we lost about an hour of time somewhere. Either way, I told her the ticket that was printed said 30 minutes, so take that one lady! Either way, it got us no where, we were late!

We got in the line she told us to get into and waited, and waited, and watched as our 6:00am flight to Chicago left the departure screen. The women that told us we were late came over to us originally and told us to stand in this line, was looking for people that were boarding at 7:00am, found a couple and seemed like she made a point to point out to us that we didn't fall into that category before we were late. Not a happy camper I was. She did this twice as if to continue to rub it in. We waited and waited and watched as the 7:00am flight boarded. We were in line for close to 45 minutes before we finally got to speak to someone. It was then we got some even more bad news. We were given the option to go home and come back with a rebooked flight which probably wouldn't happen until Wednesday at the earliest, or we could be put on standby and if seats open on any flight, we would be eligible for them. Problem was, we were not the only ones on that list. We had so much money invested on this trip to that we were not about to head home now. I wanted to cry some more! Ta hell with it! We were added to the list.

We made it through security with no problems. The only thing that didn't go wrong the first day, but wait until I write about day 2! But let me continue with day 1. After security, the first flight out was an 8:05 flight to Dallas. The standby list was crazy long, but we happened to be mid pack. There were about 5 or 6 people in front of the 5 of us. Not a good outlook for us. So we didn't get on the first flight at 8:05am, next flight at 9:10am, or the next flight out at 10:00am. The last 2 flights though, our names on the list jumped all the way up to 1-5 on the standby list, but with every flight, it would seem that several people would jump our names on the list. Didn't quite understand why, so I went up to the counter and asked if it would be easier if we separated and the women I asked said it would be. Good thing I asked because there were 2 seats available on the 11:30 am flight to Dallas. So Sarah and Levi took those seats. But after they boarded, I suffered from a brain crap! Minutes after Sarah and Levi boarded the plane, they said they found 2 more seats on the plane if we wanted them. I told them I didn't want Bailey and Micheala to be alone, forgetting Sarah had already got on the plane. So 2 other people got those seats. It wasn't until the plane left that I realized I screwed up! This would have left me left to catch a flight which I would have gotten by the end of the night. You'll know what I mean shortly.

So Sarah and Levi were on their way. We had an understanding that if she had the opportunity to continue to Santa Ana, CA, then she should do it. So they were on their way. The faces around us started to become very familiar as there were the same people that have been on the standby list as us. Flight after flight, very little of us made it on the plane. There was a kind women from Arkansas and another from Dallas, whom I never got their names, but they were a pleasure to talk to. There was a family of 4 whose little boy would run around the terminal like a mad man, and then crash for 3 hours, then run around like a mad man, then crash for another 3 hours! There was a guy from Texas somewhere whom had been in the airport for 3 days and still hadn't gotten on a flight. His clothes had already been sent home and he had been wearing the same clothes for those 3 days. He was a trooper though. There were also 2 girls that were from Oklahoma, Valina and Lindsy, who we got to know the second day in the airport, which even though they are sitting in front of me now as I write this post, I can't find it in me to ask their names again! Sorry ladies! But rest assure, I waited until they accepted my Facebook friend request before posting this so that I don't seem so ignorant. I mean come on, spending as much time as we already had in a airport can do a number to any ones mind! Anyhow, we all became family as the night went on and none of us were called to board a flight until it finally happened!

The final flight to Dallas was originally scheduled for 8:00pm but had been delayed 3 times, eventually landing it at a 11:00pm departure time. It was shortly before the plane started loading for take off, when the family formed in the airport. We all talked about how it seemed likely that some of us were heading out on this final flight. There were not a lot of people in the terminal for this flight, but things would begin to look rather ugly. As the time grew closer, more people showed up, and show up they did. One by one they filed in as they started being called on to the plane. Wait for it! Wait for it! "Baril!" What was that? "Baril!" Our name was called! Bailey was out cold and Michaela was half in the bag at this point. I had to wake both of them up and pack them up. I pretty much sprinted to the checkout counter, raised my hand, and what happened next was killer! "We have 2 seats on the plane, do you want them?" You f*ckin kidding me! They had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to send 2 of the 3 of us off to Dallas, where I have no way of getting a hold of anyone, where we might get stuck over night. Think about this. Eventually, I was to find out that Sarah and Levi had made it out to Santa Anna. If I had sent 2 of the 3 of us to Dallas on that last flight, that would leave 1 in Boston, 2 in Dallas, and 2 in Santa Ana! It was bad enough we split up earlier to make things easier for us to leave Boston, which failed horribly. But back to Logan Airport. I was pissed! I through a couple choice words into the air as I walked away from the checkout counter and to an area of the terminal to sit and shed a tear. I couldn't believe what had happened. This is not how I intended to spend the first day of our vacation. Now this wasn't the way how I intended on spending the first night.

The Protector of the Patch

Usually I tell you the tall about our Turkeyboxing Day ventures on Thanksgiving, but today, I wanna tell you about a story behind a letterboxing I planted today. It is not a turkey related stamp, but still rather seasonal. It is the story of the Protector of the Patch.

The year was 1796. The town was Manchester, New Hampshire, where a fellow by the name of General John Stark lived with his wife, Molly, and 11 children. On the Stark plantation, they would grow their own pumpkins to carve and bake with. It was much cheaper to do this as the other local farmers charged to much for their produce. They actually had done this for about 20 years before they decided to get into the farming business and started growing a much larger pumpkin patch. The first year they did this, they first started giving them away to their friends and family. As the season grew late, they still had a rather large amount of pumpkins left and decided they should try to sell them before they spoil.

It wasn't until they tried to sell them, that one of the Stark children, started seeing a figure in the pumpkin patch. This was scary figure, made up of a skeleton body, with a large pumpkin head. He never said anything, but the look on it's face was enough to scary anyone away. The child ran into the house and found General Stark. They both went outside to find no one in the patch. The next day, one of the Stark daughters went outside to pick a pumpkin from the patch, not easily scared by the story told the night prior, only to find the same figure standing there once she began to bend over to pick a pumpkin. Not only did she see the figure, but everyone was watching from the windows of the house. The whole family now saw the figure, soon dubbed, the "Protector of the Patch."

Word quickly spread around Manchester about this "Protector." Folk from all over town would venture out to the Stark residence to see it for themselves. No one ever saw the figure in the patch. After awhile, the story of the "Protector" grew old. No one had ever seen this figure except the Stark family. The Stark family soon found the town staring at them where ever they went. Dirty looks and comments flew through the air as they would walk by.

The Stark family quickly abandoned the pumpkin patch and let the rest of the pumpkins spoil. Since that time when everyone of the Stark family saw the figure standing in the patch, they never saw it again. After all the pumpkins rotted to the ground, General John Stark went out to the patch and turned the soil. This would be the last year they would ever grow pumpkins. As a matter of fact, this would be the last year they would ever have pumpkins at the plantation, grown anywhere.

You can find the box I planted for this story I just made up, in Manchester, NH.
Protector of the Patch

John Hancook and His Mountains

The man, the myth, the legend that is John Hancock, was born in 1736. He was most known for his rather large signature at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence, but did you know that John Hancock was born on 2 days! Back in the colonial times, they used a different calendar, now considered the "Old Style" calendar. This calendar would note that he was born on January 12th, in 1736. The calendar we all use today notes he was born over a year later, on January 23rd, in 1737. If you wanna learn more about these 2 calendars, check out this link "Old Style, New Style."

Sometime after his death in 1793, 2 mountains were named in his honor. They sat for years between the notches of Franconia and Crawford in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, rather untouched until the completion of the Kancamagus Highway in 1959. A 26.5 mile road that runs through the White Mountains from Lincoln to Conway. This past Sunday, I decided to find these mountains, Hancock Mountain and South Hancock.

My journey started about 4:30 in the morning. I had set my alarm for 5:00 but for some reason, my body decided that I should wake up a half hour early. I tried to go back to sleep for that extra half hour, and I did, but for only about 10 minutes. Not by choice of course. I went back to sleep again to again wake up 10 minutes later. I hadn't the slightest idea as to what was going on, but it was getting a bit frustrated. So after the second time waking up, I just got up and started getting ready for the hike. It was my plan to arrive at the trail head at 7:00 and as it would turn out, waking up that extra 10 minutes allowed me to get to the trail head on time.

When I arrived at the trail head, there was already 1 vehicle in the lot. It was a bit chilly at this time. I had dressed a little light but not light enough for the chilly air to bother me. The first stretch of my trek was on the Hancock Notch Trail. It was 1.8 miles of mostly straight and relatively flat trail. Honestly, the only time the trail turned was when it crossed over the stream. And it did this several times. Honestly, this was the first time I ever had to find ways across streams while hiking. As many times as I have hiked, I have never had to find ways to cross river. These streams weren't all that wide, but sometimes they were deep. There were plenty of rocks to cross on, but remember, it was cold out so I was worried about ice. I found some at one crossing, but I noticed it before stepping on it and falling in. The next .7 miles was spent on the Cedar Brook Trail. More water crossings here, sometimes not making any sense at all, as you would need to cross back over minutes later. But anyhow.

Now even thought I had just hiked 2.5 miles, the real hike didn't start until I reached the Hancock Loop Trail. a 4.8 mile loop that runs up one mountain, along a ridge, and down another. The one thing I had done the night before was do some research as to which mountain to climb and which to descend. As noted in my findings, it was said that I should climb Hancock and descend South Hancock. Considering it had been three months since I last hiked anything, it really didn't matter which mountain I hiked up, until I actually found the base of the mountain. 1.1 miles on the Loop Trail and it finally split. I had chosen to climb Hancock.

Now for a bit of history for you. I had hiked mountains such as Mt. Chocorua, Mt. Major, Mt. Kearsarge, and Mt. Moosilauke. All these mountains are very rocky and steep at times. All of which I found to be fairly easy to handle. I could tell you right now, I had my butt handed to me on a platter. I think that taking 3 months off of hiking probably had most to do with it. Hancock was very rocky and very steep. I had to stop many times on the way up the 0.7 mile climb. The worst part about it was, when I rested, there wasn't a view to enjoy as with most mountains with such accent. Rocks turned into boulders, boulders turned into steps. Steps finally welcomed me to the top where the wasn't much of a view, but there was an outlook were the picture posted on top of this post. I really didn't spend much time at the top since the view provided didn't allow me to sit and enjoy it. I had to stand for it.

From Hancock, I continued on the loop to South Hancock. The trail was covered in snow, packed buy those that hiked before me. The trail was 1.4 miles and a welcome sight after what I had just experiences climbing Hancock, but the fun wasn't over yet. First, before I had even reached the summit of South Hancock, I found an area of water that was iced over. For the most part, the ice was thick enough, except for the spot I stepped on. My foot fell through the ice and into 6 inches of mud which I tried to avoid by pulling my foot back up. The suction was so bad, I felt the muscles in the back of my leg feel like it was being pulled a part. Good thing I was hiking because I had to walk that off. I felt it for quite some time as I continued along. I reached South Hancock and there was an outlook, but nothing to brag about. I am now realizing, not every mountain will have a view from the top. What every 4,000 foot mountain needs though, is a summit sign. I could tell that I was at the summit since there was a cairn, so I rested there. After 15 minutes of rest and a picture or 2 of me at the top, I decided it was time to head down South Hancock and head home. Easier said than done. This part of the loop was 0.5 miles, and it had to have been the worst 0.5 miles I had ever hiked. The descent was steep and glare ice! I had never been so scared in my life! But I was determined to finished this hike instead of turning around and climbing down the way I came. I would have taken a picture of this trail, but please do understand, I probably would have lost my life doing so!

Once I made it down alive, I crossed over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house. No, I did cross back over those streams I crossed over before and walked through the woods I hiked before. When I arrived back at my car, I hiked a total of 9.8 miles. This is the longest I have hiked in New Hampshire, only second to my 11 mile hike up San Jacinto in California. Thinking back, I was rather satisfied with the hike. Even though the climb was hell and the descent was hell, I regret nothing. My knee we tested and it passed with flying colors. So in closing, John Hancock was known for being a pain in the side of the British Government. Today, he was a pain in my side, but nothing I couldn't over come!

What Has Team New Hampshire Been Up To?

I guess the question would be, what have we not done. Unfortunately, letterboxing has been on the back burner recently. A few months ago, I had left my job of 7 years for another job. The whole pizza thing hadn't been cutting it for quite some time now. The down side, I work more hours, which tends to leave me with little time to do anything. As well as little energy to wanna do anything. So I went from working at Sal's Pizza full time to Rent-a-Center. I still work at Sal's Pizza Tuesdays, so if you wanna come by and visit me, or find the box I have panted there, please do! It is still there! And no, I have no intention of planting a box inside of Rent-a-Center. I had been asked already if I was gonna do it. The answer is always no!

Shortly however, the wife and I did go on vacation in California. NO CHILDREN! Oh, I never thought that would happen again. This vacation of ours had been planned for some time and with the new job, I thought we weren't gonna be able to go! My mother-in-law had also moved out. She found it very stressful to continue living at our house. THE CHILDREN! Now we needed to come up with more money. No vacation! But wait! My mother-in-law told us we were still going on vacation! AGAIN, NO CHILDREN! Closer, closer, closer it came! California, here we come.

Not to jump around, but Elijah (Spider Writer) and I had been climbing mountains. To be more specific, the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire. We had knocked off Mt. Tecumseh, which was the shortest of all 48 of them, and Mt. Moosilaukee. Moosilaukee had been a bit challenging. The hike up was fine, but my knee gave out on me while climbing back down. Not good.

Now to get back to California! I had been planning to climb a mountain out west and since we were staying in Palm Desert, the closest mountain worth climbing was San Jacinto. San Jacinto sat at a mere 10,000+ feet. Since my issue climbing down Moosilaukee, I had been icing the knee just about every night. I felt no pain while walking, walking up stairs, or during heavy lifting at work. The day came when I was to hike San Jacinto and this would be a day I would never forget. 11 miles round trip, meaning 5.5 miles one way! The 5.5 miles down were just like the climb down Moosilaukee. My knee gave out on me which made it the longest hike ever! Unfortunately, Elijah and I will be taking the rest of the fall and winter off. We might hike something small just to test it out, but we will see. Other than my mountain fiasco, California was relatively problem free. We had a great time. Weather couldn't have been any better! Not a drop of rain!

Back on the East Coast, we got back to reality! CHILDREN! School started, work was busy, time was rare! Letterboxing seemed to take a bigger back seat to everything else. Work on the house, homework, baths, yard, cars, animals! Where will I ever find the time to do anything worth talking about?

Got it! So here I am telling you about what we have been up to. I didn't even tell you about apple picking, LTC making, leaf peeping, Red Sox game, checking out the Pumpkin People in Jackson, NH, the book I am beginning to write, and last but not least, Hamlet! But I suppose I will have plenty of time to talk about that now! I will find time darn it! I miss writing!

Hiking Mt. Tecumseh, Twice

One of the things that the great state of New Hampshire has been blessed with, are her mountains of plenty. While any given person can climb any of those mountains, there are a select few that are among some of the highest. These are New Hampshire's 48 4,000 footers. I started planning sometime last summer, setting a goal to hike all 48 mountains in 4-5 years. In my mind, it would seem rather doable, but with everything I find doable, it never turns out how it seems. Let me explain.

The first mountain on the list, which happened to be the smallest at 4,003 feet, was Mt. Tecumseh. I had planned on hiking this mountain for several months now. Sunday, June 13th, we set out for the mountain just south of Lincoln. We arrived later than I wanted but looked forward to climbing the mountain and knocking the first of the 48 mountains off the list. The temperature was rather comfortable, but it was a bit humid. As we started into the woods, we hopped over 2 streams and the trail started up. Then it went up and up and up. Now, we have hiked plenty of mountains, none 4,000 foot+, but plenty nonetheless. I really don't think the humidity helped as the mountain kept going up. It wasn't to rocky, the hike wasn't all the hard, but there really wasn't any flat areas to speak of. This has to be the first mountain were flat areas were slim and none. So we stopped plenty of times on the way to the top. At an hour and a forty-five minutes, we reached the top. I started searching for a sign or something to indicate we reached the top, but found nothing. There was a small trail off to the right which headed up a little farther, so I figured we were at the top. I searched the net on my phone to find out if in fact we reached the top but couldn't find anything that was helpful. So we continued on the trail a little way and it started heading down. Since we didn't want to hike down the other side of the mountain, we figured that that was the top of the mountain. What I had found on my phone was how people commented about the lack of view from the summit of Tecumseh. We were satisfied with our accomplishment, so we headed back down the mountain. When we got home, I did some more research and found we actually didn't reach the summit of Tecumseh. Not cool!

We could have waited until a few weeks went by when we could head back out and finish the hike, but I wanted to get it out of the way. The first chance we got to hike to the summit was the following Sunday, Father's Day. I didn't want to hike on this day to start. Originally, we were going to hike Tecumseh this day, but I pushed it up a week. So much for that! Not only did I hike it the weekend I wanted, but now we have to hike it again on the day I didn't. So we drove to the mountain trail head and started our trek up the mountain yet again. The temperature was a little cooler than last week, and it was a tad less humid. We reached what is now known to us as "fake top," in an hour and twenty minutes. A lot better time than last. We also knew what we were getting into as well. So now that we knew what needed to be done, we continued down the trail passed "fake top." The trail was fairly flat until it just started downward. It wasn't that steep but it just didn't seem right. Aren't we supposed to be heading up? Sure enough, in the distance we could see the "up" we were looking for. We could see the summit of Tecumseh. But getting there would be much harder than we expected. The trail did eventually start up after a brief hike on flat trail. When it was time to climb, you literally had to climb. But that summit was ours! We were the first on the mountain this day and I was not gonna let the steep climb get to me. I stopped and looked up the rocky climb and prepared myself for some fun. With a deep breathe, I started running up the rocky trail. I picked a spot to stop, and when we got to that point, it just kept going! There were more rocky on this steep climb. We stopped for a breather and continued on. At two hours and twenty minutes, we reached the summit of Tecumseh. Yes, this time we made it! The view from the top still wasn't all that great but it was better than I thought it would be. People can be so critical. I say they should be glad there was a view at all!

So after 10 minutes at the top, we headed down. We didn't have much time to spend at the top, since we had to make it home early. Sometime we hopped and ran down the mountain. It was quite fun until our feet started to hurt a little. But all and all, we both really enjoyed hiking Tecumseh, both times. We already have our second mountain picked out for next month.
Next-Mt. Moosilauke @ 4,802 feet

Merry Christmas from Team New Hampshire

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As we spend the day with our friends and family, we would like to wish everyone the happiest of Christmas Day's.

For Those That Don't Know Him

For quite some time now, I have been writing posts for this blog, but this blog isn't the only one I write for. For over a year, I have been writing Boxing Buddy stories for a Pig called Hamlet, and his cat Yorick. He has done some traveling with me but, for the most part, hasn't done much in the way of letterboxing. He is always in my car and if I find a spot that I think would fit well with a story, I will pull over and take a picture with Hamlet and Yorick. Now you might wonder why I even bother bring this up. You might not even give a darn about my other hobby which yes does include a Boxing Buddy. But as the winter sticks it's head out and dumps snow on the ground, my letterboxing ventures have come to a halt. I will not be planting anymore until the snow melts and we will be doing very little in the way of searching for letterboxing. I know, this post isn't up your alley, but I have a story to tell which includes Hamlet.

The other day, I headed up to Tilton, NH for some Christmas shopping. I still need to find something for a few more people. While I was up there, I thought it would be a cute idea to take a picture of Hamlet and Yorick at the outlet center. I didn't want to take a picture in the stores or along the walking path from store to store, in fear that people would stare and wonder. So after I bought a couple of items, I started to scout out a location to take a picture. It was in the middle of the parking lot where the outlet center could be seen in the background. I had purchased a small paper gift bag the looked like he got after shopping, wrapped it around his hand and set him on the ground. I put Yorick on the ground next to him with his front paws on Hamlets boot. It was quite breezy so I had to put my wallet in the bag so that it doesn't fly away. So now they were set for the picture. I turn the camera on and make sure the picture will come out good. Just as I take a picture, a car stops right where I was taking a picture. They were opposite the direction of the picture, but I knew they stopped. As I stood up, I turned and noticed the passenger window was rolling down. Two women were in the car and the one driving spoke to me. She said, "Now there has to be a story behind this!" I had told her about how I have been writing stories about the journeys of Hamelt and how I post them on the blog. She replied straight faced, "You are very creative! I give you kudos! Keep up the good work!" She then drove off and I packed up Hamlet and left for home. I couldn't help but keep thinking about what that women said. There really is nothing more that I would like, than to get more notice for Hamlet and the stories I write for him. So because of her words, I am here letting you know about this other venture I have going for me. This winter, I will probably be posting more for Hamlet, than for myself. So if you would like to check out Hamlet's blog, feel free to visit Having it with Hamlet. Enjoy.

Mt. K-K-Kearsarge was C-C-Cold

So here it was, Sunday, when Spider Writer and I were gonna hike Mt. Kearsarge with a crew from Massachusetts. The Travelers 4, Choi, and the Woodland Wanderers. We had planned to meet at a park and ride in Concord at 9:30. Problem was, I was not gonna be there at that time. Don't get me wrong, I'm the one that asked them to meet me there at 9:30. I live just outside of Concord. The problem came when I started my car early so it can warm up, and I managed to lock my keys in the car. WHILE IT WAS RUNNING! So after about 15 minutes, I managed to get into my car with a butter knife and a long thin brass pipe. And now you know how to brake into my car!

I showed up at the park and ride about 15 minutes late. I get out of the car to greet everyone and thank them for coming and everyone immediately noticed I was the only one wearing shorts. Was I crazy? I was left with the impression that the day was gonna be beautiful, and for the most part it was. Anyway, we hoped into our cars and headed off to the mountain. About a half hour up I-89, we arrived. Hmmmm, the weather doesn't seem so beautiful, but I am one tough cookie. I can handle it. Right now anyway!

Now before we even start heading up the mountain, I think it is important that everyone know how prepared Rhonda of the Woodland Wanderers was. She had the biggest warmest hat, she had a layer under her pants, and she wore something like 10 shirts UNDER her coat, and gloves. Now she came prepared. Of course as we started up the mountain, those layers she was wearing started to come off.

The hike up the Winslow Trail which was Choi's idea, was beautiful. It started rough for some of us, but as we continued up the mountain, it became much easier per say. The rocks we had to climb over were still there and sometimes they did get bigger but our bodies were getting used to the climb. The air was nice and the french we all got to listen to was pretty cool too! French you ask? Ellen from The Travelers 4 and Steve from the Woodland Wanderers started conversing with each other in french. Sometimes throwing swears at each other. In fun of course. But I though it was rather cool of course. I am trying to learn some french myself, but they knew far more than I did. Well, while they weren't talking in french, we got to listen to some of the sounds, the mountain had to offer. The site if the mountain got us too! I was left with the impression that I was the only one to ever climb Mt. Kearsarge. So as everyone was viewing all the beautiful sites, we managed to wander off the trail and follow what looked like a trail. But it was not. We headed back up the trail and shortly there after, we found ice.

A couple of days ago, there was a pretty descent storm. It brought rain to most of the state but snow to the higher altitudes. Mt. Kearsarge sit at a height of 2,937 feet. So things got a little bit icy as we continued up the mountain. Then we began to see snow. The snow was a welcome site as it covered some of the ice and left it not as slippery. We soon stopped for a photo shoot at our first scenic vista. Everyone loved the view but nothing prepared them for what they would find at the top. An hour and a half after we left the parking lot, we arrived.

There was ice, snow, and lots of wind! This is were I could have used gloves. Of course, everyone was so nice to offer up there gloves so I could warm up my hands, but I stayed strong and kept them warm in my hoodie. Yes, I said hoodie. We grabbed a box by Uneksia called The Wanting, and I planted my box, Mt. Kearsarge. After some more pictures, we headed back down the mountain, down the Barlow Trail. Again Choi's idea. The top of this trail was quite slippery. I hit my can on the ice several times and I know others did too! The trail had quickly gotten much better and we just as quickly enjoyed the trek down. I can't say how long it took for us to get down, but once we got down, we were happy to be there. We rested a bit before getting into our cars and heading off. We did find a couple more boxes on the way back to Concord, but if there was one thing I learned, make sure you bring gloves. Even if you don't think you need them. I thank everyone for coming. Even those I didn't know were coming. It made a wonderful hike even more wonderful. I think they enjoyed the hike too!

It's Starting to Look Like Christmas....Kinda

Now that Thanksgiving is over, up will pop the Christmas trees. Yes, there has been a tree up at someone else's house in town for about 2 weeks now. A bit early for me. Just before Thanksgiving, the children and I went to The 'Fez'tival of Trees, held by the Shriner's of New Hampshire in Concord.

At this 'Fes'tival of Trees, there are about 20 or so trees all decorated by business and organization from around the area with different themes. When you walk in, you are given a paper with a list of items that you need to find on the trees. Airplanes, feathers, whisks, etc. We were able to find all of the items on the list in great time this year. Last year it took us so long to find everything. So another thing we needed to do was vote for which tree we liked the best. Someone liked the TY tree and there was the Webkins tree that was a favorite, but I ended up picking a tree that was more traditional. After I picked that tree, Billy had mentioned he noticed it had a ribbon on it. I was told that the tee was in 2nd place so far. There were still a few more days for people to vote.

So I bring up the 'Fez'tival of Trees for a reason. There is no snow but as I said, the Christmas trees are going up. Including the Letterboxing tree in Bellingham, Ma. The Travelers 4, for yet another year, will be hosting the tree. She has opened her backyard for visitors from all over to come and collect some images of the season. This year, the theme is Christmas songs. Can't make it? She will be hosting a Letterboxing Tree event for those that wanna get together for some fun, snow, and stamps. January 2nd of 2010, O Letterboxing Tree 2009-2010. Come and collect some stamps! You might get lucky and meet The Travelers 4 and get some hot cocoa out of it!

Thanksgiving at Home

So, usually, we head out to either my Mother's or my Father's house for Thanksgiving. This year, we decided that we were going to stay home. Which means we will need to cook all the food. Which means that we don't have to spend at least an hour in the car. Which also meant we would not be Turkeyboxing this year.

For the past 3 or 4 years, we had been what we call Turkeyboxing. We letterbox on the way to either my Mother's or Father's house and plant a letterbox that is Thanksgiving related. I had thought about carving a stamp this year and planting it around town and finding some boxes down in Manchester, but I have been so busy lately, that I welcomed the rest. None of the children mentioned anything about letterboxing so it seemed they welcomed the rest as well. I did however finish a stamp and you all will be able to look for it soon.

So Sarah cooked all the food. Turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes and so on and so on. I think this would have been the biggest meal she had eve cooked. And we are a family of 7! She did a wonderful job. After dinner we had some pie and then we all rested some more. Some of us even feel asleep. As I watch some football, I can't help but think about those that didn't have the meal we did. They didn't have turkey, stuffing, or mash potatoes. I wish there was some way that they all could have what we had this year. I was actually surprised we had all that food. Sarah had suggested we invite my Mother for dinner this year and I said I just wanted to make sure we had plenty of food to feed our family first. I think next year, we might do something in the community to feed those that don't have what we have.

So this Thanksgiving, I hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends. I hope you ate lots of bird, and I hope that we at some point thought about someone we all know that would love to have what we had. It wouldn't take much for any one of us to be in that situation. Be thankful for that we are not.

What's Outside of Your Letterbox?

So, letterboxers spend so much time talking about what others should put on the inside of your letterbox, that I thought it would be a great idea to discuss the outside. To some this might sound very simple. But there is actually a debate going on as to whether or not you should put a ziplock bag on the outside of the letterbox for extra protection. I will give you the pros and cons of doing such a thing, and ultimately tell you how I feel about the ziplock bags.

First, let me discuss the pros of ziplock bags as protection for your letterbox. (1) If you happen to use a not so good tupperware container for your letterbox, this could be of some help. Depending on where you put your box, you might set your box up flooding. The ziplock bag will help a little to protect your box from being water logged, but........ (2) A ziplock on the outside of your letterbox will help protect your box from ice in the winter. Now, if your box is planted in a location that will be prone to snow and ice, sometimes during the colder months, it does warm up, causing ice to form. If ice gets to your box, it could cause your box to crack and then water will get into your box causing the insides of your letterbox to become damaged.

Now, since I can't think of any other pros for ziplocks on the outside of your box, let me discuss the cons. (1) Ziplock bags attract animals. For what ever reason, they smell the bag and begin to chew on it. Once the animal realizes that plastic doesn't taste as good as it smelled, the damage has already been done and the bag is left with holes. Therefore leaving you with a ziplock bag that no long serves its purpose. (2) Letterboxers that tend to be careless, new and old, may not zip your ziplock back up well enough causing it to fill with water during rain periods. This will then test the durability of the tupperware container you choose. If the container you choose isn't that great, plan on replacing everything inside the box. (3) We take pride in leaving not a trace. If we are putting ziplock bags on the outside of our letterboxes, and they are being chewed, plastic pieces are being littered around the area where the letterbox is planted. We then are leaving a trace.

I am sure there are many other pros and cons, but these are just a few that I came up with. In my opinion, ziplock bags should be kept inside the letterbox. I used to use ziplock bags on the outside of my letterboxes when I started letterboxing 4 years ago, but it didn't take me long to realize that they did nothing. I would find that animals were chewing them apart and not actually doing any good.

In closing, I must also mention one more thing. DO NOT put a ziplock bag around someone elses letterbox, even if you think it needs one. If someone was to do this to one of my boxes, I would be rather upset. Contact the planter and let them know about the condition of their box and whether or not it needs tending to. Replacing a ziplock bag on the inside of the box is different than putting a ziplock bag on the outside.

Looking for The Beautiful Place

One of the things I always tell people, I go letterboxing more for the places that I go, then for the images I collect. I think it is very important to always look at the places you've been because you never know when you'll be back. Monday, I went looking for a box called "The Beautiful Place" in Chichester, NH. I have been to Chichester and have a box planted there in Carpenter Park. This box was actually on a trail across from the park. I didn't know there was a trail across the street from the park! I think it was a snow mobile trail, but a trail is a trail.

Heading down this trail, I couldn't help but notice the trees. They are some of the most wonderful trees I had eve seen. They reminded me a lot of the trees in Carpenter Park! The area must be full of these kind of trees. Not that I am complaining of course! Anyhow, I follow the trail around when finally I made it the beautiful place, and that it was. The thing that amazes me more is that, all these places never look the same. You think that you might have seen a pond or a swamp before, but you haven't. Every place has something different about it that gives you that AHHH felling inside. Oh, the letterbox! It was planted by the Icecreamfamily. The box was huge and for a good reason. Inside the box was a giant plastic ice cream cone with the stamp inside. I now wanted ice cream! I stamped in the box and put it back, covering it up better than I found it, and started to head back to my car. I past a stream and an opening where you could see horses. They weren't very close and there were "No Trespassing" signs to make sure people don't walk through the field. Oh well, I had seen horses before. I got back to my car and drove off feeling, AHHH! Thank you Icecreamfamily for bring me to the beautiful place. After being so busy lately, I needed that today.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Saturday night, I though about doing something with the family that had nothing to do with house work or yard work or even letterboxing. Ya, I know! No letterboxing. I suppose I could have had included letterboxing somewhere in these plans, but I didn't wanna push it any.

A fellow co-worker was on a football team that was in the Division 5 Championship game which had been moved from Saturday to Sunday due to heavy rain fore casted. Now with the game scheduled for Sunday, this gave me a chance to see this kid play football. Sunday was a beautiful day for a football game! We got into the car and headed off for Manchester, to Gill Stadium, for the game. Bishop Brady vs. Trinity. LETS GO! GREEN AND GOLD!

The game began as we were trying to figure out which guy was the one I work with. And there he stood, #17. He was a tad bit tall and probably the skinniest kid on the team. He also was the kicker! His team was moving down the field, mixing it up with running plays and passing plays, when finally they landed into the end zone. They were up 7-0 after the extra point. Now it was Trinity's turn. They moved just as Brady did, down the field with a mixture of passing and running plays, finding themselves in the end zone too. Instead of an extra point, Trinity went for a 2 point conversion and made it. The score was 8-7, Trinity on top. Things slowly went down hill for Brady. That one touchdown would be the only score they would have for the rest of the game. Trinity would continue to pound the ball on the ground and throw the ball through the air scoring many more touchdowns. At the beginning of the 4th quarter, Trinity score again and we decided to leave with the score 35-7. We had seen enough.

We headed home kinda disappointed about the outcome of the game. None of us went to Bishop Brady so we weren't overly upset by the game, but it would have been nice to see a better game than that! So, back at home, we pulled out our own football and threw it around in the backyard thinking we could have played so much better then they did today. Passes were being thrown better, and caught better than than they did. But we were not on the team and there was nothing we could have done about the outcome of that game.

Even though the game didn't turn out to be what we hoped it would be, they still had some fun. Most of last week, they all had been sick and didn't do much in the way of activities. The fresh air, the warm sun, and a football game. Why not! What a beautiful day to just get out! The next day, I found out that the final score of the game was 41-7. Oh well!

Santa's Search for Solitude

Now, I don't mean to scare you. It is not my intention to remind you that Christmas is less than 2 months away. What my intention is, to inform you that we are not the only ones going through hard times right now. The whole globe is suffering through the hard economic times and the North Pole is not oblivious to it. Now you might think that he is a bit different than the rest of us. He has a workshop full of elves making toys from all the little girls and boys. This is true, but Santa is going through a different type of economic frustration.

Ever since the globe has started on this downward spiral, Santa has been getting more letters sent to him. Problem with that is, they are not all from children. The parents have now started sending letters asking for Santa to send extra special gifts if not a second gift. This would make up for the lack of gifts under the tree this year. So with no sign of the letters slowing down, Santa decided to jump ship and leave the North Pole in search for solitude. He stopped in San Fransisco, Denver, Dallas, Memphis, New York City, and then Boston. Everywhere he went he was mobbed by people asking the same thing the letters asked for. He could not go anywhere without someone coming up to him. This is what happens when your one of the most recognizable people in the world.

So, more frustrated, he left Boston for New Hampshire. He had heard of a place called Lake Solitude in Newbury. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he would find solitude at the lake with the same name. So he drove up I-89 to Newbury early in the morning. He got to Lake Solitude and sat by the lake for many hours. Not a person showed up which meant not a person bothered him with needs. He thought about how he could manage to please everyone as well as himself. Night came and he set up a tent. The sun rose the next morning and he thought some more. Still not a person. Until around noon time, when a family of 3, Mother Father and little girl, showed up. This was a rather young family whom lived in nearby Bradford. The little girl approached Santa and asked him what was wrong. He had told her why he was sitting by the lake and she looking at him and gave him a hug. She had said that if her parents couldn't give her even a single gift, she would be happy. If she wasn't able to receive one gift from her parents, all she would care about was that she got to spend time with her loving parents. She had mentioned that there are children all over the world that don't get to spend Christmas with their parents and she felt bad for them. And then she said something that caught Santa of guard. The little girl asked Santa to give her gift to someone else that really deserves it. She could do without.

So Santa, was now ready to head home. He hadn't found the solitude he was looking for but was pleased by what that sweet little girl had said. So when he arrived back in the North Pole, he told everyone about the little girl and what she meant to him at that very moment. Even though there was so many letters coming in, Santa had realized that, that little girl wasn't the only one out there who felt that way. So with that in mind, Santa continued to read the letters from all those parents and children as he had done before his trip knowing he may never find solitude, but know that the true meaning of Christmas was till out there. The economy will get better some day. When that day comes, Santa will stop searching for the solitude at the lake with the same name.

-Santa's Search for Solitude

Old Center Cemetery

If you can remember, I had mentioned a few posts ago about a small number of boxes that are planted for haunted locations in New England. After finding all but 1 box of the ones in New Hampshire, I decided I wanted to get my feet wet with a box of my own. After doing some research, I came up with a gentlemen named Ben Hargrove, from Andover, NH.

In colonial times, Ben Hargrove made a pact with the Devil, or so his neighbors said. Things came “too easy” to him, and while people wanted to like him, there was something about him that made them nervous. One night, a neighbor thought that he saw flames coming from Ben’s home. On closer inspection, the house wasn’t on fire, but a vivid red-orange light seemed to emanate from every window of the house. Peering through a window, the neighbor saw Ben signing a document while the Devil watched. Soon after this, Ben dressed in his best clothes and went to Boston to indulge in some backroom gambling. He returned within days, badly shaken and dangerously ill. One night about a week later, Ben appeared just as a town meeting was breaking up. He approached neighbor after neighbor, asking to take refuge in their homes.One after another, they refused. There was something especially odd about Ben Hargrove that night, and it chilled them. Suddenly, Ben looked up, just over the heads of his neighbors, with a look of unspeakable horror on his face. Ben turned on his heel and ran towards the church. But, as soon as he passed the gate and stepped onto the church’s property, he let out a terrible wail… and vanished. Some say that he turned instantly to ashes and that’s what they buried. Others say that his body was found in his home the next morning, but it was cold and rigid as if he’d been dead for several days. But, whatever was left of Ben Hargrove, he was buried outside the cemetery walls in an unmarked grave. His ghost appears regularly outside Old Center Cemetery, usually near the road. Sometimes he tries to flag down passing cars, but usually he simply cowers and quickly disappears. Most local residents insist that these kinds of stories are nonsense. And, they’re probably right. Even if the tales are entirely made-up, we can recommend only daytime visits to this eerie cemetery in rural New Hampshire.

So with box in hand called Haunted New England: A Deal with the Devil, I headed out to Andover to plant the box in Old Center Cemetery. I arrived at the cemetery to find that there was a house sitting in plain view and I had concerns that someone would say something to me or someone else when they went searching for the box. That and there was an older gentlemen out front racking his yard. So I headed to the Town Hall to speak to someone about planting in that cemetery. Come to find out, the person I needed to speak to lived in that house across the street. First I had to discuss what letterboxing was. Then I explained that the reason I approached them was because of an article written in a paper in New York that had given letterboxing in cemeteries, a bad name. Wanna know what I am talking about: Valley News Online. So I was talking to a women named Mrs. Cutter, head of the Cemetery Committee in town. She liked hearing everything I had to say and to my surprise, she gave me permission to plant the box in the cemetery wall. I couldn't have thanked her enough for allowing me to do that.

So I drove down the street back to the cemetery and walked to the back and planted the box. Now it is up to everyone else to make sure that I was not foolish to plant that box there. Be very respectful of the cemetery while you are there and remember what your parents told you. "Look with your eyes, not with your hands!" There are lots of old stones in that cemetery and they are definitely worth viewing. And while your there, make sure you say hello to Ben Hargrove, if your lucky enough to see him.

The Road to Dunbarton, NH

This summer, The Dunbarton Town Hall turned 100 years old. Every year until the town of Dunbarton celebrated it's 250th birthday, the Dunbarton Garden Club will be planting and selling Daffodils. Of course, it wasn't until I ventured into Dunbarton, that I had known this.

On Monday, I planted a letterbox called Dunbarton in town at one of the beautiful forests it has called the Nat & Wilcox Brown Forest. It wasn't a very long walk to a pond, but it was still quite a site to see. I think that the trail would have gone further, but we had just had a full day of pouring rain, allowing the pond to swell some. So with a special box carved for the town of Dunbarton, I planted it there in the forest. This would the closest I wanted to get to the center of town without there being a chance of it going missing.

So after I planted the box, I started back to the car. While doing so, I happen to noticed that there were little things moving around in the pond. Upon further investigation, I had found that there were tons of newts swimming around along the ponds edge. I must have watched them for at least 15 minutes. With the cold weather approaching, these guys must be enjoying themselves. I couldn't help but wonder what they do when the water freezes over. And when I got home, I did no research on them to see what they do, so I guess I didn't wonder enough to care later. But what they did do, they allowed me to enjoy the town of Dunbarton even more and I look forward to my journey back in the near future.

I know that there will be people visiting my box, and when you do, I would suggest going around spring/summer time so you can see the daffodils.

4 Days in 4 Ways

Sunday - T2's Birthday Extravaganza - This was our first letterboxing gathering we had been to since I hosted my event last January. With the family being so busy, it has been hard to get time off for any gathering. And being that most, if not all gatherings are on Saturdays, it is hard to get a Saturday off. But finally a gathering was on Sunday and we weren't gonna miss it. So we headed to Sutton Massachusetts to the Purgatory Chasms and this was gonna be a big day for the children. This was gonna be the day that everyone had their own personal stamps to carry around with them. They even had a log book. Now they had fun stamping in and we went searching for stamps with Rubabduc, Giz, Automan, Enjoiner, and TsukiAmes. We climbed rock faces and chatted some, and then I had to search for a missing stamp. For about a quarter of the time, I had to search for for Bailey's stamp that he had lost and not told me about. We had come across Maire's Facets and Tea-Bass on the trail and they had asked for an exchange. This was when I found out. I was not happy of course. And to top it off, I hadn't found the stamp. This stamp is called Cuddle Bear. This is Bailey's new trail name. It was in a tan Whitman's Sampler tin. So if anyone that reads this blog happens to venture there and finds the tin or stamp, please contact me.Monday - My Birthday - One of these days, I will have a birthday party for myself. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind not having a birthday party, but I haven't had one in some years now. While at Sundays gathering, they had sang happy birthday to myself too and we did have some cake, but I want my own party. Maybe next year. So I was now 31 years old. As the day grew closer, I couldn't help but think that soon I will be 40. As you grow up, there are certain years you just never think your gonna get to. For ever if felt to turn 21 or 30 even. Now that I am there, I now look at 40 and see if just around the corner. Of course, I shouldn't look that far and I should just enjoy where I am right now. They are right, but it still is coming! So for my birthday, I did nothing. What I wanted to do was go hiking, work in the yard, carve some stamps, play some games, but none of that happened. I really did nothing. Doesn't sound like much fun! Sorry!

Tuesday - AQ-Versary - Team New Hampshire has been boxing for4 years now, but we actually have been letterboxing since August 15th, 2005. An AQ-Versary is when you find the site itself and become a member. So, as of Tuesday, we were a part of Atlas Quest for 4 years. We have had our good times and our bad times. We have made tons of friends and made some enemies too, which of course was never my intention. Either way, we are here and we are looking forward to our 5 years with Atlas Quest.
Wednesday - Our Wedding Anniversary - 3 years ago, my Wife and I spent tons of money so that we can celebrate our love for each other. 3 years later, not much has changed in the love department, no matter how much we kid about it, but all the things around us have. No matter how hard things have gotten, we have managed to to stick it out for the better of our family. We are still strong and couldn't think of being with anyone else. Let us hope for many more years.

Climbing Mt. Chocorua

The idea to hike Mt. Chocorua came to me sometime last week. I knew that with Sarah having the weekend off, I would be able to do something on Sunday. First and only problem was the weather. As of last week, the weather forecast was calling for 60% rain. I was not going to hike Chocorua if the rain chance was that high. But luck for us, as the day grew closer, the chance of rain grew smaller. 50%, then 40%, then Saturday, it called for 30% after 4pm on Sunday. I was a happy man at this point. Before heading to work on Saturday, I asked which of the 4 children capable of hiking Chocorua, wanted to go with me. Bailey, Michaela and Elijah, were wanting to join me for this hike.

Sunday morning, about 6:30 came, and I woke up the children. They all still wanted to go. The sky was overcast but this was expected and warned about as a forecast. The sky was to clear as the morning sun warmed the atmosphere. I can tell you that that hadn't happened but the time we reached Chocorua. We got out of the car and made one last stop in the bathroom before heading up the mountain.

I had told the children about the mountain. Mt. Chocorua had an elevation of 3,475 feet. The mountain was made up of erratics left by the glaciers that melted many many years ago. Also the legend behind the mountain. To shorten the story, an Indian named Chocorua had a confrontation with a village family. They chased him up the mountain, Chocorua yelled out a curse, and jumped off the top of the mountain to his death. There are 3 similar but different versions to this legend, but what I just told you is in each of the 3. As you can tell by the picture above, Mt. Chocorua is a very beautiful mountain. It is one of the most photographed mountains in the world.

Now, the climb to the top took longer that I had hoped. Bailey 6 and Michaela 7, had to ask for frequent stops as we climbed to the top. Elijah 12, didn't ever ask and actually was the leader most of the way. The trail at the bottom was quite easy, but once we got to the mountain itself, things started to get a little harder. The cloud cover had started to clear up a bit. We could see the sun peaking through from time to time. But with the clouds surrounding the mountain, this meant that the rocks we would need to climb would be wet. This did not make for easy climbing at times. Things were looking to be a better day than expected though. We stopped some and headed up, stopped some and headed up. The we got to a big rocky area and we stopped there for a longer rest. It was clear that we all needed it. From there you could see the top of the mountain as well as some of a couple of mountains that surrounded the east side of Chocorua. And if you had you back to the mountain, all you saw was the top of the clouds. The lower level clouds were low and there was barely a cloud in the sky above us. Jackpot!

The climb to the top still hadn't been much easier. At some point overnight, these rocks we were climbing on had gotten wet and there was water coming down the mountain from higher up making the rocks really slippery. But we were getting closer to the top. And then finally it happened. 3 hours it took us to climb to the top. I had been to the top only once before and that was about 10 years ago, but none of the children had ever been. This was now the highest peak they had ever climbed. I was very proud of them. Michaela and Bailey had climbed Mt. Cardigan which was 3,155 feet high and I don't know about Elijah. 3,475 feet was now the highest either way. To be honest, this was my highest too! But that all changes for me in January, but that story if for another day. We were at the top and loving every minute of it. The colors of the leaves were a nice red and orange. The clouds had broken up so we could see most of the mountains in the White Mountains, but Mt. Washington wasn't on that list of viewed. It was still in the clouds as it spends most of it's time this time of the year. Weather changes up there are to blame. After some pictures and more well needed rest, it was time to head back down.

The climb down was rather quiet. We really didn't do much talking to each other as we did on the way up. Heading down the mountain took some careful concentration for we were now heading onto those same slippery rocks at a bad angle. I made sure the children followed me so that if I slipped and fell, they would know not to follow my lead and find a different way. The few bright spots during the trip down though, a snake and a toad. I picked up the snake and let all the children touch the snake. I wanted this to be as awesome a trip as possible so I didn't mind picking the snake up. I am not afraid of snakes but I just don't feel like getting bitten, even if I wouldn't die from the bite. The only thing that stunk about the snake, was it stunk. It made my hands smell something gross. Later on, we found the sitting on top of a rock. It didn't move or anything so I have no idea how Elijah spotted it. I whipped out my camera and had to take some pictures. It gave me some good ones.

So, after 6 hours total, up and down the mountain, we had to head home. It seemed that we all had a good time although I think Bailey will not be hiking with again anytime soon. He didn't mind the hike, but it was the jumping down off the rocks and landing on his feet thing he didn't like. About half way down, he started complaining about his feet hurting. I told him he should stop jumping down off rocks, but he kept on doing it. Oh well. Michaela hadn't a thing to complain about, or at least she didn't want me to know about. Elijah had a blast and couldn't wait to tell Sarah and Billy about it when he got home. He is looking forward to our next hike next month which right now looks to be Mt. Sunapee.

While on top of the mountain, I did plant a box called "Chocorua." It is for the legend that the mountain is named after. Yes, you will need to climb all but .4 miles of the mountain to get it, but the reward is well worth it.