A Special Delivery

Most of you know my letterboxing buddy Astro D. Well, back in 2008 (September to be exact) I reached my 1000th find and Astro D planted a special box for me that I still remember and love - Road Trip. Now Astro D is at 999 and ready to get to a grand. So I am returning the favor and planting a special box for her. I began working on this box back in July 2010. I first came up with a few themes and locations and kept working on things until I focused in on one that I thought would capture Astro D's interest (Mid-Century Modern) and make this box a memorable one. Placing a box of this magnitude requires a lot of work and a lot of help - so I recruited a few people to assist me. Thanks go out to Aspen, Bell Motel, rubberpeace & rbrhorno, Travelin' T's, Twinville Trekkers and Wronghat for their assistance in bringing this box to fruition. The box is now planted and all the clues written - in codes. The clues area a series of puzzles that have to be solved. I put a special booklet together to give to Astro D so she could work on the puzzles and be ready to go and find the box sometime this week. So this morning I drove in to Santa Fe and left the booklet hanging on her front door for her to find as a surprise. (I did worry a little that it might blow away as we have been having high winds here in Santa Fe.) But I didn't need to worry because I received this email from her not too long after I left it at her house.

"Hi Mark- John came in this morning and was hiding something behind his back and said in a sing song voice, "Someone left you a present at the front door!" I couldn't imagine what. Then he showed me. Woo hoo!! An Eames box!! I love it. I have so far completed puzzles 1,2 and 3. (Thanks so much for the hint on puzzle 3.) 4 looks to be easy and 5 looks to be hard! Just sat down at my desk after lunch to look at #5 some more. Love love love the Eames theme and the name of the box. Now I can't wait to go find it! -D"

And a little later I got this email.

"Hi Mark- YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I got it. Ah, what a relief. Would be very embarrassing to not be able to get it.... :-) You sure did a lot of work. Very cool. Thank you. Again, it is the PERFECT theme. Well, I haven't put the jigsaw puzzle together yet but I am expecting that to go smoothly!! -D"

I think she will remember this box. So there are plans for Astro D, rubberpeace and I to get together on Thursday to go and find the box and then have lunch to celebrate. The box is called Dreams of Eames and I have it as a mystery. The puzzles, when solved will give you all you need to know to find the box. I did log the box in but the clues aren't posted yet. I want Astro D to find it first and enjoy it before I make it public. And I do have restrictions on the box. I really don't want it to go missing since it celebrates a milestone and it was quite a bit of work to put together. So don't think I am being mean but if you don't meet the restrictions I won't make any exceptions to anyone for the clues. Hopefully the box will last a long time and eventually you will get to the point that the clues will become available to you. Congratulations Astro D and I hope you enjoy your box!