Heroes and Monsters

In Memoriam

Three new boxes have recently appeared in Santa Fe and today I had the afternoon free so I decided I would bring all my letterboxing gear and the clues and try and nab these boxes after my morning appointments. My morning was pretty busy and I didn't finish all my appointments and errands until after 1:00pm. The rest of the afternoon was mine to just letterbox. One of the letterboxes was off of Hyde Park Road and two others were off of Richards Avenue which is close to home. I decided to take the drive up the mountain first and get that box. The box is a memorial to firefighters (especially the group who recently died in Arizona) and was planted by ArnoldZiffel, Agent 86 and Speleo. The box is called Heroes on the Line and is hidden on a small trail that isn't marked just a few miles up Hyde Park Road. I parked in the pullout on the right side of the road and gathered my things. I crossed the road and walked a short distance up the trail and found the landmark. The box was hidden well but was easy to find and once I had it in my hand I walked a little further up the trail until I found a nice place to sit and stamp in. The stamp is wonderful and I really enjoyed the box - thanks guys.

Once back in the car I drove down the mountain and made my way to Richards Avenue. I then drove to Governor Miles Road and ended at Pueblos del Sol Playground which is where the clues started for the Monster Mash series planted by BirchMoon and ArnoldZiffel. Technically these boxes are night boxes and are marked by fire tacks. When I first read the clues and thought about where the boxes were planted I was a little concerned about getting these boxes at night. Not that I was scared of the dark but I was a little concerned about walking a trail behind some houses at night, in the dark with a flashlight. I just didn't want one of the neighbors to wonder who or what was out there and the light flashing around while I looked for the boxes. I know this sounds paranoid but I have been stopped by police and security for less while out letterboxing - so now I am a little more cautious about what I will do. Another example is a series of letterboxes in Farmington planted at or near schools. I don't think I will ever get these boxes (at least not by myself) because the first thing people will think is 'What is this pervert, old, white guy doing skulking around a school with childeren?'. I am a lot more discerning about looking for boxes that may raise concern for someone. This hobby is suppose to be fun and the fun is taken away when a cop stops to question you. I really wish planters would think a little more about where they are planting boxes and if they are putting people in compromising situations. Now I am not saying that the Monster Mash boxes are in a bad spot, I am just saying that I don't want to go searching for a letterbox in a neighborhood at night - so I chose to find these boxes during the day. Maybe I am just paranoid but I want to operate within my comfort zone. I didn't have any problems finding the two boxes in the series and I loved the stamps and the theme. I stamped in while sitting just off the trail on a bench a little ways from the hiding spots of the boxes.

Sunglasses on the Trail

After I got the boxes back in place I returned to my car and headed home. It was a good afternoon of letterboxing and I got three great stamps. Hopefully in the next week or two I can get some boxes that are just north of Santa Fe that I haven't yet had time for.