Sneakin' in some sanity.

Oh my goodness, did I need an Oregon Coast fix! We haven't been down since Corgi Beach Day, and then we only hung out around Astoria and Cannon Beach. My love is to keep heading south and pay my respects to all the little towns along the way to Newport. Sweet Newport.

Samsonite and I snuck away after she got out of the classroom on Friday and really made the most of the weekend. We rolled into Newport in the dark, got up early on Saturday, boxed and planted until dark Saturday evening, then up again on Sunday morning to meander home, leaving boxing love in our wake. It was fantastic!

Since we have snagged so many of the boxes on the coast, there were few to find. After bombing out on several, we did finally hit pay dirt - I ended up with five new stamps in my log. They are awesome, too! There is a special kind of appreciation for finding the box after you have struck out multiple times. We eventually had to head for home after grabbing the last drive-by in the dark. I am never, NEVER sorry to have spent time on the Oregon Coast.

I had eleven new planted boxes to list when I got home. Pretty exciting! I have been kind of on a planting kick, what with the RD TRP Series and now the Pocket Treasures - those little stamps are a blast to carve and hide! I do hope seekers have as much fun finding as I did hiding!

I would definitely say the weather was unpredictable - one minute it was windy and foggy (spooky!) and the next it was bright, warm sunshine. It kept things interesting and also allowed for some great photo opportunities.

On the amazing 804 Trail in Yachats

it's so much better in person!

Spoooooky! What an awesome 'wind sock'!

I want this in my yard!

A snap of the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse ...

but, this is the money shot!

Next time we come down, we are gonna head
eastward on 20 for some more exploring ...
(not as far as Boston, though)

hangin' out on Big Creek

Samsonite gettin' it done!

Ooooh, cool fungi!

Hello, there :)

another lovely trail, but check that out!
Warning: Hazardous Trees Ahead

Whoops! The ground here was super squishy.

we've gone down this trail before, 
can't wait to get back here in December!

this is what we captured as we left Seaside

Astoria

The moon @ Dismal Nitch

The last bash.

 

Yes, I must face the harsh truth: Summer is coming to an end. Sad, indeed.

But we have done so much this summer, so I cannot really complain. Samsonite goes back to school soon, so she and I took one last opportunity to get out and BOX! We headed to her old stompin' grounds on the 'dry side' of the state and enjoyed nearly 5 full days of digging in pine straw and trying to avoid slithery critters. Man, we had a blast!

Ellensburg, WA

I took my chances and decided to leave a day early - just like for our lengthy road trip. I certainly didn't want the same thing to happen again, so we were very careful where we stayed and were sure to secure our belongings appropriately. My anxieties about being the victim of theft were not realized, thankfully, and we got a jump on our boxing/planting. 

the giants along I-90

I am in the process of planting a series called RD TRP, so we were checking out all the possible stops along I-90. It is so different on the east side of the Cascades - I just love the dry heat and that you can see for miles.

After leaving Ellensburg, we made our way to Cheney, then onto Spokane. We spent one day east of Spokane exploring and seeking boxes in Idaho along gorgeous Lake Coeur d'Alene. I am so very grateful for all the boxers who planted and maintain boxes for us to find! They took us to some really amazing and unexpected places.

We encountered birders in one of the cemeteries we visited where
they were photographing the elusive Nighthawk. I don't think this is
one of them, but it was kind enough to pose for a pic.

This amazing tree was beautiful in the Fitch Arboretum

I do enjoy the peacefulness of cemeteries.

This is Black Bay Park - what a lovely, hidden place
to put in for a day of kayaking.

As you can imagine, it was uber-hot - upper 90s. We were desperate to stay hydrated and to park in the highly valued shady parking spots. But hiking scenic trails and finding hidden gems was definitely worth the sweat and effort!

even my phone needed some shade!

this one is on Lake Coeur d'Alene

sweet, huh?

I like the sentiments of this posted sign -
"A cemetery exists because every life is worth
loving and remembering - always."

There are always cemeteries on the list when boxing these days - no, it wasn't always like that, just to be clear. But I am not complaining as sometimes you can learn something historically interesting, and there are usually not a lot of muggles around. My only niggle is that sometimes I feel a little disrespectful of the sacredness of the place when finding boxes, especially if they are not images that are associated with that particular cemetery or persons buried there. For example, at one point we were digging around the perimeter of a cemetery while a visitor was placing flowers and spending time contemplating her loved one - we were quite some distance away, but I still sort of felt like an intruder.

Not all boxes are at cemeteries, though. The ones I love take me to beautiful landscapes where I really enjoy snapping pics like the old days. The Japanese garden, Bowl & Pitcher at Riverside State Park, the vast farmland - eastern Washington has so much to photograph.

The Japanese Garden in Manito Park

Riverside State Park is over 9,000 acres along the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers. "Riverside has deep historical significance as a gathering place for Native American tribes, and a a thriving fur trade hub. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) build many of the park's structures during the Great Depression, which still stand today. The pedestrian suspension bridge at Bowl and Pitcher replaced a CCC bridge built in 1940." (WA State Parks) 

the 'swinging' bridge -
nope, we didn't try it ... but it didn't look too scary

Bowl & Pitcher from the Overlook

And then Samsonite snapped me at the Overlook!

A memorial to the Grand Army of the Republic
in Greenwood Cemetery

we saw a marmot, and even some wild turkeys!

headed down a lonely road in search of a letterbox - 
no muggles here!

Hope that wasn't too many photos to share - 

but, there was so many great things to see. 

We ended up finding 20 letterboxes and planted 6 - woot! 

And it was a fabulous get-away.

Until next time, Spokane!

These rock!

 

I have learned a few things about making letter-rocks:

1. This technique is basically just covering the plastic box with concrete instead of duck tape.

2. These rocks are incredibly easy to hide!

3. I am more concerned with the boxes getting brittle over time than I am with the concrete breaking apart.

4. I have started to spray paint the tops a darker color (I like brown to look like generic dirt) and black on the bottom/lid. This is to facilitate even more camouflage.

5. I have taken to covering the wet concrete with play sand to give more natural rock texture. I have contemplated leaving them more smooth to mimic cobbles, but haven't attempted that yet.

6. In my climate the rocks take 48 - 72 hours to fully dry/cure. It is difficult for me not to manipulate them earlier, but I have had them break apart in my hands because of it. 

7. My favorite rocks are the smaller ones that cover a black film canister (microbox). These are incredibly easy and fun to hide! 

newly minted letter-rocks

spraying the bottom with matte black -
yeah, it will scratch off a bit, but most will stay

the microbox rocks are almost ready to paint and pack for planting!

I am interested in your experience with hiding and finding these types of boxes. I have now planted in camo taped and/or painted boxes, pouches, mag-boxes, and now fake rocks. What other clever ways have you planted letterboxes?