Mountains, Mysteries, Legends, and FUN!

The Mountains Mystery and Legends Event hosted by Dixie promised to be ........... well whatever she promised it to be it was and more! This would be only my second event, the first being Come to the table (I promise to write that entry very soon!). I was very scared, very nervous, all these veterans, all those boxes. It always seems so overwhelming to even think about going to an event. Once I talk myself into going (I even have to do that as I am driving there), I have the time of my life.

I was torn about leaving my son home. I knew it would be a long day, cold, maybe a little "scary" at times, so I gave him the option. "Is Mojo gonna be there?" he asks. While I do lie to the Troll at times (as most of you know) ........ I could not lie to those beautiful blue eyes looking up at me. "Yes, Mojo will be there", I inform him. Well that was all he needed, he was going. I think my little 6 yr old has a major crush on the infamous Mojo!

Saturday morning while trying to get out of the house and get on our way to Asheville, my pager goes off. This is part of my life and always goes off when I am trying to get out the door. So I join the conference call, type, fix the problem, pack lunch, print clues, print maps, solve a few PTs, etc. We are finally able to get out of the house. A bag of nerves we head up the mountain to Asheville.

I arrive around 11ish to a crowd already forming. Sean hops out the car grabs his stuff and goes in search of Mojo with a huge smile on his face! We visit with Mojo while getting into the country state of mind.




Then off for a few exchanges, We meet Sweet n Sour, Shoafsters and The Hornesbees, I say hello to some old friends, Dixie, Mama Fox, Knit Wit, Kya, Fire Fighter Family and dtandfambly. I am also able to grab a little bunny thief.

With Mojo as our guide we head for the facilities ! What ??? A line in the Women's room, how can that be!

With Sean off playing in the snow and mud, I try to confirm if, The hills are alive? I anticipated something incredible, but not this. I can dream that one day I could create a stamp like this but... WAKE UP HOLLY ..... that will never happen. What a treasure for my logbook.

I exchange with a few boxing buddies, Sarge and Peace then get to meet up with a rascally rabbit along with pawing the ground. Then off in search of adventures and BOXES. I team up with dtandfambly and the Hornesbees and we find some men that provide for the family, a one legged crow, then the dedicated checkmate and you've been ...

Along with the Fire Fighter Family we make plans to embark on an adventure at 3:30 no matter what! There was a deck of cards on the table but instead of playing, we went off in search of more boxes.

A story of twins floating down the river in a basket peaked our interest, but as as we rounded the corner we spotted the "dog park". Sean wanted to know why in the world all those dogs were locked up in that horse pen ! I tried to explain the concept of a dog park to him but he would have none of it, that was a horse pen and those people were crazy to be locking their dogs up in it ! One of the dogs was barking me, me, me, play with me. Still in search of the twins we meet up with Olive and Chihuahua Grande, they graced us with their stamps and a WOM clue so not only could Frank visit Alpha and Alpha visit Frank but we could visit them too. Then we found the Wolves among us: Etruscan. With a time check we headed back to meet up with the Fire Fighter Family, but on the way had to have a little tongue flapping fun back at the horse pen. At this point I realized, the next box would be #100 for us. So as we were walking back down the path I looked to my left and DING DING DING, I said "look it is a spring tree" which was a very fun #100 for us.



We found the FF Family and got several different version of directions to the Riverside Cemetery. I offered to drive if Hornsbees and dtandfambly would navigate, the FF Family was going to follow along with Mojo. Well not sure how I got there but we did, however at one point FF Daddy and Mojo felt I was going the WRONG way and almost did not follow, but never fear letterboxers know their directions LOL. At the cemetery, FF Daddy hands me the 2 page clue and I started to read as we wandered through the cemetery past ivy, Davis and Brown, past headless child and Dunn, an obelisk, a guardhouse, a path, a bench, past Lenz, Redwood and Reed, an oak, a boulder, flags, a lamb, and to a chamber to understand Mourning. Then it was Fire Fighter Daddy's special gift. I offered to read the clues again so he could navigate and find his treasure. It took us a few chances to get the right starting place, and as a group we navigated the path to Uncommon Valor. What a special treat to be able to share in this treasure. Thanks Fire Fighter Family for allowing us this special opportunity.

Climbing back up the hills of the cemetery lead us basically back to the start and into some historic helping hands. This was my first traditional box planted by The Wolf Family and the story behind it is very interesting. As I was waiting for everyone to finish stamping in, I looked in my logbook and a MYSTERY ...... somehow a Darth Wolf stamp had gotten in there ? WHAT ? How ? Who ? hummmmmm..... was this one of the Mysteries of the event ? Yet another treasure in my logbook.

At this point it was time........ Yes we dare, we dare to venture to the Old Craggy Prison. The FF Family left to meet back up with Dixie so I drove as The Hornsbees and dtandfambly navigated. A phone call or two to Mama Fox might have figured it's way in there too. We almost drove past, I turned around and we drove up to Craggy Prison. What an ominous feeling you get when you drive up to this prison. Fences, razor wire, and no trespassing signs warn you as much as the old prison itself does. The Hornsbees offered to go first and she found the last day of youth. dtandfambly bravely ventured behind the guard tower and up the steps to see the seance at craggy. I offered to accompany her to return it and that is where the little problems of our day start!

You see my son has this Halloween flashlight that makes Halloween noises and 't' loves this thing. So off we go up the steps with the sounds of wolves howling and electric crackling, when we get to the top 't' stops and with a very scared look on her face whips around and says "I think I heard dogs, Holly!", we look down at the prison and there are lights on and we hear a metal door SLAM. We did not say a word we just RAN - I mean it we RANNNNNNNNN down those steps, the flashlight still making noises and 't' saying "I can't turn this thing OFF !', we get to the guard tower and sprint the the car and LEAP in. The thoughts going through my mind were, PLEASE, PLEASE don't make me call the troll and tell him I have gotten arrested for trespassing at a prison, letterboxing ! While it is quite funny!!!!! believe me this is not a call that you want to make to the TROLL, especially since I had my son with me trespassing ! Safe and sound in the car, we catch our breath and I start to drive. While we were gone, the cell phones had rung, both mine and 't's. So we both call back - Mama Fox is on 't's and FF Daddy on mine - it seems that they are about to lock the gates at the park and there were cars still in there AND OH yeah The Hornsbees won the raffle. "DRIVE FASTER HOLLY" is all I remember hearing. The Hornsbees were a little freaked out at the thought of her car being locked in the park. I assured her I would get her home if that happened. NO worry I tell her and drive, but you see I have no idea where I am going - they are my navigators, and I am driving as fast as I feel safe driving with other people and 2 kids in the car, but I keep hearing "FASTER OMG they are gonna lock the gate!" Then the kids starting getting concerned, "what will we do?" they ask? I assure everyone that I will take everyone home if anything happens and just think it will give us a great excuse to come back on Sunday to get the cars and box some more. We arrive at the park - all is well except all this time 't' never realized her truck was there too ! :O)

We thanked The Hornsbees for boxing with us, we hope to be able to box together again. So now it was only the 4 of us left, Sean, 't', ARK and me. We decided we should meet up with Dixie and Mama Fox and everyone else for some food. Sean was trilled when we walked in and he spotted his Mojo. We had a great visit, be filled our hungry bellies and made one last plan. We actually tried to make 2 plans but Mama Fox and Dixie really did not want us to go to Chicken Alley with the kids at night, so we relented and went off to visit Helen.

Now what I have not told you is the Troll has called several times to REMIND me that I was not home YET ! I think while we were in the cemetery he even called for the ingredients he needed to buy for ME to make soup. With each call, I said, "I am still in Asheville darling, just a few more boxes and we will be on the way home, PROMISE!"

Again I drove and 't' navigated. We drive to the bridge..............the kids are playing with the flashlight figuring out which scary sound is best to SCARE someone with should they be on the bridge. I drive under the bridge - LEAVE MY LIGHTS ON- and run to Helen's Haunt. I run back to the car and stamp in. Another SUV goes past us and parks at the end of the road and a large group unloads and walks towards Zealandia. As I go to get out to return the box a car pulls up and stops under the bridge. Now I am stuck , we wait a few minutes , they turn their lights off, they take pictures, they flash their lights at us. I am sitting with the box in my lap. 't' tells me to pull up the road a little and park. I do this and then run back to see if they are gone. NOPE, now they are parked where I was with their lights out. So I go back to the car again. I pretend to be looking for something in the back as they pull up to me. "YOU ARE NOT DOING IT RIGHT!", they inform me. "You HAVE TO TURN YOUR LIGHTS OUT, when you are under the bridge and then call for Helen!". "OH ......... thanks, I really didn't know" I reply! LOL as they pull away - I run back to the bridge to safely return the box as I am walking back to the car a pick-up full of teenagers pulls under the bridge, to summons Helen. I get back to the car and we drive up the road and park in the curve. We get out and start walking up the road, the pick-up parks ahead of us and the pack of teenagers are on the bridge messing around. The kids are a little scared at this point but 't' has them repeat over and over "GO AWAY HELEN"! I meet The Hookman of Beaucatcher, as the kids and 't' ward off Helen! We get back to the car and decide we need to call it a day and head back to to good old South Carolina. I return dtandfambly to their their car and head down the mountain.

I admit I am tired it is about 10pm and Sean has fallen asleep in the back seat. The TROLL CALLS !!! I know I am in major trouble! "HOLLY WHERE ARE YOU?", he bellows! "IT IS 10PM and you have my SON WITH YOU", he informs me. I assure him we are on the way down the mountain and that his son is fine and asleep in the car. Next he advises me that I have made BAD decisions in keeping my kid out this late at nite to LETTERBOX ! It is not smart he lets me know. NOTE TO SELF: Next time book a hotel room!

I arrive home at about 11 PM, get Sean safely in his bed, calm the troll down, and savor the great day I had.

THANKS DIXIE, Mama Fox, Knit Wit and everyone for all the hard work you put into this event, Mojo for being Sean's special friend, dtandfambly and The Hornsbees for being my partners in crime and Fire Fighter Daddy for sharing his special box with us! AND EVERYONE ELSE for such a great day!

Where to next ????? :O)