a feel good moment.

So there is this thing that is fun to do when you become a letterboxer. it is kinda like a goal to achieve. It is not always obtainable or easy to do. But boy when you do, it sure makes it fun. what is this feat to aspire to? To be a First Finder! that means that you find the box very first.
We have missed this on numeral occasions by a day or so. We have also collected many FF'er kudos. Well this one was the closest yet.
We have been told by a planter themselves that they have a number of boxes becoming available soon. So we have been watching for new posts with curiosity. Mid-evening we see one. Kinda to late to do now so we decide to go first thing in the morning, two boxes and a bonus box!
So we get up have breakfast in the car I get gas and we go. we get to the location make a drive by and there is this dumb van parked right where we need to go! so, we pull around and park. the only ones in this hugw parking lot and this van is just sitting there. Many minutes go by, when the van approaches the lots near us it stops and a teen girl jumps out and runs into the woods. No way! They were there stamping in! That means they beat us. So after they leave we find the box and sure enough they were FF'ers. Well, this is when I said "Man, If we hadn't stopped for gas...." and my daughter says " Thats okay Mom we can't always be first we have to give someone else a turn." That right there made my day!!!! So we go to the second box and who is coming back up the trail toward us. The ones who were just first. So I approach them and ask if they want to exchange. They are new to letterboxing and do not know what an exchange is. I explain that it is simply exchanging signature stamps. They whip out their logbooks and a stamping frenzy begins. We get to the box and we are hot and tired and WHAT?! I forgot my compass!!!! Dang, we cant find the box now anyways. It is nearing 85 degrees by now and its almost lunch time....swimming at grammas is in order. Well we get back to the car and that is when I remember that there is a bonus box hidden. I forgot to get the clues at the last box we were at. So back to find the box again and this time I get the clues. it is right around the corner so we go there and We are the First Finders!!! Yeah!

I have to agree that my daughter is right we can't always be first, but it sure is fun trying!