Silk Saga - A series of Letterboxes

The Silkworm Saga

The silkworm Saga started for our family back in 1964 when our eldest daughter was in 1st grade. Her dear Teacher, a Mrs Holcomb, had the children experience the silkworm cycle in her classroom. I was so intrigued and curious, that she gave me some eggs to save for the next year. That got me started. Our family have had so much fun with them through the years. I find them fascinating and educational.

I have raised silkworms at intervals --- for our children, for our grandchildren and now, for our great granddaughter, but mostly for myself.

Now, I invite letter-Boxers to join in.

Boxes & Clues to follow later

"It's not a weed, Mom, I promise!" - Bud + Bonus Box

Up until I started doing this series, I always

considered any dandelion that was closed to be a bud. Not so. The bud is tightly closed as in this photo. Once the flower has bloomed it closes at night and looks similar to a bud, but it is now called a floret. Sometimes you will be able to see a little of the yellow flower at the end of the floret and at other times you can see the white parachutes at the end of the floret. Very interesting, I think.

Clue

1. Park in the lower parking lot at Bywater Park and find the Spanish "Blue Baby" on top of the red brick structure. The baby will be facing the south-east. Start from there.

2. Look for the plaque that tells who the ball park is dedicated to and named for. Note the year of his birth as you will need to know it in order to find the bonus connected to this box.

3. Go to the nearest red light pole.

4. Walk south on the walkway until you have passed two sets of stairs,

the first on the right and the 2nd on the left.

5. Continue walking until you run into another set of stairs, climb, turn 180 degrees and stand under the nearest tree.

6. The box is buried under the west end of a fallen log that is partially hidden in some low shrubs.

Enjoy the box and replace carefully.

NOTE: I am putting the clues to the bonus box here because they keep getting lost. I live too far away to keep replacing them. Enjoy!

ABCDEFG stands for "A Bonus Cache Designed Especially For Grandchildren", ( anybody's grandchildren). This series will not have logbooks, just stamps and sometimes, surprises. Enjoy!

Clue
1. after you have found the necessary letterbox cross the park roadway west and go to the winding cement walkway near the fence.
2. Continue on the walkway going North until you see a black hole in the sidewalk. Keep Going.
3. Stop when you come to a piece of rusted metal that goes across the sidewalk and is about 1 foot wide. Stop there and remember the date you were told to remember when finding the other box.
5. Count north the number of sidewalk cracks as is in the second number of the date. Turn to your left and walk to the fence. Count 4 metal fence post north.
6. The box is hidden at the base of the next fence pole north. (At the moment the entire post is covered with Ivy.
Enjoy and don't smear your lipstick.

Walk The Dog

Across the street from Bywater Park in Cottonwood Heights is a dog park. Go through the opening at the end of the fence and start up the hill on the trail until you are even with a fork in the path. You will see a dead tree
along the fence line to the west. take the path to the left and follow it to a small tree. Go down around the west side of the tree. You will see a rusty sign.

The box is hidden under a rock that is in a depression about 6 feet in back of the sign. (To the south of the sign).

If you have a dog with you, I am sure it will enjoy a place to run and exercise. Enjoy!

Be sure to hide the box back under the rock so the dogs won't dig it up. (Hopefully)

Fresh from the Slough

As a child and a teen, there is a certain food item that I DID NOT CARE FOR AT ALL! In spite of that fact, I was forced to eat it whenever it was served. I cannot tell you how many times I had to gag it down with my father standing over me to make sure that I ate it all. I remember it as a painful ordeal.

As I grew older I did develop a taste for this food and I actually enjoy it now, although I do still have to be in the right mood for it.

In the 1970s my mother & step father lived in San Diego, and we went to visit them. My step-father, Paul, was a bit of a scavenger and enjoyed collecting items he found around the city in his work for the Street Department. As we sat down to dinner one evening, my mother set a bowl of "The food item" on the table in front of me. Normally

she would not have made a big deal about what I ate as an adult, but on this occasion she kept telling me to taste the food. I kept putting it off until at last, she all but insisted. I politely put one on my plate and thought that would satisfy her. It didn't. She kept saying, " Go ahead and taste it. I really want you to!" SO, I finally gave in and tasted it. It tasted fine.

BUT -----then my mother said proudly, "Paul found those just growing in the slough! Can you believe it?"

I was appalled! To this very day I cannot even see the smaller varieties of this item without thinking of the slough. I still eat them, but I cannot shake the mental picture. Now, I guess I'm passing that mental picture on to any of you who happen to find this letter box. OOPS!

Clue
Start here and take the path east until you come to the first fork in the path. Take the right path. Follow it until you pas

s the one mile marker and the Provo River Parkway Centennial sign. Both of these will be on the right of the path. However, take a close look at the slough on the left and try to imagine food growing there.

Continue on & pass a silver metal electrical box on the right.

Look for a building that is right next to the river with a small window on the side nearest the path as shown below.

Starting at the north-east post of the fence surrounding this structure, count 30 steps continuing east on the path. to your left you should see the tree below. The box which is buried in the crotch of the tree under some leaves, twigs and debris.

YUM!

Do Your Part Letter Box

Date Placed May 31, 2009

Letterbox: Bonus
CarverPurchased
Placers: PhotoGram
Location:Bulkley Mountain.
Status: Active

Follow the road you were on to find "Watch Out Below" Letter Box and go down the mountain to where it meets with another road. Go North-west on that road and you will shortly go between two more large boulders, on on each side of the road. One boulder has a white spot on the north side of it.

Continue on until you see a very large boulder with a crecent moon. The box is hidden behind smaller boulders and is under the south-west side of this huge Monolith.

Please take heed. Enjoy and be safe.

"Watch out Below" Letter Box

Date Placed May 31, 2009

Letterbox: Traditional
Carver PhotoGram
Placers: PhotoGram
Location:Bulkley Mountain.
Status: Active

Continue along road you ended up on in finding "Bouncing Boulders" until you see the picture below. It will be on your right. Climb to the upper right of the photo and you should see a large dent that was made by a huge boulder during the rockfall. The box is hidden under some stones in the center of the dent.

The light area on the rocks in the photo above left gives and idea of where the boulders fell from.

Enjoy your day.

Bouncing Boulders Letter Box

See Buckley Mountain Letter Boxes for directions to Planting area.

Continue on "High Road" until you see this boulder on your left. (Photo#1) Go to it and you will see another less used road. Notice the two dents in the mountain that were made by the boulder as it fell from the Mountain. they are on the left of this road. The Boulders fell in 2005 so is a bit overgrown now, but still clearly visible. (Photo#2) (Thus the name "Bouncing Boulders"

Almost directly south across the road from these dents you will see a tree. Take 17 steps farther along the road east.

To you right you should be able to see a rock in the grass (Photo#3). The box is hidden beneath a pile of smaller rocks behind this rock.

If you go to the (Photo#4) you have gone too far.

Good Luck & Enjoy!

Buckley Mountain Letter Boxes

Three of the boxes in this series are now planted. They are all along this dirt road on South State Street,which is north of Springville. The road begins just before Ironton Hill where there is a billboard sign and a street light. Turn east on to the very rough road. You may stop and begin your hike at this point, or if you have 4-wheel drive or if you are as foolish as we are, you can continue driving to the parking area for the Boneville Trail.

Park in the parking lot and continue east on the fire road until you come to the intersections of 4 dirt roads. Three have signs that say "No Dumping" and one says "No Shooting. Take the HIGH road.

Directions for Bouncing Boulders Letter box in next Post.