If you’re not familiar with letterboxing, we’d like to introduce you to something that we think is kind of cool. It’s similar to geocaching, in that it’s a little bit scavenger hunt, a little bit science, and a little bit problem-solving.  

According to Wikipedia, “letterboxing is an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art and puzzle solving. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places (like parks) and distribute clues to finding the box in printed catalogs, on one of several web sites, or by word of mouth. Individual letterboxes usually contain a logbook and a rubber stamp. Finders make an imprint of the letterbox’s stamp on their personal logbook, and leave an impression of their personal stamp on the letterbox’s logbook — as proof of having found the box. Many letterboxers keep careful track of their “find count.”

Letterboxing actually has a long history, dating back to 1854, and there a number of different kinds of letterboxes as well. While there are a number of similar things in the States, such as folks hiking the Appalachian Trail and folks checking in to hostels, letterboxing is considered more of a hobby rather than a tracking system (check out the Wikipedia article for a little bit more information about letterboxing and the different kinds out there).

While we’re not outside, we actually do have one that’s been in our shop since 2003. It’s pretty cool to go through the little book and see who’s been here and stamped in…

These are photos of two of the newest members of the Canine Taste Tester Squadron at Boston Baked Bonz (here’s the URL, in case the link doesn’t work: http://bostonbakedbonz.com/index2.html). They’re a new Boston-based company (and one of our customers) who make a wide range of healthy dog treats (using organic and vegan ingredients!). Gabe and Cooper (seen above, not the fellas in sweaters) are eagerly awaiting their Bōnz teste-test starter packs now that they’ve been accepted into the Squadron!