Morning Glory arrives at the Great Wall!

Hi there everyone!

We just received an email from Panda Cake's mom... Panda Cake just called her to say that at this very moment Morning Glory and Panda Cake are at The Great Wall of China!!!

We don't expect that we will have any pictures from her trip until after she gets home but, we'll post them once we do... How cool! We can't wait to see them!

Drama Mama & MamaLadyBug
Leaders ~ Troop 1509

My Passport Is Packed!

Hi there everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that I have made it home safely! I took a little bit of a rest at home with my troop and now, I am staying with our Girl Scout (Panda Cake) and her family! I will spend Thanksgiving with them and then on Friday, I am leaving for CHINA!

I just can't believe it! I am going to CHINA! I really don't think that I will be able to go letterboxing in China, but Panda Cake and her dad are going to take me to the Great Wall and other really cool places like that! They promise to take lots of pictures so I can post them here in my blog. I will be gone a few weeks, so check back soon for an update.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Love,
Morning Glory

Update on Morning Glory

A note from the Girl Scouts:

We are happy to report that Morning Glory has arrived home safe and sound! She had taken an extended vacation, but was very well cared for. :O)

One our the girls from our troop will be traveling with her father to China in a few weeks and Morning Glory is very excited to be traveling with them! She is not really sure that she will get to go letterboxing while she is there, but she will get to visit places like the Great Wall of China! She is very excited! :O)

After she returns home from her trip, she will spend the Christmas season with our Girl Scout troop before continuing her journeys of leterboxing. She will start her trip with the families who were supposed to host her already but were unable to because of her change in vacation plans. They were very gracious to be willing to change hosting times. And because of that, she'll be making it to a few gatherings in January! Maybe you'll have the chance to meet her at one of them! :O)

We'll post some more updates soon! Take care,
Troop 1509

More Pictures from CT and Plymouth Rock...

Hi again everyone!!!


Here are some more pictures from my trip to visit Kit Kat and Purple Penguin in CT... And from when we went to Plymouth Rock in MA...

Here I am stealing some of Purple Penguin's lemonade!

And, here I am lounging in the hotel with some of my new buddies! :O)

This is me looking out the porthole window on the Mayflower II

Here I am with Kit Kat and Purple Penguin standing in from on the Mayflower II... The Mayflower II is an exact replica of the Mayflower.

Here I am visiting William Bradford, the first Governor of Plymouth...

And now, I am checking out the Immigrants Statue.

These next two pictures are of me going for a ride on the "Mooflower". It was created by Joseph Keen, for CowParade Boston in 2006. IOt is now located in the lobby at Plimoth Plantation

I hope that you are enjoying all the pictures I am sending you! I might send you some more from my trip with Kit Kat... I'm still having a lot of fun! Talk to you soon!

Love,

Morning Glory

More to say...

Hi again Troop 1509!


Sorry that I did not have enough time to tell you about all the fun things I have done while i was visiting with Kit Kat and her family! Now we are back from our trip and I have lots of time to tell you what I have done here! I have so much time because right now I am actually traveling to my next host in Ohio... So, I thought that I would use this extra time to write a little bit more about what I've done this time...

So, you know about my boxes in CT and the Potato and Corn Festival that I went to.... After that we drove to Plymouth, MA. In just two days, we found three letterboxes in two states! We just went to a restaurant for dinner because it had a letterbox :-) We've also been seeing the sights--Mayflower II, Plymouth Rock and Plimoth Plantation!

We got to go on our whale watch on Wednesday!! It was quite an experience. The seas were VERY rough. About an hour ride out to the whales, but it seemed like longer. A few people were actually getting seasick. We saw MANY whales once we got there. Purple Penguin was not feeling well, so I decided to stay inside to keep her company. I clung to a railing and watched humpback whales spouting, bubble feeding, flipper flapping, and diving. I was afraid to even take out my camera! The ride back was even rougher. The crew passed out plastic baggies just in case we got sick! We survived and went out for a lovely seafood dinner to celebrate. It was so nice that I didn't want to tell Kit Kat that I am a vegetarian and I actually shared a lobster with her. It was pretty good.

On the way home from MA, we stopped at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. Highlights of our visit included the giraffes, of course, and the butterfly exhibit. When we returned to Connecticut, we made a quick stop at the Deep River Library so I could stamp in at Kit Kat's Daisy Low letterbox (the first box they ever planted).

Then I went with Purple Penguin to visit a fellow Junior Girl Scout, who exchanged with me, and then I found my final Connecticut letterbox, Chester Changeable #5: Chester.

Thanks Kit Kat and family for showing me so many great things... I had a lot of fun!

Love,
Morning Glory

Plymouth Rock

Dear Troop 1509,



I'm having a great time on my trip to New England! Yesterday we drove from Chester, Connecticut to Plymouth, Massachusetts. We found one letterbox on the way: I-95 Northbound, Wyoming RI. Once we got here, we went to see Plymouth Rock, where the Pilgrims landed. It's inside a portico now, and there was construction, so we couldn't see it very well, but then we found the Plymouth Rock letterbox!



We also saw the Mayflower II, which is a copy of the original Mayflower that was built in 1957. Today we had a very exciting day--we went to the Plymoth Plantation, where we met some Native Wampanoag people and saw other people dressed as Pilgrims. And this evening, we went out to dinner at a place called "Plane" Jane's at the Plymouth Airport, where we found another letterbox.



Kit Kat (she's the mom I have been staying with) has been taking lots of pictures, and she's going to start sending them a couple at a time. The first one is me with B.B., the Chester boxing buddy. The second one is me with R, who planted the letterboxes at the Potato and Corn Festival.

Here I am checking out the maple syrup in the farmer's market at the potato & corn festival after finding the 4th letterbox.And now here I am visiting with the decorated spuds at the potato & corn festival!

Love,

Morning Glory

You'll never believe what I'm doing!

Dear Troop 1509,

I had SO MUCH FUN in Washington State with PBandJ and Buggaboo! We did a lot of fun stuff. You can see it in the pictures I sent you before and also I wrote you a letter. Did you see it? It's right here in my blog!

When I was all done at PBandJ's house, they were going to send me to CT to visit with Kit Kat 61 except she and her family were going to be away for a few days, so they sent me to Ms. Becky's house instead! I got some new packaging and organized my stuff a little bit. Hopefully that will help me not lose all my stuff before I get back home! Just WAIT until you see what I bought! Boy, do I LOVE to shop! :)

I just thought that I would tell you a little bit about my first few days with Kit Kat 61 and her daughter Purple Penguin. Purple Penguin is 9, just like some of you! She will turn 10 three days after Ellie does... She is a Girl Scout, too. She's a lot of fun to spend time with...

I got to Connecticut on Wednesday and my new family just could not believe all of the luggage I brought with me! When I left NY, my packaging was a small envelope, not I am traveling in style in a Thin Mints box! :O) Right away I got to meet Kit Kat's boxing buddy B.B., and we exchanged stamps and then hung out on the couch together all night.


Today I exchanged with Purple Penguin, as well as getting her personal traveler. And, since I am a Girl Scout, they also let me stamp in with the stamp they made for a cookie booth! What a cool idea that was! Maybe we'll have to have letterboxes at OUR cookie booths! Maybe that will attract sales! :)

After that, we hit the road. I helped plant a box at a nature center. Then we went to Hammonasset State Park where we found two letterboxes that a Girl Scout troop had planted a couple of months ago and got EATEN by MOSQUITOES!! I think that my insect repellent was working better than everyone elses did!

Here's the most exciting part!!! Today, Kit Kat told me that I am going to get to go on VACATION with them! Guess where we are going?! We are going to Plymouth Rock! I really can't wait to show you pictures from there... I just know that I am going to have so much fun here! Just when I think that I might be missing home, I find another really nice family to stay with and do fun things with!

I can't wait to see what happens next!

Love,
Morning Glory

Look at Me!

Hi again!

I am FINALLY getting to show you all those pictures I was telling you about! Wait until you see them! I had so much fun in Washington!

In this picture, I am just about to log in to the box called "Daisy Low". I stamped in right at the fire pit!

This is a picture of me and Bugaboo! She and I sat together to watch the parade! I told you we were so popular, didn't I? Good thing she wore that tiara that she got for her birthday... We were both too cute for words! I need to get me one of those tiaras! :O)

Here is a picture of me and Bugaboo when we were tasting Bear Stew! I didn't like it very much, but she liked it a lot!

This is a picture of me and bugaboo when we are about to hit the trail!

Here is me and Buggaboo at Dairy Queen tasting the new Girl Scout Cookie Blizzard! It was made with Thin Mints... It was really tasty. Too bad there aren't DQ's closer to our houses! I wonder if there is still a DQ at the mall in Albany? If there is, maybe we can go there with Girl Scouts when I get home. :O)

Here I am in the tree, I think this was when I was re-hiding the box. I blend right in, don't I?

Well, I am still having fun! Next I am going to be visiting Kit Kat 61 in Connecticut. They are gonig to be taking me on vacation with them to Plymouth Rock! I can't wait to go there! I don't know if we will get to di any letterboxing there or not, but how cool will that be to go to Plymouth Rock? I hope they take some pictures that I can send you when I am there! :O) WOW!

I can't wait to get moving!

Love,

Morning Glory

Washington was SO much fun!

Hi everyone,

It’s almost time for me to travel on to my next stop. I’ve been having fun visiting PBandJ in Washington State. We did so much while I was here.

First, Wild Rose took me to get the boxes at the Girl Scout Center in DuPont. Two of these boxes aren’t even posted on Atlas Quest, so not very many people get them. I saw a cute baby fawn while I was getting the Daisy Low box. Wild Rose says it lives near there and is only a week or two old. Then we got the U Go Girl box that is on the nearby public trail. Wild Rose is a Girl Scout staff member, and Buggaboo is going to be a Daisy Girl Scout in the fall. That’s why they were so excited to host me. But now they’re glad they did just because they think I’m cute. =)

On Saturday we went to the McCleary Bear Festival. I got to sit with Buggaboo to see the parade. She just turned 5 and was wearing the princess tiara she got for her birthday, so we got a lot of extra attention from the clowns, princesses, and others in the parade. Right after the parade I got to sample some of the bear stew. That’s why we came to the parade, Wild Rose wanted to taste bear. BLECH!!!!! Being a vegetarian, I didn’t like it much. But Wild Rose, Daddy Too, and even Buggaboo liked it. Go figure! I can’t believe I tasted it!

After the parade we went to get the Unexpected Animals letterboxes on a nature trail in Olympia. While we were there we found a patch of wild blackberries. Much more to my liking!

Then, as a special treat since we were so good all day, Wild Rose took us to Dairy Queen to taste the Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard. Double yum! We had a busy, busy day. But you’d think all we did was eat!

On Sunday we went to Kenneydell Park in Tumwater to find two more of the Unexpected Animals boxes. And guess what? The mountain was out! But you’ll have to wait for my postcard to see what that means!

I’m having fun on my trip. I can’t wait to get back to tell you all about it.

Having a great time!
Morning Glory



*note from the Troop Leaders... Later today, we'll upload some pictures here that Morning Glory sent along with her letter... Wait until you see them!

Out and About in Nebraska!

Hi everyone!


Wow, I really can't believe how much fun I had when I was with S and D! My hosts, S and D, work at a place called Boys Town... It is a place that helps kids. You should look that up on the internet. Here is the website for Boys Town http://www.boystown.org/home.asp and here is the link to all the tourism info for Boys Town...... http://www.boystown.org/aboutus/tour/. Please make sure that you ask your parents first before you go the any website, though, okay? It really is a neat place here!


So, S and D work with the teenagers at Boys Town and they actually thought that I was COOL! Can you believe it?!? They brought me everywhere they went (except for the Olympic Swimming Trials - I was taking a nap at home)... I went to to the zoo, had a big Fourth of July party, went letterboxing, and then to the Stretegic Air and Space museum. They would have taken me to the College world Series (baseball), but since my flight to get here was so late, I missed it. =(


But that's okay, because LOOK at all the boxes that I found with them! I found a ton of them!

• I had a ball in Omaha July 1, 2008
• Zalophus californianus in the big O July 1, 2008
• love of the box July 1, 2008
• Exchange - S and D July 1, 2008
• trendwood park July 4, 2008
• outing #1 July 4, 2008
• "K" for kids July 4, 2008
• falling leaf July 4, 2008
• Which way do I go July 5, 2008

Love,

Morning Glory

PS - I just wanted to let you know that I am already in Washington State with my new hosts PBandJ.... They've already taken me out letterboxing and i just got here! I'm going to send you pictures from Nebraska soon.... I'll let you know more about my Washington trip soon!

What a flight!

Dear Troop 1509,

HI.... I just flew to Nebraska all the way from Illinois and boy are my arms tired! lol...... Just kidding. Do you get it? I just FLEW IN?!? I flew! On an airplane! lol

So, I left Jacks on Tuesday and it was a LONG and BUMPY flight, let me tell you! All that turbulence ripped up my nifty little travel compartment a little bit. But, S and D said that they can fix it no problem! If they can't they promised me a new one. Maybe this one will have its own bathroom!

Anyhow, it was a really long flight and I am very tired. S and D said that I can have break today and then tomorrow they are going to take me letterboxing! I'm even going to get to plant some boxes with them! Boy, I sure am getting to do a lot of really great things while I am gone!

I will write more soon!

Love,
Morning Glory

Packing up again...

Dear Troop 1509,

Well, I've had another great trip! Jacks was a lot of fun to be with! We did some really neat stuff. Did you like those pictures I emailed you?

I woke up really early this morning and packed all my stuff into my little blue back pack and away we went. Jacks drove me to the airport and I boarded USPS Flight # 100 bound for Boys Town, NE !!! I even got FIRST CLASS tickets!

They tell me the flight might take a few days but if I'm good, I might get to watch Madagascar on the way! Do you know who my favorite character is in that movie?!?! You guessed it! The giraffe! How did you know???

Anyhow.... I'll be landing in a day or two. Jacks told me that I will be staying with a really nice family who calls themselves "S and D" when they go letterboxing.... They sound really cool and I can't wait to meet them! I'll write again once I get there.

Love,
Morning Glory

Letterboxing with Jacks

Dear Troop 1509,

I thought that you might like to see a few pictures from when I went letterboxing with Jacks. She lives in Illinois, but we actually found these boxes in Wisconsin when we went to her sons baseball game. Remember I told you about that?

So, I had SO MUCH FUN that I wanted to show you some pictures! Thank you Jacks for helping me send them home!

I can't wait to see where I go next...

This picture was taken at the "Is Your Mama a Llama? Freddy" letterbox

in Waukesha, WI

This picture was taken at the "Is Your Mama a Llama? Freddy" letterbox
in Waukesha, WI

This picture was of a really neat postal letterbox I did with Jacks. A postal letterbox is a letterbox that is sent around from person to person in the mail, instead of having to go out on a hike or something to find it. This was SO COOL! For this postal you had to put a puzzle together and when you did, you got to put your stamp on the back of it! How neat is that???

I'm having a BLAST!

Love,

Morning Glory

On to stop # 2

Dear Troop 1509,

We were both traveling at the same time! While you were on your way to Jam Camp, I was flying to my next destination! I was on my way to visit Jacks in Illinois. Well, I arrived safely on the 13th, the same day you got to Jam Camp! Oh, I hope that you had fun there, I wanted to go with you so badly... I hope that you took lots of pictures while you were there so I can see them when I get home.

I spent the day on Saturday in Waukesha, WI with Jacks at her son's baseball tournament. She took me out to go letterboxing in between games. She took a few pictures of me and will email them to Ms. Becky so she can put them here on the blog. Guess what? Jacks wanted to take a picture of me with her sons baseball team but the game got RAINED OUT! So, we didn't get a picture of that... That was a bummer. Jacks said that she's going to try and take me out letterboxing again before I travel on to Boys Town, NE.

I'm still having SO MUCH FUN!
Love,

Morning Glory

Guess Where I Was...

Dear Troop 1509,

Well, I sure had a lot of fun with CathCainGwen! I was SO busy that I don't have enough time right now to tell you about everything that I did! I'll let you know more details soon though...

So, on May 30, I got to CathCainGwen's house and I did my very first exchange! An exchange is when you trade stamp images (pictures) with another letterboxer. She took a copy of my stamp and gave me a copy of hers! That was so cool!

On June 3rd, I had a really busy day full of letterboxing! I found 5 boxes!
~ Profile Rock in Little Falls, NY (by CathCainGwen)
~ Erie Canal Lock 17 in Little Falls, NY (by churchguysNprincesses)
~ Birthday Series (3 boxes) in Little Falls, NY (by CathCainGwen)

On June 7th, I found 2 more letterboxes...
~ Sherman's in Caroga Lake, NY (by Buggylou)
~ Eve in Richfield Springs, NY (by Karensport)

I also had another "exchange" that day. With another boxing buddy! Her name was Rosie and she is a hippo. She is a boxing buddy from Girl Scout troop 772. Guess what she told me!!! She said that she is going to come and visit YOU! She said that she is going to be coming to your Girl Scout troop sometime soon and that you will get to take her out letterboxing! Oh, she is so nice! You'll love her! I hope that she visits after I get home, but if not, please take good care of her and tell her I said hi!

Oh! Guess what else! CathCainGwen gave me a really neat little blue backpack to keep my stamp in when I travel around. It's really cute. I'll try to send you pictures soon...

Right now I am on my way to visit Jacks. Jacks is a Girl Scout leader! She has girls who are Cadettes! Whoa! :O) They live in Illinois. I can't wait to get there! I'll let you know when I arrive! I LOVE that so many friends I'm visiting are Girl Scouts!

I'm having fun, so don't worry about me too much! I miss you!
Love,
Morning Glory

I'm here!

Dear Troop 1509,

I'm here! I had a really good trip and I arrived safely to my first destination! I'm in Central NY. I'll write soon, I promise!

Love,

Morning Glory

Time to go...

Dear Troop 1509,

It's time for me to leave now, but I wanted to write and say Goodbye! I'm really going to be missing you while I am gone. Want to know a secret? I'm actually a little bit scared because I have never been away from home for so long. But, I feel a little bit braver when I remember that you really want to learn about all the places I go. The more I think about it, the more excited I get to see all these really cool places! Maybe it won't be so bad after all! :O)

Here's a picture of me right before I boarded my private flight for my very first stop.


My first host is a family that uses the letterboxing name of CathCainGwen. I should get there soon and every two weeks or so, I get to go stay with a new family! Every single one of them has promised they will help me write home about all the neat stuff we get to do together. I am really excited to meet new people and get letterboxes from all over the country. I hope that soon I will get one from all 50 states! Wouldn't that be so cool?!?!

I'll write again soon!

Love,

Morning Glory