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02 October 2014

Moving to Alaska: Day Four

We left off the last episode with our wandering hero and his fuzzy sidekick "sleeping" in a car (because, really, how do you sleep with a cat climbing all over creation?!?). And what happened? I apparently did not set the alarm. Of all days it could happen, this was probably the best since I had intended to spend a couple hours digging for diamonds. Alas, instead I had to spend about 45 minutes as well as do a hike to hide a letterbox. So my schedule for the day was really shot before it even got started.

Digging for diamonds is interesting; you pay your $8 for the day and can come and go as much as you want from 8-5. You can look, dig, dry sift or wet sift depending on your interest. Each "better" type takes more equipment and takes more time but is also more likely to produce results. I was lazy and just opted for the "look but also dig with my trowel since I have one" option. The cat supervised. The instructions are look for shiny things and then feel free to take them to the ranger on the way out and they will let you know what you have. They actually have about 1.5 diamonds found per day on average. Most are about the size of match heads. Alas, no luck for me so sorry Thao, no engagement ring for you since not finding a diamond is obviously a sign.  :)  Though in all honesty, I really would like to go back and spend a half a day, in the cooler weather, looking. So I have put Hot Springs and Crater of Diamonds on my "to return" list, meaning I guess I will be taking another trip to Arkansas one day.

Next I drove down through Texarkana Arkansas/Texas and over to Paris to do a little letterboxing. The temperature was about 98 degrees and no breeze. Yet while in Paris, it was almost black at about 430pm and it was VERY windy, but pretty. Based on the look of things, I was right at the edge of a storm. It was black to the left and clear to the right. The temperature dropped about 35 degrees in 15 minutes and it rained lightly but with the 70 mph wind, it stung (what? you thought I was not still outside letterboxing?!?). The weird thing is that the National Weather Service warning kept going off on the radio but then they would not say anything. It happened probably 6 different times. And of course about an hour later it was clear and lovely out, though much cooler still.

I also made a stop at the birthplace of Dwight Eisenhower in Denison, Texas. But as with most things, it was already closed when I got there so I just walked the outside then left.

Start: Murfreesboro, Arkansas
Stop: Denison, Texas
~250 Miles Driven
~4.8 Miles Walked
7 Letterboxes Found
4 Letterboxes Not Found
2 Letterboxes Planted

Pictures will be posted on Facebook in this album (and the link will be included in all future posts for this trip):

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