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to the Holiday Point Association Website! August 2006... BREAKING NEWS! Strange Goings On (Again) At Holiday Point!! On Thursday, August 10th, Kyle W. went out to play at the beach and discovered a strange flag had been run up the flagpole. It was an unusual flag in rather poor condition, but none the less easily identified as having a large HP on it and several words written in letters that he was not familiar with. Coincidentally, kids were also beginning to find small wooden disks (that they started calling doubloons) in the sand at the beach. The doubloons were also strange in that they had familiar letters on one side and on the other were strange characters that they had never seen before. Could the two events have been related? Could the flag and the doubloons have been a part of something bigger? And, if so . . . what???? Being seasoned hunters from last year's encounter with Jimmy Brady's legacy and the ensuing search for his hidden treasure, the Holiday Point kids quickly suspected that they might have stumbled onto some new and interesting adventure! And so it began . . . that was day one! |
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  All the kids gathered to try and decipher the strange writing on the broom handle, and sure enough they were successful! As they began to understand the relationship between the letters and the characters on the doubloons, they realized that the wooden disks provided the translation from the coded messages into English. After a lot of effort, the following message was decoded from the mysterious broom handle: HP – For Your Eyes Only All Others Beware! This staff will guide you in your quest To find my treasure do your best But first you must get all the clues To show the path that you must choose Now go to where the kids all meet To catch a ride or have a seat Hidden there within without Is your next clue I have no doubt - JA The kids wasted no time in figuring out that this was a clue that was telling them that they should go to the Holiday Point Community Bus Stop! Where else do kids all meet to catch a ride or have a seat? They weren't so sure about the first part . . . but maybe the bus stop would clear that up for them. So off they went in search of a clue at the bus stop. They looked high and low, inside and out, over and over again to no avail!! Where could it be? Did they misunderstand the clue? This had to be the place!!! Then it happened, Courtney looked behind the postings board inside the bus stop and spotted a small white bag! Excitement took over the group as someone reached in - verrrrry carefully - and pulled it out. It had cobwebs and dirt on it, but when they opened it up . . there it was!!! ANOTHER CLUE!     |
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Day 2 . . . It didn't take long for our intrepid adventurers to make the connection between the markings on the flag and the doubloons they were finding in the sand. No one was quite sure what it all meant, but they were able to figure out that the writing on the flag was... TEAMWORK HONESTY and LOYALTY What did it mean? There were no clues or instructions . . . just those words on the flag. Perhaps it was just a hoax or a joke someone was playing, or maybe it was a message predicting more adventures to come.... As if things weren't strange enough . . . Bernie Q. decided that she should begin cleaning out the storage shed at the beach, one of the jobs that she does every summer for the community. Little did she know that this was going to be a day in which unexpected events were about to take place. While removing old junk from the shed, one of her helpers stumbled onto an old worn out broom that was clearly of no use as a broom anymore. It looked like it had been stored in there for years and years. But, just as they were about to toss it into the trash, one of the kids noticed that there was something carved in the handle! Oh my goodness!! IT WAS WRITING - in the same strange characters that they had found on the flag the day before!!    The clue was a crumpled piece of paper that looked very old indeed . . . and in the same mysterious code and strange letters as the clues before. Was this clue going to explain what was going on, and why everything was in code??? Well ... back to the beach everyone went, to try and decipher the message - and decipher it they did. It said: If you want to find treasures hidden round here You must take the measures that we hold so dear To join Haglaz Wunjo you must find the one Who swears in new members and get the job done You must find the one who is called TFP But just knowing who is not all you need Go to him and say with the greatest of care “Nice day at HP sir, I like your white hair” If you say it just right and he likes what you say He will let you become a new member today But take heed my friend for a pledge you must take And honor the rest of your life, never break WOW!!!! A SECRET CLUB... and all of the HP kids were being given a chance to join!!! The excitement was taking over the crowd, kids and parents as well. But, who was the one called TFP? As it turns out, the kids had a pretty good idea as they had heard the term used before by the parents. TFP meant something like The Funny President and referred to the president of the HP Association. WAIT!!! THE HOLIDAY POINT (HP) ASSOCIATION???? - HAGLAS WUNJO (HP)- COULD THERE BE A CONNECTION???? So, they all went off to find Ed H., the president of HP and, as instructed, each kid carefully recited the phrase, "Nice day at HP sir, I like you white hair." No one knew how he would respond or react, especially when being reminded about how white his hair really is. He questioned a few kids who didn't get it quite right, but otherwise his response was both exciting and scary at the same time. He said, "Come to the beach tomorrow at high noon and you will be allowed to participate in the swearing in ceremony. But make sure you remember that this is a serious and solemn event. You will be making a commitment that you will have to keep the REST OF YOUR LIFE!" WHEW! ... and that was day 2! |
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Day 3 . . . Sure enough, at high noon on the next day the signing in ceremony for inductees to Haglaz Wunjo began. Ed H. in the position of TFP, presided over the ceremony which started with a stern warning that this was a solemn occasion and silence and dedicated attention to the oath taken by each inductee would be strictly enforced. Then the kids were lined up according to height, with the smallest and youngest kids going first. From high on the back of his pick-up truck, Ed invited each child one at a time to acknowledge that they knew and had uttered those now famous words in the secret phrase. They were then instructed to recite the pledge of Haglaz Wunjo: To all honorable members of Haglaz Wunjo, and to all honorable people of the world I pledge:
Next the TFP took the Sacred Scepter and while touching the beak of the golden eagle to their left shoulder, just above their hearts, they were sworn in as full fledged members of Haglaz Wunjo. Then each child was given a very special and unique gift - a green stone with one of the society's code letters imprinted in gold. Each child was told to keep and carry it for all their lives for it would bring them good luck and fond memories of this day. After each child was sworn in, the crowd all around broke into applause. Why there were even a few tears of joy from some of the parents in attendance. Sixteen children joined Haglaz Wunjo in that ceremony, the largest group to join at one time ever! And as if all of that wasn't enough . . . each of the first twelve children to join were given a small piece of parchment with more of the strange code letters with which our treasure hunters were now becoming all to familiar. . . . .        Once again, Courtney was virtually able to read the clue right off the paper without having to compare the code in which it was written to the translation list that they had created. The new clue posed a whole new problem . . . it said: Funicular is a funny name But something that can claim some fame On mountains high and valleys low It helps you get where you would go And one exists within HP And if you find it you will see A clue for you and you should dash Its near the highest place to splash None of our explorers had any idea what a funicular was! After pondering what might be the highest place to splash, and considering the slide at Kyle's grandparent's house, or Chicken Rock, or other places on the lake, they decided that they really needed to know what a funicular is in order to solve the clue. Maybe it was something that only HP members knew about ... some secret name for something familiar. But then Al B. said that it is a real word and they should go look it up. So, off they went to find a dictionary. Loren asked her mom to give her a dictionary, but it was a children's dictionary and didn't contain the word. As they were discussing where to find a better place to look, Kyle asked Mike and Judy B. if they knew what it meant. They told him that in Italy, funicular is the name they use for a ski lift. A SKI LIFT???? ON HOLIDAY POINT???????? WAS THIS A JOKE???????????????? Then it dawned on Kyle ... "Isn't there like a trolley or something like that up at that guy's house down the road? You know, the guy that lives up by the water tank?" THE WATER TANK???? as in the highest place to splash??? HOLY COW!!! THAT MUST BE IT!!! The excitement was getting so intense that the kids could hardly contain themselves. Off they went to pile back into Norm L.'s truck to drive up to Circle Drive to check out George K.'s tram, which just happens to be located right next to the community water tank which is the highest place where water can be found in the whole community. This had to be the place! And, wouldn't you know it ... there it was! A drawstring bag with camouflage coloring! Sitting right there in the gutter on the roof of the shed where the tram car is stored! It took Kyle less than 2 minutes to find it! And what was inside???? More puzzle pieces, two of them this time ... AND . . . . ANOTHER CLUE!!!!            |
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     Our intrepid explorers went right to work immediately after the ceremony on what they believed would be the next clue to something that was now looking pretty important. Why else would they be required to go through such a serious and frightening swearing in ceremony? They didn't even bother to think about the fact that they were way past their lunch time and were probably getting weak from hunger or thirst. All that they could focus on was deciphering the next clue and moving forward toward a goal that they could sense was not far away! They gathered all twelve pieces of parchment and wasted no time in discovering that they fit together into a larger single document, written in the HP code. Courtney Q. had already become so proficient at reading the code that she barely needed to refer to the doubloons or previous deciphered clues to understand what the newest one said: From the dirt road You climb up the stairs When you reach the bench Go right where stairs pairs At the top right again And follow the wall Beware of the gator He eats kids, clues and all! For the first time fear crept across the faces of the kids. What did it mean that the gator eats kids, clues and all? Are there alligators in Holiday Point? Could there possibly be a man eating alligator right in our midst??? Waiting to devour an innocent child turned treasure hunter?????? The older kids and the adults reassured the younger ones that everything would be OK. There can't be gators here, it's too cold! But then again, it's been a really hot summer! They changed the focus back to determining where the clue was telling them to go. Kyle said that there was only one dirt road in Holiday Point, the one that leads to Seb's house. And ... aren't there stairs there leading up to people's houses? Then he remembered that there is one staircase that splits near the top to go to two houses! That's where STAIRS PAIRS!! Off they went ... in search of the meaning of the clue. When they all got to the dirt road, they discovered that Kyle was right and sure enough there was a staircase that went up the hill and split at a platform where there was a bench! This must be it!! Up they went, turning right at the bench and climbing to the top. And, once again their suspicions were confirmed. Turning right at the top they were able to follow a wall around Al and Ro's house to the back. AND THERE IT WAS!!!! THE GATOR!!!!!! Fortunately, it wasn't a real gator, but it sure looked real enough ... They looked around and sure enough, right under the gators stomach (just like he had eaten it), there it was! A small object wrapped in an old wrinkled piece of aluminum foil! They slowly unwrapped it, unfolding it very carefully to be sure that nothing fell out or jumped out at them. Suddenly everyone gasped and then shrieked!!! It was the biggest aquamarine any of them had ever seen! AND, what looked like a piece of a puzzle, AND .... ANOTHER CLUE!!!!       No one was sure if they could take much more of this! It was getting late in the day, but our dedicated hunters were not about to give up now! Once again, around the table, they translated the latest piece of parchment and read the newest clue to each other: North northwest a thousand feet As the crow doth fly A circle sits down at your feet Where fires live and die That is where a clue is hid And waiting there for you You must find out The Way Around Or you will go askew Now the clues were getting hard! Which way was north northwest, and how far is a thousand feet, and where do we start measuring from, and what does it mean - a circle where fires live and die???? These were questions that our brave adventurers were going to have to ponder for a while. After deciding that the starting point must be where they found the clue, the initial reaction was to run back up to George K.'s tram and start walking north northwest. Kids started piling into the truck as the level of excitement was bordering on frenzy! Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and the older hunters realized that they should figure it all out before they went off trekking through the woods. The kids borrowed a map and a precision ruler from Steve D. and a compass was found on Loren's backpack (but they also borrowed one that looked to be more accurate from John S.). A lot of time was spent trying to pinpoint exactly where their starting point should be. Then using the scale on the map, along with the compass, they measured off a thousand feet - north northwest. Much to their surprise, a thousand feet is a LONG WAYS! Why it's nearly two tenths of a mile!!! They made their measurements and checked them several times to be sure that they were absolutely correct. All indications were that the clue pointed to lot 41 in Holiday Point. That would be Ernie K's property, on the far side of Turtle Cove. Now all that was needed was to understand what was meant about the circle where fires live and die. So, off they went for the third time that day, piling into Norm's truck and heading off to Ernie's property. After staircases, and gators, and funiculars, and water tanks, it was anyone's guess what awaited them now! Arriving at Ernie's house, they politely (in strict conformance to the HP pledge they took) knocked on the door to ask permission to search for hidden clues. Unfortunately, no one was there! So, they agreed to look anyway, being careful not to disturb Mr. K's nice yard. Down the hill and toward the waters of Turtle Cove, they spotted a stone fireplace and then THERE IT WAS - A CIRCULAR FIRE PIT IN THE GROUND!!! Just like the clue had said!!!! An exhaustive search was carried out in the area of the fire pit and the fireplace, but to no avail! It seemed that if there was a hidden clue, it must be so well hidden that even our crack team of treasure seekers could not uncover its secret location. Maybe it had something to do with the words "The Way Around" from the clue. No one was sure of the meaning of that phrase. Could it be that it meant that the clue was around the outside edge of the fire pit instead of in the pit itself??? Could it be that the first letters of each word, TWA were actually referring to the fact that Ernie was a TWA pilot and it was a hint to help them find the location?????? Could it be that it was BOTH???????? Oh that Jonathan Adams was a clever creator of complicated clues he was!!! Just as they were about to give up, Matt P. spotted something shiny in a crevice in the stone wall around the fire pit. He reached in carefully - there were cobwebs and spiders and who knows what else in there - and pulled out a little section of what looked like a brass tube with caps on each end!! The kids couldn't believe their good fortune!!! They had found ANOTHER CLUE!! They couldn't wait to get it open. Even though it was really tightly closed, they managed to unscrew one of the end caps and look inside. At first there was just a bit of crumpled paper. But then ... after they removed the paper plug ... out fell ... THREE DIAMONDS!!!!! AND . . . . NOT ONE, BUT TWO CLUES!!!!!!!!!! Could it ever get more exciting that this? It was back to the beach to figure out the next step in what was becoming a marathon adventure!!! This time they had to figure out two clues. Were they related to each other? Was the hunt going off into two directions???? The only way to know was to decipher the clues and so they did .... Clue Number One read: The Tiger who lost his last R And rides in a big silver car Is willing to pay Just one coin for each play So you can then purchase the STAR . . . and Clue Number Two read: The Star of the Orient hides In a top secret place it resides It will cost you coins ten Pay the man who’s a gem And you’ll get a new clue as your guide WOW!!! Clue Number One was easy to understand. It had something to do with Tige the Trooper!! He was going to pay them a coin for each play???? What does that mean????? Well ... Tige wasn't expected to be visiting Holiday Point before Tuesday morning, and this was only Saturday!!!!! WHAT WILL THEY DO????? And that was Day 3! |
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Day 4 . . . When we last left our intrepid adventurers, they were deciphering the clues found in the metal tube that was in Ernie K.'s fire pit. All of the kids figured out that Trooper Tige was going to make them do some kind of activity, and in return was apparently going to pay a coin to each kid who participated, or at least something like that. The second clue from the fire pit was a little more complicated. It talked about the Star Of The Orient, and that it would cost ten coins to purchase a clue that would hopefully lead our fearless finders to it .... but what was the Star Of The Orient???? When the kids started arriving at the beach on this morning, the same truck and the same table and chair that were present on day three during the swearing in ceremony were there again!!. As it turns out, several kids (and even two adults who had not had the chance to join HP before) were there to be sworn in. The only problem was that the TFP had left for a vacation in Greece the day before! So who would be there to swear in new inductees to Haglaz Wunjo. As it turns out, the next in line to perform that solemn and extremely important function is the TFVP, Ro D. With her own set of special icons and statues and her own special scepter which was a beautiful crystal flute, Ro called the two children and two adults who wanted to join HP to swear their loyalty and respect to Haglaz Wunjo and all that being a member of the secret club means. After the ceremony was completed, it was back to the important business at hand ... SEARCHING FOR TREASURES!!     Challenge number three was the Test of Dexterity and Speed The kids were once again divided up into teams, and each team was challenged to fill a two liter bottle with water. Initially, they were only allowed to use their hands to transport the water from the shoreline to the bottles which were being held high up on the beach. As the trial went on however, it was realized that it would take too long, so the kids were allowed to use small sand shovels to transport the water ... not much easier, but a little bit faster. The teams worked feverishly, with a level of endurance that would rival an episode of Survivor ... running back and forth from shore to awaiting bottle. Under the hot sun, far more water was spilled onto the sand that was transported into the bottles. But in the end ... one team came out ahead and filled their bottle to overflowing. The reward was two more coins to the winning team for their valiant and tireless effort. This brought the number of coins awarded to a total of six. An impressive number, but still not enough to buy the clue that would lead them to the Star Of The Orient. The fourth challenge was the Test of Cooperation and Balance. The two teams were provided with a limited number of cardboard mats which were the only things they could step on to cross the searing hot sand of the noonday beach. Each team had to place the mats in such a way so that they could move as a group, picking up the mats placed first and passing them along so that they could be once again placed at the front of the group forming a progressive bridge to get across the sand. Any child who stepped off their path of mats, would cause the entire team to have to start over. Fortunately no one had any accidents and therefore there were no burned feet or need for anyone to restart the contest from the beginning. The teams worked with clockwork precision, moving like a giant inchworm across the sand from cardboard mat to cardboard mat. Doubling up and sometimes even tripling up on a single mat in order to work their way toward their goal on the cool, green grass at the far side of the beach. In what could only be described as a photo finish, one team triumphed and was awarded two more of the valuable and elusive coins.    With ten coins in hand, our tenacious treasure trove troopers could move on to address the second part of the clue that seemed to have been found so long ago. It read: The Star of the Orient hides In a top secret place it resides It will cost you coins ten Pay the man who’s a gem And you’ll get a new clue as your guide No one knew for sure what the Star Of The Orient was. But the older kids quickly suspected that the man who's a gem was the only person in Holiday Point whose name was the same as a valuable gemstone, Mr. Diamond. They all made the assumption that as long as they could verify that he was the one they were looking for, then everything else would become very clear. As it turned out, Mr. Diamond just happened to be at the beach. When our persistent pursuers of treasure approached him, he admitted that he had received a strange letter in his mailbox - and not only that - but it was from Tasmania!!!! - and not only that - but printed right there on the envelope was a message that said, "NOT TO BE OPENED UNTIL YOU HAVE TEN COINS". WOW!!! It came all the way from TASMANIA????? Isn't Tasmania like half way around the world, south of Australia near Antarctica????? DOUBLE WOW!!!!! There was only one little problem. Mr. Diamond was keeping the letter in his car, just in case some interested party or persons would approach him with ten coins asking him to open it up. But, his wife had gone off in the car to run some errands, so everyone had to wait until she came back. Another delay!!!!! The kids waited patiently and enjoyed some snacks and cookies while they waited. But, sure enough, Mrs. Diamond returned in short order and the mysterious letter was retrieved and revealed to the eagerly awaiting adventurers. The tension was great as everyone got a chance to inspect the envelope. It had a strange seal on the back signed in a code that was similar to the one everyone was by now familiar with, but none the less different enough to not be readable. Then Mr. Diamond opened the envelope! And, he pulled out a piece of parchment written in code .... ANOTHER CLUE!!!!! AND ... ANOTHER PUZZLE PIECE!!!       Back at the beach, the kids started off by inspecting the box to see if there was an easy way to open it. They noticed that it had a keyhole on one side, a slot in the top just underneath the handle, and a round circle on the bottom kind of like a rivet or maybe a plug of some sort. That plug was way too small to squeeze anything out of, so our team of safe cracking kids began working on the lock itself. They tried to pick the lock. But, it just didn't want to give. They tried screwdrivers and sticks and everything they could think of the get the lock to open and permit them entry into what was becoming a very difficult and puzzling box indeed! But still to no avail .... So, the older boys decided that a brute force approach was the best course of action. They began prying at the box from a variety of locations, with very limited success. Then they realized that the bottom, where the plug was, was kind of separate from the rest of the box. They could slip screwdrivers into the box on all four sides of the plate at the bottom! So they began to work in earnest on that part. Prying and Prying with all of their might, it seemed like the box was impenetrable. Then POP! - THE BOTTOM POPPED OFF!!! AND THERE IT WAS!!! A SMALL WHITE BAG!!!! THEY OPENED IT ... AND INSIDE WAS .... THE BIGGEST DIAMOND ANYONE HAD EVER SEEN!!!!!!! It was beautiful! It sparkled in the light and had a rainbow colored chain that looked like it had been crocheted by hand! The Star Of The Orient was a truly incredible find and made the whole treasure hunt worthwhile. BUT WAIT ... there was MORE!!!!!!!! There was another puzzle piece!! AND ..... ANOTHER CLUE!!!!!! Could there possibly be more to be found???? Could there possibly be a more exciting event in the history of the world????? With barely a moment to bask in the luxury of the magnificent and priceless prize they had just found, it was time to get back to the work of deciphering clues and proceeding with the hunt for ... EVEN MORE TREASURES THAN THIS?????        |
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   Our persistent pack of pursuers of treasure got back to the hunt in earnest. The first step was to accumulate the 10 coins needed to purchase the information that would lead them to find the Star Of The Orient, even though they weren't quite sure what that actually was. It sure sounded important, or at least like something definitely worth hunting for. With the ceremony over, a message from Trooper Tige was read. It instructed the kids to join in on several test of strength, knowledge and endurance in order to win the coins that they so eagerly coveted. And so the games began . . . The first challenge was the Telephone Relay Race. In this game, the kids were divided into two teams. Each team was given a secret message that they had to pass from teammate to teammate after running a specified distance. The message can never be revealed, but so good were our contestants that both teams were able to pass it through four kids each without a single error! That was an incredible feat and never before accomplished in any previous Haglaz Wunjo competitions. As a result, both teams were awarded one coin each for their effort and success. The second challenge was the Test of Their Memory. A deck of 52 cards each with one of the HP code letters on it were laid out on a table Each contestant in turn had to turn over two cards to see if they could find a match of two identical HP code letters. With 26 different combinations, the game was very challenging indeed, especially at the start. Early on though, the kids realized that the best thing to do was to cooperate and help each other find matches. Turn after turn, they failed to get many matches until enough cards had been revealed and then rehidden to allow the excellent memories of our fast thinking treasure hunters to begin finding the right combinations. In the end Liam and Nicholas found the most and second most matches and each won coins for their efforts.     One last challenge remained, and the last chance to acquire all ten coins that were needed to move forward with the treasure hunt The pressure was on ... Could the kids manage to get all ten coins? Would they do so in time to find the Star Of the Orient before the end of the day??? The final challenge was the Test of Swimming Skill Four of the best swimmers among the group of brave bounty hunters were required to swim two laps between the shore and the swim platform carrying a roll of bathroom tissue. The goal was to make the entire round trip without getting the toilet paper wet. If you think that is a silly challenge, just try it yourself, or ask Liam, who with a single slip not only got his roll wet but lost almost all of it entirely to the dark and murky depths of Lake Candlewood. Three of the four swimmers did make it through the challenge with their rolls of TP in tact. And, the brother / sister team of Kyle and Loren both were able to complete the test with little more than a few drops of moisture contaminating their otherwise pristine rolls of paper. For their valiant efforts, each was rewarded with a coin, bringing the number of coins to the all important number of ten!!!      Once again the deciphering process was about to begin. This was the first time that a clue had to be deciphered since Courtney left to return to her home in Chicago, but Liam and Kyle proved to be more than capable of picking up the responsibility for understanding the strange letters in which all of the clues for this hunt were written. They worked quickly and efficiently, one decoding and the other writing down the message so that everyone could understand it. It read: The man who worked with Jimmy B. Who was part of the Lewis family Had a neat hideaway that exists to this day Where the star is hidden you'll see JEEPERS!!!! WHAT DID THAT MEAN?????? At first no one knew! But as they discussed it, some realized that Jimmy B. must have meant Jimmy Brady! He was the one whose bottle they all found, which was the beginning of the search for his legacy and the finding of his treasures right around this time last year!!! And not only that, but Jonathan Adams and Jimmy Brady were best friends and the ones who started Haglaz Wunjo so many years ago!!!! And not only that, but Mr. Lewis was the name that was on the map of HP that had been made all those years ago!! Didn't Jimmy B. work with Mr. Lewis when they were first creating Candlewood Lake, and the Holiday Point Community???? But what was the link to the current time? Who was it that they learned last year was the relative of Mr. Lewis from all those years ago???? It was Matt and Nick's mother and grandfather!!!!! YES!!!! THAT WAS IT!!!!! Was there a hideaway somewhere near Matt and Nick's house???? Once again it was OFF TO THE TRUCK! Everyone piled into the truck and off they went to Matt and Nick's house to look for Mr. Lewis' Hideaway!! When they got there, there were several small old buildings that Laura H. explained were the cabins and sheds that they built way back when they first bought the property in Mr. Lewis' day. And just off the driveway was a sign that said, "Norm's Hideaway"!!! That was Matt and Nick's grandfather's name!!! - and on the back of that sign was written the name, LEWIS!!!! This had to be the place!!!!! But where should they look???? Everyone looked all around outside. Behind things, under things, on porches, in crevices ... and then they found it - the little room - with a bed and chair and cupboards - THE PERFECT LITTLE HIDEAWAY!! The kids went inside and started looking around. It was just a small room, just big enough for one person to live or hide! Looking around the cupboards and shelves, everything seemed to be pretty much normal. Nothing that resembled a hidden treasure, or the Star Of The Orient was there ... until Loren opened the basket ... Inside was an odd looking small box with a little metal handle, almost like a miniature lunch box except it had a slot on the top and a keyhole in the side and lots of scratches and writing on it. But the most important marks of all were the coded letters for the words BEWARE and HP and JA!!! The kids streamed out of Norm's Hideaway with the box in hand. Was the Star Of The Orient inside????? They could see stuff in there, but couldn't make out what. The decision was made to go back to the beach to try and open it, but there was NO KEY!!      Once again it was back to the challenge of deciphering another clue. By now our master decoders were wasting no time. They spent little more than a few minutes studying the latest clue and only on the few words that weren't familiar to them did they even have to refer to the master decoding list that Courtney had made for them six days before. The latest clue read as follows: A yellow canoe holds a secret for you If only you could find a way To figure out where it is lying in wait In a building that’s shaped like an A Hmmmmm ... a yellow canoe in a building that's shaped like an A?????? A significant discussion broke out in an attempt to figure out what was meant by, "a building that's shaped like an A". Bernie Q reviewed it over and over again, trying to indicate that it must mean an A Frame building, of which only three exist in Holiday Point. One is Mike and Julie H.'s house, another is Tom B's house and the third is Bernie and Paul Q.'s boat house on Turtle Cove. Of course none of the kids actually knew about all of these houses. Then, Kelly and Julia remembered that the Paul and Bernie have a yellow canoe that they keep down by their dock. And, right next to their dock is their boat house that is SHAPED LIKE AN A!!!!!!! Don't know who it was, but someone shouted ... TO THE TRUCK!!!!!! And off we went ..... As our dedicated denizens of detective work rushed toward the boat house, they spotted a yellow canoe on the ground next to the building. Was this the canoe in question????? Bernie Q. said it was their only canoe and it is usually stored in the shed, but it is left outside in the summer in case someone wants to take it for a paddle. Perhaps, the clue was written a long time ago when the canoe was in storage! One can never be sure that everything will stay exactly as it was whenever these complex clues were created! So ... our adventurers started searching the area around and inside the yellow canoe. Amazingly enough ... THERE IT WAS!! A dirty, soggy, old bag filled with .... something???? The kids took it back to the beach to open it up and what they found was AMAZING!!!!!! MORE GEMS!!!! THIS TIME REALLY COOL COLORS!!!! AND TWO PUZZLE PIECES!!!!!! AND ANOTHER CLUE!!!!!!! Unfortunately, their enthusiasm was quickly dampened! Because of the long exposure to the weather and elements while the bag was in the canoe, the clue that was also contained within had gotten wet and the writing on it had long since been damaged by the moisture!! IT WAS ILLEGIBLE!!!! WAS THE HUNT GOING TO END HERE??? WAS THERE ANYTHING ANYONE COULD DO?? Al B. looked at it carefully and said that maybe he could use his CSI like computer tools to try and enhance what was left of the lettering to try and make at least some of it readable. Just maybe ... enough could be recovered to make the clue understandable and the hunt could go on. He agreed to take the clue home and work all night if necessary to try and reconstruct the badly damaged parchment. WOW! The tension was like a heavy weight. Could the kids take much more????? And that was ... Day 4 ..... |
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Day 5 . . . Al B. worked tirelessly through the night, scanning and enhancing, sharpening and manipulating contrast, trying his best to bring back the coded letters that made up the clue that were damaged by rain in the yellow canoe. But, after the misfortune of having the clue get damaged, luck was on our intrepid treasure hunter's side ... most of the message was recovered - blurry and washed out, but definitely readable. Only two or three words were so badly damaged that they could not be repaired. So, when our committed code breakers assembled the next sunny morning, they were pleased to discover that they would have a chance to try and figure out what the next clue was ...and that the hunt was destined to continue. Liam and Tyler quickly settled in to trying to figure out the clue. They worked on the repaired version, compared it with the original parchment, and used a bit of imagination to try and reconstruct the original message. They realized that every clue so far had been written as a rhyme and expected that this would be the same. So, each time they ran into a roadblock, they tried to figure out which common or sensible word would rhyme with the line above or below. And, extraordinary code breakers that they were, they figured out the entire text of the clue. It read: The nose knows who goes And where goes all those Who are HP and hope to be The finders of all treasure troves Well .... maybe they didn't figure it all out... because that was a pretty strange message!!! Did it even make sense???? The kids spent a bit of time checking out each other's noses, but quickly realized that they were all way too young to be the keepers of a clue in their noses ... and besides who was going to try getting a clue out of another kid's nose .... eeeewwwwww!!!!! Then several kids thought about the faces on the trees. At least two of the three had been there for a long time. No one was quite sure how long, but definitely a long time. And, there was a new one that just appeared THAT DAY!!. Could the clue be there???? But how would Jonathan Adams know that a new face was going to appear on that day???? It was too much of a coincidence ... so they decided to check out the other tree faces first. The face by the beach revealed nothing. So, they checked out the face in the traffic circle. That one was pretty high up and Ashley had to be boosted up to reach the nose to lift it off the tree and check it out. She took the nose in her hand ... turned it slooooowly ... and ... THERE IT WAS!!! JUST TWO LITTLE WORDS!!!!! NORTH BEACH The group broke out in a frenzy!!! Everyone realized that it must be talking about the Holiday Point North Beach located at the bottom of Beach Drive off of Spur Lane. Suddenly the call went out ....   When they got to the north beach, the kids fanned out to cover as much area as possible. This was going to be much harder than the previous clues. Before, the clues tended to be quite specific. If you could just understand the clue, it seemed to lead everyone right to where the clue was hidden. But this one just said NORTH BEACH IT COULD BE ANYWHERE!!!!! Our creative collection of clue collaborators ... searched in the grass ... they searched in the trees ... they searched under boats ... they searched on their knees ... they searched in the brush ... they searched high and low ... they searched everywhere ... with nothing to show ... It was looking pretty grim. So much territory to cover and so little attention span on which to draw. It had been a long day already with having to work so hard to decipher the damaged clue, and then the flat tire, and now searching what seemed like ... EVERYWHERE!!! ... not to mention that everyone was being eaten alive by SKEETERS!!!!!!!!!! Just then ... walking along holding Bernie's hand, Julia Q. spotted it! Down on the ground in a kind of concrete cylinder. Not a big one ... just a short concrete cylinder about eight or ten inches tall laying end up right there on the ground. And if you looked REALLY CLOSELY ... ... you could see a bit of black string right on the rim of the cylinder. Julia bent down and picked it up. IT WAS A CAMOUFLAGED DRAW STRING BAG!!!!!! THE KIDS SCREECHED AND RAN TO HER SIDE!!!!!! Not a moment was wasted. The bag was opened and the kids reached in without regard to the possible risk that a booby trap might be inside. Fortunately, there wasn't one. Instead they found ... ANOTHER CLUE!! THE BIGGEST CLUE THEY HAD EVER SEEN!!!! AND ANOTHER PUZZLE PIECE!!!!!!!       |
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     As the kids gathered to pile into the truck for one more clue hunting adventure ... TRAGEDY STRUCK!!!!! THE TRUCK HAD A FLAT TIRE!!!!!! Was this treasure hunt doomed to bad luck???? First there was the rain that delayed the hunt, and then there was the damaged clue, and now .... A FLAT TIRE!!!!!! Would the kids have to WALK ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTH BEACH???????? Fortunately for our dedicated (although perhaps occasionally lazy) adventurers, Paul Q. showed up with a portable air compressor. It took a while, but sure enough, the tire was pumped up and seemed to hold air, at least long enough to transport the kids to the North Beach and back.      Our capable decoders had their work cut out for them now!! The clue was a full sized piece of parchment completely filled with coded letters. Even though they had become VERY proficient at reading the complex text that was now the mark of every Haglaz Wunjo communication, this one was going to be a challenge. At least it was intact and completely legible. One group of kids worked hard at trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together in order to determine how many more pieces were needed before they could figure out what it was all about. Liam led the other team at working on decoding the enormous clue they had found. Several kids transcribed the letters as Liam and others worked to try and make sense from the codes. It took a long time ... seemed to some like forever ... but in the end ... They got it!!! - - - the clue read: So you think you’re a treasure hunter sublime And you think you can find stuff in almost no time Well here is a challenge that you must fulfill If you have the strength and the brains and the will The Tear of the Viking awaits you somewhere But you’ll have find lots more stuff to get there The items that are on the list that’s below Must be brought to me, or you’ll never know Where the tear is and what is the clue Find all the items and I will tell you But then who am I, or who would I be Let’s say I’ll find you come the time you need me A folding wooden carpenter’s ruler A star wars action figure A Cats Eye marble A nine volt battery A clothes pin A protractor A popsicle stick A piece of yellow chalk A jack (as in ball and jacks) A ping pong ball A top hat from a monopoly game A periwinkle crayola crayon WOW!!!!! The kids just stared in disbelief. The clue indicated that they had to go on a scavenger hunt to find twelve obscure items in order to win the Tear Of The Viking! It was like a direct challenge ... FIND THESE OR ELSE!!!!! What was the Tear Of The Viking??? And who was the clue talking about??? It was like ... don't find me I'll find you?!?!?! BUT WHO??? AND HOW??? AND WHERE????? AND WHEN???????? It was agreed that the list of items would be divvied up and the kids would once again meet at the beach the next day to see if they had found everything. The rest would just have to be left to fate ..... And that was Day 5 ... |
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Day 6 . . . The kids all gathered at the beach bright and early the next morning ... not really sure what to expect ... but well equipped with the items they tried to gather for the scavenger hunt that promised to bring them THE TEAR OF THE VIKING! What they didn't know was that the Tear Of The Viking is one of the most valuable gems ever possessed by Haglaz Wunjo!! So valuable in fact, that the ... ... would not allow anyone else to deliver it should anyone actually meet the demands of the challenge to win it. Only she was authorized to carry it and turn it over to any group of triumphant, tenacious treasure hunters But who was this person who arrived by chauffer driven car wearing a red hat and a purple cape and sun glasses so dark that no one could possibly look her in the eyes???? Well no one really knows for sure! She is secretive and rarely seen in public except when in disguised as an ordinary citizen. But, an ordinary citizen is definitely not what she is!!!! The Keeper Of The Gems is a one of HP's oldest members and holds the exalted position within the club of acquiring and protecting Haglaz Wunjo's treasure trove of rare gems and stones. Most of the time ... in the old times ... when Jimmy Brady and Jonathan Adams were still very active in HP, the Keeper Of The Gems would give selected stones to members of the club to include in their secret hidden treasures and clues. For this particular hunt however, she refused to allow Jonathan Adams to hold or hide the Tear Of The Viking!!! And so, it was agreed a long time ago ... that if any Haglaz Wunjo members were ever to find the special clue that required them to locate twelve rare items designated by her personally, then she would know ... (NO ONE KNOWS OR IS ALLOWED TO KNOW HOW!!!) ... and she would deliver the Tear Of The Viking but only after personally inspecting every item to ensure that her demands were met. When our avid adventurers first arrived at the beach, they discovered the SHOCKING FACT that they were still missing two of the all important items that were needed to complete the list, a 9 volt battery and a protractor!!! What could they possibly do???? Everyone asked around and finally Al B. remembered that he had a protractor and was pretty sure that there were some batteries at his house. So, off he went in a big rush to try and obtain the desperately needed items before the Keeper Of The Gems arrived. If she arrived and the kids did not have everything on the list, she would leave with the Tear Of The Viking ... NEVER TO RETURN! Just as the Keeper Of The Gems' car was pulling up, Al B. returned to the beach. Liam rushed over to his car, quickly grabbed the coveted items, and ran as fast as he could back to the crowd of awaiting kids before it was discovered that there might be something missing!! The Keeper Of The Gems inspected each and every item carefully. She was NOT going to let the Tear Of The Viking go to any charlatans or cheaters!!! Then she questioned the protractor!! "This is not like any protractor I've ever seen!!!" Al B. had to explain that it is a special protractor used for marking and measuring celestial coordinates in astronomy. The Keeper Of The Gems seemed to be satisfied with that, and congratulated our awestruck adventures on their success. Then .... very carefully ... she pulled out from inside of her shirt ... THE BIGGEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL CRYSTAL CLEAR GEMSTONE ANYONE HAD EVER SEEN!!!!!!! Mouths fell open!!! Jaws dropped!!!! A hush fell over the crowd!!!!! Someone swooned!!!!!!!!! The kids were mysteriously attracted to it and wanted to touch the beautiful stone on its rainbow colored chain. But who should the stone be given to for safe keeping until the treasure hunt was completed??? COMPLETED!!!! Was there still more treasure hunt to come!!!!!! Was this the most terrifying and yet exciting day in the history of the world or what????? After a bit of careful thought, the Keeper Of The Gems decided that Norm L. was the most most deserving of her trust and she placed the Tear Of The Viking around his neck! And if that wasn't enough for one day ... As the Keeper Of The Gems was preparing to return to her car to leave, she pulled out a small velvet bag. She opened it, also with great care ... ... and from inside ... ... pulled out ... ANOTHER CLUE!!!!!! The kids just couldn't believe their good fortune! There really were more clues to be solved!!! More treasures to be found!!! Perhaps even more valuable than the Tear Of The Viking!      But something was odd about it ... The sand was sparkling!!!!!! It was laced with tiny gems!!!!! LOTS AND LOTS OF THEM!!!! So many in fact that they couldn't even count them!!! They were BEAUTIFUL ... all different colors and shapes ... and the more they sifted the sand ... THE MORE THEY FOUND!!!!! So they gathered around a table and spread the sand out to pick out the gems from the countless grains of sand that poured from the jar. But that wasn't all that was there! There were some more PUZZLE PIECES!!!! Enough to almost complete the puzzle that had yet to reveal its purpose or value ... Only one more puzzle piece was required to complete the enigma that would most likely reveal the purpose behind all of their tireless efforts over the past six days!!!! AND NOT ONLY THAT ... BUT THERE WAS ALSO ... ANOTHER CLUE!!!!!!!        Stated otherwise ... this treasure hunting stuff is work! This was getting to be the longest day in history!! Even the parents were starting to show signs of fatigue. Was it the heat of the searing afternoon sun at the beach?? Or was it from trying to keep the kids from succumbing to ... Tropical Treasure Hunters Syndrome!!!! TTHS is a dreaded disease where the obsession with finding a treasure, (especially when one is so close they can taste it) overcomes an otherwise tried and true treasure trove enthusiast and turns them into a bungling belligerent booty beggar!!! And that would have been a real tragedy, because people overcome with TTHS lose their sense of fair play and sportsman like conduct ... traits that must be respected and adhered to at all times or risk potential expulsion from Haglaz Wunjo for ... ALL TIME!!!! But have no fear ... our dedicated adventurers were not about to let a little bit of work prevent them from discovering ... ... the incredible treasures that must lie ahead! If the Star Of The Orient, and the Tear Of The Viking and all of those other gemstones and coins were just intermediate prizes ... WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE WAITING AT THE END OF THE HUNT?? The only way to know was to press forward ... and press forward they did. Working through the latest clue that was found in the horseshoe pit proved to be an easy translation, but definitely a difficult interpretation. It read: If you are too weary To go on much more Go sit on the bench That sits by the door On the bench that is green At the nice yellow house Where initials are shared By the man and his spouse Was it A and a B Or a B and an A You’ll just have to guess If you don’t know the way HUH????????? WOW!!! Could Jonathan Adams and his friends have been so clever that they knew enough to put a clue about being too weary to go on, just at this point in the hunt, when everyone was getting too weary to go on??????? It was like someone was magically watching the hunt take place from an unknown location somewhere back in time ... so long ago!!!! The part about the yellow house and the green bench were simple enough to understand ... But A AND A A OR A B AND AN A??????? What on earth did that mean???? It had something to do with the initials of a man and his spouse, that was clear enough ... and our ever clever decipherers of clues understood that "where initials are shared" must have meant that they had the same initials ....but what about all those weird letters ... and without the benefit of upper and lower cases to help separate letters from words!!!!! This was getting to be WAY TOO COMPLICATED!!! After what seemed to be and endless discussion to try and understand, the kids figured out (much to their credit) that the initials had to be AB, or BA! Who in Holiday Point lived in a yellow house with the initials AB, or BA???? They thought about every yellow house in Holiday Point ... and it turns out there are quite a few of them. But only one .... was lived in by someone with those initials ... BILL A. and BETH A. A YELLOW HOUSE and INTIALS SHARED WITH A SPOUSE!!!! THAT HAD TO BE IT!!!!!!! Suddenly the cry went out .... OFF TO THE TRUCK!!!!! Our mobile mob of treasure seekers arrived at Bill and Beth's house and searched around, settling to rest for a moment on the green bench sitting on their front porch WAIT A MINUTE!!!!! LOOK EVERYONE!!!!! WE'RE SITTING ON A GREEN BENCH!!!!!! Everyone JUMPED UP and TURNED AROUND AND UNDER THE COVER WAS .... ANOTHER CLUE!!!!!!!    |
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         Not more than ten minutes later they had the solution all worked out. It read: There is a place not fit for you Not fit for kids or parents too Not fit for houses or boats or cars Just for dragon flies and skeeters and jars Follow the fat gray line as it goes For it is the one thing that possibly shows Where you must look if you want to find One more good clue to puzzle your mind Some felt that maybe this treasure hunt was getting DANGEROUS!!!! Where could there be a place not fit for people, houses, boats or cars ... ... but just for dragonflies, skeeters and jars???? And what did JARS have to do with it???? After much deliberation and discussion, one clear conclusion was reached. Dragonflies and skeeters are almost exclusively found in SWAMPS!!! Did that mean that the next clue was to be found in A SWAMP???? Some of the kids remembered that early in the hunt, when they were looking for where stairs pairs that there was a swampy area along the side of the road the led up to Seb's house. So once again it was ... OFF TO THE TRUCK!!!! And ... the search began for whatever was meant by The Fat Gray Line ... Expert observers that they were though, as soon as they saw it ... THEY KNEW!! Stretching into the Great Swamp was a big gray water pipe, just like a Fat Gray Line surfacing just off to the side of the road and running into the swamp as far as the eye could see! This had to be the place! Off went the kids, oblivious to the scary creatures that inhabit the Great Swamp. Dragonflies and skeeters were just the beginning ... ... but our brave hunters of treasures and clues were not to be deterred ... ... and in short order ... their efforts were rewarded!!!! Liam found it ... A JAR!!!!!! So that's what the clue meant!!    but not our tireless team of treasure troopers ... They jumped right into the deciphering process. With machine like precision Liam translated and Kelly and others documented the instructions that were contained within this latest of secret messages hidden by Jonathan Adams. In short order, they had it all worked out. It read: I’m hid in the sand But not where you think Not by the beach But where things go clink Pick one of two And then start to dig Good luck as you search I’m not very big Hidden in the sand, but not where you think???? Where else could there be sand except at the beach???? This created quite a discussion with consideration of all of the other possible areas where sand might exist. Some even suspected that it really was the beach, just in an unusual spot, like maybe in the water!!!! But then .... it dawned on someone ... the CLINK part was important!! Where do things go CLINK that has sand????? CLINK??? CLINK??? SAND???? DON'T HORSESHOES GO CLINK????????? THEY DOOOOO!!!!!!! Everyone grabbed a plastic shovel and ran for the horseshoe pits. You'd think they were digging for GOLD .... Well ... maybe they were!! You never know! Even though they were beginning to look more like an open pit mine than horseshoe pits, our dedicated diggers were getting discouraged with their lack of demonstrable results. Maybe this wasn't the place, or maybe they just weren't being systematic. Each kid would dig in a spot and dump their sand on another spot and then forget to dig where they had just dumped the sand! It took quite a while for them to catch on to the concept of planning how to dig and being thorough and covering every part of each horseshoe pit. Then Liam spotted it!! The clue was correct. It wasn't very big. It was a small plastic cylinder with a red cap on the end! AND WOWIE ZOWIE!!!!!! It too was filled with the same ... GEMSTONE LACED SAND ... they had found in the Jar in the Great Swamp!! There were lots and lots of sparkling gems shining out through the clear plastic sides of the tube!! Why ... there were so many of these tiny but beautiful gems of all different colors and shapes that one kid exclaimed, "there should be enough there to buy a pony!!!!!" Mysteriously enough though ... with only one more piece needed to complete the puzzle that was now known to have a map on one side and lots of instructions, or clues, or something on the other ... THERE WAS NO NEW PUZZLE PIECE hidden within the small container!!!! JUST SAND, WITH LOTS OF RARE AND POTENTIALLY PRICELESS GEMS AND ONCE AGAIN YET ... ANOTHER CLUE!!!!!!!!!          UNBELIEVABLE !!!!! Another clue, but this time .... Not only was there ... NO PUZZLE PIECE! But there was ... NO PRIZE EITHER!!!!!! The kids rushed back to the beach to once again begin the hard work of deciphering YET ... ANOTHER CLUE!!!!!!!!! Would this one lead to the final puzzle piece??? Or, was Jonathan Adams just playing with them!!!! With dedication that would rival an Olympic athlete, they worked and uncovered ... A CLUE EVEN MORE STRANGE THAN ANY THEY HAD YET FOUND!!! It read: You can visit a ship on the sea Without having to leave dear HP Where the memory of days In the Navy now stays Only those who are welcomed will be In the cabin where a captain lives There’s a silver container there is With an evil eye blue It is waiting for you With a new clue and prizes it gives But you’ll have to ask he who’s the guard To let you pass through his back yard And into the place Where the ship sits and waits You might find it really quite hard How could our weary wanderers find a ship on the sea in Holiday Point???? AND WHAT'S THIS ABOUT AN EVIL EYE??????? There was a stunned silence in the group as they pondered what an EVIL EYE could do to them, or what kind of bad luck it could bring to them ... It was agreed that everyone might just have to sleep on that one .... IF THEY COULD SLEEP .... THINKING ABOUT THE EVIL EYE!!!! And incredibly ... that was Day 6 ... |
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Day 7 . . . As the kids gathered to start another day of searching for treasures beyond belief, their attention turned to the clue found at the end of the day before. You can visit a ship on the sea Without having to leave dear HP Where the memory of days In the Navy now stays Only those who are welcomed will be That was the first part of the clue, but how could there possibly be a ship on the sea that one could visit without leaving Holiday Point???? It just didn't seem to make any sense at all!! And "Where the memory of days in the Navy now stays..." Hmmmmm... Then Julia and Kelly said that their Grandad was in the navy a long time ago! Could it be that he might know something about this clue???? Then the second part of the clue gave them a BIG hint ... In the cabin where a captain lives ... Something about the cabin where a captain lives ... but what was it??? Our clever conquerors of clues were definitely NOT coming up with any ... clever clue considerations today!!! Maybe it was just the fact that it was morning ... and it was after a particularly long day the day before ... Kelly's mom pointed out that Grandad had a special room in his house and .... "What was it called?????? Kelly replied, "It's the Captain's Cabin", rather nonchalantly. So her mom pressed on ... "And what does it look like inside the CAPTAIN'S CABIN???????" Both girls joined in by saying that there was wood everywhere and a red rug and there was lots of stuff on the walls, you know ... ships and navy stuff and sailors and stuff like that, you know ..... Kinda like on a ship ... LIKE ON A SHIP???????? ... the other kids chimed in ... TO THE TRUCK!!!!!!!! They all shouted in unison ... and everyone piled in, even some of the parents! It seemed that everyone wanted to know if Kelly and Julia's Grandad had a room that was like the inside of a ship in his house!!! When they all arrived at Bill M.'s house, our careful, yet courageous collectors of collectables waited until Bill M. himself came outside, and keeping with the instructions indicated by the clue ... They asked for permission to go and visit the CAPTAIN'S CABIN. Old Bill eyed the kids suspiciously ... wondering why they would be so interested in his naval nook, but after a moment's deliberation, agreed that everyone could come in and have a look around. He wasn't sure what they were talking about when they asked about the silver container and the feared EVIL EYE! Even he seemed a little bit scared, like maybe something had been placed in his secret hideaway without his permission ... and the thought that it had something to do with an EVIL EYE gave even an old crusty navy man like him a moment's pause! As everyone crowded into the rooms that made up the Captain's Cabin, they were at once awe struck and amazed!!!!! There it was ... a wooden room just like the inside of an old sailing ship!!! And not only that, but it was filled with memorabilia of sea faring adventures and ocean going odysseys!!! Harpoons and lanterns Ships bells and ships Sculptures and traps And stuff from old trips How would our ever vigilant vagabonds of adventure find a silver container amongst all of this STUFF?????? But .... perseverance paid off and after a while, Julia jumped up and shouted, "I FOUND IT!!!! Shrieks and screams welled up from the crowd ... so loud and high pitched that the glass in the portholes nearly cracked!!!! Everyone gathered around as the small round metal container with a tiny blue, black and white EVIL EYE on the top was carefully opened. There was a GASP!!!! Inside was a HUGE EVIL EYE made of blue glass with a white iris and black center!!!! It was an AUTHENTIC EVIL EYE ... ALL THE WAY FROM TURKEY!!!! AND MORE IMPORTANTLY ... WITH IT WAS ... THE LAST PUZZLE PIECE!!!!!! .... AND .... A N O T H E R C L U E !!!!! It just COULD NOT GET MORE EXCITING THAN THIS!!!!!!         Now ... we've been saying all along that these kids are some of the best treasure hunters in the history of the world ... BUT ... no one would have expected even the best treasure hunters to have the keen insight that was possessed by our intreped adventurers. Before anyone even thought about diving into the water and swimming out to the platform to search for more clues ... or better yet ... HIDDEN TREASURE!!!!! They realized that the existing swim platform was brand new this year! How could Jonathan Adams have hidden something there when it wasn't there!!!! AND NOT ONLY THAT!!! They realized right away that the OLD SWIM PLATFORM was now located on Turtle Cove and was now Mr. Q's DOCK!!! Suddenly ... once again .... the cry went out ... TO THE TRUCK!!!!! Once again ... off everyone went. But this time, it was kids and parents and almost everyone that was on the beach at the time! No one wanted to miss the possible discovery of ... JONATHAN ADAM'S TREASURE!!!! The excitement grew as the kids fanned out and covered the dock. There had to be something here! They were SURE OF IT!!!! They looked up and down They looked all around They looked by the boat They looked under the float They looked hither and yon Where no one had gone But to little avail Some were starting to wail... Until ... Julia and Ashley saw something ... In the murky water ... Just off the end of the dock ... Held up and away from the bottom ... By some strong twine tied round the dock ... Ever so slowly they reached down ... Ever so carefully they pulled it up ... ... and up .... and up ... and up .... AND THERE IT WAS!!!!!! A LARGE AND VERY VERY OLD GLASS JAR FULL OF SAND???????? Total chaos broke out. The kids were so excited that the parents had to take possession of the prize until our delighted discoverers calmed down and went back to the beach where it was to be opened. Once everyone had regained their composure, they all headed back to the truck for the ride to the beach and the chance to discover the contents of the OLD GLASS JAR FROM THE DEPTHS OF TURTLE COVE!!!! The excitement could not be contained. Everyone was cheering and celebrating their great fortune!! THEY HAD WORKD FOR SEVEN LONG DAYS AND FINALLY FOUND JONATHAN ADAMS' HIDDEN TREASURE!!!!!         |
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          Now that they were totally energized ... or was that hyper stimulated ... Our crack team of deciphering dudes went to work on what they truly believed was the last clue of the treasure hunt! By now, deciphering Haglaz Wunjo's code was no more difficult than reading the Wall Street Journal. After carefully taking the time to document their translation, it was read aloud ... You now have a reason To start to sense greed For you have all twelve Of the pieces you need Assemble the puzzle Find where to go toward And the greatest of treasures Will be your reward The instructions were clear GET TO WORK ON THE PUZZLE!!!!! And get to work they did!!! It was an AMAZING PUZZLE!!! One side was a MAP ... that everyone agreed was of the area around Holiday Point Beach And The other side had what looked like INSTRUCTIONS ON IT!!!! The team quickly deciphered the long message ... It read: The staff you found back on day one Is needed once again To help you reach the goal you seek But you must iron out when Set the staff so it stands true And casts a shadow out Then use the site to line it up Three times to remove doubt X marks the places you must use To make shadows converge Triangulation is what one says When ere they get this urge The time of day's of great import And that you'll have to find Cause it's right there before your eyes As long as you're not blind STAFF???? WHAT STAFF???? Doesn't that have something to do with music???? Well ... it definitely appears that Jonathan Adams was not about to give away his treasure without making everyone work for it! All of our normally decisive detectives would be all over a clue and have it figured out in no time. But this one was different. They finally sought help from Ernie K. and Trooper Tige who came by to check things out. It quickly became apparant that the STAFF was actually the old broomstick with the coded writing on it that was found on day two of the hunt. Ernie K. however, tried to help them understand the concept of using a long stick as a measurement of time and direction. When a stick is held perfectly straight upright at exactly noon, it's shadow will point due north. In the morning when the sun is in the eastern sky the shadow will point to varying degrees to the west. And not only that ... But ... it tracks very reliably according to the time of day! The opposite is true in the afternoon, when the sun is in the western sky, the stick's shadow will point farther and farther east until the sun sets. With this rather complicated lesson in hand, the instructions on the map started to become a little bit easier to understand. If the kids could figure out where to place the broomstick and at what time of day, the instruction implied that they would be able to use it's shadow to point out whatever it was that they were looking for ... MAYBE THE LOCATION OF A HIDDEN TREASURE!!!! Then ... some of the kids realized that there were three X's on the map side of the puzzle!!! AND NOT ONLY THAT!!!! There were three numbers that after a lot of thought they realized were times of the day!!!! THE MAP WAS PROVIDING THEM WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION THEY NEEDED TO FIND WHAT MUST BE THE GREATEST TREASURE OF ALL TIME!!!!!!! With some help they figured out which times and locations were necessary and they also realized that the hole in the handle of the STAFF was the SITE that the clue mentioned!!! If they set the STAFF just right and aligned the hole with the STAFF's SHADOW the might just be able to see ... WHERE THE TREASURE WAS HIDDEN! The lined it up ... and at each location ... when they looked through the SITE ... they saw ...... THE SWIM PLATFORM!!!!!!!!        As everyone looked on in awe ... Julia Q. carefully unscrewed the tarnished and worn cap on the jar. Yes ... it was full of sand ... but once again it wasn't just ordinary sand ONCE AGAIN IT WAS SAND LACED WITH TINY GEMSTONES ... MORE THAN THEY COULD COUNT!!! BUT ..... AS THEY POURED IT OUT ... THERE WAS MORE!!!!!!! There were COINS ... RARE AND VALUABLE COINS!!! AND NOT ONLY THAT ... There were MORE GEMSTONES!!! ... bigger gemstones in different colors and sizes!!! GARNETS and RUBIES and SAPPHIRES!!!! AND NOT ONLY THAT ... There were CUT GLASS AMULETS in RED AND BLUE!!!! AND NOT ONLY THAT ... There was what appeared to be a GEODE!!!!! One of the luckiest objects that a treasure hunter could ever find! Old Bill got a strong hammer and tried to break it open to see if it was real ... But he was disappointed ... and found out that in actuality, IT WASN'T REAL!!! Perhaps Jonathan Adams didn't know that! It looked real from the outside!!! One never knows what one will find when they go looking for treasure!!!! AND THEN - - - IF ALL OF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH! Out from the OLD GLASS JAR fell ... THE MOST INCREDIBLE FIND OF ALL!!!!! GOLD!!! REAL GOLD!!!!!! It was a small bottle, small enought to fit through the opening in the OLD GLASS JAR ... BUT THERE WAS NO DOUBT It was the real thing!!!! JONATHAN ADAMS' TREASURE INCLUDED ... REAL GOLD!!!!!! But lest we forget our pledge to Haglaz Wunjo and to each other ... Never forget the words of Jonathan Adams' best friend ... JIMMY BRADY ........ Congratulations! You have reached the end of the Treasure Hunt ... ... and I hope that this Treasure Hunt has brought you riches far more important than gold:
your membership in and pledge to Haglaz Wunjo - for the rest of your life! and that's the way it was... just another warm and sunny week in August ..... on Holiday Point! And at long last we have come to the end of The Mystery of Jonathan Adams and the Secret Club of Haglaz Wunjo ... ............. OR HAVE WE ......... |
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