The Sprite's Friends

Medina Water Sprite (record your find)

Placed on 8/30/04 in Medina, NY (Orleans County)

The Village of Medina is one of the beautiful canal towns of upstate New York and the adopted home of the Sprite & the Highlander. With its little main street and its beautiful old homes right in the middle of the surrounding farmland, it's the perfect place for us both! Lately, a massive effort has been made to renovate the canal in order to keep up with the new towpath bike trail park along the length of the canal. That's where you'll find this little sprite hiding!

From the NYS Thruway, take the Medina/Pembroke exit #48A. Head north on Route 63 through Indian Creek, Alabama, the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge and Shelby all the way through Medina's town center. The road wraps and winds, so make sure you stay on Main Street/Route 63! Pass the first bridge and head around the corner to the second bridge, which is a lift bridge. Cross over the canal and turn left to park next to the pilot house.Head west a good 160 paces up the bike path. Across the canal will be a street and some housing. Look for a two story house with a cement chimney. Put this chimney directly at your back (south), which should put a tall tree that hangs a bit over the path at your front (north). Our little sprite is hiding under a rock at the edge of the foliage, where no one will see her.

Culvert Earth Sprite (record your find)

Placed on 8/31/04 near Medina, NY (Orleans County)
The second in our sprite series of letterboxes. Like her sister the water sprite, this little one is near the canal, but since she's quite near a tunnel, we knew she must be an earth sprite! ;-)

From the NYS Thruway, take the Medina/Pembroke exit #48A. Head north on Route 63 through Indian Creek, Alabama, the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge and Shelby into Medina's town center. The road wraps and winds, so make sure you stay on Main Street/Route 63! Make a right onto Center Street (Route 31, NOT 31A) and head east out of Medina for a few miles. Culvert Road is a left turn off this road. Drive a few tenths of a mile and the tunnel will come into view.

To find the sprite: Head toward the tunnel, but do NOT go through. Take the gravel path on the left just before the tunnel and follow that up to park by the canal. Head east on the path, going past 3 telephone poles on your right. Take note of the 2 digit number on the post just over the road below. Subtract 50 from that number and take that many steps past the 3rd telephone pole. Turn and face the canal, then walk to the water's edge. Our little sprite is hiding under a flat rock at the edge of the water, where no one will see her.

Lockport Air Sprite (record your find)

Placed on 9/1/04 in Lockport, NY (Niagara County)
The third of our sprite series (which really ought to be a canal series by now)! This box was stolen and will not be replaced.

Woodland Flower Sprite (record your find)

Placed on 9/19/04 near Oakfield, NY (Genesee County)
Head out toward Oakfield, New York out to the Oak Orchard State Wildlife Management Area using Albion Road. You'll see a large wood and metal open air observation tower on your left (if you're heading north) or right (if you're heading south). Stop and park in the gravel circle.

In the middle of this circle is a vine covered group of trees. Circle around them until you can see the low stone wall within this little green shelter. Hiding under rocks at the southern end of the wall is our little sprite. Um...she's not REALLY next to any woods, but the Highlander swears there's flowers there in the spring, so he's the one to complain to if you don't get the full effect! (Aw, who'm I kidding...it's a THEME I like!)

While you're there, why not try bagging the Oak Orchard Black Duck? If you stop by the sprite first, you can carry her and the duck up to the top of the observation tower and get a WONDERFUL view of the refuge.