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Lyle Visits Lexington LbNA #36989 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Nov 17, 2007
Location:
City:Lexington
County:Middlesex
State:Massachusetts
Boxes:1
Planted by:R.U. Cowgirls
Found by: woodlandwanderers
Last found:Apr 3, 2010
Status:FFFFFFm
Last edited:Nov 17, 2015
I'm so sorry to report that this box was reported missing (again!) on March 16, 2013. I will update once it's replaced. Thanks!


Lyle Visits Lexington


The year is 1919 and Lyle the crocodile has left his house on East 88th Street to travel to Lexington for the much-publicized Country Fair and Cattle Show. Lyle liked fairs, and this one, organized by Miss Ellen Tower, promised to be the year’s best. It was to be held on the Tower Estate and was to benefit child welfare. There would be donkey rides and popcorn. Fortune telling and ice-cream. Dancing and athletic sports and candy. Lyle showed Mrs. Primm the handbill advertising the fair, and she became equally excited to enjoy tea in the garden, quilts, handicrafts and flowers. They were both curious to see the tractor ploughing exhibition.
So, they packed a picnic and set off toward Boston. It was a beautiful Saturday in late September. One of those crisp fall days with brilliant sunshine, sparkling leaves and air that was so fresh and cool, it felt like you just drank a tall glass of spring water. Although they arrived just as the fair was to begin, the grounds were already quite full of all sorts of people from Lexington, Cambridge and the surrounding towns.
Lyle loved to play and he couldn’t wait to join in all the fun. Right away he found the sack races at the bottom of the hill. After the sack races, Lyle went for a walk with Mrs. Primm to explore the fairgrounds. Just past the fortune-telling tent, they came to some woods. Lyle was curious to investigate these woods. Sadly, a crocodile’s legs are actually rather short, and very soon Lyle became quite tired and also a bit lost. Lyle decided to take a little nap in some nearby branches. Mrs. Primm thought she might try to find her way out and get some help. As it turned out, Lyle was so tired, he is still sleeping! Do you think you could help find him and wake him up? Mrs. Primm has left you some clues below.


CLUES:


Park at Seasons Four (1265 Massachusetts Avenue) and across from Pelham Road. [NOTE: This parking lot is right next to the minuteman bikeway; about 1 mile east of Lexington town center.] Find the break in the wooden fence that borders the parking lot and head across the bike path and along the stone wall that runs parallel to the entrance to Seasons Four. Look for the opening in the wall; head down the stairs and along the path.
You will very quickly be facing a high stone wall that borders Massachusetts Avenue.

QUESTION 1: How many trees are along this high wall?
1._________

There is a small fork in the path; stay left/straight (don’t go up the stairs to the street).
You’ll soon see a curved stone “gate” on your right (beside a tree stump with a hole in it). Walk through the middle to the other side of the stone gate and look at the park dedication.

QUESTION 2: How many years was William Tower a citizen of Lexington?
2.___________

Follow the stone gate away from Seasons Four and look for a small brown information sign entitled “Massachusetts Avenue” just next to the stone gate.

QUESTION 3: In what year did the railroad come to Lexington?
3.___________

QUESTION 4: What is the circled number on the bottom corner of this sign?
4.___________

Walk a few steps back to the paved path and continue in the direction you were going.
Down the path you’ll see some brown trashcans. About halfway between the stone gate and the trashcans is another small, brown, informational sign about “Tower Park.”
Take a small detour to check out this sign.

QUESTION 5: What % of Lexington is preserved as park or conservation land?
5.___________

QUESTION 6: What is the circled number on the bottom corner of this sign?
6.___________

QUESTION 7: When did Miss Tower give this park to Lexington?
7.___________

Return to the paved path and walk straight past the brown trashcans.

QUESTION 8: How many brown trashcans are there?
8.___________

Continue around on the paved path and look for Marjorie’s bench.

QUESTION 9: How many M’s are in Marjorie’s full name?
9.___________

QUESTION 10: How many words are in the dedication (including her name)?
10.__________

FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CLUES, WHERE A DIRECTION IS CALLED FOR,
EVEN = RIGHT AND ODD = LEFT
Past the bench the trail heads down a small hill and then slightly __________[QUESTION 2] into the woods.
At the first small fork, head _________[QUESTION 7] and up a small hill.
At the next fork head __________[QUESTION 3] and proceed __________ paces [THE SUM OF QUESTIONS 1,4,8 AND 10].
You should find yourself at a trail crossing.
Head ___________[QUESTION 9] and proceed _____________ paces [THE SUM OF QUESTIONS 5, 6 AND 9].
On your __________[QUESTION 3] you should find Lyle, still asleep. Tickle inside his mouth and he’s certain to wake up!


Footnote: Lyle is based on the character lovingly created by Bernard Waber and published in 1987 by Houghton Mifflin