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Absaroke Baxbe: Crow Spirit LbNA #48798 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jul 10, 2009
Location:
City:Grass Valley
County:Nevada
State:California
Boxes:1
Planted by:Little My
Found by: Foothill Forester
Last found:Mar 7, 2010
Status:FFam
Last edited:Jul 10, 2009
Box is confirmed missing 1/12/12

8/11/10 note: the last two finders have had no luck. The box may be missing, but I won't be up in that area till next year, so if anyone nearby can check on the box, I'd appreciate it.

I placed this box in honor of my friend Jeanene who I visit at least once a year at an assisted care facility in Grass Valley. Jeanene is an artist, and one of the most huge-spirited, outlandish people I've ever met. Absaroke Baxbe is the name given her by a Crow medicine man for her gifts to the nation, among which was her bronze sculpture of Chief Plenty Coups. The name means "Crow Spirit, Crow Sacredness."

Grass Valley may be best known as a quaint-ified historic gold rush town and "the most Cornish spot in America" (I'm not kidding) complete with a live "Cornish Cam" of downtown's Main and Auburn (www.downtowngrassvalley.com/webcam.html), but it's also home to many less obvious charms. Two blocks west, up Neal St. from the famous Del Oro Theatre, I stumbled upon one such gem: Ames Bookstore.

Originally Ames Bookstore in Whittier, CA, this newer location opened when Mr. Ames moved to Grass Valley after an earthquake destroyed the first. Ames Bookstore has been serving book lovers since 1968 and is one of the largest used bookstores on the west coast.

Mr. Ames is not with us anymore, but the new owners are keen on the idea of letterbox adventures. Store hours are Tues. through Sat., 10am–6pm, closed Sun. and Mon. I highly recommend going when they're open because the books alone are worth several hours of searching through. However, the store doesn't need to be open for you to access the box.

To get the box: you can park in their lot at 309 Neal St. The building is L shaped, and there are a couple of entrances. If you face the main one, you'll see a planting area that runs along the front of the store. In the (SE) corner, at the base of one of the bushes, you'll find a curious set of five rocks. Your bird-in-the-hand is waiting under the center rock.