Gone but not Forgotten

We'll be taking just a short trip in the Retro Rocket today to tell the story of two stamps that have crossed the inky Rainbow Bridge to the Happy Stamping Ground.

Miss Moppett was carved for what I thought would be my very first postal: a ring dedicated to the works of Beatrix Potter. Unfortunately, the organizers went off the grid before the ring started, but not before I had mailed my stamp and logbook to them. Curiously, this was the 11th stamp that I carved, 2 months into my letterboxing journey. It is the first one that I carved as a positive image. The stamp might be gone, but there is a grey wad of fur sleeping on my bed named Moppett that isn't going anywhere. :)
It is my understanding that the letterboxers that this went to had, and may still be having, serious issues with illness. The people behind the trailnames are always far more precious than any hunk of rubber, no matter how much time is invested in the carving. It is my sincere hope that they will find peace and healing, whether they are able to return to letterboxing or not.
AKC Spots was carved for a young boxer to use for a school project. The hope was that after the project was complete, the donated boxes would be planted, giving the rest of us a chance to one day "find" our own boxes. I made this image before I realized that the stamp needed the extra support of a mount. The end result created a much better impression. Just for fun, I included the Hydrant HH.

More Retro Rocket later!