Nymph LbNA #41078 (ARCHIVED)

Nymphs are little forest sprites that care for a certain tree. They are rarely seen, but I managed to find one who was willing to hide my letter box in her tree. If you are quiet, you may even catch a glimpse of her as you letterbox.

The letterbox is in Cottage Lake park, off of the Woodinville Duvall road.

-Start at the playground, taking a moment to locate a place where some fairies might sneak out at night to swing. Near it is a cement path. Follow the path away from the playground and toward the water until it forks. Bear left toward a wooden footbridge. Be careful not to disturb the troll that lurks beneath it. If you listen hard, you might hear the sound of him running a bath for himself.

-Soon, you'll come to a little inlet with a bench. Sit on the bench and try to see if you can spot any of the elusive mermaids that are reported to live in cottage lake. After a minute or two, continue along the path with the lake on your right and the wetlands preserve on your left.

-Eventually, you'll come to a group of foliage where pixies have been previously spotted playing among the branches. The path splits three ways around the foliage. Bearing toward your left, leave the path and head toward a tall tree stump. The stump is about ten feet high and has an unusual hollow beneath it that is supposedly the home to a group of brownies when they aren't busy picking up trash around the park.

-Pass what would serve well as a little table for the brownies and head back to the path, continuing along it until you come to a log and boulder where satyrs and gnomes often gather for lunch.

-After you're rested, continue along the path. A few paces ahead of you, there will be the maple tree that the nymph kindly lent me. It has multiple trunks that form a semicircle and some roots that slope up nicely toward the opening between them. The opening is about chest-level for an adult and has a pile of bark in it. Under the bark is the nymph box.

-When you're done using it, please rehide the box carefully so no one removes it from the nymph's tree.