If any of you thought the casque was buried on the foy side of magnolia st you can consider it gone now.
http://i.imgur.com/i9Ut7zN.jpg

No worries, that’s just wilhouse…

Even if the date does/doesn’t mean Garfield, does that necessarily make it a red haring? How many things happened in 1881, or things marked by 1881, that are nearby? Are they all either clues or red herrings? Couldn’t they just be coincidences? To me, BP was a smart guy, but did he really know everything about everything, and was he then able to overlay that with each city he visited in order to make clues? Did he know the cities that well?
You’re right about the cemetery being just as close as the tower, but I’m not sure that distance is that important in determining it’s validity as a “clue.” Hasn’t the clue already been used (i.e., the coordinates)? Does BP overlap/reuse visual clues? If 1881 point to President Cleveland, I might buy it, but Garfield?

Only yesterday I realized I nobody seemed to pick up on the basic premise that guided me to the Far-From-FOY theory.
f_b pointed out that SELOY was genius. Nobody liked SELBY, lost in absurd obscurity..(obsurdity?). My premise was that “Written in water” connects us to several notions or options 1) a british connection, 2) a connection to poetry, 3) a connection to grave markers or “mourning”, tears, or something of that nature, 4) an acrostic, 5) or something to do with waves (water or radio..).
Evidently everyine was sold on the simple idea of option 4, and SELOY was a plainly spelled option that fit a well-formed case for FL. What bothered me most about this was the conditions that applied to KEATS, being the not just the subject of an acrostic but being a pesons name. Seloy is the name of a native people, i get that, but there is something very personal about the epitaph and I wondered if our task was something of a greater challenge. When I made minir line adjustments to the poem to see if the acrostic might hide anything substantial, I came up with the case for Selby. To NW WA says Selby really took hold. It contained a pair of initials from a windrose and a state abbr. It seemed reasonable to assume that the phrase wouldve been to easy to spot acrostically if it contained words like TO and SAYS followed by the name SELBY, and so it made sense to have four lines shifted about to create a simple disguising effect resulting in …AYSSSELOY, a spot on link to FOY. If the lines werent shifted our minds would quickly be set to figure out who or what is SELBY. I would expect the British place name of a town might be worth consideration given the British origin of Keats. That Selby may also be a surname makes this puzzle more interesting and fits the premise that the reason for the acrostic is to discover the identity of a person and not a tribe of people or a place. There is less of a leap in logic in that sense and so that is why I find it difficult to understand why people remain so set on FOY.

mostly because by the time you get the the verse you absolutely have to be narrowing down your field of search
rather than expanding it and taking it afar.
and for the simple reason, the word Seloy is on a marker in plain sight at the FOY.
making it more likely a simple confirmer, rather then a deep indiciperable clue.
You don’t need to know any history or do any research to solve for Seloy, its just right there at FOY.
So basically 3 verse items windrose, First chapter and seloy indicate definitively the FOY, before you even begin to analyze the verse, They are sitting there in plain sight.

I understand completely. I think you fail to address the issue that KEATS’ name, while in the form of an acrostic is NOT spelled out anywhere in plain form. Seloy, in acrostic AND spelled out plainly at FOY isnt the same situation, nor is SELOY a person’s name.
If I wrote four sentences out of order in any paragraph of 15 sentences, I wager you would get the same meaning out of it as a whole. I’d accept the criticism that the flow of ideas could be improved, but I don’t believe you would claim my paragraph was “indecipherable.” Lets discuss this.

actually to clarify, I would also like to point out seloy is indecipherable also.
it is not a clue to guide you to the area.
it is a site confirmer.
No need to decipher it as it’s has no deeper levels.

In terms of ciphers, the acrostic and/or a jumble are hardly anything indecipherable.
Also, I’m only looking at the first two lines to get us to the idea that SELBY is a subject of interest, there’s no shortage of verse to help us find some place. Let’s stop skirting the issue and discuss this plainly. KEATS is the name of a person. You’re adherence to a site confirmer in FOY seems to only say “use an acrostic but ignore anything else that may be significant about using the English poet’s grave site as a reference”. It hardly seems logical to act on the simplicity of an idea at the risk of ignoring so much else.

I guess my point was it’s indecipherable simply because There is no hidden meaning , or multi-level encryption.
Its like the Archer in the Chicago image. a Site confirmer.
So for me to consider another location, I would like the clues to become clearer, not more obfuscated.

I remember the historical idea about the Cleveland location regarding the 1881 tomb of President Garfield which isn’t very far from the Cultural Gardens. I feel that there’s bound to be some historical purpose to each of these puzzles. It seems all we have here is a clue to Keats death…shouldn’t we consider that date or the location of his tomb and see if it might offer any relavance to a person or place?

but didnt the 1881 tomb have nothing to do with the cleveland casque?
wasn’t it a red herring that actually led farther afield?

I don’t think so. I think it was a nice visual link to a date for a significant person, a US President, that helps say “Cleveland”. His tomb really isn’t that far away. The Terminal Tower is farther I think. How can that be a red herring? I think both are general area confirmers saying “between these two distant points IN Cleveland”.
About Keats’ birthday, he was born at a time when Spannish Exploration was very active, I think that’s interesting, though I haven’t found any places significant for 1793.

Glossiphoniidae

tinajones!

I know weve been at this awhile so its fun to fool around and be humorous.  I was being somewhat serious that the last line had to do with erosion, a process which takes a long time (years pass) and the figurative sense of raining like cats and dogs but in this case thousands of stones left on a prairie by glacial drift.  Its an interesting landscape to consider and the easiesr way to describe it is to set up a hint about many stones like calculus (calculi…I forget how that works in plural) and then make a reference to rain.  Rain is often a word used to apply to many things falling at once so it shouldn’t be assumed to be only to do with water.
I wasn’t serious about pi $$ ing…just found it to be innapropriately appropriate.

Unknown

Unknown:
…or is there something in particular that fits someone’s FOY theory?”

I was responding directly to this. The tinajones sign at the park states the urns catch falling rainwater, and that they were there for hundreds of years; though, I know this does not give you pause for consideration… being all mish-mash and such
.

Here are some exciting updates:
I found a map in the painting… I can’t believe how exact it is, and I can’t believe I overlooked it for so long. It is NOT in the FOY park, it’s not even really close to the park, but it is FAR too exact to be a coincidence.
I’m pretty sure (about 90%) that I figured out what “Years pass, rain falls” means. I found some old photos from the 70’s at the historical society, and when I saw them it just clicked. I think the rock and tree are in the photos too… and if its them, it explains why there is no reflection for the tree, but there is for the rock. If I am right, the rock and tree were exactly where the map on the painting says they should be.
I can see from the image how I could use “moon light in teardrops over the tall grass” to position myself in a way where the rock, water, and tree seem like they would line up exactly… but the rock and water are gone now… so is the moonlight, tear drop, and tall grass actually… so an exact spot would be difficult. The bending branches and tall tree could be explained as well (if my memory of the area is as good as I think it is)
If I am right I can narrow the site down to a five square foot area. The downside is I know there has been work done there since the 80’s, but the upside is it is not on protected land.
I’m going to do some poking around this weekend, I’ll keep everyone updated.
I don’t want to count our chickens before they hatch… but we might be close to this one.

This sounds very exciting and encouraging! Keep us posted!

I would think someone in the publishing company would be very wary of infringing on somebody’s copyright  by using someone else’s work in a work of their own.

I knew you’d bring that up!
Yeah, it’s probably not the case, but that’s how my brain has been working lately.

Do the words branch, green, and base open up the possibility of equating to Army Camp in the same way rumble brush and music equated to Train tracks, Art School, Music stage in Grant Park?
Interestingly the Army Camp building design is based on Ulysses S. Grant’s home in Galena, Illinois.  I’m betting all my chips on a Florence Nightengale connection, so Gale = Galena looks like a clever connection.

They’ve discovered a new “First Chapter”.
Maybe BP secretly found the Luna colony back in 1980. We should ask the excavators if they found a slightly-used Plexiglas box among the shards of 16th-century pottery.

My Solve for this Verse is Castillo de San Marcos
The first chapter (Native Americans record the arrival Ponce de Leon)
Written in water (Fountain of Youth)
Near men (Conquistadors)
With wind rose (Castillo de San Marcos, the design is roughly in the shape of of a Wind Rose)
Behind bending branches (Hornwork)
And a green picket fence (Cubo line)
At the base of a tall tree (Reference to the Watch Tower)
You can still hear the honking (A term used for the sound of canon fire)
Shell, limestone, silver, salt (Construction materials and contents of the Castillo)
Stars move by day (Heated Canon balls from the Furnace fired at the ships)
Sails pass by night (Ships in the Matanzas River)
Even in darkness (Safely in the Night)
Like moonlight in teardrops (Ships Sails’ reflection)
Over the tall grass (The high grass berms around the Castillo)
Years pass, rain falls. (Refers to the thousands of soldiers/people who pass through the entrance over the years) (Rainures are grooves used to hold up a drawbridge, it allows the bridge to fall when out of the rainures.)
That’s it for the verse, I’ll put up my interpretation of Image 6 when I get time later.
Anybody dug much in the Castillo de San Marcos? Thoughts?

the only thing about that whiterabbit is, there is a real green picket fence right at the entrance to the park………(from pics i’ve seen and heard everyone mention)…..but you did get me thinking about “base” ……fort…….(castillo de san marcos).cannot stop messing with the darn words
base of the road is a good idea too
could almost make that cannon into the shape of the raven in the image

Unknown

Unknown:
You will see in the pics labeled “looking at branches/fence corner” a green picket fence (painted on other side) perpendicular to the outside wall of the park. Running along the outside of the wall are the bending branches of
Magnolia Avenue
.

Yep, but it sounds like that fence is close. Posted by Egbert (P17):
Maybe ‘behind the fence’ takes you from FOY to Magnolia Ave, and the ‘base of the tree’ then takes you to the bottom of Magnolia.

(Darn…just accidentally deleted this. Will post it back up later…)

Could this in the background left side be considered a “picket fence” ?

There is an actual, real-life “green picket fence” inside FOY.

Bugles do not honk either.
I know many a musician who would take great exception to that description.
Geese
honk.
Not bugles.

shecrab

Bugles do not honk either.
I know many a musician who would take great exception to that description.
Geese
honk.
Not bugles.

I didn’t realize the derogatory implications, but good point.  Geese it is.

I find the verse describes the actual park well.  But as directions to the dig site,  the verse seems to be really haphazard,  definitely not linear.  Many of the match ups to the verse are in different parts of the park.  To be honest, I was out there in gale force winds, without another sole in site, anyone could bury anything out there without too many people noticing.  I still am quite stumped by the rock–palm tree image in the lower right corner, it just seems to tacetly imply THIS IS THE TREE.  The reason I felt that the line helps let you know where to dig is that if “at the base of a tall tree” is the final clue to the dig site, that would give me 360 degrees of digging to chose from.  The line may help to define where, and why put it in the picture anyway??  I don’t think
it’s a random mark.   Could it be possible that this particular puzzle is different from the two that have been found.  There is little in the picture as far as landmarks to get you to fountain of youth park, and the verse lines are the thing that really sealed the deal as far as the right place.  Once there I really thought that the imagery in the rock and within the picture itself would be obvious.  Not so.  I feel like there is still 15 acres and 3 feet of dirt between me and the casque.  Oh to be that close….

is that in the discovery globe, fox?
i should have read this b4 i commented on image page, lol
i change my mind about everything i said over there, hehe
i like the discovery globe too! or both!
could this be the tall grass:
http://flickr.com/photos/skinnytie/1865 … 924404369/
that guy’s pictures are great!
i just read where the arrows are made of “reed”, which would be a tall grass…. hmmm, maybe just around the indian statue, where is that in the park?

Great find, fox!!! The front-gate “first chapter” was more metaphorically written in water, but this one is more concrete.

Apparently there are ‘sea oats’ everywhere along the eastern coast, especially around Florida.  Ooops, for those that don’t know {including myself until not too long ago} sea oats are the ‘tall grasses’ along the eastern coast.  For example, here is one of mannnnny pics of FOY found on Flickr with sea oats a plenty.  Also in this pic is one tall tree.  Blow it up and you can almost see BP shoveling the last shovelful onto the casque.
http://flickr.com/photos/23948039@N02/2338364333/

Another “First Chapter” and this time, it is actually written ‘in’ water.  The words are written in the water part of the map in this book.
http://flickr.com/photos/skinnytie/1865857464/

reed
/rid/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [reed] Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. the straight stalk of any of various tall grasses, esp. of the genera Phragmites and Arundo, growing in marshy places.
2. any of the plants themselves.
3. such stalks or plants collectively.
4. anything made from such a stalk or from something similar, as an
arrow
.

I was reeding {pun intended
} something but now I cant remember what…but the Timicuan indians used a bamboo like reed for something quite often.  Was it the White Drink?
Dang, cant remember….

Can anyone confirm that the entrance to FOY had “The First Chapter” written on it in the 80s?

WR – to see the men with wind rose you must enter the park, because they are inside the entrance to the planetarium. There is a scale model of a ship, with lots of little men clinging to the rigging, on the east wall of the vestibule. On the opposite (west) wall is a wind rose. It even says “wind rose” in the caption below the wind rose.
Why are we still debating this??

WR — the owners of FOY are
highly
averse to people digging without permission. And to get permission, you had better have an extremely solid reason for digging in a very restricted area. See prior posts by stercox.

forest_blight

WR – to see the men with wind rose you must enter the park, because they are inside the entrance to the planetarium. There is a scale model of a ship, with lots of little men clinging to the rigging, on the east wall of the vestibule. On the opposite (west) wall is a wind rose. It even says “wind rose” in the caption below the wind rose.
Why are we still debating this??

It is possible that it’s buried just outside the park.  Obviously, you’d have to have been inside it to understand all the references.
There is definitely a casque in or around this park, and this verse and image get you there.

They didn’t like people digging without permission, understandably, but the current manager seems open to the idea of looking for it. I had an email from him back in March with some photos and theories and even offering to do some digging himself. (I don’t think it’s in the main park area in any case, but somewhere along the verge in Magnolia.)

You get a good view on Goggle Maps. The green picket fence and tall tree seem to be near the exit from the car park.
This should be an embedded Streetview so you can zoom in on the fence and tree. Is it possible on this forum?

The perimeter wall seems to be made of stones and pebbles.
“Shell, limestone, silver, salt” ?
Have you found the piece of wall where the pebbles match the pattern of rocks around the blue jewel?

These words come from signs inside FOY park. “Shells” and “limestone” are in close proximity to each other on one sign, and “silver salt” occurs in another (reference to the park’s most famous — and highly dubious — artifact, a silver salt cellar supposedly unearthed there).
See stercox’ photos at webshots. All you have to do is google “stercox” and “webshots” and you will find two collections of photos of FOY taken by someone specifically looking for references in this verse.

wk

The perimeter wall seems to be made of stones and pebbles.

The wall is interesting…it’s made of oyster shells.
http://www.thelensflare.com/gallery/p_t … _36487.php
“Written in water” is from Shelley’s epitaph.
“Silver, salt” is connected with “casque”, which appears on the silver salt cellar’s sign. Maybe “shell, limestone” were also chosen for a reason, because they connect with something; eg, the wall. “Like moonlight in teardrops” makes the same cryptic association.

forest_blight

WR – to see the men with wind rose you must enter the park, because they are inside the entrance to the planetarium. There is a scale model of a ship, with lots of little men clinging to the rigging, on the east wall of the vestibule. On the opposite (west) wall is a wind rose. It even says “wind rose” in the caption below the wind rose.

Thanks Forest. So the planetarium fully accounts for these lines.
Stars move by day
Sails pass by night
Even in darkness
Incidentally, I don’t think that FOY are actually averse to people looking for this casque – last time I contacted them there was a new manager who sounded quite interested in finding it. Hopefully cobock1 will be doing a reccy sometime later this year.

The first chapter
Written in water
Near men
With wind rose
Stars move by day
Sails pass by night
Even in darkness
There’s quite a lot about the planetarium then. Maybe the rock represents the planetarium dome, seen here over the wall. As I’ve mentioned, this is a
star sapphire
, displaying
aster
ism
, so it’s in the right spot.
I suppose you could interpret the verse as saying: “Behind (you are) bending branches and a green picket fence at the base of a tall tree”; ie, a scene like this:
(…the branches are all pretty bendy round here…)
…and in front of you, the dome where stars move.
In this shot, you’re standing next to the hydrant with the cannon behind you, looking back up the road towards the entrance. The edge of the green picket fence is on the left, and the yellow sign seen in the above pic is on the right. The dome is somewhere ahead, over on the right.

a pearl inside of an oyster shell would look like a moon that shines inside a shape of a teardrop.

Kang

Thanks Stercox! That is an impressive excavation.
And thank you burnstyle for reaching out to her.

I AM NEW HERE AND I AM HUMBLED BY YOUR HARD WORK AND WILLINGNESS TO SHARE. STERCOX DESERVES AN AWARD FOR GREATNESS!

WhiteRabbit

(I see a cannon in this pic, though no-one else seems to.)

Actually I do see what you are seeing, and it is possibly a cannon, that would mean somewhere near the casque  there is an exact view of a cannon that could be traced onto that picture.

I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned before, but I haven’t heard any really great interpretations of the last line.  Of course, I don’t know what wonders Stercox has worked up, so there may be a good solution yet.
Reading it for the first time in a while, the word ‘rain’ jumped out at me.
Has it been considered that this could be a homophone for reign or rein?
Reign falls = Some political power/ruler loses influence/dies/etc?
Rein falls = Some sort of throwback to the horse in image 6?
Just a thought.  Good luck Stercox.

A comment on Oregonian’s pbwiki caught my attention. User FippinArkansas mentioned a “years pass” may be purchased for park access. I like the idea of limiting our scope to a place that one might have an annual pass access like a National Park.

Ill find the quote, I did a quick search and it didnt come up so it may be a newspaper article theres an image of.
I know I read he jumped a fence.
I wont comment on San Juan but I still don’t see where a fence would be
required
to jump, even after hours.
Perhaps there’s nothing to it, just a thought.

from the opposite side ? (see the tree), though you may have seen:

Glossiphoniidae

from the opposite side (see the tree), though you may have seen:
img

Although, I still like the green picket fence at the base of the tall tree:
It’s hard for me to believe BP would dig at that central of a location in FOY Park. But across the street, directly across from the teardrop lamplight, you find that tree and fence.
…Right behind that wall, where you could still hear honking, but not see it; right in that little dirt area where the rain falls from (and seemingly through) the roof. Yeah… a lot of white elbow joints in there…

Unknown

Unknown:
It’s hard for me to believe BP would dig at that central of a location in FOY Park. But across the street, directly across from the teardrop lamplight, you find that tree and fence.

You could be right, I was just thinking of something I read about Preiss saying. He said that he once had to climb a fence and throw a shovel over it. Of all the theorized sites I have read about, none would make it necessary to jump a fence, except this one. Preiss may have seen the park during the day and seen too many people about so he just would have to wait until it was closed and hopped the fence.
There are so many variables in this one I think this treasure is missing a clue or two and someone will be on their way to Florida. (hopefully me)

He said he climbed over a fence and threw a shovel over it?
I wonder what kind of fence and how tall.  Could that mean a fence only as tall as waist high?  A picket fence is tricky to climb, depending on the placement of uprights, whether they are pointed or square, and how far they project from the highest timber across.  If there is space wide enough for the toe of your boot then you can climb over without too much trouble while balancing and holding onto the top.  Standard chain link fencing is one of the worst types of fence to climb, it doesn’t give you easy footing and really bites into your hands and the tops often have sharp points that aren’t always bent over.
I see the possibility of climbing down from the ballustrade in SF’s Palace of the Legion of Honor as he might’ve tried to keep the line he was on as he continued down the “giant step” and across the golfing green to the hill and road beyond where I think takes you to a bench view of Golden Gate Bridge.
I also see the possibility of stepping over the picket fence at the American Camp in San Juan Island because if you look at the map and photos I’ve provided you’ll see there’s a closed gate arch that may be locked during the off hours of the walking tour that takes you to Numbers 11 and 12 on the tourist pamphlet.
I see a fence in the proposed site at Boston that looks fairly easy to step over one leg at a time while holding on to the bar.

not to rain, but we could have
given
these to you…
it’s amazing what’s free on the innernets.

Glossiphoniidae

not to rain, but we could have
given
these to you…
it’s amazing what’s free on the innernets.

Oh its not a big deal, I collect stuff from the treasure sites. I didnt see these in the threads so I posted them.

cobock1

Stand back every once and a while and look at picture as a whole

forest_blight

Pretty sure “written in water” is just a reference to the FOY

cobock1

I had considered the hydrant for the rain/water reference…Its definitely one of the only obviously unusual shapes in the painting.

OK, I’ve been taking your advice and trying to spot any significance in the overall image. It’s a horse on a hill.
I agree it fits FOY perfectly, water and all. But it’s a curious phrase, and its resemblance to Keats’ epitaph warrants a closer look.
I was remembering another of Keats’ most famous poems, “Ode to a Nightingale”, thought to have been written at a historic pub called Spaniards Inn. It refers to the Hippocrene, a fountain struck open by Pegasus on Mount Helicon. (The name means “horse’s fountain”.)
…if it is the hydrant, it’s both prominent and neatly disguised, and ties in with the overall fountain theme.
Mind you don’t hit a main.

one thing that goes with the fire hydrant is (mira chimera) “paint their extremities fire engine red” (p. 129)
and on p. 128   the fairy is pulling on her hose………….and it could be shaped like a fire hose or maybe the waves in the planetarium
extremities= end, boundary or termination……(my stop sign, which would be red also, or at the end of the park
)
another anomaly is mira chimera is a “winged fairy of the spanish hadas, but it’s area of origin is  “Greek  (which would tie into the Ode to a Grecian Urn)
but i finally printed out the image, flipped one, folded it straight down from the flagpole, put together the smaller sides of the folds, flip it(ponce will be upside down but you dont see him anyway ’cause he’s on the other side of the fold, and you only see the two horse heads sticking out, one to the left and one to the right, upside down of course), anyway
i can see two cars like in a parking lot, a path going up, i think it’s the ticket booth because it looks like it’s thatched.  the jewel looks like it would still be near the parking lot.
you know what, one car is going one way and the other car is turned the other (probably ’cause of mirroring) but it also looks like the shape of a stop sign (almost)
so is that fire hydrant close to the stop sign?
but on the other hand, if you look at the big picture, the outer part, kindof has the shape of this fountain:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobindrums/1675488811/
but it could  be the obelisk shape
which would bring the picture to  simple terms………ponce landing on the coast, and the flowers are having “festival of flowers” for easter…….hmm, the litany says, sapphire, shy as a wild field flower……..easter?
in this vicinity——-near
but then, if you flip it (back with horse heads right side up)  looks like a big peacock  head  🙂
which i like, because of all the teardrops in a peacock feather, goes with my duck pond ,  and of course “winged fairy”
(and if you turn it over it looks like a peacock too, the big folds)
okay guys, i know i’m not good at this but i feel we have to mirror this somehow
and maybe i’m not flipping it right, maybe has to be several flips, on p. 129 it say’s….”tape it down, hang it out, chop it off, curl it up, straighten it out……” “commands one decade” ” then the next”………some kind of measurement?
wherever it is, make you sure you look behind it, because it says  “how do I look from the back?”
and the skirt, kind of has that star shape on the hem  (p. 128)

We got back a few hours ago (would have posted sooner but we were all really tired).  We rent a couple of Kayaks to try to get out to the island, but after getting stuck in mud that came up to our theighs (and running low on time with the Kayaks) we decided to head back and try again later.  We took lots of pictures, at different angles, of the island we think the tressure is on.  We will post those later, but for now this is my very tired update on our attempt.

Even though you came up empty handed, wasn’t it exciting just getting out there and hunting where a casque may be?  I know that when we were stuck in N.O. and exploring both the City Park as well as around Jackson Square, my heart was pounding.
Speaking of N.O., what are your ideas on that area Cobock?  You havent said a word since posting your secret call for help re: this casque.
Good luck on your second outing and I will be sure to say prayers to the mud Gods for you.

i know that was disappointing!!
can’t wait to see your pictures.  sounds like you had some friends along and hopefully they are still friends even after being stuck in the mud and are still wanting to keep hunting.
can’t wait to hear more!

Ok, so I’ve been researching the FoY key location for a few months now. I’ve been to the park twice for reconnaissance and to probe a few spots. I know that I’m very close to at least discovering it’s location even though it’s going to be tough to get permission to dig at this point. That all being said, I’d like to post a few clues that I believe I’ve solved but have not yet seen on this blog. (I may have just missed them.) First, a lot of people are saying that the checkered pattern on Ponce’s shirt corresponds with the wall across the street at the HoJo, however I found something that it matches better. The bottom of the Traverse Board (Wind-Rose). In fact the full color scheme of the Traverse Board marches the full color scheme of Ponce and his horse meaning that Ponce and his horse are there to guide you to the exact location of the “treasure”.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/85503068@ … 0101206893

Unknown

Unknown:
The first chapter
Written in water
Near men
With wind rose

“Written in Water” is an art book of architectural paintings done in watercolor.  I don’t know if it was around in 1982.
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/artbook/390707887x.html
A “wind rose” is one of those compasslike symbols on a map, with “N” for North at the top.  You sometimes see big decorative ones put into walkways and promenades.  Are there any in your SLC?
I’m tired.  I’m going to bed.

Shawn, I saw that book, but it was published in the 90’s.
I am very familiar with a wind rose, I find it hard to believe it has that context here, but who knows.
wilhouse

I recognize the SELOY theory, but it only holds based on underpinnings such as assuming Preiss gave us a perfectly ordered anacrostic in verse; if the anacrostic were jumbled just slightly it would fit really well with the O as a B and SELBY has meets a comfortable and straightforwards criteria.  All Preiss had to ask was ‘why was Pickett in San Juan Island?’ A: because Selby Harney dispatched him there on a fortification mission…that resulted in a *cough* fornification with Morning Mist.  All this being pre-Sumpter of course.

WhiteRabbit

Quick recap: Seloy is the Indian village where Florida’s Fountain of Youth was built. It has a sign which says: “The First Chapter”. Image 6 resembles its statue of Ponce de Leon. It had geese and a green picket fence. It also has a “silver salt” cellar connected with Ponce de Leon, with a sign describing it as a “casque” – an unusual word that BP uses for the treasure boxes. The Fountain of Youth is mentioned in the introduction.

I the spirit of giving this Thanksgiving I submit my theory for review.
Pic 6 and Verse 9 go together.  The FL imagery in the pic seems too obvious to ignore.
Verse Nine:
The first chapter
Written in water
(first explorers to N. America)
Near men
With wind rose
(sailors/explorers/sea)
Stars move by day
Sails pass by night
Even in darkness
Like moonlight in teardrops
(These suggest a lighthouse to me.  Showing Boats how to navigate at night with “treardrops” of light)
If Pic 6 goes with this verse I think Ponce de leon Inlet lighthouse
http://www.ponceinlet.org/index.html
might be a good place to start.
At the base of a tall tree
You can still hear the honking
(This is the tallest lighthouse in the nation, and it looks like ships still dock nearby (honking sound))
Over the tall grass
Years pass, rain falls
(tall grass = cattails?)
Looking at the pictures of the light house the place is surrounded by a picket fence built to keep wild pigs out – but it is white in the pictures.  Was it green years back?  Possibly, looking at the historical pictures the surrounding structures on the property have green trim.  And one of the articles says there is still a green cabinet in the lighthouse from a previous owner.
I live in FL, but the lighthouse in 400 miles away.  If you guys are convinced or have any potential pointers, I might make the trip up that way.
what do ya think?
jay

jayheedan

At the base of a tall tree
You can still hear the honking
(This is the tallest lighthouse in the nation, and it looks like ships still dock nearby (honking sound))

According to the website
In 1982, a new tower balcony replaced the crumbling one, and the light in the lantern was restored to active service…The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is now a private aid to navigation.

Unknown

Unknown:
But you are missing the function of the verse, which is specifically to guide you to the square foot spot you are supposed to dig.

Good point, although you just posted that:
Every single line of this verse is about FOY. What is there that could take you away from it?
Personally I don’t think it’s in the restricted part of FOY – I still reckon it’s just the other side of the wall…(base of Magnolia, formerly the main entrance, now a quiet corner begging for a soil probe.) I’m open-minded about a local park if there can be any clues found for it, but unless there are any green picket fences there, seems to me it would have to be the image rather than the verse that pinpointed the spot.
I last looked at this back in March when FOY were offering to take photos of this area and dig it up, and cobock1 was planning a visit. Never heard back from either of those though. Time to hassle some people…
The first chapter
Accounted for.
Written in water
Why Shelley? Fits though.
Near men
With wind rose
Behind bending branches
And a green picket fence
At the base of a tall tree
You can still hear the honking
Shell, limestone, silver, salt
Stars move by day
Sails pass by night
All present and correct.
Even in darkness
Like moonlight in teardrops
Smacks of repetition. Night/darkness. Like moonlight (silver) in teardrops (salt). Why the repetition?
Over the tall grass
Well, yeah, probably, if you take it literally. Bit odd – about as useful as “cars abound”. Might also be referencing the image perhaps.
Years pass, rain falls.
Etc.

Those pictures and explanation are spot on… thanks for pointing me to the info

Update:
I went out last weekend prodding the ground and I found something. It had edges, was about 2 feet underground, and felt slightly flexable (though that could have been the flexing of my rod). I’m not getting my hopes up, it could be a brick, or an old oyster bed, which I have found a lot of both in the area, or a sewr line. but it feels flat, unlike oysters.
I’m going to try and go back to dig this weekend, but I may not be able to due to the storm.

Hi all,
I recently found this hunt via reddit, and quickly became interested.
I grew up, and still live in St Aug. And have a rather good theory about the location.
People seem to be very confused by this verse, and with good reason. Since the mid 90’s the FOY has undergone an almost constant renovation. Statutes and plaques move, buildings are built and destroyed… so many things have changed.
But… if you can remember what the park looked like in the late 80’s to early 90’s then the verse is pretty specific.
I will be digging this weekend and I figured I would make you all an offer.
Send me your locations and I will dig there for you. Try to be as specific as possible, ideally draw a circle on a map, and I will dig then respond with precise dig location, depth, width, and results. Maybe we can start narrowing this down.
You know what they say, two heads are better than one.
(Disclaimer. I am digging with a couple of friends, we have decided if anything is found, and if a gem is aquired we are going to auction both of them off and donate the funds to charity.
this way no one profits off of the work of others.)

Good luck with your dig – have you gotten approval from the site owners? You do know this is an archaeological site, and that many people have dug before, often with the help of people who have owned and been on the property for decades? Secret hunters have been all over that property and my understanding is that they’re a bit weary of digs and e-mails for info.
I just caution anyone who joins this hunt and feels that they’ve immediately solved it. Have you read through this thread (and the one for the image) in entirety? Are you sure you’re not duplicating efforts/a dig site? It’s entirely possible that someone will come along with a new perspective, but on the other hand people have been working on these for 30 years, and collaborating online for over a decade.

Xieish

Good luck with your dig – have you gotten approval from the site owners? You do know this is an archaeological site, and that many people have dug before, often with the help of people who have owned and been on the property for decades? Secret hunters have been all over that property and my understanding is that they’re a bit weary of digs and e-mails for info.

This is correct. I’ve been there a few times, and spoken to someone about it. They were very adamant on no digging/hunting, etc…Unless this has changed in the last few months, or someone has a great relationship with them, sadly, I don’t see it happening. I’d be glad to help out with any backing/talking/persuasion if anyone needs.

I’d be surprised if you were allowed to dig within the grounds, though I still think it might be in Magnolia. Photos of areas inaccessible on Google are always welcome.

erexere

Are you being childish or joking?

Unknown

Unknown:
I reviewed the FOY theory and agreed that it has substance.  The problem is that substance is quite random.  You and nobody else has actually put together a satisfactory path interpreted or sensible solve based even remotely like the Cleveland and Chicago solutions, which aren’t random at all.

Unknown

Unknown:
The problem with the FOY theory isn’t that it lacks substance, it’s that nobody other than myself is making any attempt at recognizing it’s flaws or it’s having the qualities of a red herring.  I submit my Corbett and San Juan Island theories in support of my argument that FOY is a red herring.  I also submit the lack of sufficient gains by anyone else in applying verse 5 or image 12 to any effect.

Unknown

Unknown:
maltedfalcon, as before, you’ve demonstrated a lot of skill in you’re work in this hunt in the past, what’s happened that now you’re okay with making such a minimal contribution to the discussion?

Frankly, E, we think that same thing to ourselves nearly every time you post something. Why do you think your ideas have been segregated from the rest and are called “urban smurfing?”
Nobody agrees with you about this.
Nobody is attempting to recognize flaws in the FOY theory anymore because, at this point, there aren’t any. The research was done long before you and I came along to prove this. Members went back and forth, narrowing down the verse’s lines and the pictures in the image. Sure, the exact dig spot has not been identified, but that is only because there are multiple spots that fit the verse’s descriptions (depending on the interpretation), and because we haven’t been allowed to dig at those spots. Chicago didn’t identify an exact spot either — it took some trial and error digging and some hinting from BP.
The more you try to refute the theory and call it a red haring, the more it seems you are straight trolling us.
His contribution is on the table. What more is there to add? The only thing left to do is try several dig spots. Your posts are also not conducive to discussion. When you repeat over and over again that 2 + 2 is 5, what can we possibly say? If you can’t/won’t accept that it is 4, we have nothing to discuss.
I’m really not trying to be mean, and this certainly isn’t my forum (please speak up if I’ve spoken for you out of place in this thread), but your latest posts are really unnerving. You keep stating in that you are revealing BP’s insights to us all, that we all have so much to discuss… It’s belittling and arrogant. It’s almost enough to make me quit checking the posts and work completely on my own. It’s hard to even follow the posts anymore because the forums are so filled with irrelevant shit. You have to read through 8 pages of nonsense to find anything relating to the accepted theories. There’s no cohesion anymore in the threads, which has played a large part in the degradation of new ideas.

I’ve been brave and altruistic thinking I could get past self imposed hurdles in this hunt.  You aren’t being mean.  Your input deserves some respect.  You bothered typing a bunch more words tyan most people in response to me.  The problem is you have such a stinky opinion.  Challenging ideas is nothing new.  Being really thoughtful about this puzzle is still a hurdle.  Acting like you have achieved all that much and then not showing a mature attitude about overcoming possible problems that nobody has yet brought to light is your own downfall.
I’m not revealing BP’s insights.  I’m asking significant questions and directly stating what I’m seeing in a dictionary from the EXACT words BP used.  What’s wrong with testing a logical approach?  I’m declaring my hypothesis for his methodology and seeing what comes of it and for the most part I’m not holding back.  I don’t care if it supports my own location theory or someone elses.  Being precise with a careful approach is all I care about.  You’re calling THAT arrogant, I think you’re being closeminded.

The standard here is “preponderance of the evidence”. There are
so many
concrete confirmers for the FoY park that it’s just a matter of finding the exact spot. SELOY (not “SELBY”). All the words written on the signs (wind-rose, limestone, etc.). The conquistador and his striped pantaloons.
Preiss seems to have had an east-coast bias. Not surprising, though. If there’s a casque in Corbett, I’ll eat my hat.

Perponderance has its use, but in this case quality is a better standard.  A great number of scattered clues lacking any sense of organzation compared to exactly enough clues organized in a specific and instructory way.
Are you seriously getting behind the idea of random guessing just because you have a perponderance of loosely put together bits?  One of the bits is perfect, “the first chapter”, but the rest are all over the place.  Such a setup doesn’t lead to something intelligent (this is not meant as an insult) seems more or less generic AND without cause.

erexere

Are you seriously getting behind the idea of random guessing just because you have a preponderance(sp) of loosely put together bits?

Seriously though, thats your methodology.
The evidence that this picture/ verse points at FOY is pretty substantial.

bigmattyh

If there’s a casque in Corbett, I’ll eat my hat.

Save some of that hat for me.

Are you being childish or joking?
I reviewed the FOY theory and agreed that it has substance.  The problem is that substance is quite random.  You and nobody else has actually put together a satisfactory path interpreted or sensible solve based even remotely like the Cleveland and Chicago solutions, which aren’t random at all.
The problem with the FOY theory isn’t that it lacks substance, it’s that nobody other than myself is making any attempt at recognizing it’s flaws or it’s having the qualities of a red herring.  I submit my Corbett and San Juan Island theories in support of my argument that FOY is a red herring.  I also submit the lack of sufficient gains by anyone else in applying verse 5 or image 12 to any effect.
maltedfalcon, as before, you’ve demonstrated a lot of skill in you’re work in this hunt in the past, what’s happened that now you’re okay with making such a minimal nonsensical contribution to the discussion?

Looking back at some old posts and I found this picture. It seems to meet everything in the verse:
Behind bending branches (the Magnolia street trees)
and
a green picket fence
at the base of a tall tree.
(plus its close to the planetarium)
Looking at google, the tree is not there anymore. Its not clear from the posts where exactly attempts have been made. Does anyone know if Stercox or anyone else tried there? (webshot albums are not working anymore)

Boogieman, the picture of ponce that you were looking at, to the left and at quite a distance, would have been a green picket fence but quite hidden by huge brush and trees.

The only way I can see Stercox’s pictures is if you post a link so I would really like to see the one you were talking about Fox..67 of 117?

#67 of 117
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/22 … good-times

the old guy’s 2 cents ( added to f.b.) is using a clock theory, north being 12, the amount of digging might be reduced 12-fold, thus tying the clock with the wonderstone and the pic. just an idea.

Thanks 2fast for the pic! This picture shows the blue roofed building “the first encounters building”. To the right of this building you would see a hugh stand of bamboo and then the Indian burial grounds. Behind the large tree you see the tiered planter base for the statue of Chief Ariba. There used to be dwarf azaleas planted there. The chief had a long spear with an arrowhead at one time but that was broken during a hurricane. This was considered to be the “center of the park” when I was a tour guide because it is in front of the springhouse and discovery globe and is where you would bring all the guests when they were finished with the planetarium so you could direct them as to what to see next. The bench is relatively new, before my time, a guide told me a couple had been sitting on the bench had just got up and a branch from an old tree snapped and landed on the bench and crushed it just after they had left. Never liked going out under the trees on a windy day after that.

Sawdusty

Boogieman, I drank from the water at the fountain of youth and it made me a girl too!!!My husband is a master carpenter so we can call him saw man.

Geez… 0 for 2.  Well, when I get down there, I’m drinking from it too.  Maybe then I’ll be smarter. (and prettier)

I’m with boog.  I’d put it right behind the wall to the left of the Ponce statue.  Didn’t walls figure into previous finds?

Unknown

Unknown:
Didn’t walls figure into previous finds?

Yes. And fences!

forest_blight

Yes. And fences!

And horses….

stercox – I wonder if the place to dig should be the
east
side of the planetarium entrance rather than the
west
side. The verse says
Near men with wind rose
, not
Near wind rose with men
. Geese are loud critters; you might still hear them even if you were on the opposite side of the building from them. There’s a tree over there, too, and it’s still standing.
Regardless of which side is correct, the verse is not very specific about the exact spot to start digging, which obliged you to dig up a ton of square footage. One explanation for the verse’s lack of specificity is that BP expected the puzzles to all be solved in short order. Once a person found the approximate area, where BP had dug would still be obvious. Another explanation is that we are missing some vital clue that would tell us more precisely where X is.
A liberal interpretation of the verse is that the casque is buried somewhere in the park, under a tree and within earshot of the geese (not necessarily out of sight of them, though).
Behind bending branches / And a green picket fence
could simply mean anywhere behind the fence and trees, i.e. most of the park. Something else in the verse or pic would then nail the spot. Let’s assume Trohn is right for a moment (but only for a moment; I don’t want him to get the wrong idea) and the small marker is our rock. Then that palm tree behind it would be the tree at whose base we’d need to dig – a palm tree to provide a tangible link between pic and verse.
Other interpretations are possible, of course, I’m just trying to think outside the box.

Trohn

And a green picket fence
At the base of a tall tree       WHY USE THE TERM ‘BASE’
AS OPPOSED TO FOOT, SOUTH, ETC…?

Funny how we’ve been talking lately about getting stuck on one idea….Guilty!
There may be something, something that may be at the
base
of a tree that
the casque could be buried in.  Can’t see BP reducing his hands to bloody stumps
digging under a tree (through roots) to hide a casque.  Unless, the tree doesn’t have roots.

No.  The palm tree by the marker should not be the place to dig  (it is not a large enough tree to stand out
among other trees)  It should be used as a line of sight from the burial spot.
I have a nagging question (Forest.. you know what’s coming)
Where is the horse?  We have the men, we have the wind rose – where is the horse??
I agree with Stercox, that the specifc spot should be as the interpretation of
“Like moonlight, in teardrops
Over tallgrass
Years pass, rain falls”
I have imagine that the green picket fence would be a more specfic spot confirmer,
but with this location – it could be a toss up.
“like moonlight in tear drops” —> silver salt
Wow, it only gets tougher the closer you get
The first chapter
Written in water        ENTRANCE
Near men
With wind rose          ONE (OR MANY) OF THE PONCE STATUES
Behind bending branches      MAGNOLIA STREET
And a green picket fence
At the base of a tall tree      WHY USE THE TERM ‘BASE’
AS OPPOSED TO FOOT, SOUTH, ETC…?
You can still hear the honking    PASS THE GOOSE POND/
GOOSE PEN/PARKING LOT
Shell, limestone, silver, salt        SALT CELLAR
Stars move by day                  PLANETARIUM
Sails pass by night                  DISCOVERY GLOBE
Even in darkness                    FOY SPRING
Like moonlight in teardrops
Over the tall grass
Years pass, rain falls.

I worked at the park for about 7 years and met Stercox and she introduced me to this puzzle! I introduced it to one of the owners of the park and finally after years of reminding him, Stercox and company got the chance to dig. Wish we would have found the right spot.
I do have a few things to add. Very little has changed at the “fountain” since the time of B.P.. This year, things are being changed-painted-renovated-some displays moved or removed. For now, all the scripts for the show remain the same, what you hear today is the same as in B.P.s time.
The park used to have many more flowers-it used to house a small botanical garden (where the rock with palm tree is) and things were blooming constantly. Of particular note-beautiful bearded iris around the Seloy marker and dwarf azaleas all around the tiered base of the Indian Statue. There used to be very tall oleanders growing on the path down to the Ponce statue that were described as bending and like walking through a tunnel.
As to the poem, I agree with most of Stercox’s ideas and might add (if even for humors sake) that near men with wind rose could have been the men’s room and smells associated with it. After all, B.P. was a young college age man who did have a sense of humor.
Things that bother me about the poem are…at the base of a tall tree…is it really a tall tree, something made of wood, or perhaps a tall statue? Is it just a marker you pass by or it it where you dig?
The last lines of the poem still are a puzzle to me…Why OVER the tall grass, how tall are we talking…is the tall grass related to the tall tree? There are stands of Bamboo and Cane in the park and I would guess you could call an Iris plant’s leaves a kind of tall grass. I Like the rain (reign) falls idea since this was the area where the Spaniards first encountered the Natives and this was the Chiefdom for the Timucua tribe, and this is where their reign ended.
I am glad to see so many people working together on this one and hope it gets found.
One more thing, the picture is too hard to decipher, I cant tell you how many days I walked around that park and looked for things to match up! I think some of this picture might have mirror images in it. (before you try it, make sure you arent going to scratch your picture with a sharp edge.) By placing a mirror across the jewel from left to right, I see a magnolia cone, if you have been around magnolia trees, you know they are kind of like pine cones with a woody stem. At the bottom of the picture I see the palm tree and the rock as the Bridge of Lions, which is a draw bridge, that is open. The bridge is viewable from the far end of the park. I wish I could put pics up for you but only have a little webtv and it doesnt have that capability.
Stercox, tell me again how much you hate roots and why they call it armchair treasure hunting?!Good luck to all and keep those good ideas going, I think you are all brilliant!

Okay, I’m going to ask this again, then shut up…
What about the obelisk? From the satellite pic of the park I saw, if I have the obelisk pinpointed as I think is correct, then I saw that the edge of the park against the water sort of looked like the edge of the banner the spaniard is holding. The obelisk is on a square base inside a big circle–like the device on the banner. I hate to keep hammering on about this, but no one has even said whether this might even be a good idea. My idea for this is in a couple posts back.
?
ck

shecrab – stercox said, in her long post: “A solid confirmer is the schematic symbol on the flag and even the shape of the flag itself. The symbol is found on an archeological site map found at the park. It symbolizes an obelisk monument out by the coastline.” She also mentions this resemblance – and also the resemblance of the flag’s outline to the shoreline – in her webshots album “P6 V9 St. Augustine.” The obelisk itself (or near it) is a favorite location for the casque for at least one member I know of.
The suggestion that one follow the flag like a path is new, however, and I like that idea. Does the flag match the shoreline closely enough that one could follow it like a path? What’s at the end?

Welcome Sawdusty! It is nice to have you here. I hope you stay awhile and help us crack this nut.

If you followed the banner along it would most likely be along the shoreline and if that casque was buried along the shoreline, then it is gone! Hurricanes and storms have washed away feet (not inches) of the property in this area and the owners are just this year getting permission to construct a seawall to prevent further erosion of the property. As a matter of fact, almost all the property south from the duck pond is flooded after any strong storm or hurricane. It would be helpful if anyone knew the time of year that BP buried these casques and if there were any storms at that time.

I want to remind old and new (welcome) that while BP has been
cryptic and puzzling, his solution(s) – the number of solutions we have
is up for interpretation- that
a tree
is a tree
is a tree  (always has been)
Milwaukee    (proud tall fifth)
Fort Moultrie    (lone member of a forest to the south)
St Augustine.      (base of a tall tree)

Perhaps “you can STILL hear the honking” assumes that the geese are no longer in sight.

forest_blight

shecrab – stercox said, in her long post: “A solid confirmer is the schematic symbol on the flag and even the shape of the flag itself. The symbol is found on an archeological site map found at the park. It symbolizes an obelisk monument out by the coastline.” She also mentions this resemblance – and also the resemblance of the flag’s outline to the shoreline – in her webshots album “P6 V9 St. Augustine.” The obelisk itself (or near it) is a favorite location for the casque for at least one member I know of.
The suggestion that one follow the flag like a path is new, however, and I like that idea. Does the flag match the shoreline closely enough that one could follow it like a path? What’s at the end?

I apologize if my post sounded irritable…I did not read that the banner had been a confirmer.
Anyway, I wasn’t necessarily thinking that the
shoreline
might be a place to bury the casque, only that it might be used as a sight-line for the casque by pinpointing it better–or by maybe following it it would lead somewhere else? And–the other thing is that the banner’s FLAGPOLE might point to the location—in relation to the shoreline, (banner) and the obelisk (device on banner.)
The base of the ‘tall’ tree might indeed mean the flagpole–oir that might be where the tree IS. If you look at the image, the jewel is sort of at the “base” where the flagpole sits–it’s on the head, which is the ‘base’ where the horse and spaniard are.
I think that the artist put the jewel in the picture approximately where it might be found.  🙂
Thanks for the clarifications on my question too.
ck

johann – I think that was stercox’ assumption all along, and the reason for digging in that corner, which was just out of sight (but not out of hearing) of the geese. A more liberal reading indicates any place within earshot of the goose pen, whether they were still in sight or not. But I agree that it’s more likely that one could not see the geese from the burial site. Besides the planetarium, what are some other things that would obscure the geese from view but not from hearing?

johann

Perhaps “you can STILL hear the honking” assumes that the geese are no longer in sight.

Can the verse be used as a guided walk through the park (like in Houston)
and make one pass the goose pen to get to the final location??
I tried this and didn’t come up with anything really good.

How long has the duck/goose pond been there and is it between
the spring/discovery globe/and the Chief??

Thanks for the welcome here and I hope to hang around long enough to see this solved! I dont live far away from the park so can go and check theories if needed, can’t do any digging since I have to get around with a cane and can’t operate a shovel and cane at the same time. Will have to wait for Stercox and the digging team to come back for that. Hope to see some of you on her next trip!

#35 of 117..
That tall(er) “tree” sure has a base.  what exactly is that, a lamppost?

#42 of 117..
is that Trohn’s stone tablet thingy behind the palm tree in this pic?  if not, what is it?  an oddly shaped white thing next to a palm tree is intriguing.

Trohn, There were only two green picket fences that we could identify for sure during BP’s time, one near the planetarium and the other if you stood and looked at the Ponce Statue, facing the water, the fence would be to your left and ran from the gift shop to the water line. There was no fence at the water behind the Obelisk at that time. Now there are some metal gates at the park too that could be called “picket fence” if you think about it and they could have been painted green at one time. The fence from the gift shop area has always been in a huge brushy area that appears to have been kept brushy from old photo’s I have seen.

What if Ponce represents the
Men with wind rose
?  Near him, behind the bending branches, at the base of the tree right behind the wall in stecox’s pic that I linked for Fox just moments ago?
Stercox, I know you are tired.  Wake up, we need you.
edit:  whoa. there was a green picket fence by Ponce?

67 of 117..
This pic shows:
* a set of 3 to 4 cement steps (left..leading up to indian statue)
*a tall tree behind or surrounded by a stone walled area (base of tree?…design on stone area similar to rock in P6?)
*a palm tree
how would access to this little grassy area be to BP trying to bury something?

Forest blight, funny you should mention tree roots, because after the first day of digging I did look up some information to find out how fast tree roots grow…not alot of help out there and found a little info on palm tree roots, according to what I read, they do not get big, just shoot out a little and can be cut off when transplanting the tree. I don’t think the roots of palms grow out very far.

boogieman

What if Ponce represents the
Men with wind rose
?  Near him, behind the bending branches, at the base of the tree right behind the wall in stecox’s pic that I linked for Fox just moments ago?
edit:  whoa. there was a green picket fence by Ponce?

The pic again:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2297612860064740493zdxdTS

If I were putting on a treasure hunt similar to this…. #89 of 117 would, in my mind, be an ideal spot.  Standing at a very prominent spot in the park (PDL statue) and looking away, one sees a lone palm tree.  Things by themselves seem to stand out much more than one of many.

Boogieman, I drank from the water at the fountain of youth and it made me a girl too!!!My husband is a master carpenter so we can call him saw man.

Sawdusty

Trohn, There were only two green picket fences that we could identify for sure during BP’s time, one near the planetarium and the other if you stood and looked at the Ponce Statue, facing the water, the fence would be to your left and ran from the gift shop to the water line. There was no fence at the water behind the Obelisk at that time. Now there are some metal gates at the park too that could be called “picket fence” if you think about it and they could have been painted green at one time. The fence from the gift shop area has always been in a huge brushy area that appears to have been kept brushy from old photo’s I have seen.

If you look at the yellow map, I am interested in ‘area D’
One would walk from the entrance, past the spring, past the duck/goose pond on the right, to ponce statue,
and then turn and face south – looking at the  ‘small marker’ in the distance with the palm tree behind it.
Then you would notice as you slightly orientate yourself a quarter turn that the bay/ocean is behind the ‘small marker’
and the ‘pond’ is in front of it.
Now look up, and ponce is facing the same direction as the image.
Walk backwards, without losing this orientation, and you hit the green picket fence.
Turn around and that is your tall tree.

I think what we need is a better map, with all these landmarks indicated, and everything drawn to scale. Like we have for the Children’s Zoo in Houston.
I am sad about Bitsy’s demise, but my pick for “most likely spot” is, at the moment, directly under her.

Actually, if you turn the page 90 degrees to the left, the rock and its reflection look a little like the actual shape of the casque to me.
It also looks like a hat–or crown.
ck

This may have been mentioned before, but I haven’t saw it so…
If you look at the reflection of the rock in the water, it is doesn’t appear to be a mirror image.  It is close, but if you trace it you will see that there are differences.  Perhaps we are looking for something that is in the combined shape of the rock and its reflection.  Or perhaps we find the perspective that gives you the reflection and that is the perspective used to find where to dig.
I think the rock is the key and is the only thing keeping this casque from being found.

shecrab

could there be another negative space somewhere in the image that might help pinpoint the casque?

Nice idea.   Thanks, SC.  I will have to give that some thought…

2fast4u2c

Perhaps we are looking for something that is in the combined shape of the rock and its reflection.  Or perhaps we find the perspective that gives you the reflection and that is the perspective used to find where to dig.
I think the rock is the key and is the only thing keeping this casque from being found.

Also a nice thought.  Sawdusty has always thought that it looked like the Lion’s Bridge off in the distance from the coastline.  I have thought about finding the perspective to get a similar reflection, that when aligned right would give you the tree you are looking for.  But I haven’t found that yet.  I did think that the water could represent a fountain’s water base with the rock representing the centerpiece for the fountain and a tree behind it.  But the rock never matched up to anything.  I will consider this again, maybe put a twist on it like you mentioned about the combined rock and reflection and see if we can find such a beast.  Thanks 2fast.

Unknown

Unknown:
but wind rose is not a compass,
it is a map of historical wind frequencies…

That is true, but wind roses are also an early form of compass rose found on maps, used as navigational aids. They often bear N, S, E, W designations. Here are some examples unearthed by Google:

Interesting.
Who knew.

We’re all positive that this goes with Florida and FOY right?  SELOY confirms it.
-regulus

If it isn’t the FOY park, then it sure is a string of unimaginable coincidences.

We feel that it is close to FOY park, but not in it.  We think that you guys are taking somethings too literal and some things not literal enough.  It seems almost a given at this point that Verse nine goes with Image six.  In image six there is a rock in water with a tree on it.  Part of the verse does say “At the base of a tall tree”.  We don’t think this is a coincidence.  Conversely, we feel that people are taking the bending branches and picket fence lines too literally.  We think the bending branches could be that of a creek, and a green picket fence could be interpreted as vegetation on a circular island.  In the image we  also see what we interpret as a rock face looking out at the rock in the water.  When we bought up the FOY park area on GoogleEarth we saw what looked a lot like a face in the land looking out at the island we think the casque is on.  The flag in the image also seems to point out into the creek in the direction of the island.  Also in our looking maybe a little too hard into the image we found what we dubbed a “Salad Tong” in the rock face structure just below the jewel.  This “Salad Tong” looks almost identical to hospital creek.  For these reasons we think the casque is on an island near the FOY park.  We are going out tomorrow morning to check out our theory.  We have been on this track for about a week, but did not want to say anything until we were fully convinced.  Hopefully another casque is about to be unearthed!

Hold up…suppose I was getting ready to write a book, but the first chapter is written in water…does that mean I cant proceed to write the next chapter because the first has vanished? I figure this is just a book metaphor in place of a story or historical event that could’ve developed into something significant but never did.

Glossiphoniidae

Simon and the Pieman wind rose on HoJo in St. Augustine… near men with wind rose…

Don’t forget, anyway you cut it, this is also near men (simon + pieman or howard + johnson) with windrose:
And the beginning of the SELOY acronym is SSS, or Simple Simon Says…
Being buried at the base of the green picket fence and tall tree next to the HoJo entrance not only alleviates the concern of being buried in the park, but also puts it next to the wall that resembles Ponce’s shirt. It also allows for someone to “solve the puzzle from their own house” and “find the casque in their own backyard.”

maltedfalcon

At FOY
If you go straight through the main gate,
straight across the parking lot there is a gated access road but you can walk right past the gate.
pass the main entrance on your right, you come to a picnic area (outside the FOY offical park)
continue to the end of the picnic area,
there is a green picket fence. you are basically in rock throwing distance of men
[size=100]
with windrose
[/size].
and you can see the roof of the planetarium dome
Behind the fence are several tall trees and overgrown bushes,
If you look to your left you can see the house of the FOY property owner.
I was not able to investigate this area any further because it was posted on the picket fence.
“Nesting Birds” do not pass this point.
That area needs further investigation.

Maltedfalcon-
This was what I found too. I stopped by the park a couple of days ago coming back through FL and noticed the weather vane/compass on top of the planetarium and thought it a good match for the “with wind rose” line.
Here is the vane (I took pics but this is basically the same):

maltedfalcon

simon says
and
simple simon are two different simons.

Ah, but you misread the intent of the hybrid:
This was from Mother Goose… honk!

Some intersting aside on Simple Simon…
“Simple Simon and the Pieman were used as the logo of Howard Johnson’s restaurants from the 1930s onward. The logo was found on the weathervane on top of a cupola on the restaurants, and as well next to the door among other places. The chain was once nationwide in the USA but has now virtually disappeared.”
And the litany:
The Hadas of Iberia:
“Cuentos de
Hadas
,” published by Editorial
Iberia
, and written by Charles Perrault, is Spanish for “fairy tale.” Perrault wrote the first “Stories of Mother Goose” in Spanish.
Interestingly, the image that appears above in a publication of Mother Goose was illustrated by William Wallace Denslow (known by W.W., lots of repeated “W”words in the verse), who was “an American illustrator and caricaturist remembered for his work with author L. Frank Baum, especially his illustrations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” and for illlustrating a single edition of Mother Goose, which was the edition that he illustrated Simple Simon and the Pieman (above).

There are some numbers in here that I really can’t see.  4 1 1 3 4?

forest_blight

Here is a YouTube video of the mean near the wind rose:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF2aapUb700
This home video from (?) shows a small bit of the planetarium show (I think), and the famous geese before they disappeared:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ATql-oqhbo

I have actually seen both of these, and I posted a frame grab of the geese over on the wiki. One thing that interested me was that the materials sign is composed in the same way that the line, “shells, limestone, silver, salt” is (salt and silver actually appear on the materials sign, but shells and limestone do not). Perhaps it is cluing us into the further use or signage, which seems to be VERY prevalent in this verse.

Not to be a dick, Erexere, but your post is filled with numerous false assertions and, quite frankly, if I didn’t know better, I would think you were trying to throw the rest of us off track.

The sign in the planetarium vestibule quotes,
The traverse board was a wooden “wind-rose” with eight holes… Each hole represented 1 Roman mile per hour of speed.
The “wind rose” is self explanatory, but “men” doesn’t make much sense when the sign continually says only one man is operating it.
Near men
Might this just be a play on the word “men”? A wind rose with 8 holes (hole = 1 Roman (pronounced
ro-men
) or lots of Romans? Basically a play on the word “men”?

forest_blight

Very close to the wind rose located in the planetarium is a scale model of a ship with tiny sailors on it.

Yeah… I’m just tinkering a bit.

Some healthy criticism on FOY:
By all accounts, I still haven’t seen any evidence that St. Augustine has a comprehensive connection to this verse.  The first line being attributed to the entrance is the only literal association that gives me pause for consideration.  The rest of the clues are just mashed together at random.  I can appreciate some non-linearity but not what’s been demonstrated thus far.  If anything, with the last five lines holding the precious key to SELOY, I’d expect the actual attributing landmark to Seloy to be a direct indicator to the casque location.  All the verses seem to share a START HERE –> LINKS TO PATH or LINKS TO NEAREST PHYSICAL REFERENCE POINTS –> DIG HERE construction.  I’m working on a purely theoretical basis, but it holds for Cleveland and Chicago, so why not see the same process applied to St. Augustine?
The conclusion that Image 6 best fits Verse 9 is less than ideal.  Sure there are no other good options in the image pool, and sure there’s a rough FL outline and a Spanish explorer and then the vague image extractions or manipulations to compare it to a host of intricate locations…the weathervane, the windrose and it’s ship replica of men, picket fences (take a guess on which seems a bad approach), etc.  The attribution to silver and limestone is extremely tenuous since it’s easy to find references to silver or limestone just about anywhere.  I’d much rather prefer to focus on a site where limestone held some additional significance such as the Roche Harbor Lime and Cement company being distinguished as one of the earliest and largest exporters of quality limestone.
I do like the approach to find literal connections to sites, but I’d like to see it go with some comprehensive plan as a focused effort to a spot.  You don’t have that in you’re approach, so you’re efforts to find a casque result in guesswork.  I can only appreciate guesswork when it comes as a result of compensating for landscape alterations or some other missing elements as a result of 30 years of change.
My attempts to conclude a location in San Juan Island, using Image 12 with this verse DO follow constraints that avoid random association.  I’ve chosen a spot for the acrostic as a whole, though I admit I need to play with adjusting four lines which doesn’t alter the principal meaning of the verse or it’s lines as a whole, based on a historic context.  SELBY or SELOY?  With Selby I am able to find a place that has significant only elements in which to focus attention: a flagpole, a fence, a historic plaque on a boulder, and a lighthouse in the distance.  The literality of the Daughters of the American Revolution being the “First Chapter” is rock solid.  It’s on the plaque on Robert’s Rock.  Their organization would’ve utilized Robert’s Rules of Order just as any parliamentary organization where each member would make motion, vote, accept or reject, and move on with their meetings.  It’s fitting that they honored Robert and the Redoubt.  The verse begins with looking for a chapter, and it ends with “Years pass, rain falls.”  The first chapter is a clue about their organization being founded in Washington, and the acrostic tells us what corner and Camp in Washington to go to.  The Rock monument is involved in the conclusion of this puzzle as a physical direct reference to the casque location.
I suppose anything looks random without understanding.  My understanding has unlocked the San Juan Island location.  I’d only be willing to consider FOY if there was a shred of consistency in what’s been provided beyond “Look, here’s a bunch of things that go with the picture and verse but nothing points directly to a spot.”  It should be a simple convention of the physical surroundings to locate any of these casques.  It was so in Chicago, it was so in Cleveland.

Very close to the wind rose located in the planetarium is a scale model of a ship with tiny sailors on it.

Here is a YouTube video of the mean near the wind rose:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF2aapUb700
This home video from (?) shows a small bit of the planetarium show (I think), and the famous geese before they disappeared:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ATql-oqhbo

hi soulfly  and everyone
yep waiting on dar to start back, checking this out too.
why isn’t anyone looking across the bay? he used acrostic for seloy, why not the first of the verse, TWN W BAAY,  is there a light house there? i was thinking of someone’s reference to virginiia wolf’s play.  maybe he was looking across from the bay to the park.  maybe the “tree” is a lamp post. LAMP anagrams to PALM
and since he is mounted on the horse, maybe monterey? or mount something (strange tho in florida, i know)

i think, besides the SELOY,  in the verse, that “near men with wind rose behind bending branches” is another reference to the indians.
you know, like bows and arrows………….”bending branches”

Wonder why this one hasn’t been nailed down to a few
square by now…
http://www.getaway4florida.com/moreinfo … &ClassID=3
http://www.getaway4florida.com/do/attra … 5&pageno=2
Let’s take another look….

hmmm. 11 Magnolia Ave.  Those are not magnolias in P6 are they?

you gotta love the first sentence in Trohn’s 1st link above. “The Nation’s first chapter in history begins at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth. ”  Sounds like a first chapter written in water to me….  If this park isnt the site…it sure has to be part of the trail leading to our casque.  The casque is nearby folks…lets get it.
If I am not mistaken..the flower(s) in P6 are asters, not Magnolias.

Now if we can find a plaque with that “first chapter” idea . . .

you guys already have found a plaque with the words “First Chapter” on it, its on the entrance to tha tplace

The symbol on the flag is the (monolithic) monument or marker out by the water, YES.  Its one of the key pieces of information that sold this site for me.   The green fence that you see in my pictures was just recently put there. There have been fences out along the monument over the years, in different positions,  to help protect the monument against wind from the coast.  They have not always been painted green however.  They get blown out to sea, every few years and are replaced.  I am trying to work with my contacts at the park to see where fences were on the property in the early 80’s.  There are a number of wooden fences at the park right now and they have all changed over the years.  The one fence that I refer to is the one that the employees say has been there behind the ticket gate and gift shop.  I don’t have that pictured in the album.  They remember this always being green.

Stercox, your investigations remind me a lot of what I am going through at the CZ.  I rely a lot on people’s memory too.
What I have found though is that regardless of how insistent people are, you need a photo or something of that time frame to ensure that it is true.
You might check with a local library or the PR department for old photos.  Explain to them that you are trying to compare what the present site looks like to what it looked like 20 years ago. I am sure they will be helpful.
wilhouse

Unknown

Unknown:
John Fraser, owner of the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park property, emailed me with additional information that he said I could share with you all here.
John Fraser posted:
Really fascinating info!

Unknown

Unknown:
rookhunter posted:
First, he’s going to clear the areas he’s interested in with the park archaeologist. Second, he’s going to ask the state to borrow their GPR. Third, he’s going to call me and let me know when. Fourth, he may do some digging if any promising locations are discovered. However he’s definitely not going to give anybody permission to any independent digging.
I’m sure he’d be willing to consider specific locations, if anybody could provide strong evidence that they’re worth checking. However, he knows the property inside-out and has done quite a bit of investigation over the years, so there’s a high burden of proof. When it gets closer to fall I’ll send him any new thoughts / theories we’ve come up with here.

Regarding Wikis, there’s nothing “dead” about the original Wiki – I have a working logon, I’m sure I’m not the only one, and updated it quite recently (to wipe SLC off the map). The new Wiki seems to be mainly a homage to the pursuit known as “Urban Smurfing”.  ::)
The SA member with the closest links to FOY posts as “Very Nice Eraser”. Here are their last couple of posts on the subject.
Personally I still don’t think it’s in the park grounds, but I’m ready to stand someone a drink if I’m proved wrong.  😉
Good luck Egbert!

Everyone is guilty of urbansmurfery.

Just practically speaking, it’s really hard to dig at the base of a tall tree just because of the root system (I’ve tried!). And yes, this would be true of palm trees as well. I’m 75% sure it’s not a real tree he is referring to. It is either wordplay or symbolic.

Unknown

Unknown:
I’m 75% sure it’s not a real tree he is referring to.

And I’m about 75% convinced that he is in this context (“at the base of a tall tree”). But I’m also 99% sure that we are not meant to dig there. I’ll change my tune when someone digs up a casque despite the presence of mature tree roots that we can prove existed in 1981.

Guys, I see these lines in Verse 9 reading like this:
At the base of a tall tree (Watchtower in FOY Park)
You can still hear the
honking (Sound of Daily Cannon Firing next to the Watchtower)
I don’t read the verse with the tree being tied to the lines before it. I read it like above. It would suck to have to deal with a tree that has been around for the last few decades.

watchtower wasnt there in 80s according to george.
also…i just solved the angel clue!!!
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/LocationPhot … orida.html

click over to next photo…angel is standing on nose of face/fin of whaleshark etched into the clouds, there is also something beside the angel too…

Just to put a spin on things:
“Shell, limestone, silver, salt”
One way to make a good concrete is to burn shells to get limestone, then add more shells.
The first photograph ever taken was created using salt and silver nitrate. These are still the basic chemical ingredients that create photos.
Also, salt and silver nitrate are 2 of the 4 main components in the bronzing process.
Concrete movie theatre?
Concrete bust? (photo, depiction, image of)
Bronze bust?
Bronze movie theatre? lol

just in case this helps-
The points on a windrose like the points on a compass
N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW.
are labeled also but it depends on the lanquage you use.
Italian, (most common usage- from north, clockwise)
T, G, L, S, O, A, P, M
for
Tramontana, Greco, Levante, Syroco, Ostro, Africus, Ponente, Maestro
Latin, (alternate names in parenthesis)
Aquilo, Wutrurus, Agestes, Phoenix (euronotos), Austerus, Africus(Vulturnus), Faviounus, Circius
or Greek
Boreas, Caecias (Thracias), Eurus, (burus), Apeliotes, Notus, Libs(lips), Zephyrus, Corus (skirion, Aparctias)
I think its interesting how many of the wind names are words we are familiar with but had no idea where the word came from

WhiteRabbit

I certainly do – in the corner behind the cannon at the bottom of Magnolia
I’ve been trying to persuade someone to dig there for over a year. The current manager, John Stavely, even offered to dig there himself at one time, though I probably pestered him too much and he went quiet.  😉
(I’m sure he’d be cooperative though.)
There’s a summary of my thoughts on this one here…
http://www.lemontiger.co.uk/images/misc/thesecret/floridapuzzle.pdf

So you’re lemontiger. Before I joined, I used to see your PDFs everywhere. lol
Why behind the cannon and not next to it by the tree? Im curious as to how you get there by verse.
I like that spot too. I can see Preiss staying at that motel nearby and digging very late or very early.

Like moonlight in teardrops?

rookhunter

Like moonlight in teardrops?

yes… but you cannot dig under it or on the other side of the FOY wall.
Look directly across from it, where there is “a green picket fence At the base of a tall tree” (the fence was green and the tree is taller than the rest on the block)…
… the wall matches Ponce’s shirt, and the water pipe matches his arm. it’s right where the rein falls. the simon and pieman are “near men with wind rose”. it’s definitely behind that wall, on HoJo preperty between the side of the hotel and the wall. you could still hear honking, but not see it because you are behind the wall. look at the outline of Ponce’s flag blowing in the wind… is it not the outline of the top of the picket fence at the base of the tree? from where you could look across the yard and see this across the street (the fire hydrant looking over the top of the picket fence):

@WR
I totally agree that your proposed solved could quite possibly be correct, using the planetarium and the signs as distinct and positive visual correlations to the verse. I just think that you are lacking a spot, and the one I have been pushing solves that. Even if “near men with wind rose” refers to the sign, could it not be a double-clue to the HoJo (for that matter, it doesn’t need to be)? And even if Magnolia St. is the tall tree, aren’t we looking for a (singular) green picket fence at the base of it? Is the picket fence adjacent to the HoJo not the last green picket fence at the end of Magnolia?
I guess I am not trying to dispute your solve, its great! But where’s the spot (basically, our same problem with Boston)? Is “a green picket fence At the base of a tall tree” as good of a description as “The end of ten by thirteen,” especially given the wall matching Ponce’s shirt and the flag being a clear outline of the top of a picket? Heck, from behidn the wall you would be staring at red squares.

I agree it’s difficult to pin down an exact spot. My favourite clues for the corner location are:
1) “At the base of a tall tree”. I don’t think that’s literal; it just wouldn’t be possible because of the roots. Anyway, which side of it…? Magnolia seems a perfect cryptic fit to me. (Plus the tree in the pic kind of lines up with Magnolia Ave if you take the white rock as the coastline.) This is alongside the fence that marks the bottom of the road.
2) “Shell, limestone” appears on a sign, but taken in connection with visual similarities in the picture I think it also hints at the oyster-shell wall. So, beside the wall.
3) It’s right next to the cannon. Do you see that in the pic…? No-one has ever commented on it as far as I recall. I could sketch in the outline but I didn’t think it was necessary. I also see the stone pillar next to it.
My only reservation about it being literally behind that section of green picket fence you’ve suggested is that it’s on private property. I wouldn’t rule it out though, so great, check both. Basically, I reckon someone spending a day in Magnolia and exploring the possible locations that have been suggested there would have a chance of finding a casque; better than they would just about anywhere else perhaps, given that there’s almost universal agreement on image/verse/park, a helpful park manager who knows about the puzzle, and very little change over the years. No-one has ever tried digging here; they’ve only tried within the park. As it’s a private ticketed attraction and archaeological hotspot, I think that’s unlikely.
If I was able to travel to just one location to dig, this would be it.

I should look for some examples. Most vese lines are super short and only a few cases use comma separation. Each case as I loosely recall gave the sense of a main focus using some further descriptiveness.

cobock!  where’s our pictures???? what happened?  did you have fun?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cobock1

We’ll be going to saint augustine for an extended weekend in a month or two.

Patience Slappy…

lol, i’m sorry!  k, that gives us more time!
but i also had another idea for that slab……….
“…f
irst fort”
———
base
“
de pinos
“———–
tall tree
and “by sir francis
DRAKE
“………you can still hear the
honking-
———drake—-
male duck
all on that one slab!! are you listening cobock?

but guys, whiterabbit said the same thing  by matching the  “flower/month/gem”  with the litany, she just says it longer  🙂
but that’s a good thing, she makes me look at things differently. isn’t that what we need?!
and sometimes she follows a path that we haven’t been down.  she does a lot more research than i do, mine is so cursory i know i’m missing things.
seems to me now, we need to take that piece of land that whiterabbit found matched the coast line and angle it and
reflect
it or mirror it til we can aim it to where it would be in the park or street maybe near those checkered bricks whiterabbit found
if someone has the skills to do that please post it okay!
and she made me look again at the gem, since that is all that is definite inside the park shape (besides my ducks, lol ) and the flowers and green picket fence.  so now i have to go back thru stercox’s album.  it is reminding me of the door at the springhouse.
and look at this star shape in front of the springhouse:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/26 … 0493HtpUoy
and the flower at the planetarium:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/24 … 0493XpyyYL

(Thanks Slappy, and no offence taken Shecrab…I do too much thinking out loud. I agree with all the general locations that y’all have discovered, and lately I’ve been concerned mainly with trying to find clues for an exact position – somewhere you can say: “dig here” – and trying to track down people who might be willing to investigate these. Like Slappy, I probably let my enthusiasm run away a little when Cobock mentioned a forthcoming visit. Re: the two solves, although there’s much to be learned from them, I don’t think the approach to the other puzzles should necessarily be limited to what was used there, which hasn’t yet proved sufficient. The Chicago find needed help from BP to locate the exact spot, and the correct interpretation of the verse didn’t emerge until after it had been dug up, so I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of other overlooked aspects to either of these.)
(PS just for the record, I’m a boy-rabbit.)  😉

Everyone understands Whiterabbit, that’s why no one means to be offensive. But I have discovered from long late night discussions with my treasure hunting friends it is best to remember two things when solving these. Stand back every once and a while and look at picture as a whole, it keeps you from going on wild tangents. And also, remember that BP didn’t have the internet or google at his disposal the way we do today when he hid these in 1980/81. He also knew that the readers of his book didn’t have anything like that as well. I don’t think  he would use obscure references to literature or anything like that. He was a well read man, i’m sure and does make some. The New Orleans verse for example has an obvious and direct quote to at least one famous piece of literature. But I think any such references or clues would be from famous or commonly known works. I think the “writ in water” on Keats’ grave is along the lines of one that my be something BP intended. But don’t get too carried away with google searching.

You are forgetting the two solves.
The flower in Image 4, the Cleveland solve, is a daffodil. The casque was found in the Greek cultural gardens. Daffodils are not “associated” with Greece in any particular way, nor with
Cleveland
in any way, nor is GREECE associated in more than a peripheral way with Cleveland. Unless your system is consistent, it’s not likely that it’s valid.
You can say the same thing about the Chicago solve. The emerald
is
associated with Ireland, and Chicago
does
have a large Irish heritage–but it’s not the first thing anyone thinks of when they think of the Irish in America. And what either Ireland or emeralds would have to do with Lily-of-the-Valley, I can’t even begin to surmise.
Whiterabbit, please don’t take offense at this–it’s not meant to be a criticism–but you seem to take great delight in drawing parallels between things that may or may not need parallels drawn between them. Most of your associations are very broad-based. There’s nothing wrong with brainstorming, but none of these broad similarities are leading anywhere. I haven’t said anything up until now, because I kept waiting for your methods to reap some  reward–but I don’t think you’re getting anywhere we haven’t already been.
I’m not saying you should stop, but perhaps a little more hard research on those things we’ve already ferretted out might be more helpful. There really is little doubt that the location suggested by image 2 is Charleston, or the one in Image 3 is Roanoke Island, 7 is New Orleans, 8 is Houston, 10 is Milwaukee, 12 New York. Very solid confirmers have been uncovered for these images and they match the
type of solid confirmers
in the two that were solved. In the Cleveland image, the big ‘confirmer’ was the silhouette of the Terminal Tower. In Chicago’s image, it was the water tower. In other images, there are definite pieces that point to definite locations–things that have already been found. The same can be said of some of the verses. Houston’s verse (1) describes the location as the Children’s Zoo fairly accurately. There seems to be no real reason to continue to search for that one, since the entire zoo has been bulldozed over; it will probably never be found now. That doesn’t mean it’s somewhere else.
As I said, I’m not criticising but there’s a lot of hair-splitting lately. Maybe stepping back to see a bigger picture (so to speak) wouldn’t be amiss.

shecrab

As I said, I’m not criticising but there’s a lot of hair-splitting lately. Maybe stepping back to see a bigger picture (so to speak) wouldn’t be amiss.

oh no, i’m sorry mr rabbit  :-[
cobock, i’m glad you’re keeping keats in mind, because even tho his grave say’s  “writ in water” and not “written”, he did write “ode to a grecian urn”.
the words “written in water” aren’t at the park,  right?  so that has to be a big  clue….
and in that poem of keats……..he’s talking to the urn and saying how they ( the people on the urn and the trees), will never die or grow old (fountain of youth), it will always be
“SPRING”
and the lovers “
for ever young”
so it all ties in==
keats, fountain of youth, grecian urn–
—————but really one of the spanish urns
i didn’t know a goose pen was right there by the planetarium (thanks stercox
)
http://family.webshots.com/photo/283765 … 0493UOGQqw
mr rabbit, you’ll like this one……..i keep seeing it in my head————–bending branches—————-benches

Unknown

Unknown:
As he lay on his deathbed (in lodgings near the Spanish Steps) and listened to the distant fountains, lines from Philaster (by the seventeenth-century playwrights Beaumont and Fletcher) came to mind: “All your better deeds/Shall be in water writ.”

…sheesh, I’m trying hard not to Google stuff, but it’s like offering a slug of whisky to a drunk…

Quick recap: Seloy is the Indian village where Florida’s Fountain of Youth was built. It has a sign which says: “The First Chapter”. Image 6 resembles its statue of Ponce de Leon. It had geese and a green picket fence. It also has a “silver salt” cellar connected with Ponce de Leon, with a sign describing it as a “casque” – an unusual word that BP uses for the treasure boxes. The Fountain of Youth is mentioned in the introduction.

erexere

The phrasal verb “wind up” or “wound up” is interesting to consider as the intent of the words in the line “with wind rose”.
Adjusting for tense and relative meaning we have:
wind / wound
rose / rise = upwards / up
“wound up” is a phrase used to say what result comes from a particular course of action or the conclusion to some situation or event.  “I wound up in jail after a night of drinking.”  “The group wound up lost without a leader”.  “The two families wound up in a bitter feud because of a misunderstanding between two children.”
I thought the line “Near men” might relate to:
near / close to / similar to
men / mankind / humans
What is similar to humans?
Primate monkeys would be the first choice as a genetic and cognitive trait.
Parrots can imitate speech and demonstrate advanced cognition.
Any creature having bipedalism: birds, dogs, bears, meerkats, kangaroos, and the list goes on.
Even something anthropomorphic might be the goal of this line.
I’m quite happy with the “Pig War” as the target for “Near men / With wind rose”.

pretty sure it’s “Near men with…”:
Rose
not…
Rose
its a WindRose

erexere

The first line:  The first chapter
Initially this puts us on an organization of some kind.

No, I think this initially puts us at the main entrance to the Fountain of Youth State Park. See the book shaped sign.

Have a nice Memorial Day weekend everyone.
I for one should come back feeling
rejuvenated
.
Pine

“Here lies one whose name was
written in water
”  what John Keats requested be written on his grave stone. There’s also some ambient gothic music by the same name.  English poet fellow – wrote ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ in 1819.

“The first chapter
Written in water”
Based upon what has been tossed around so far, it appears that the first step is to find something with John Keats’ name on it.  After all, according to him, his NAME was “written in water.”  I couldn’t find anything in Salt Lake City other than a bed & breakfast place with a room called a “John Keats.”
I haven’t checked the other cities.

nice find neVar.  Although, if Keats wanted that on his gravestone it would be the Last chptr instead of the first lol  ::)

It is not known where Keats came up with this phrase but is believed to be from Philaster Act 5, Scene III.
“…Your memory shall be as foul behind you, As you are living; all your better deeds Shall be in water writ, but this in marble; No chronicle shall speak you, though…”

burnstyle

I messaged her to ask her for a link.

Thank you burnstyle. Having missed them the first time, it would be interesting to look at them if they turn up.
WhiteRabbit – When I went looking for the Stercox pic, I remember seeing an alternate posting of the pic you’re likely referring to. This it?

Wow! Good ole Q4T!! Its been years since I’ve been on this site, still hunting though. The picture above is Kim, my hunting partner, and we were digging at the west side of the planetarium there, probably late 2006 or early 2007. The old pictures I have are from 2004-2007. All were on Webshots, but I didn’t keep the links. Doubt if they are still accessible. I have most of them on my Google drive and they are organized into park zones. Hope you find them helpful. Glad to do it.

St Augustine East Park zone
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ … sp=sharing

St. Augustine Mideast Park zone
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ … sp=sharing

St Augustine Midwest park zone
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ … sp=sharing

St Augustine West park zone
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ … sp=sharing

Thanks Stercox! You’re a legend.

I’ve been turning the last line over in my mind whenever I pour a beer.
“Years pass, rain falls.”
In my most recent thoughts, I’ve noticed that the two subject words share a connection for being cyclical. Years, in terms of the orbital period, are each defined as a revolution around the Sun and rain has it’s own cyclical format as water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, etc.).
Another link to both those terms is in the nature of gravity. The Earth is held in it’s orbit by the Sun’s gravity. Rain drops
fall
as a result of the Earth’s gravity.
The mention of moonlight in teardrops also resonates with this idea, since tears are being dropped, the moon is held by Earth’s gravity, it’s light is a reflection of the Sun.

Just added some more photos that I had for the FoY.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/102050593@N07/

Tried to post this poem that I found earlier, so if it posts twice, sorry.  Still doing web searching and found the following poem.
Here is the land where life is
written in water
The West is where the water was and is
Father and son of old mother and daughter
Following rivers up immensities
of range and desert thirsting the sundown ever
Crossing a hill to climb a hill still drier
Naming tonight a city by some river
a different name from last night’s camping fire
Look to the green within the mountain cup
look to the prairie parched for water lack
Look to the sun that pulls the oceans up
look to the cloud that gives the oceans back
Look to your heart and may your wisdom grow
to power of lightning and to peace of snow
—Thomas Hornsby Ferril, 1940
Thomas Hornsby Ferril was poet Laurraeate for Colorado til his death.  There is tons more information on him.  Hope the poem helps someone.

I honestly don’t know why any other explanation is being pursued. This was so clear and so apt that it SINGS. And the ONLY reason a casque has not been found in FOY park is that they won’t let anyone dig there. With all the other confirmers, why on earth is any other location even being considered?

WR, you have discovered a new which-came-first-chicken-egg conundrum!
Hmm…Florida is always going to be in the picture.  Maybe there’s a toothfairy connection with Sodium Fluoride.
My brain could use a good flossing about now…

Here I basically work with 4 words: shell, limestone, silver, salt.  The abalone seashell consists of calcium carbonate, limestone is also calcium carbonate, silver is a good description of the lustrous mother of pearl or irridescent nacre of abalone shells, and calcium carbonate is a salt.  Also, the moon looks very pearl-like and one particular shape of pearl often used in pendants is called “teardrop” in shape.  Please observe the large illustration of selected wiki excerpts:

Don’t forget this (possibly) simpler explanation!
http://family.webshots.com/photo/227624 … 0493VCCsUN
http://family.webshots.com/photo/274918 … 0493UtPpMJ
…both visible at the FOY in St. Augustine.

I like your pearls for what we have called the color blind test….fits quite nicely.  But now where….argh

(Seems calcium carbonate is also made from oyster shells…)
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index … 041AAr24bd