The Allison Wonderland

It’s Thursday!!!!
My fault!  Happy early birthday David! Ha 
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Happy birthday 🎈

Michele

It won't actually be belated until Thursday.

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Hey David.  Happy belated birthday my friend.

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I think Ragsdale's last clues were for 2015.  Someone on another site found "sage" in that year's clues and the medallion was wrapped in a rag, both of which were references to Ragsdale.    It's interesting that these first clues seem to refer to writers.  Is another writer leaving?

Thanks David - I had it all jumbled.
Perhaps a reference to the mosers who ran it for 20+ years in the late 70’s-91? 
Maybe not - oh well
On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 12:37 PM Allison Wonderland via groups.io <AllisonWondrland=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Clue 3 could be native american reference to me.
On Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 11:37 AM Allison Wonderland via groups.io <AllisonWondrland=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Actually it was Millet and Boxmeyer who wrote them from 1994 to 2001. Then Ragsdale took over and I forget when he finished. I think Millet helped him 2009 after Boxmeyer died and they did the Swede Hollow hunt for him. So the current cluewriter has been going at most 15 years, and I think it probably changed at least once in that time, but that is just a guess.
David

On Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 12:27:48 PM CST, Archie Pickerign via groups.io <acpickerign@...> wrote:

Good thoughts all.
This article about the “lost” original medallion from last year does a decent job of highlighting the clue writer timeline.
If rags/ millet were done in 2001 I believe the current CW might be claiming a continuous 25 year tenure? Maybe this is their swan song?
Next year (coming anniversary) is 75 years of the hunt. And a third of its history a writer of mystery seems to make a claim of ~25 years of clue writing.
What is souch going to do with the newfound free time?;) jkjk
https://www.yahoo.com/news/thirty-years-quietly-vanishing-original-110900254.html

On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 12:04 PM Allison Wonderland via groups.io <AllisonWondrland=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Good thoughts all.
This article about the “lost” original medallion from last year does a decent job of highlighting the clue writer timeline.
If rags/ millet were done in 2001 I believe the current CW might be claiming a continuous 25 year tenure? Maybe this is their swan song?
Next year (coming anniversary) is 75 years of the hunt. And a third of its history a writer of mystery seems to make a claim of ~25 years of clue writing.
What is souch going to do with the newfound free time?;) jkjk
https://www.yahoo.com/news/thirty-years-quietly-vanishing-original-110900254.html

On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 12:04 PM Allison Wonderland via groups.io <AllisonWondrland=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

This gives me the start of a theory, "concepts of a plan" if you will. I think the first line might be suggesting that this clue is about the cluewriter sitting in the park writing about the things they see. Presumably three different things. 
I like the idea that the second line could tie into a cartoonist, though I wouldn't bet the farm on it just yet. It makes me think of the giant book sculpture in Phalen (is that still there?) Certainly it could have twigs collected on it, though I'm not sure about dolls. Maybe it's a reference to a Peanuts statue somewhere?
The third line could refer to a flashing neon sign for some soft of devil-themed beer that is visible from the park (I wouldn't count on it being visible from the hiding spot necessarily).
The fourth line? Maybe a poem with a particular meter?
David

On Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 09:26:41 AM CST, Denise Furlong via groups.io <denisegfurlong@...> wrote:

Some thoughts.. Clue 3 makes me think about the act of writing.  Sitting, thinking, musing.  Getting bursts of ideas which makes the writer happy.    I found this about F Scott Fitzgerald: "Fitzgerald metaphorically compared the act of writing to moving people around like "paper dolls."   I don't know if the "writer" is the clue writer or if it's pointing to something related to some other writer like Millett or Fitzgerald.         

Maybe it has ties to illustrator or cartoonist. Twigs and dolls could mean stick figures. Matt feazell is a St. Paul man famous for his cynical stick figure comics. Or Charles Shultz? Rhythm of the sages can easily switch to rhythms of the ages, but that was a dead end for me.. 

Too bad Great Gatsby turned 100 last year:(

Some thoughts.. Clue 3 makes me think about the act of writing.  Sitting, thinking, musing.  Getting bursts of ideas which makes the writer happy.    I found this about F Scott Fitzgerald: "Fitzgerald metaphorically compared the act of writing to moving people around like "paper dolls."   I don't know if the "writer" is the clue writer or if it's pointing to something related to some other writer like Millett or Fitzgerald.         

The more important question is can you get the reduced price cheeseburger at Shamrock's by showing a receipt for the patch?
Dave

Thank you! :) 
Michele 

On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 6:35 AM Allison Wonderland via groups.io <AllisonWondrland=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Based on answers I have seen the PP give on Facebook to other people who did not receive their patch, the answer is yes, registering is sufficient (and that happens automatically when you buy it), even if you don't physically possess one.
David B. Allison

On Monday, January 19, 2026 at 09:34:02 AM CST, Michele Caldwell via groups.io <hagb0002@...> wrote:

Thanks, David!
I ordered it two weeks ago and it still hasn't arrived. I wonder if having one registered is enough? 

Michele

Did they use AI to write the clues? I think it is pretty safe to say No. What we are calling AI is really just a sophisticated pattern matching machine. It's not really capable of creating anything truly new or making clever word play. I suppose you could maybe use it as a fancy thesaurus, like "give me another phrase that means the same as [whatever]" but you would still need a person to write the overall clue.
David B. Allison

On Monday, January 19, 2026 at 11:49:31 PM CST, Michele Caldwell via groups.io <hagb0002@...> wrote:
Has spun clues using sorcery = does this mean AI wrote the clues? Please tell me they didn't load all of the clues and answers from the beginning of the hunt into Claude and said make a treasure hunt in Ramsey County. Please tell me they didn't! I am so sick of AI ruining everything good, pure, and innocent fun. ** End of Rant**

I'm sticking with:
1 on Hidden Falls3 on Como2 Battle Creek1 Linwood2 on Crosby1 Harriet Island

On Monday, January 19, 2026 at 10:00:14 PM PST, Allison Wonderland via groups.io <allisonwondrland@...> wrote:

Here is the new clue. I have no idea what it means. It sounds like it is paraphrasing or summarizing something better known perhaps?  

Clue #3

Sitting with pen musing all in ken

Twigs and dolls filled the pages

A flashing demonic offered tonic,

The rhythm of the sages

 

And the previous clues:

 

Clue #2

For this hunt sublime a commemorative rhyme

Cheers the coming anniversary

A third of its history a writer of mystery

Has spun clues using sorcery

 

Clue #1

Welcome King Boreas, your swag so notorious

It's part of the mythic lore

No need for sulkin we're back with Vulcan

In time for seven score

Here is the new clue. I have no idea what it means. It sounds like it is paraphrasing or summarizing something better known perhaps?  

Clue #3

Sitting with pen musing all in ken

Twigs and dolls filled the pages

A flashing demonic offered tonic,

The rhythm of the sages

 

And the previous clues:

 

Clue #2

For this hunt sublime a commemorative rhyme

Cheers the coming anniversary

A third of its history a writer of mystery

Has spun clues using sorcery

 

Clue #1

Welcome King Boreas, your swag so notorious

It's part of the mythic lore

No need for sulkin we're back with Vulcan

In time for seven score

Has spun clues using sorcery = does this mean AI wrote the clues? Please tell me they didn't load all of the clues and answers from the beginning of the hunt into Claude and said make a treasure hunt in Ramsey County. Please tell me they didn't! I am so sick of AI ruining everything good, pure, and innocent fun. ** End of Rant**