Jill's Journal: Fun found in hunt for Brandon's Christmas Spirit

Up until Kim Brand walked through the door of the Journal office last Wednesday morning, I wasn’t sure if our “Brandon’s Christmas Spirit” ornament would ever be found.

You see, we lost it. Actually, we didn’t technically lose it, as we suspect someone found it, beat it up a bit and then tossed it amongst the trees at Pioneer Park. But had Kim – or anyone else, for that matter – not found it, Brandon’s Christmas Spirit may have been lost for good.

It was interesting to learn that Kim found the ornament across the roadway from where we had originally placed it. And when she turned it in, the yellow-painted star – donning the Journal nameplate and “I Found Brandon’s Christmas Spirit 2017” – was missing one of its points and the piece of twine intended to hang it by.

Over the last three weeks, many of you let us know the fun you were having on the hunt. And it seems we stumped you a bit, too!

Ardell Arnott and her two granddaughters made weekly stops at the Journal office just to make sure the ronament hadn’t been found – and hoping to coax another clue or two out us. (Our lips were sealed though.)

Nancy Brown fired a quick email of disappointment when she learned the star had been found.

“Shucks! The game is over,” Nancy wrote. “We were having fun trying to figure it out. Will the article in Journal say or show where it was hidden? We even went for a walk over to that park a few days ago to check on the cabin. Thanks for providing some Christmas fun!”

Linda Weber shared with me the scavenger hunt was the most fun that she and her daughter, Amy, have had together in a very long time.

“It wasn’t about the hunt or the prizes, it was about the fun of it and I felt like a kid again,” Linda said, as I delivered the news the star had been found. “Honest to God, it was more fun than I’ve had in a long time. It was something different, something out of the ordinary, so thanks for the fun, kiddo.”

At 5:24 p.m. Wednesday, a text from Anita Hume lit up my cell phone.

“River or creek? Do you know the difference? Has it been found?” she quizzed.

I informed her that the star had been found that morning and that we announced it on Facebook, encouraging her to ‘Friend’ us. I added that it was hidden in Pioneer Park, and that we planned to make it a holiday tradition.

Her follow-up text: “Do you realize we have been looking at McHardy the last hour? We are frozen. Do we get a booby prize?”

Sorry, Anita. No ornament – no prize. But I will say thanks for participating and wish you a Merry Christmas.

My favorite feedback regarding the Journal’s “Finding Brandon’s Christmas Spirit” scavenger hunt came in a handwritten note from young Will Carroll. 

His dad, Aaron, caught me following the doubleheader at the Pentagon last week, asking if I had received any “hate mail” that day.

My heart beat leaped into high gear. “Hate mail? About what?” I nervously asked.

He quickly lowered my blood pressure as he explained how disappointed his son, Will, was to learn that the ornament had been found.

On Saturday, Will’s letter showed up in our mailbox.

His letter was short and to the point: “What tree did you put it in? Where at in Pioneer Park? Are you going to do this again?”

His mom, Emily, added a quick note on the backside: “We had fun looking for the Spirit of Brandon!”

And to Will, Anita, Nancy, Linda and Ardell, I want you and all others who took part in the scavenger hunt, to know that we had a lot of fun, too.

Merry Christmas, and may the “True Spirit” of Christmas bless you always.