Arkie John
Active member
Just a Strange Day Digging at the Park
Just thought I'd share this. It is a special story. aj
Have you ever had one of those day's that are just plain strange to the point that it makes you sit and THINK about where or why we choose the spots we do to hunt? Well yesterday was one of those I won't forget anytime soon! I've been doing more bass fishing lately than detecting but the wind has been blowing so hard on the lake I decided to go dirt fishing.
The main public park area of Lake Guntersville is probably 2-3 miles long and averages from anywhere to 200' to 700' deep from the parking lots to the waters edge. I've been concentrating mainly on the BIG TREE areas where the most shade is and completely ignored one out of the way spot because it's usually to overgrown to detect. It's a small island of sorts with one HUGE Oak and a picnic table separated by 3 natural drainage ditches and I'd bet that it has to cut by weed eaters. Anyway, the park has a long paved walking trail that stretches the entire length (probably 3 miles) and lot's of folks walk it on a daily basis from every age group.
Well yesterday I found this small area had been cut and cleaned, a new trash can and BBQ grill put up so I decided to give it a go. I hunted in all metal, pulled the usual trash for 30 minutes and a few keeper coins and thought I'd gotten most of it, put the 70 in prospecting mode and hit a deep IH and merc together. I couldn't help but notice an elderly lady watching me from a distance, she stayed there the entire time sitting on another park bench just watching. On my last signal I dug one of those Irish heart rings that has 2 hands clasping together, it was 14K with 2 small diamonds, one inside each hand. I cleaned it off and noticed an inscription inside the band that read ( To my loving Rosie).
As I walked towards the parking lot she spoke to me and said she was glad to see the park service had finally cleaned up that area. We sat and talked for quite awhile, she told me about her husbands affiliation with the park and how this was his & her favorite spot to sit and watch the geese for the last 40 years of his life. With a mixed southern drawl and a still notable Irish accent in her voice she spoke of a ring he gave her before he passed away. I decided a long time ago that if you LISTEN to old folks, well you just might learn something! She told me all about Ireland and how she met her husband to be as a young girl during the war and all about coming to America. Then she filled me in on how that old park bench was put there by her husband, it was the first one for the park. After his death she sold her home and moved into an assisted living place where some of her friends live.
I guess our conversation went on for well over an hour but she NEVER asked me if I found her ring or told me her name! I told her how much of a pleasure it was meeting her and that I needed to be going, she reached out with her nimble hand and grasped the end of my fingers on my left hand as if I was an old friend saying goodbye for the last time. She didn't know it but I had already reached in my pouch and had the ring cupped in my hand. As she held onto my hand I told her again .... Rosie it was a pleasure, I rolled my right hand around and uncupped the ring. She still hadn't seen the ring and had a blank but smiling look of wonder on her face. She said, how do you know my name ... but still smiling. I raised the ring up at eye level and said this has to belong to YOU! I can't express in words the JOY this brought to the conversation. She was overcome with it, it did my heart good just to watch the look on her face when I placed the ring in her hand. Rosie starred at the ring for what seemed like forever and cried like a baby, she nervously slid it on her finger thanking me over and over again for finding it. I only wish I had my taken camera with me but as always I never seem to have the foresight to keep it handy. But rest assured the image of her kind face will stick with me forever.
As I sat at home last night I couldn't help but wonder the amazing possibilities of how everything unfolded. I came to one conclusion, this hobby never ceases to make me happy.
H.H.
Mike
Just thought I'd share this. It is a special story. aj
Have you ever had one of those day's that are just plain strange to the point that it makes you sit and THINK about where or why we choose the spots we do to hunt? Well yesterday was one of those I won't forget anytime soon! I've been doing more bass fishing lately than detecting but the wind has been blowing so hard on the lake I decided to go dirt fishing.
The main public park area of Lake Guntersville is probably 2-3 miles long and averages from anywhere to 200' to 700' deep from the parking lots to the waters edge. I've been concentrating mainly on the BIG TREE areas where the most shade is and completely ignored one out of the way spot because it's usually to overgrown to detect. It's a small island of sorts with one HUGE Oak and a picnic table separated by 3 natural drainage ditches and I'd bet that it has to cut by weed eaters. Anyway, the park has a long paved walking trail that stretches the entire length (probably 3 miles) and lot's of folks walk it on a daily basis from every age group.
Well yesterday I found this small area had been cut and cleaned, a new trash can and BBQ grill put up so I decided to give it a go. I hunted in all metal, pulled the usual trash for 30 minutes and a few keeper coins and thought I'd gotten most of it, put the 70 in prospecting mode and hit a deep IH and merc together. I couldn't help but notice an elderly lady watching me from a distance, she stayed there the entire time sitting on another park bench just watching. On my last signal I dug one of those Irish heart rings that has 2 hands clasping together, it was 14K with 2 small diamonds, one inside each hand. I cleaned it off and noticed an inscription inside the band that read ( To my loving Rosie).
As I walked towards the parking lot she spoke to me and said she was glad to see the park service had finally cleaned up that area. We sat and talked for quite awhile, she told me about her husbands affiliation with the park and how this was his & her favorite spot to sit and watch the geese for the last 40 years of his life. With a mixed southern drawl and a still notable Irish accent in her voice she spoke of a ring he gave her before he passed away. I decided a long time ago that if you LISTEN to old folks, well you just might learn something! She told me all about Ireland and how she met her husband to be as a young girl during the war and all about coming to America. Then she filled me in on how that old park bench was put there by her husband, it was the first one for the park. After his death she sold her home and moved into an assisted living place where some of her friends live.
I guess our conversation went on for well over an hour but she NEVER asked me if I found her ring or told me her name! I told her how much of a pleasure it was meeting her and that I needed to be going, she reached out with her nimble hand and grasped the end of my fingers on my left hand as if I was an old friend saying goodbye for the last time. She didn't know it but I had already reached in my pouch and had the ring cupped in my hand. As she held onto my hand I told her again .... Rosie it was a pleasure, I rolled my right hand around and uncupped the ring. She still hadn't seen the ring and had a blank but smiling look of wonder on her face. She said, how do you know my name ... but still smiling. I raised the ring up at eye level and said this has to belong to YOU! I can't express in words the JOY this brought to the conversation. She was overcome with it, it did my heart good just to watch the look on her face when I placed the ring in her hand. Rosie starred at the ring for what seemed like forever and cried like a baby, she nervously slid it on her finger thanking me over and over again for finding it. I only wish I had my taken camera with me but as always I never seem to have the foresight to keep it handy. But rest assured the image of her kind face will stick with me forever.
As I sat at home last night I couldn't help but wonder the amazing possibilities of how everything unfolded. I came to one conclusion, this hobby never ceases to make me happy.
H.H.
Mike
Beautiful story.