Its vacation time and I've had a few hours to spare, these last few days. Today I thought a little "cruisin" sounded good, so I took off to hit a few wooded sites that had potential. My town has been around for 200 years and almost any patch of woods could hold some treasure. I try to look into all of them.
The first site is about a mile from the house, across the road from where I have found Barbers, tokens and other goodies. It shows nothing on my maps, but I've never hit it and so it was worth a little reconnoiter. This was one of those "fringe areas" I've spoken about.
Alas, it yielded nut. I did run into a nice black snake and we had a good chat before he went back to HIS hunting.
Next up was a spot where I have hunted often over the years. It is a small park with a tot lot and off in one corner, the site of a razed house. Today, it wasn't giving anything up, either, just a lot of iron signals and a few old marbles. Off in some bushes (there I go again - off into the shrubbery!) I did find a nice long handle spade, so it wasn't a total washout.
I went down the road and past the Park Dept. maintenance building, the site of a standing 1800's home. This is another of those obvious sites that any passing motorist, or detectorist, can see. BUT, there had been some reorganizing lately and much of the previously fenced yard has been opened. Once again, though, the Lords of Loot were relectant to turn loose of anyting and I found nut. There is another section of the old house site that hasn't been hit by me - off in the bushes, of course - that I will pattern a little tomorrow.
At the same park is a "pocket tot lot," one tucked away and normally gated, but one that hosts hundreds of people a day during softball season.
Today the gates were open and that's all I needed - in I went. And in short order, back out I came. I had covered the entire tot lot with one dime found for my efforts. Good thing I dont give up easily.
What I needed by now was a hamburger and a little time to think. Nothing like a juicy, char-broiled Jalapeno Deluxe to set you right.
While I sat waiting for my order, I recalled that just across the street is another park with some nice fringe areas. There is a HUGE tot lot, but every detectorist in town heads there and today it was over-run with hot, single moms and their screeching kidlets. Best not go there!
Im rarely in the mood for too much of that stuff, anyway (tot lots, that is
), being more of woodsy type. Instead, I aimed the Junk Truck towards a little known detecting spot, the rock climbing wall. Once in gear, I hit the gas, careened across the road and wound down the rutted path to the rock wall.
Climbing wall? Yep. Off in one, out-of-the-way corner of the park is a climbing wall, all nicely set up in a shaded nook with benches and tables. I have found plenty of coins and some nice jewerly there over many seasons... and that sounded like a nice place for a burger break. Last year I even found an unopened six pack of beer down there, so I naturally gravitate towards that spot.
This time there was no beer, darned it, but I did find a few spilled coins. As that played out, I spotted a walking trail winding around the pond behind the site. This is a relatively new feature of the park, having come into use within the last 5 years. The next hunt was easy... a detector walk was in order. Where people go walking they lose things, and I was "cruising," after all.
Making my way around the pond trail, I discovered small benches set up at intervals for the walkers to rest on. At every single bench, I uncovered some coins... and I remember one of my best rings was found under just such a bench. These are always good spots to check when out cruising. Finally the trail wound down to the pondside and again, I started to score at the little waterside nooks where people stop to view nature, fish or bird watch.
All too soon it was over. My cellphone rang; it was Lori, my wife. We chatted, I gave her a telecom smooch and wrapped it up. Time to get back to family matters. Back to the Junk Truck I went and left the "cruising trail" behind.
Some of you will sneer at my finds and say the day was wasted, not worth the trouble. Thats okay, sometimes I feel that way, too. But I've been detecting for 20 years now and have a box full of silver, gold jewelry, relics and other items to show for it - stuff I WILL NOT be taking with me when I die. Sometimes just tooling around town and cruising with my Golden is enough for me.
Heres today's gleanings:
[attachment 86809 DSCF0034.JPG]
The first site is about a mile from the house, across the road from where I have found Barbers, tokens and other goodies. It shows nothing on my maps, but I've never hit it and so it was worth a little reconnoiter. This was one of those "fringe areas" I've spoken about.
Alas, it yielded nut. I did run into a nice black snake and we had a good chat before he went back to HIS hunting.
Next up was a spot where I have hunted often over the years. It is a small park with a tot lot and off in one corner, the site of a razed house. Today, it wasn't giving anything up, either, just a lot of iron signals and a few old marbles. Off in some bushes (there I go again - off into the shrubbery!) I did find a nice long handle spade, so it wasn't a total washout.
I went down the road and past the Park Dept. maintenance building, the site of a standing 1800's home. This is another of those obvious sites that any passing motorist, or detectorist, can see. BUT, there had been some reorganizing lately and much of the previously fenced yard has been opened. Once again, though, the Lords of Loot were relectant to turn loose of anyting and I found nut. There is another section of the old house site that hasn't been hit by me - off in the bushes, of course - that I will pattern a little tomorrow.
At the same park is a "pocket tot lot," one tucked away and normally gated, but one that hosts hundreds of people a day during softball season.
Today the gates were open and that's all I needed - in I went. And in short order, back out I came. I had covered the entire tot lot with one dime found for my efforts. Good thing I dont give up easily.
What I needed by now was a hamburger and a little time to think. Nothing like a juicy, char-broiled Jalapeno Deluxe to set you right.
While I sat waiting for my order, I recalled that just across the street is another park with some nice fringe areas. There is a HUGE tot lot, but every detectorist in town heads there and today it was over-run with hot, single moms and their screeching kidlets. Best not go there!
Im rarely in the mood for too much of that stuff, anyway (tot lots, that is
), being more of woodsy type. Instead, I aimed the Junk Truck towards a little known detecting spot, the rock climbing wall. Once in gear, I hit the gas, careened across the road and wound down the rutted path to the rock wall.Climbing wall? Yep. Off in one, out-of-the-way corner of the park is a climbing wall, all nicely set up in a shaded nook with benches and tables. I have found plenty of coins and some nice jewerly there over many seasons... and that sounded like a nice place for a burger break. Last year I even found an unopened six pack of beer down there, so I naturally gravitate towards that spot.
This time there was no beer, darned it, but I did find a few spilled coins. As that played out, I spotted a walking trail winding around the pond behind the site. This is a relatively new feature of the park, having come into use within the last 5 years. The next hunt was easy... a detector walk was in order. Where people go walking they lose things, and I was "cruising," after all.
Making my way around the pond trail, I discovered small benches set up at intervals for the walkers to rest on. At every single bench, I uncovered some coins... and I remember one of my best rings was found under just such a bench. These are always good spots to check when out cruising. Finally the trail wound down to the pondside and again, I started to score at the little waterside nooks where people stop to view nature, fish or bird watch.
All too soon it was over. My cellphone rang; it was Lori, my wife. We chatted, I gave her a telecom smooch and wrapped it up. Time to get back to family matters. Back to the Junk Truck I went and left the "cruising trail" behind.
Some of you will sneer at my finds and say the day was wasted, not worth the trouble. Thats okay, sometimes I feel that way, too. But I've been detecting for 20 years now and have a box full of silver, gold jewelry, relics and other items to show for it - stuff I WILL NOT be taking with me when I die. Sometimes just tooling around town and cruising with my Golden is enough for me.
Heres today's gleanings:
[attachment 86809 DSCF0034.JPG]
