Jeff95531
Silver Member
- Feb 10, 2013
- 2,625
- 4,094
- Detector(s) used
- Teknetics Alpha 2000
- Primary Interest:
- Prospecting
I quit my job in FL and retired last May. In June, we (Karen & I) moved to Northern CA to live out our lives. (that’s extreme NW CA to you northerner’s in Sacramento). Early retirement @ 55, wow! Living on a fixed income ain’t easy…but I'm not about to complain. It’s a modest sacrifice for the freedom to do what we want, when we want. But money/savings is always foremost in your mind. After all, it’s why we were able to do what we did. Nice little nest egg to get us by 6-7 years. Just chill till SS kicks in and makes life twice as easy. Of course, that nest egg is the holy grail and not to be touched.
Karen and I love to explore in the 4x4 and take pictures. So we go on lots of back road expeditions in the mountains. With me prospecting now, I'm looking at different types of maps and we begin seeing all the new places we would have never found before. Take this week for example.
I was bound and determined to get to the headwaters of a gold bearing creek I know of. I took lots of notes and had them stored in the computer. We up and went for a ride in the mountains and wound up in the very area I had been researching. We were using a gps but with no notes, it just didn't work out. A couple of days later, we do make it to all the points on my map and ALL access points are gated and/or fenced. Lots of claims, so a complete wash out. I did scoop the inlet of a culvert across the road from a claim, but that’s ALL I have to say about that. It’s a shame cuz the mouth of that creek is sooo good. But it'll have to do.
Two days later we check on the very first place I found decent gold, (remember my first 10 pans?) And surprise! The road has been cleared of the slide! YEA! But first, I gotta get some samples. As I’m digging in the same spot as before, twice I see a gold flake just laying on top of the sand and gravel in the trowel just before I put it thru the classifiers. This is gonna be a good day!
When I'm done, Karen’s walking out with me and says what’s that? I've been looking at pans, sand, rocks, gravel, a trowel, classifier, running water and a path…so it takes me a minute to focus on anything above my knees. In a tree, under some moss that didn't belong there, is a long pill bottle shape that has been intentionally camouflaged. It’s hanging on a branch with a twist tie. I take it down and it rattles. I open it up and there is a nice shiny clad quarter and a note inside…. I'll let her tell it as she did on her new geocache site:
“This was my first Geocache and I found it but wasn't looking for it. I saw it and said to my husband, "come here and look at this". He took it down and opened it and I was so excited when I realized what it was!!! I signed and dated it, looking at the list of previous treasure hunters before me and returned it to it's original spot. So, now here I am and can't wait to go look for one on purpose! Uh oh....I found a new hobby...geocaching... it really got me started! You get "treasure maps" online, then go Treasure Hunting. Found my first one up at my husbands gold creek location today. There are 534 geocaches within 30 miles of me! Wow...the possibilities are endless. That would average over 1000 within 60 miles of me!! That is so cool! Some people have had over 9,000 finds doing this. I feel a little awkward posting my first!"
So yesterday morning… I don't even know what happened
…a vision or something. When I woke up early, I just knew what had to be done. Usually I analyze the cra* out of something when I get it in my head, but not today. I knew Karen likes to metal detect. Me too for that matter. But could we swing yet another prospecting tool? 2 hours later I was ready. When Karen got up, I explained that we are retired and should not put off something like this. Prospecting and detecting is currently under fire and we saw it first hand in FL. I told her I thought it was great she had found a new hobby that we both could share in and how about I make it even better and buy her a brand new metal detector?!! We should just get into this and for less than $200 and do it. Why not? Heck, you probably are going to find at least enough change to cover the cost of the detector…which I am not likely going to do while gold prospecting…but if we work together, you can geocache and metal detect the area while I prospect, while the dogs play by themselves…sunny…in the mountains, on the beach, on the river? What do you say? We can do it right now!
She’s like no way. $200 isn’t going to get us much. I told her technology and competition says otherwise. She said "Wow… Really? OK…which one?!!" I show her all of the price ranges, so she knows how much you COULD spend. Then I showed her my choice, the Tesoro Compadre. She says ok, now I want to try. She looks up the Tesoro and finds reviews. She goes right to the very first review (which I HAD NOT READ! HONEST!) and she goes “oh sure” and shows me where the reviewer says “it works GREAT for finding GOLD!” I plead not guilty but she was off on her own after that. Well, I was looking over her shoulder the whole time.
She absolutely nailed it with her choice of the Teknetics Alpha 2000 . Turns out she really does like the bells and whistles. Doh, I knew that! Less than $200, 6 months same as cash, free complete starter kit, no tax, no S&H? Really? It’s on its way! Thank you Kellycos! I’m so excited, I can’t even sleep.
(winner) Teknetics Alpha 2000 (option #1) $199.95 Teknetics Alpha 2000 Metal Detector For Sale - Kellyco Metal Detectors
( a respectable second place finish) Tesoro Compadre $160.65 w/accessories Tesoro Compadre Metal Detector Metal Detector For Sale - Kellyco Metal Detectors
You know, people used to ask me what I was going to do when I retired and I told them (honestly) I don’t know. I know what I used to like. I’ve been living someone else’s life for so long, I don't even remember.
One year later…I know.
Karen and I love to explore in the 4x4 and take pictures. So we go on lots of back road expeditions in the mountains. With me prospecting now, I'm looking at different types of maps and we begin seeing all the new places we would have never found before. Take this week for example.
I was bound and determined to get to the headwaters of a gold bearing creek I know of. I took lots of notes and had them stored in the computer. We up and went for a ride in the mountains and wound up in the very area I had been researching. We were using a gps but with no notes, it just didn't work out. A couple of days later, we do make it to all the points on my map and ALL access points are gated and/or fenced. Lots of claims, so a complete wash out. I did scoop the inlet of a culvert across the road from a claim, but that’s ALL I have to say about that. It’s a shame cuz the mouth of that creek is sooo good. But it'll have to do.
Two days later we check on the very first place I found decent gold, (remember my first 10 pans?) And surprise! The road has been cleared of the slide! YEA! But first, I gotta get some samples. As I’m digging in the same spot as before, twice I see a gold flake just laying on top of the sand and gravel in the trowel just before I put it thru the classifiers. This is gonna be a good day!
When I'm done, Karen’s walking out with me and says what’s that? I've been looking at pans, sand, rocks, gravel, a trowel, classifier, running water and a path…so it takes me a minute to focus on anything above my knees. In a tree, under some moss that didn't belong there, is a long pill bottle shape that has been intentionally camouflaged. It’s hanging on a branch with a twist tie. I take it down and it rattles. I open it up and there is a nice shiny clad quarter and a note inside…. I'll let her tell it as she did on her new geocache site:
“This was my first Geocache and I found it but wasn't looking for it. I saw it and said to my husband, "come here and look at this". He took it down and opened it and I was so excited when I realized what it was!!! I signed and dated it, looking at the list of previous treasure hunters before me and returned it to it's original spot. So, now here I am and can't wait to go look for one on purpose! Uh oh....I found a new hobby...geocaching... it really got me started! You get "treasure maps" online, then go Treasure Hunting. Found my first one up at my husbands gold creek location today. There are 534 geocaches within 30 miles of me! Wow...the possibilities are endless. That would average over 1000 within 60 miles of me!! That is so cool! Some people have had over 9,000 finds doing this. I feel a little awkward posting my first!"
So yesterday morning… I don't even know what happened
…a vision or something. When I woke up early, I just knew what had to be done. Usually I analyze the cra* out of something when I get it in my head, but not today. I knew Karen likes to metal detect. Me too for that matter. But could we swing yet another prospecting tool? 2 hours later I was ready. When Karen got up, I explained that we are retired and should not put off something like this. Prospecting and detecting is currently under fire and we saw it first hand in FL. I told her I thought it was great she had found a new hobby that we both could share in and how about I make it even better and buy her a brand new metal detector?!! We should just get into this and for less than $200 and do it. Why not? Heck, you probably are going to find at least enough change to cover the cost of the detector…which I am not likely going to do while gold prospecting…but if we work together, you can geocache and metal detect the area while I prospect, while the dogs play by themselves…sunny…in the mountains, on the beach, on the river? What do you say? We can do it right now! She’s like no way. $200 isn’t going to get us much. I told her technology and competition says otherwise. She said "Wow… Really? OK…which one?!!" I show her all of the price ranges, so she knows how much you COULD spend. Then I showed her my choice, the Tesoro Compadre. She says ok, now I want to try. She looks up the Tesoro and finds reviews. She goes right to the very first review (which I HAD NOT READ! HONEST!) and she goes “oh sure” and shows me where the reviewer says “it works GREAT for finding GOLD!” I plead not guilty but she was off on her own after that. Well, I was looking over her shoulder the whole time.
She absolutely nailed it with her choice of the Teknetics Alpha 2000 . Turns out she really does like the bells and whistles. Doh, I knew that! Less than $200, 6 months same as cash, free complete starter kit, no tax, no S&H? Really? It’s on its way! Thank you Kellycos! I’m so excited, I can’t even sleep.
(winner) Teknetics Alpha 2000 (option #1) $199.95 Teknetics Alpha 2000 Metal Detector For Sale - Kellyco Metal Detectors
( a respectable second place finish) Tesoro Compadre $160.65 w/accessories Tesoro Compadre Metal Detector Metal Detector For Sale - Kellyco Metal Detectors
You know, people used to ask me what I was going to do when I retired and I told them (honestly) I don’t know. I know what I used to like. I’ve been living someone else’s life for so long, I don't even remember.
One year later…I know.
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