Frodov
Bronze Member
ARGH!!!! Enough with the rain already! I still haven't invented those waterproof life preserver knee pads for detecting in the wet grass and mud.. so with a short break in the weather (not raining for a couple of hours) I talked my dear wife into accompanying me to a couple of school playgrounds.. and the woodchips! Ah, but there be dangers in the woodchips when it's wet out. Don't let the placid docile looking chips fool you. There beneath the seemingly dry top layer lies a soggy mess and worse!
Yeah, I got out a while Yesterday (Saturday) to play with my detector. I couldn't take it anymore. To avoid the high water and.. <shuddering>.. MUD, I decided to scratch my detector withdrawl itch with some woodchip scraping. I checked out a few schools in a neighboring town, one that I've not visited, the schools anyway. I googled the schools and addresses, googled map directions... too bad the Google Earth sat. pics weren't very high res or I could have crossed two schools off my list before even leaving the house. *sigh* Taking the schools in order, closest from my house to furthest, we began checking out the grade school playgrounds.
The first School didn't even have an outdoor playground. WHaaaat? Oh well, on to number two.. which was locked up tight behind a chain link fence. Hmmm.. maybe this trip wasn't going to turn out worthwhile after all. On to number three. At last, some accessable playground to search. Not that I found much. Seems all the cold weather and recent rains have kept the kiddies indoors, or they just haven't lost much in the playground. I found some clad, a few pull tabs, a couple of buried cans that had my hopes up. But take heart. I found a heart!
:
Another Sketchers Girl Shoe bling, thingy.. <grin> I've found three or four of these things now. On to the next school playground on the list.
The finds at the next playground were a bit more productive, or rather the detecting at the next playground was more productive. Apparently some little Johnny brought some Wheat Pennies in for show and tell, and lost them. I found three Wheaties.. a 1941, a 1951 D and a 1958 D.
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The wheaties weren't the only pennies I found at this location, they were everywhere! Only those three were were not Lincoln Memorials though. Well, except for one Canadian Penny. Oh there were other coins too, a few dimes, some nickels, a few quarters and some other odd pieces of metal.
On to the next schoolyard and playground. This one the woodchips were older and more like bark than shredded wood. Apparently they float really well because the recent rains had washed them down the slight incline that the playground was on. There were hundreds if not thousands of little terraces, it looked like a model of a topographical map or something. I also found one of the scarier deathtraps that woodchips can become. The seemingly firm dry woodchips beneath the swing sets were anything BUT! I took a step onto the chips between two swings and ended up shin deep in water! The trough under the swings was full of water but the floating bark chips on top had dried on the surface making it appear solid. Damn! Ugh! And the water was as brown as coffee from all the acid in the woodchips. My sock was stained brown, not to mention my shoe still squeaks.. well "Griiitch"es (step.. griiitch.. step.. griiitch.. step.. griiitch) Boy, the things we put up with to enjoy this hobby, at least I was finding more stuff at this playground, besides booby traps (me being the booby).
OH CRAP! I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON AND THIS WAS POSTED BEFORE I COULD EVEN FINISH! *sigh* Ok.. continuing.
Along with hidden pitfalls and some clad I found some bling at this last playground. One BIG ugly plastic ring (surface) one broken partial UGLY junk ring, and interesting ring with lovebirds and a heart. I'm sure this is pretty much junk too, but at least it was interesting.
There were lots of buttons around this playground as well, even one that looked like a bear claw or something.
:
Finally there was the prettiest penny of them all.. today. A Fairy.. or Pixie.. or is that.. Tinkerbell
Well, here's everything for the day..
...three school playgrounds, damp knees, and one soggy right foot yielded a handfull of treasures and almost 7 bucks in cash ($6.74), not counting the Canadian or the Wheaties. Soggy shoe and all I had a great time, even if the sun never did peek out from behind the clouds. I hope the rest of you get a chance to get out and scratch that itch soon. Just beware the woodchips hide hidden dangers as well as treasures. (step.. griiitch.. step.. griiitch.. step.. griiitch..)
Happy Hunting Everyone !
Frodov
Yeah, I got out a while Yesterday (Saturday) to play with my detector. I couldn't take it anymore. To avoid the high water and.. <shuddering>.. MUD, I decided to scratch my detector withdrawl itch with some woodchip scraping. I checked out a few schools in a neighboring town, one that I've not visited, the schools anyway. I googled the schools and addresses, googled map directions... too bad the Google Earth sat. pics weren't very high res or I could have crossed two schools off my list before even leaving the house. *sigh* Taking the schools in order, closest from my house to furthest, we began checking out the grade school playgrounds.
The first School didn't even have an outdoor playground. WHaaaat? Oh well, on to number two.. which was locked up tight behind a chain link fence. Hmmm.. maybe this trip wasn't going to turn out worthwhile after all. On to number three. At last, some accessable playground to search. Not that I found much. Seems all the cold weather and recent rains have kept the kiddies indoors, or they just haven't lost much in the playground. I found some clad, a few pull tabs, a couple of buried cans that had my hopes up. But take heart. I found a heart!
:
Another Sketchers Girl Shoe bling, thingy.. <grin> I've found three or four of these things now. On to the next school playground on the list.
The finds at the next playground were a bit more productive, or rather the detecting at the next playground was more productive. Apparently some little Johnny brought some Wheat Pennies in for show and tell, and lost them. I found three Wheaties.. a 1941, a 1951 D and a 1958 D.
:
The wheaties weren't the only pennies I found at this location, they were everywhere! Only those three were were not Lincoln Memorials though. Well, except for one Canadian Penny. Oh there were other coins too, a few dimes, some nickels, a few quarters and some other odd pieces of metal.
On to the next schoolyard and playground. This one the woodchips were older and more like bark than shredded wood. Apparently they float really well because the recent rains had washed them down the slight incline that the playground was on. There were hundreds if not thousands of little terraces, it looked like a model of a topographical map or something. I also found one of the scarier deathtraps that woodchips can become. The seemingly firm dry woodchips beneath the swing sets were anything BUT! I took a step onto the chips between two swings and ended up shin deep in water! The trough under the swings was full of water but the floating bark chips on top had dried on the surface making it appear solid. Damn! Ugh! And the water was as brown as coffee from all the acid in the woodchips. My sock was stained brown, not to mention my shoe still squeaks.. well "Griiitch"es (step.. griiitch.. step.. griiitch.. step.. griiitch) Boy, the things we put up with to enjoy this hobby, at least I was finding more stuff at this playground, besides booby traps (me being the booby).
OH CRAP! I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON AND THIS WAS POSTED BEFORE I COULD EVEN FINISH! *sigh* Ok.. continuing.
Along with hidden pitfalls and some clad I found some bling at this last playground. One BIG ugly plastic ring (surface) one broken partial UGLY junk ring, and interesting ring with lovebirds and a heart. I'm sure this is pretty much junk too, but at least it was interesting.
There were lots of buttons around this playground as well, even one that looked like a bear claw or something.
:
Finally there was the prettiest penny of them all.. today. A Fairy.. or Pixie.. or is that.. Tinkerbell
Well, here's everything for the day..
...three school playgrounds, damp knees, and one soggy right foot yielded a handfull of treasures and almost 7 bucks in cash ($6.74), not counting the Canadian or the Wheaties. Soggy shoe and all I had a great time, even if the sun never did peek out from behind the clouds. I hope the rest of you get a chance to get out and scratch that itch soon. Just beware the woodchips hide hidden dangers as well as treasures. (step.. griiitch.. step.. griiitch.. step.. griiitch..)
Happy Hunting Everyone !
Frodov
Upvote
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Glad to see that you got to get out even if it was only to a booby trapped playground. Find a nice spot to dry out and warm up and have a very nice evening! Thanks for once again taking us on an adventure with you and your lovely wife!
