Prospecting season is, for all intensive purposes, over for the
year here in Western Wa. Nasty, wet and cold weather will be
hanging around till probably next May or June.
Actually did pretty good this year considering all the health
issues I have to battle, and while I haven't dried and weighed
it up yet, I do believe this years take will match the total of
what I've gotten from past years.
Last time at the doc's I told her how I get so damn tired after
just a bit of digging, and she replied that my lungs just don't
provide enough air anymore to keep my carcass operating well
when I'm engaged in that level of hard work. Truth is, COPD
(a polite word for emphysema) really takes a toll. Panning is
one thing, but the hard labor of mining is too much and she's
worried my heart is gonna get pissed off due to the low oxy.
Same thing got both my parents, so I guess I shouldn't be too
surprised after 40 years of smoking. (Yes, I've quit smoking
before for an entire year..it wasn't worth the anxiety and
stress. I do plan to cut from 1-1/2 packs a day to less than
1 pack, so please, let's not have a quit smoking discussion).
In short, my days of digging buckets of rock/sand are over.
That was a month ago, and I've been stewing on it ever since. Honestly?
This fubar'd body I live in is really starting to chap my ass.
Did ask her (doc) what I can do to try and boost my cardio,
and she told me to start walking, every day. "So, walking
is good?" I asked, and she told me so long as it wasn't out in
the cold and damp that, in the long run, it would really help
extend my life.
Told her to have a look out the window..pissin' down rain for
the 4th day in a row. Walking outside ain't an option...so, I'm
gonna get me a used treadmill off of Craiglist and start putting
in as much as I can per day..probably only 10-15 min. at a time
to start, but she says my cardio will improve if I keep at it.
This is good.
30 years ago my mom was diagnosed with the same, and she just
gave up on living, sat around and waited for the inevitable. She
died 10 years ago next month.
I ain't goin' out like that.
Had a long talk about it with the wife the other night, and
told her I just wasn't ready to give up chasing gold. Rather
than piss and moan about what I couldn't do, we talked
about what I
could do.
She said: "Could you still metal detect with that new vibrating
machine you told me about?
Thought about it for a second...."Hell yeah, no reason why not!"
Once again, lemonade has been made..
So..it's time once again to "shift gears", and go from mining river
banks in the NW to nugget shooting somewhere to the South.
Nuggets are scarce as hens teeth in these parts, but I've got
"Carte Blanche" to take off for a couple weeks any time I want.
For now, I gotta get that treadmill and start walking. I'll be
selling some of my gear as it's no longer useful, and using
those funds to help pay for a new gold detector. At the moment
I'm leaning towards the new Nokta FORS Gold, but there's
time to consider all the machines in my price range while I'm
selling off stuff. I want to raise about $1500 for a decent
machine + a good pick, and then more to help pay the cost
of longer trips.
Stay tuned....