THE Random Chat Thread - AKA "The RCT" - No shirt or shoes required - Open 24 / 7

[pepperj]

Morning everyone

 

[ToddsPoint]

Good morning!☕️

 

[robertk]

Good morning all. Happy Saturday.

 

[DeadDonkey]

Jeesh, I should have learned at 52 years old never to joke about these things...

We lost a boat two nights ago off the island. The Coast Guard got there but it was too late. They fished the bodies out but on a small island loss is felt by everyone. I guess the man's son is really taking it hard, but he is only 12 years old. But fishing is one of those few industries left where the son, and grandson work with each other. So for a 12 year old, losing his dad really changes his trajectory on life. Dad's and sons are really close-knit here.

But being such a small island with so few people, the loss is really felt. I think because it is every fishermen's worst fear... going overboard. It just happens to so many skilled fishermen that every fisherman knows they could be next.

Not sure I am headed anywhere today. Just a very somber mood here.

The news of the fishermen's death finally made it in the news, but sadly just after telling the story, the DJ on the radio made the comment that "it was a really quiet news day", which struck me as odd. A whole island of some 350 people was grieving the loss of a local fishermen with a whole school having a team of grief counselors set up and thus his comment seamed rather insensitive to me.

But just for my own mental health I took to the mountains in my quest for gold, palladium and gems.

It should probably never be said falling down a mountainside is worth it, but in this case, I think that is exactly the situation.

This trek started out when I noticed on some maps there was a hiking trail that wound up the left side of the mountain, and on others it was not shown at all. Since I had been there before I had wondered if there had been a trail but due to cost, they had abandoned it, and that was exactly the case. In places it had very, very faint red blazes so it had been a trail at one point, and someone has kept the trail open by cutting the blowdowns that has blown across the trail, but there were no bog walks at all; not even a trace of them ever being there.

But surprisingly it was a very lovely trail to hike up. It worked its way across a wet bog, then up a notch in a ridge, then through a lovely forest, but working its way forever upwards. There was a cute little stream halfway up the mountain, and probably could be panned for gold, but I moved upwards loving the rock I was seeing. It looked like someone had mixed up quartz, biotite, granite and black basalt and clumped it into a ball. It was just so disseminated. Despite it being granite, you could break fairly big pieces of it with your bare hands. It was the weakest granite I have ever seen.

Before the mountain broke out of the tree line there was a flat forested section that would have made for a beautiful, protected camping site with glorious views all around. I kept going though, surprised to see evidence of mechanized logging from years earlier… this far up the mountain. How on God’s green earth did they get skidders way up here? But the trees were massive in size so it was easy to see why they pitted machine again a mountain fifty years ago!

There were several false mountain tops. Glorious views at each spot, but despite that, a look at an online map showed I was not quite at the top yet. I had paused to take some selfies, when I realized I had to go higher. I started out and was surprised to see I had been right next to a communication tower the whole time and never even knew it. I took some pictures of the backside of the mountain, the area teeming with windmills, then started back down.

As I was descending the mountain a heavy squall blew in and I was just in the midst of thinking, ‘self: it is probably not the greatest idea to hike up the side of a mountain in a rain storm’. And never even got the full thought in my head when I slipped. I was descending a section of smooth rock, perhaps at a 45 degree slant and about thirty feet long when I went down. I fell about 50 feet. I landed on my right side and started going head over heels in a tumble that must have looked like Wiley E Coyote being bested by Road Runner. I landed face down and my hiney up. For about five minutes I just laid there just to recover. Had I not been flushing red from my inverted position I think I would have stayed there for an hour in that upside down fetal position. But I checked my 9mm and was thankful it had not gone off though I had fallen directly on it. Deciding I was on the backside of a mountain where no one should be, I knew I had to get myself down the mountain and tenaciously made my way back to where I had parked.

Despite my smashed shoulder and hurting right side, it was a productive trip. I got a stream that has a great potential for panning it for gold, and a ton of places the rock looks really, really good for finding tourmaline, rose quartz, biotite and garnets. Just a tough place to find them because there is no quartz seaming to speak of, the quartz is scattered through the granite as if blasted from a shotgun. My only regret is not getting a picture of some of this unique looking rock. And falling. I could have done without that.


(Note: In the picture, that is not just the horizon, that is the ocean)

 

[newnan man]

The news of the fishermen's death finally made it in the news, but sadly just after telling the story, the DJ on the radio made the comment that "it was a really quiet news day", which struck me as odd. A whole island of some 350 people was grieving the loss of a local fishermen with a whole school having a team of grief counselors set up and thus his comment seamed rather insensitive to me.

But just for my own mental health I took to the mountains in my quest for gold, palladium and gems.

It should probably never be said falling down a mountainside is worth it, but in this case, I think that is exactly the situation.

This trek started out when I noticed on some maps there was a hiking trail that wound up the left side of the mountain, and on others it was not shown at all. Since I had been there before I had wondered if there had been a trail but due to cost, they had abandoned it, and that was exactly the case. In places it had very, very faint red blazes so it had been a trail at one point, and someone has kept the trail open by cutting the blowdowns that has blown across the trail, but there were no bog walks at all; not even a trace of them ever being there.

But surprisingly it was a very lovely trail to hike up. It worked its way across a wet bog, then up a notch in a ridge, then through a lovely forest, but working its way forever upwards. There was a cute little stream halfway up the mountain, and probably could be panned for gold, but I moved upwards loving the rock I was seeing. It looked like someone had mixed up quartz, biotite, granite and black basalt and clumped it into a ball. It was just so disseminated. Despite it being granite, you could break fairly big pieces of it with your bare hands. It was the weakest granite I have ever seen.

Before the mountain broke out of the tree line there was a flat forested section that would have made for a beautiful, protected camping site with glorious views all around. I kept going though, surprised to see evidence of mechanized logging from years earlier… this far up the mountain. How on God’s green earth did they get skidders way up here? But the trees were massive in size so it was easy to see why they pitted machine again a mountain fifty years ago!

There were several false mountain tops. Glorious views at each spot, but despite that, a look at an online map showed I was not quite at the top yet. I had paused to take some selfies, when I realized I had to go higher. I started out and was surprised to see I had been right next to a communication tower the whole time and never even knew it. I took some pictures of the backside of the mountain, the area teeming with windmills, then started back down.

As I was descending the mountain a heavy squall blew in and I was just in the midst of thinking, ‘self: it is probably not the greatest idea to hike up the side of a mountain in a rain storm’. And never even got the full thought in my head when I slipped. I was descending a section of smooth rock, perhaps at a 45 degree slant and about thirty feet long when I went down. I fell about 50 feet. I landed on my right side and started going head over heels in a tumble that must have looked like Wiley E Coyote being bested by Road Runner. I landed face down and my hiney up. For about five minutes I just laid there just to recover. Had I not been flushing red from my inverted position I think I would have stayed there for an hour in that upside down fetal position. But I checked my 9mm and was thankful it had not gone off though I had fallen directly on it. Deciding I was on the backside of a mountain where no one should be, I knew I had to get myself down the mountain and tenaciously made my way back to where I had parked.

Despite my smashed shoulder and hurting right side, it was a productive trip. I got a stream that has a great potential for panning it for gold, and a ton of places the rock looks really, really good for finding tourmaline, rose quartz, biotite and garnets. Just a tough place to find them because there is no quartz seaming to speak of, the quartz is scattered through the granite as if blasted from a shotgun. My only regret is not getting a picture of some of this unique looking rock. And falling. I could have done without that.


(Note: In the picture, that is not just the horizon, that is the ocean)

What island is this?

 

[newnan man]

Good morning folks. Wandered down to the beach this morning. A little late for the sunrise. Very breezy and cool.

 

[Gare]

Morning everyone !!!

 

[Gare]

News people are paid to generate news good or bad. WHAT ever creates peoples interests

 

[releventchair]

Mornin all.

 

[pepperj]

Open up the dock this morning-I PROMICED!
Probably the nicest weather starting to happen.
Maybe lunch at the dock.

 

[oldmxrat]

Good morning

All packed up and ready to hit the road for Reno...as soon as the wife is ready. I'll find something to do for a couple of hours.

 

[releventchair]

Open up the dock this morning-I PROMICED!
Probably the nicest weather starting to happen.
Maybe lunch at the dock.
View attachment 2253812

Daaang.
There's fish around. I just know it!

The fishing group scattered that used to visit Mid-South Ontario.
Ice out averaged around this time.
We'd shoot for being there Memorial Day.
Visit before last there was still frail rafts of clear tinkling ice in the big lake. ( Not Lake Superior.)
We shut the boat off and listened...Sounded a little like a herd of wine glasses in a moving tub of water might. Only on a bigger scale/note.

 

[Evan in CA]

Good morning everybody

 

[pepperj]

I bought this the other day with the Metronome. Guy brought me some copper this morning, spotted it.
"You'll never see another one like it"
(Pepper your a good salesman)🤣
$45
So a $13 investment, wife is happy and I got a decent return on my buy.

 

[releventchair]

Good morning everybody

Mornin Evan!

 

[releventchair]

View attachment 2253827

I bought this the other day with the Metronome. Guy brought me some copper this morning, spotted it.
"You'll never see another one like it"
(Pepper your a good salesman)🤣
$45
So a $13 investment, wife is happy and I got a decent return on my buy.

I can see why she'd be happy you parted with it.
That piece might have scared mice out of your truck though.... It almost scares me.
(Good sale/flip.)

 

[AU Seeker]

View attachment 2253827

I bought this the other day with the Metronome. Guy brought me some copper this morning, spotted it.
"You'll never see another one like it"
(Pepper your a good salesman)🤣
$45
So a $13 investment, wife is happy and I got a decent return on my buy.

Sorta Steampunk meets Farmpunk!

 

[ArfieBoy]

Good afternoon crew! Had a bunch of rain the last couple of days with hail mixed in today. Wish you all a great day!

 

[pepperj]

Sorta Steampunk meets Farmpunk!

It probably was made in Thailand.
Guy got a good deal.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Good morning!☕️