Drunken Treasure Hunt

Ahh yes...  My brother and I consumed a large bottle of home brewed Mead this weekend...  What better time to grab the metal detector???

We only had about 40 minutes before dark and we set out into his back yard.   He lives on the outskirts of a civil war battlefield in VA.

Pictured above, a belt buckle was about 16" down.   Also a chain link nearby very deep in the ground as well..  I was excited to find some civil war era relics.  There is something prestigious that goes along with digging up things that people used in a war.   In addition to the above, I found a hoop ear ring, A stainless throwing knife that his son had lost in the sand, and a bunch of pewter butterflies from a wind chime.  BURRRRP!

Tough Day on the Beach

In all things you have good days and bad days...  Thursday was one of those days...

I drove out to try out a new spot.  I found a wealth of bottle caps, tent spikes, and other beach junk...  And a few clad coins.  :)

It was low tide, and I spent a lot of time working the washed out areas.  The ACE 350 is not the best detector for wet sand \ salt.  I am finding that in wet \ salty sand the detector gives a lot of false readings.  I lower the sensitivity in the wet sand.

In the dry sand the ACE 350 is a champ.  People say turn the discrimination down to zero and dig everything...  I am finding that when you dig everything you tend to find everything... Which includes a lot of junk.

At any rate, I helped clean up the beach.  :)

My First Month's Finds...

This pick shows most of my keepers from the first month.  About 5 short metal detecting outings to the beach and to local parks.  I usually dig all signals except iron.   I have removed a wealth of bottle caps from the beach!

Observation:  People drop pennies everywhere.  I wish they dropped more quarters.

I really want to get a water proof detector...   Maybe one day.  :)

10 Coins in 10 Minutes

Today I went to a local ball field with the kids.  While they ran around the field I did a quick scan of the parking lot.  

I whipped out the Ace 350 and started swinging.  This was a gravel parking lot.  Most of the coins I found were right at the surface.   My Garrent Pro Pointer came in handy for quickly locating the coins.  I was there for about 10 minutes...  10 coins in 10 minutes.  Not too shabby!

Like I said.... You can take this hobby with you almost anywhere!

I'm hoping to make a trip to the big water tomorrow if life will give me a window of opportunity.  :)

The Meek Shall DIG the Earth

My father and I used to do a lot of metal detecting when I was a kid.   We would hunt for civil war relics.  He carried his metal detector everywhere he went...  Somewhere in the process of growing up I forgot how much fun we had.

Fast forward about 25 - 30 years.  Dad has moved on...  Bless his heart!  I am grown, and have tried nearly every sport \ hobby known to mankind.  Through years of working with technology in complex corporate environments I have longed for a return to the simple things.

What simple things you ask?  How about the things that you can do every day and have a damn good time doing - without spending a bunch of cash??   People have forgotten how to do that!!  WELL I HAVE FOUND IT...  A return to the days of old where fun times are always right around the bend...  Where you don't have to spend a dime to have  good time...  Where you don't even need to have a friend along for the adventure... Where you can disconnect from the world and all of it's madness...  And the lure of hidden treasure is ever present!!  :)  That's right!  I have taken up the hobby of METAL DETECTING and I am having a blast.

Metal Detecting is an awesome hobby.  Once you start you are hooked.  Once you ding your first penny you are hooked!   You begin to think about the areas near you as possible sites for metal detecting adventures.   Every landscape becomes a possibility.  You begin to think beyond all of the things going on now and imagine the terrain in the past.  The world becomes alive in new ways.  You can take your metal detector with you anywhere.

As a metal detectorist you get great exercise.   I have spend entire days on the beach walking, scanning, and digging.  Great sites, awesome visuals, fresh air, and exercise.  I think back to the days I used to waste in the gym...  Sure it was fun... But this is REAL!

I've been metal detecting for about a month now.  I already know this is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life!  I was just thinking about the good times with my dad...  And then I thought to myself "I should try that again.".  That same day I ordered a new Garrett Ace 350 metal detector and   I was ready to go that weekend.

My first dig was my very own sidewalk...  I found a quarter, a dime, and three pennies.  The ACE 350 had correctly identified all of these coins.   I knew right then I was onto something good.  :)

As I go on my adventures I will post my findings here.  I hope you enjoy!