His addiction and how it started, Part One

His addiction and how it started,  Part One

My boyfriend started over 20 years ago, on a hit and miss basis, searching for treasure.  His idea, of what treasure was, pretty much is the same but boy has his equipment changed.When he started out it was like me, you find things like change or other free things, in parking lots  and places where people gathered.  He bought a radio shack machine and when he had the time, would use it to see what else he could find.We found each other again after 30 years and he told me about this man George, George Streeter who had a cool shop in Keene.  He said he wanted to go for a ride with me someday, for me to meet him and for him to get a few things.  A few things!  Well We stayed for hours talking to George, I bet he was glad when we left!

Well he put his order in for a White’s DFX.  His dream machine!  He had wanted this one from the first time he saw it, at George’s.  It was on sale at the time George told him.  It came with a nice White’s bag, to keep this machine in and a digging tool and OH Yeah a pin pointer!  Don’t these expensive machines tell you where it is?  Why a pin pointer?  Hang on I know now……….

So we are off, headed back to the coast where he can hardly wait to see how much more he can find with this top of the line, White’s machine.  We had to stop and charge the batteries at home, boy another delay for him!  He was excited with this purchase and wanted to use it now!

You know about treasure hunting if you are reading this short story, you know there will be times, many in fact that you get no more than change, dirty change to boot!

As we approached the sandy area of Hampton Beach, me with the digger, him with his new toy “The Ultimate Machine”  we decided on a direction to walk and as I walked beside him,  I could see how happy he was.  To me that is all that has ever meant anything to me.  I knew he went years in life providing for others, ones who could care less about his feelings, only what this man could do for them.  Well we are now together and all I care about  is him and his health and I mean overall health.  We all need an outlet when in pain, as it is very depressing.   So as we walked the beach together, where we had in fact gone on dates, like I said so long ago, and began the search for goodies.

Well I can tell you it was accurate.  When it said a penny and we found lots of them, there it was 4 inches down just like the machine read.  I would just dig  the right amount of sand into our scoop  and I could hear the coin banging on the sides of the basket, telling me I had it!   We wore aprons we bought from George and I would slide it into a pocket so as to not loose it and continue walking just out of the reach of his swing.  When we would get to the end of our row we had decided on,  he would then walk in my footprints as I would lay tracks beside him, for the next row.  We had a system for sure, others had just gone through with their machines but had missed the coin, we didn’t.

I remember when he got a reading that said .50 cents, I looked up at him and said Ya Right!  Well sure enough there were 2 quarters in my basket, having dug down to the proper depth.  This machine was good.  I loved the day we found our first silver ring.  Oh it was my size, imagine that!  We continued to use this machine almost daily and I mean daily.  Winter, spring, summer and fall, we were out there.  We got a lot of comments on how the two of us worked as a team, him swinging and me digging the treasure, his machine said was just laying there, waiting to be found.  Many men said they wished their wives would go with them, I laughed and said  “Oh well, that’s why, I am just his girlfriend! ”  No I understood how they must have felt, having a hobby that the wives and kids could actually go with them and have fun doing and they chose to send them out alone.   I saw them watch us and  how excited we got when it was a ring and not a nickle.

We went everywhere with this machine.  From the northern coast in Maine to Cape Cod, we even took it to Virginia Beach when my Grandmother was not doing to good, so I could say goodbye.  We were on the beach, in a motel anyway, so in the early morning hours as well as late at night this is where we were.  We found a cool coin there on VA Beach, so it will be a memento of our trip, as well as treasure.

I remember calling George as we went to the Cape and found that they had made the beach a National Seashore, where we were not allowed to metal detect.  I asked him if he knew where we could go and he told us and then said “always do the edges of land off limits .”  I believe his words were “you can’t fence it all in”.  We found a ring that weekend as well.   Wow, we were starting to get good at this detecting stuff.  Slow and deliberate swings, with headphones on, puts him right on his target,  and of course I am always ready with the scoop, to see what he found!

So now instead of HIS addiction,   it is OURS.  He searches through the want ads for a machine for me, you know just a cheap one, easy to use, well he found an old Minelab a man had for sale 3 hours away(gas was not high like now) and we called and set up a time to go look at it. This man’s Dad had died and he was selling lots of his beloved treasures.  We picked up this Sovereign  with no books or paperwork, with a few other items and both of them were so happy.  When we got home he charged it up and off we went to the beach, we never turns down a chance to go.   Now remember I thought I would use this one but no Ron had to test it out first!  Well he never uses his Ultimate machine anymore, well that’s not true when we look in parking lots and the like he does because it is so easy to see if it is a penny or  quarter or jewelry.  It has so many programs he doesn’t even use and now with my trucking injuries I can not swing even this light one long enough to make it worth the trouble and the pain.  I say SELL IT!(We didn’t)

Well so now remember we have gone from his $49  Radio Shack one to DFX and now a used Minelab to guess what?  A NEW water machine.  Yes you know the one!  Another Minelab.  He uses in the lakes, ponds and streams in search of rings and he finds them!  This gets a lot of rest all winter but come warmer temps we hit the water for the newest FINDS, left by visitors!  All the while we keep track of the lost and found columns  and see if anyone is searching for what we have found.  That finishes the story when you can put owner back with their lost items.

OK so now we have what 4 machines and his addiction strikes again,  after that trip I wrote about, out to Stanton AZ, last year for the 3 day dig and our stay out there.  Well we really do need a machine to find the Gold Nuggets, but I thought a used Gold Bug out there in Wickenburg AZ at Miners Creek  would have fit the bill, but no, he had his heart once again set on a Minelab 3500.  We called George Streeter once again and tried to place an order but he had bad news for him it was not available, so he just had to get the next best thing!  Yes a 4000.  I sure hope he finds a lot of gold this winter in NC, GA and of course AZ.  Maybe just maybe his addiction is at it’s worst!  I have included a photo of him reading his new instruction booklet while setting his new machine up, now I will tell you this when it comes to digging up the gold pieces I will once again be right beside him looking for the pieces the old timers, out in the gold mine areas never found.  I will dream of quartz, laced with Gold, just like Ron will with this new machine, oh no I think I have caught his disease!