On Saturday, I had the privilege of introducing a friend and her teenage daughter to the hobby of metal detecting. Their passion was so refreshing. Not many people get excited for digging iron, but these two special ladies were over the moon when they dug up a square nail at eight inches--with screwdrivers nonetheless. In my experience, digging eight inches with a screwdriver to recover an iron something-or-other is commitment. Allow me to back up... this escapade was prompted when Liz requested a retreat from a personal hardship. And in my experience, there is no better distraction from an emotionally-draining...

As I left my house this morning--without my winter coat--I couldn't help but delight in the sound of birds singing in the trees. The snow is finally melting. The sun is finally shining. Spring is here, my friends. Spring is FINALLY here. One of the greatest signs of the changing season--in a my opinion, anyway--is to see people emerging from their homes. Everyone is so eager to finally shake those winter blues and taste the fresh air--this is the perfect opportunity for hobbyists to seek permissions without knocking on doors and catching people at an inopportune time. I witnessed this...

A lot of my permissions are discovered just by driving around. I will pick my son up from daycare and we will set off on our epic adventures. I call them adventures, but really we just drive around on unfamiliar roads looking for places that could produce historical relics. It might sounds silly, but we have a lot of fun. This is actually how I got permission for the 1765 mill property. (Pictured to the Right.) My other permissions are found on the internet. If I have a township that I am focusing on, I will Google "TOWN" history. I read up on what Wikipedia has to say, then I will typically...

Since starting in this wonderful hobby, I have become familiar with terms like pocket spill and coin shooting. The terms puzzled me at first, but eventually I caught on. Now, before you read on, I will warn you that I am writing this post from the perspective of newbie and in the interest of a newbie. (Please feel free to chime in on the comments if you have anything to add.) In the first month that I took up the hobby, I was fortunate enough to be invited to detect with someone whose skill level far outmatched mine--Micheal Sheesley. (Well, let's face it... I had only been detecting once...

Wow. I never expected my letter to go over so well. Quite a few folks from various groups expressed an interest in recycling my letter to request permissions of their own. I can do you one better. I have drafted a template that you are welcome to cut and edit as you see fit. I am a strong advocate for asking permission rather than forgiveness in this hobby, so please feel free to reuse and recycle this letter as often or as sparingly as you would like. If you have a property in mind and do not know the owner, I would suggest calling your county with the address and getting the name of the person...

As soon as the snow on the ground begins to thaw, we get hit with another inch or two. I am so ready for this winter to be over--especially seeing as how I just got a lead on a swimming hole. If you read my blog, you know that I am new to the hobby of metal detecting. Not new to the hobby of historical recovery, but new to the hobby of metal detecting. With that being said, I've never had the pleasure of searching a swimming hole. From what I can read on all the metal detecting forums, swimming holes are a big deal. Anyway, this all started when I received a comment on one of my social...

Today was my first time ever using a metal detector! Before embarking on my adventure, I asked my husband for a hat so hunters wouldn't mistake me for a frolicking deer. He found me a hat--an ugly hat--which I refused to wear because I didn't want to look ridiculous. He politely reminded me that I was about to go metal detecting and there really is no way to look not-ridiculous while metal detecting. I do think I pulled it off with my  fur cap and  satchel. Anyway... my fingers are numb. My arm hurts. I have thorns protruding from my flesh. And I am chafing. But I found a few things and I learned...

I arrived home from work yesterday to find my new metal detector waiting patiently on my doorstep. Woohoo! That means that today will mark the first day of my metal detecting adventures--even if it will be a mere thirty-six degrees. At least I don't live in Buffalo, NY! Anyway, in my eagerness to hit the ground running... or rather metal detecting... I spent the last week seeking permission to all the places on my first ever  metal detecting wish list: 1) The Old Road - I was looking at old topography maps of my house and discovered an old road that ran behind my house in the early 1900s....