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...

Let's face it, metal detecting gets a bad rap. The more I pursue the hobby, the more I recognize this perception that people have of metal detecting. Yesterday, I took a trip to the historical society--more on that later. As I was speaking with one of the woman who volunteers there, I really got the impression that metal detecting was a sore subject. She had this vision of someone leaving open craters in the ground and stealing historically significant objects from public view. We talked at length and I really hope that I was able to change her perception of metal detecting. Everyone has their...