Digging

The Winter Blues

  • March 5, 2015

I’ve got the winter blues. Officially. I’m staring out my window as more white stuff falls from the sky. Granted, Pennsylvania winters are mild compared to what I was used to in New England–I guess we could be getting three feet instead of a mere six inches… but I’m bitter just the same.

I had grand aspirations for this week. I wanted to get out there and hit my permissions. It’s supposed to be March, after all. The earth is supposed to be thawing but between the snow and freezing rain this week, I’ve been a complete wreck of a shut-in–with my five dogs and two kids. I guess it could be worse… it could be cats. Just kidding, at least cats wouldn’t be scratching at the door every two second and tracking snow all over the house.

The only way I’ve been able to survive these nasty winter days is to remember my upcoming hunts.

I chatted with Bill Ladd from DigFellas the other night. He encouraged me to check out the video of his treasure room. After viewing the video–which was quite drool-worthy–our discussion turned to some of his most impressive finds. I have always told my readers that location is key. Bill really reinforced this belief. He credited some of his greatest finds to the locations.

I spent a few days sulking because of the weather, but then I really got thinking about my permissions and what they could produce.

I plan on posting a video of my permissions later this week, but until then… I just wanted to recap.

WrightHouseThe first permission I plan to hit is the underground railroad house–the Wright House. I am so excited that it hurts. This property has such an astounding history and hasn’t been untouched for decades. The possibility of what I could turn up while metal detecting is thrilling, but I really hope to stumble across an old dump. Could you imagine the history that a dump could turn up?

The second spot I want to hit is the seventeen-hundreds stone mill beside the creek. I recently started chatting with another detectorist in my area–in the same town actually. As it turns out, he asked for the same permission this past winter. So I am hoping to team up with him and see that we can turn up there. He also tells me that the couple who owns the mill also owns a house down the road where he found a fabulous brooch.

clearspringsThe third spot is another mill that was built in 1806. I’ve kept this one a secret, because I’m afraid that someone might get the jump on it. This place has seen a lot of traffic over the years and is currently used as a venue for meetings and other gatherings. It has been hunted once before, but I’m told they didn’t find much.

Lastly, how could I forget the swimming hole? My uncle–the same uncle who just happened to have a pile of street lamps rusting in his backyard–mentioned a swimming hole not too long ago. When they were kids, they tied a swinging rope to one of the trees and used to swim there every summer. Not only that, but a little farther down the same creek is a place where they used to clean their cars.

There are quite a few more permissions that fall after those, but I you will have to subscribe to my blog and follow along this season. I’m hope to get out soon and I’m hoping to bring you another video in the next couple days with more details. After looking at the forecast, I think its only getting warmer from here. Happy Spring!

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