I love old homes. I love everything about them. I love the stone-work, the wood-work, the brick-work, the shutters, the doors, the door-knobs, the windows, the window-panes, the fancy molding, the spindles on the porches. What more can I say? I absolutely love old homes. Not to mention, I have this horrible habit of purchasing architectural elements from old homes. It must be some sort of compulsion, because I just can't help myself. In my garage at this very moment, I have four old doors, three old chandeliers, a handful of glass doorknobs, some swirly-pane windows... As a matter of fact,...

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...

I have inserted myself into quite a few Facebook groups focused on metal detecting in an effort to gain some perspective on the hobby. One of these groups is Metal Detecting for Beginners. I prefer to lurk in the shadows of this group, because I feel as though my mentors and common sense have given me a step above the rest. Call me arrogant, but this conception was proven today in the following interactions: Someone posted about finally having a court date to possibly retrieve their metal detector after it was confiscated. Granted, there was a bit of mystery surrounding the post and everyone...

I had a horrible day at my real job. So, I checked out and braved the snow... I wish it was worth it. An hour later, I was sitting at the local pub with a plate full of nachos and pint of Miller Lite... two pints of Miller Lite. Someone had suggested on my previous post that the snow sometimes insulates the ground and keeps it from freezing. That was not the case at Pine Grove Furnace today. I headed straight for the beach, thinking that the sand would be loose... I was stabbing at it with my screwdriver for a good five minutes before I gave up. The good news is that I relieved most of my frustration. Then,...

I harbor this deep fear of rejection. I mean, everybody hates rejection, but I HATE rejection. I have a tendency of getting my hopes up about a permission--like the Mount Holly Springs Park & Resort, the Boiling Springs Pond, the Shepherdstown Hotel....  And then I get the inevitable rejection. The Mount Holly Park & Resort was a big deal in the late 1800's. There was picnicking and a playground and an outdoor restaurant. At one point, there was even a roller coaster (until a fatality called for its removal.) But now this historical site is home to a 'marsh preserve' and the county...

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...