ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE

More Youtube Comments

2011-07-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Here are some more Youtube comments to share from our videos!! Our responses are below the comment! Enjoy and leave your comments and questions here too!

seeding your pan for a video is weak.
billbehl 5 months ago

For all viewers, I apalogize for the language in this video. Chris and I don't " seed" or "highgrade" our videos. We had just detected a bucket of material on a board, and flipped our readings in the pan without looking to see what they were. That pan surprised us as much as it does our viewers! Of course, we have plenty of videos of "dead" pans, and "hot" rocks that we dig, but they don't seem to have the same effect as gold in the pan does!
cindipom 4 months ago

I wish I found pickers like that in Michigan!
ClintL63 5 months ago

nice panning skills!
HikaruYamamoto 8 months ago

Theeeere be goooold in those hills!!!!
jpomichter

Most Magnificent Find! Small, but a treasure still worth tons. Gook Luck,
Avelle34 1 month ago

Why dont you just classify the rest of the dirt there? I'm sure you'll find more if you pan it; Heck, man, I'll go with you and you get the nuggets and I'll snipe the rest of the hole!!
ClintL63 5 months ago

Chris and I detect, pan sample, and vacuum our ground and run samples through our highbanker to make sure we don't leave gold in the ground for "snipers" !!! Thanks for viewing!
cindipom 4 months ago

did you get the new gold bug? i found a small peice with my gb se... :)
jessgo33 6 months ago

No, I haven't gotten a new Gold Bug yet. My original does everything I need to find gold. I am planning to get the new one in the near future, as a back -up, in case mine goes down, and I can't find replacement parts. Glad to hear you are having some success! Lots more luck to you! Buddy and Chris
cindipom 5 months ago

I will keep playing with it. Iv been reading the manual and trying to get it to settle down in all metal mode.
jessgo33 1 year ago

I just got the new gold bug SE. Its cool, but I have never owned a detector befor, and don't have a clue how to use it. I hope mine works as good as yours.
jessgo33 1 year ago

Practice with a small piece of gold, mixed in with some gravel, about 1/2 - 3/4 in thick, on a piece of plywood. Make sure the plywood is set on something not metal, off the ground a few inches. Chris and I are going to check out the new gold bug as soon as the local prospecting shop gets some in, and when I figure out the best settings, maybe I'll have more info for you. Good Luck! Buddy
cindipom 1 year ago

Wow nice peice of gold.. Wtg gold bug.. Awsome
jessgo33 2 months ago

Thanks for watching! We hope to be working more often and making more information videos. Hope you're having good luck with your detector.
cindipom 2 months ago

i am a little confused abuot vlf vs. the pi . i bounght a lorenz 2 deep seeker to hunt meteorites , but changed my mind and decided to hunt for nuggets . it does sound on gold pretty good , but the gold has to be fairly big about the size of a small bolt . what is your idea on the advantage or disadvantage of the pi . will the silver content in small nuggets help the pi see it ? i have not been in the field with it yet.
7troding 7 months ago

I'm not familiar with your detector. Remember, meteorites are made up mainly of irons, and mostly nickel. Finding them with a metal detector should be relatively easy if your are in an area where they occur. Gold doesn't occidize or "halo" like iron or nickel, or coins, so you have to work with your detector a little to find little pieces of gold. Try setting your detector to ALL METAL, and work with a small piece of gold placed on a plywood board, covered with a little dirt.
cindipom 5 months ago

That thing is a monster... Congrads.. How much did it weigh? I never new that a gold bug was so good. Im just trying to get into detecting. I live in Northern california and the old timers found a 54 lb nugget like 10 minuts from my house. so im trying to find some gold..
jessgo33 1 year ago

That's a 3.2 gram nugget(50 grains) We have some good sized gold on the claim, it's just hard digging to get to it. You should be in some pretty good gold country in CA. When you get your detector, give a holler if you have any more questions on detecting or prospecting. Buddy
cindipom 1 year ago

Thanks for visiting! Buddy

Check out all our videos on Youtube about Arizona Gold Prospecting!

Thieves and Gold Claims Don't Mix

2011-04-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

We had our big tools stolen from the claim over Spring Break week. We could not get to the claim that week. Out in the middle of nowhere who would expect? All info and pictures of tire tracks turned in to the police and the forest service!
We did not let that get us down! We got back to work this week and it paid off! Enjoy the video!

Thanks for visiting! Buddy

Beer Can Chicken

2011-03-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

This recipe was too good not to share with you. Great for your camp-outs! Thanks for visiting!

BEER CAN CHICKEN
The liquid from the beer can creates steam that helps cook the chicken from the inside and keep it moist and delicious
In the past decade, whole chickens mounted on beer cans have become a familiar sight at backyard barbecues the country over. And for good reason: The liquid creates steam that helps cook the chicken from the inside and keep it moist. Also, standing the chicken up vertically means the legs (which take the most time to cook) are exposed to the most intense heat, meaning the bird will cook evenly without drying out the breast. The result: one of the tastiest chickens imaginable with no heavy sauces or sides.

You'll Need:
1 chicken (3-4 lb)
24 oz Coca-Cola
3/4 tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1 can beer

How to Make It:
*Combine the chicken and the Coke and soak overnight in the fridge (or for at least 2 hours).

*Heat a grill. If using charcoal, bank the hot coals to one side to create a cooler section for indirect cooking. If using a gas grill, leave one section of burners off and the others set on medium. Remove the chicken from the soda and dry all over. Rub with salt and pepper.

*Open up the beer can; drink half of it. Mount the chicken on top of the beer can, running the can through the chicken's cavity until it's firmly lodged and can stand up on its own. Place on the cooler side of the grill, cover, and cook until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 160F, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You can baste the chicken with your favorite barbecue sauce in the last 20 minutes or so, but it's so moist, you don't really need it.

Makes 4 servings
Cost per serving: $3.09
410 calories
11 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
730 mg sodium

Not That!
T.G.I. Friday's Jack Daniels Chicken
Price: $14.89
1,000 calories

Save! 590 calories and $11.80!

Video Chosen for It's Popularity

2011-02-21T16:58:00.000-08:00

Well after submitting 38 videos on Youtube this Video caught their attention! Hopefully soon you will see ads with it that will benefit Youtube and Us!
This video is called, Cinbuds Gold, Breaking apart bedrock for gold!The purpose of this video was educational and the conclusion is in the next video here. Enjoy sharing and teaching as always! Questions and comments are welcome! Thanks for visiting! Buddy!

Prescott Sky

2010-12-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

Well have not been able to get out gold-prospecting due to cold weather but did catch this beautiful sunset in Prescott, AZ. in Dec. 2010. It is overlooking Thumb Butte. Buddy took the picture, not bad for an amateur.

Thanks for visiting!

HONEY-DO'S

2010-09-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

My wife asked me one time if I would build a set of shelves in the living room to be used as a library and sewing center. After about 12 years of experiencing my failure as a carpenter, she still had faith in me. Maybe she thought if I keep trying, I'll get it right one of these times............................................. I tried to remind her of my past accomplishments, like the very first set of shelves I built. The shelves came out alright, but I didn't have a sawhorse, and the only room in the trailer that wasn't carpeted was the bathroom. I didn't want sawdust to get in the rug, so I used the John as a sawhorse. You guessed it, cut the John in Half!............................................ She wasn't too proud of me, but after all, I did get the shelves built, so she forgave me for my little mistake.. Besides, half a John is quite a conversation piece!...... The following Christmas she decided that I might be able to build some plywood sleighs for fruit baskets. We had had the John fixed, and she was sure to point our that I couldn't use the bathroom to saw in...................... I still didn't have a sawhorse, and it was bitter cold outside, so we decided that a little sawdust couldn't hurt the rug, and the coffee table would work as a sawhorse, if I were careful. Everything went just fine, that is, until two inches off the end of the coffee table Fell at my Feet! She was, understandably, upset, but everyone in the family got a beautiful fruit basket for Christmas! I had to add a cofee table to her Christmas list, naturally. I didn't go near a power-saw for quite some time after that, but she still wanted some things done around the house. My next project entailed using a drill. I needed to drill a few holes in a piece of metal, and not only did I not own a sawhorse, I also did not own a vice. I thought that I could drill the holes by holding tightly on the the piece of metal. Drilled a hole Right Through My Finger! She didn't get upset this time, and was genuinely concerned as to how I was going to get the drill bit out of my finger. Gritted my teeth, reversed the drill, and that wasn't too big of a problem. The hole healed nicely in a few weeks!............................ We held a garage sale the very next week, and sold quite a bit of junk we'd wanted to be rid of. For some reason, all of the power tools were sold too!.................... And now, here it is, some years later, and she wants me to build some more shelves. Oh well, close the bathroom door, put the coffee table in one of the other rooms, and get out plenty of bandages, cause one set of shelves, coming up!!!!

Monsoon Storms

2010-09-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

We caught a photo of an evening lightning storm here at home in Wilhoit, Arizona. We live 14 miles out of Prescott going towards Wickenburg. Thanks for visiting!

Cinbud's Gold Calendar

2010-09-09T01:23:00.000-07:00

For our followers we designed a unique calendar through Zazzle. In it are 11 photos taken out at the claim and one of our house around christmas. See the photos featured in it! Magnify each one!
Thanks for visiting! Buddy

EXPLORING AZ GOLD AREAS

2010-06-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

I remember our last camping experience in the desert before the boy's had to enroll in school. We had a chevy stepvan then, with bunkbeds in the back built by my husband. We were invited to visit Arizona by some folks we met at Buckskin Joe, near Canon City, Colorado, during our previous visits to Colorado. We found a dirt road leading into the desert from the highway near Apache Junction, Az. We parked along side a nice dry wash. Did some Gold Prospecting and seached for Arrowheads, Driftwood and such. We came upon a natural spring along the top of the bank of the wash, about five foot up. My husband put holes in a tin coffee can and attached the can to a shrub just under the spring. We now had a shower! Ice cold, but in the heat of the day it was great!
We had the neccessary camping equipment to cook, and light our camping area with and a huge ice chest that kept our food cold. Once a week we drove into town to replenish our supplies and do laundry.
We met several interesting people while we camped out in the desert. On one of our return trips we were followed into our camp spot. The gentleman introduced himself and we found out he owned the mining claim area we were on. After a nice visit with him he asked if we would be interested in staying in a little trailer he had set up a little farther down the road, as watchmen. We agreed and we spent the rest of the summer and part of the fall there.
I had decided to up-grade our situation a little, and build us an out-house. After all, I did have the material just laying around, a tree saw and a hammer.
After a few hours work and no major incidents involving gushing blood or smashed fingers, I stood back to view my work of art. This was a thing of beauty. Solid 2x4 construction, with plywood flooring, and I had gone so far as to buy a padded seat and cover.
One day while I was enjoying a cup of coffee, an SUV vehicle pulled up in the wash, and a little old gent jumped out and made a bee-line up the path to our little building. "The nerve of some people, not even the courtesy to ask if they could use the restroom!"
I watched with some amuzement as he opened the door and stepped in. Now, give it a few seconds, the door opens, and there's no way to describe the look on this old gent's face, as he waddled back down the trail, mumbling to himself as he got into the vehicle and headed out across the desert.
You see, I had'nt "QUITE" finished the thing. I had yet to find the means to cut a hole for it.
I'll leave it to you to wonder, as I did, the conversation that took place in that vehicle. "It's not my fault, ETHEL, there was no hole in that outhouse!!!"
CINDY & BUDDY

Comments From Youtube

2010-04-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed your video's... Ive been mining in western WA for a year... not a lot of bed rock here or at least it is eight foot down to deep for me to dig...LOL so I been hitting gravel bars with not much luck but it is fun.. thanks for the vids I learned a lot..

That thing is a monster... Congrads.. How much did it weigh? I never new that a gold bug was so good. Im just trying to get into detecting. I live in Northern california and the old timers found a 54 lb nugget like 10 minuts from my house. so im trying to find some gold..

Buddy Replied:

That's a 3.2 gram nugget(50 grains) We have some good sized gold on the claim, it's just hard digging to get to it. You should be in some pretty good gold country in CA. When you get your detector, give a holler if you have any more questions on detecting or prospecting.

what coil are you using?

Is the gold bug hard to use?

what a ugly detector

Buddy Replied:

Well, my detector may be ugly, and the old guy running it may be even uglier, but that old detector has paid for itself a 1000 times over, so I guess I'll just keep on digging!!!

That is awsome. Im buying a gold bug. What do you think about the new one with the digital face? Kellycodetectors says its new for 2010...

Buddy Replied:

I have some paperwork on the new Gold Bug, and when our local prospecting shop gets one in, I'm going to check it out. If it performs as well as my original Gold Bug, and small coil is standard or at least an option, and it stands up under constant use, and is rugged enough to use as a mining tool, and not just some toy, then I would consider purchasing one.

awsome better than GMT. what's the operating freq. of the gold bug?

Buddy Replied:

It is 19.2khz.

no problem detecting that size of nugget. how about .05 gram, is it possible with gold bug?

Buddy Replied:

Through hours of practice of using a Gold Bug, I have found that the average person can find 4/100 gram pieces on a regular basis, especially when you board your material. When using my Gold Bug for serious prospecting, I can find gold down to 1/100 gram, which is about half the size of a pin-head!!

These are comments from youtube! Thank-you all for your comments and questions! Keep them coming! Buddy

YAVAPAI COUNTY, AZ

2010-04-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Lynx Creek, and surrounding area, located just out of Prescott, Arizona, was discovered around 1863-1864. The area was a major gold producer and is filled with interesting mining history. The area has a huge drainage system and each spring run-off and summer monsoon flooding has a tendency to move material around, replenishing small flakes & dust of gold. This makes the Lynx Creek Recreation area a perfect location for the novice prospector to get started. Try shaking out the grass roots and moss in your pan, or sweep the cracks in the bedrock. You are almost assured to find "color" and small flakes.
The gold at Lynx Creek is in the form of real thin small flakes, and there is plenty of "super dust", pin-point little pieces. This makes for an ideal place to perfect your panning techniques. I have always said, "If you can pan gold at Lynx Creek, you will be able to pan anywhere in the country". Good luck and Happy Hunting!
There will be more informative gold-prospecting tips along with stories to come!
I have been prospecting as a Hobby for over 30 years and welcome your comments or questions anytime!

WE ARE BACK!

2010-04-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

The snow and rain slowed us down some out at the claim. Good to get out again! Buddy

DEC SNOW STORMS & CABIN FEVER OUTING

2010-02-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

Amazing waterfall caused by Az snowstorms. We plan on going back tomorrow and cutting samples around the bottom of that waterfall area. Above the large waterfall Small Waterfall We had to hike up above our claim to prospect another area. This photo shows our digging holes filled with water run-off. WE were not able to get out to prospect for a couple of months due to the AZ snowstorms. Cabin Fever set in so we chanced a day out yesterday, Feb 2nd. What we came upon will amaze you at some of AZ's Natural wonders! Enjoy the videos and remember Chris is filming the videos and trying to hike at the same time! Ha! Buddy.

GOLD BUG DETECTOR

2009-11-18T09:40:00.001-08:00

We recieved a question from a Youtube user and wanted to share our response as an educational prospecting tip!

Hi , I've just purchased a Gold Bug Detector and have been enjoying your Videos and would like to ask a few questions . Noticed you use the small coil , do you use it all the time or just mainly in bedrock areas ? I will be detecting Bushland here in Victoria , old Aluvial sites . My detector came with the 3 coils so what would you recommend I use ? Any other tips on using the Gold Bug would be greatly appreciated . I have just ordered Zip Zip by Larry Sallee and also Advanced Nugget Hunting by Heydelaar and Johnson , they look like good books . Keep the Videos coming they are great , regards from Down Under.

Is your detector an original Gold Bug, or the new Gold Bug 2? I use the 3" coil exclusively. Less tiring for searching the hillsides, and gets down in the tight areas of bedrock after we have prepared our dig. One tip I can give you is to use a board, 4' x 4' plywood, to spread your material on. If you rake out larger rock, or screen your material onto the board, you get rid of a lot of the hot rocks, and other things that can affect your detector, and you'll pick up some really small gold. Be sure to pan sample your board "tailings", or save them to run through your sluiceing medium. If you are in a "pay zone" there will be fine gold, and even some detectable gold that you will not pick up on your board, It will surprise you how much gold you might otherwise throw back into the ground!! I will be happy to answer any guestions you may have, and try to help you overcome adjustment problems with your detector. Feel free to write anytime. From the desert of Arizona, Buddy and Chris

YOU WANT TO FIND GOLD-YOU GOTTA DIG

2009-10-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

VIDEO SERIES OF 8 ON HOW TO PROSPECT YOUR CLAIM

2009-09-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

DESERT SURVIVAL 101?

2009-08-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

The relatives had come to visit. Cindy's sister, Teresa, and her boyfriend, Jack, had never been to Arizona and naturally, wanted to spend a day in the desert and see how we use a metal detector when we prospect for gold.
We had been living in the desert for a few years now and so it seemed reasonable to explain a few things. Jack carried a pistol. I did't carry guns, so I told him to leave it in the truck. We did'nt use our desert critters for target practice, not even the occasional rattlesnake we might encounter. Next, we explained that everything in the desert will bite you, sting you, including the plants, so be aware of your surroundings, watch where you step, reach or squat. Then away we went.
I took Jack to the creek, scratched some material around and found a small piece of gold with my Gold Bug detector. Cindy and Teresa went exploring down the canyon.
Only a few minutes went by when there was a ruchus down canyon, and Cindy and Teresa came running up. Seems that Cindy had led them smack dab to a hornets nest! They had outrun the hornets, and while I was chuckling over the situation I sat down and reached to steady myself and ZAPP! Out from a rock comes about a 4 inch long scorpion that had just nailed me on the end of my finger! I did quite the prospector 2 step for a couple of minutes, as what felt like the sting of a 100 bees shot through my hand and arm. Cindy showed great concern as she turned to Jack and said,"Watch Buddy and see if he passes out or goes into convulsions or something, Teresa and I are going up canyon!" Away they went and Jack kept staring at me for a few minutes.
All of a sudden from up canyon Teresa lets out a yell. " Jack, Buddy, we.ve got to go home, Cindy just sat on a cactus!"
Now something just did'nt seem quite right here. I just got stung from a deadly desert critter and since I did'nt go down right off, the girls took a walk, Jack stared at me, and now Cindy sits on a cactus, all of a sudden we've got to go home?
Getting home was a trip! We laughed till our sides hurt as we went over the events of the day. Meanwhile, I'm trying to 4 wheel it out of the desert one-handed, as my hand and arm had'nt regained feeling yet and Cindy is draped face down over the back seat like an old rug, moaning with every bump, cause she can't sit up!
When we got home the entertainment continued, as Jack and I enjoyed a cold beer, and all of us kept on laughing at the screams and moans coming from the bathroom as Teresa took the tweezers to pull the cactus spines from Cindy's butt!
The Moral Of This Story? Don't try to impress the city folk with your expertise on desert survival. Just take them out and let them find out on their own!!! BUDDY.

ANOTHER NUGGET FOUND

2009-08-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

This was our total take from our dig today, 4.4 Grams. The 3.2 nugget on the top right we named, The Pack Man Nugget! Buddy.

VIEW OF OUR CLAIM

2009-08-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Chris is speaking and giving a description of our work area at the claim.

Finding Something Of Value

2009-08-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Like all new ventures, it's taken time, patience, many disappointments, and many mistakes to become completely confident in my abilities to prospect, and trust the detector's ability to locate the gold.
My demonstrations on how to use the Fisher line of metal detectors are not designed around "mans" inate ability to contract "Gold Fever" by reading a book, seeing a large piece of Gold, or hearing all the "hype" from someone, who is more anxious to separate you from your money than be concerned with what your potential is to actually find something of value.
Into 5 months of prospecting on our claim, 2-3 days a week, we found a 3.2 gram nugget!
We arrived around 10am. This particular area of our claim required us to remove a yard (27 cubic feet) of barren boulder and gravel-pack, to expose a 2ft x 6ft area of bedrock. After a 9-hour day of digging, bucket sampling, detecting, there it was, all by itself, 3 inches in the crack of the bedrock. It was 7pm. Our take for the week including the nugget. Video will be added soon. BUDDY

Some Visiting Critters Not So Easily Seen

2009-08-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

A deer observing us while we are observing it.
A little tree frog resting on our equipment.

Some Unexpected Visitors

2009-08-03T03:57:00.000-07:00

On one of our trips back to the truck after a long day at our claim we came across this beautiful Mohave Rattlesnake. Then a Transula had the right of way! We respected their Territory!!
This brings to mind a paper I wrote for my college english 101 class back in 1986.
It was titled:
AN EXAMPLE OF "CLASSICAL CONDITIONING" AND "OPERANT CONDITIONING" by Raymond Pomichter.

One of the best examples of "Classical Conditioning" I can give is an experience in conditioning that I, myself, acquired while living and working in the Arizona desert.
I spent many hours roaming the desert, "prospecting" for precious metals, or working on a mining claim, and I often came upon rattlesnakes. The sight of one would bring me to a halt, and send twinges of fear through me, until I could see for certain that I was in no danger of being bitten. By keeping a safe distance and prodding one of these snakes with a stick to get him to "rattle" so I would know the sound in case I happened upon one, while pushing through bushes and climbing over rocks, I would'nt need to actually see a snake to know that I was to close!
A rattlesnake's "rattle" is'nt the "chicka, chicka, chicka sound you hear in the movies. It's more like the "whirring" sound dried leaves make when they're vibrated together by a gust of wind. Hearing this sound somewhere near the vicinity of where I was standing would cause me to halt just as fast, and twinge in fear, as if I'd actually seen the snake.
My hearing and reaction to this "buzz" became so acute that a sound similar to it would create the same effects on me, even though it had nothing to do with a rattlesnake.
I became so attuned, in fact, that two years after after leaving the desert, I was helping a friend install a pipe in his chimney and had an experience that to him was extremely humorous, but at the time held absolutely no humor to me.
He had stopped at McDonald's to eat when in town to pick up the pipe. He crumpled up his papers and threw them on the floor of the car, and they came to rest in the pipe. When we had returned and pulled into the garage, I reached into the car to retrieve the pipe, the paper trickled down it a little, making a familiar "buzz", and the speed at which I let go of that pipe and excited the garage apparently was very funny to my friend because he laughed for twenty minutes! My heart beat did'nt slow down for that twenty minutes and from my explanation of the situation, he realized that the "buzz" had really frightened me.

DIAGRAM OF "CLASSICAL CONDITIONING"
Neutral Stimulus
NS( "Buzz")
Unconditional Stimulus---Unconditional Response
UCS---------------------UCR
Rattlesnake-----------------Fear
--------------------------------------
Conditioned Stimulus---Conditioned Response
CS--------------------- CR
("Buzz")--------------Fear

In response to a question, "Would a "child" recognize that a rattlesnake was something to be feared?", making the snake the "UCS".

A child the age of Albert, 11, ( J.B. Watson's experiment ) could be conditioned to fear a rattlesnake in the laboratory. He may not no for sure that it was a "rattlesnake", probably any snake would cause him fear, once conditioned.
My own two boys, ages 3 and 4 at the time, played with water snakes from a nearby pond, when we lived in Arizona. We had come across a few "rattlers", and shown the boys the difference in size and appearance between "bad" rattlesnakes, and "good" water or garden snakes.
Apparently this "conditioning" worked because, as I was about to reach for a shovel to do some work one day, my son, Chris, age 4, from about twenty yards behind me, yelled that I was about to step on a rattlesnake! The importance of this is that he said, "rattlesnake", not snake. Sure enough, about 2" from my foot was a foot-long baby "rattler". Had I not froze, and checked the situation out, I might have been bitten. How Chris had seen this small snake from that distance is beyound me, but I'm sure glad our "conditioning" the boys to the reptiles of the desert paid off!

In "OPERANT CONDITIONING", a response is followed by a re-enforcement.
In these first few weeks of school, I have studied and worked hard, the result being that I have recieved an "A" average in my subjects.

RESPONSE--------------RE-ENFORCEMENT
Study and hard work----An "A" in my subjects.
I recieved a +5 WELL DONE from my teacher on this paper. BUDDY.

MOST MEMORABLE DESERT CRITTER

2009-07-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

One of my most memorable encounters with a desert creatue was when I prospected the Mineral Mountain area east of Apache Junction, Arizona.
I spent a few weeks as watchman on a mining claim, where I stayed in a little camp trailer provided by the owner. It had sat idle for quite some time and a packrat had obviously decided to set up housekeeping.
Now, packrats are interesting desert critters. Aptly named, they collect and save anything and everything. They are also noted for their tendency to barter and trade items of interest.
My first day on the job, I knew a packrat was somewhere, as I spent a good part of the morning picking up silverware that had been strewn around the ground near the camper. When I opened the sillverware drawer, sure enough, it was crammed with cactus beans, twigs, acorns, and various pieces of ribbon and cloth!
Late in the evening I would start the generator to freeze water in the fridge to keep my foodsuffs fresh, watch a little TV or read, then fall asleep. Around 2:00 in the mourning I would feel the thumpity, thump, thump of this packrat running around this big 6 foot long pillow that I had, on his early morning rounds. This didn't bother me too much, and went on for about a week.
Then one night, the packrat had begun his nightly run, and I just happened to roll over at the same time. He zigged, I zagged, and this rat, about the size of a housecat went right to the bottom of my sleeping bag!! I'm here to tell you, there was a flurry of activity for the next couple of minutes as I gouged, he gouged, and a race ensued as to who was going to get out of that sleeping bag first!! It turned out to be a tie. He went one way, I went another. I don't know what that rat was thinking, but I decided then and there that one of us had to go, and it wasn't going to be me!
Well, to make a short story long, I bought the biggest rat trap I could find, loaded it with peanut butter, and just knew that I would be awoke when that thing slammed shut, and my rat problem would be solved.
The next morning, the trap was still set, but the peanut butter was gone! Now, I'm dealing with on smart rat. So, I loaded the trap with a real fine "dagwood" sandwich, stacked high with peanut butter, cheese, and bacon. I'm surprised I didn't lose a finger, caus this thing would go off with the slightest breath!
The next morning, the trap was still set, cleaned right down to the shiny brass! Now I wasn't so interested in trapping this genius of a rat as I was more interested as to how he could possibly clean that trap without setting it off.
Once again, I used the last of my fixins to build a larger dagwood, a really "hair" trigger and fell asleep. I woke when I heard some rustling around the trap, and sat mesmerezed as, using the very tip of his tongue, oh so gently, this rat polished of the last of the dagwood, cleaned the trigger bright and shiny, and didn't set the thing off!
And then, as quickly as my packrat friend had come into my life, he was gone. I guess when he figured I was out of sandwiches and silverware, it was time to find more suitable living quarters!!! BUDDY.

"WHEN YA GOTTA GO-YA GOTTA GO"

2009-07-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

From the story, Living And Learning From The Desert, Buddy has added some details I left out! Here is his story!
I had decided to up-grade our situation a little, and build us an out-house. After all, I did have the material just laying around, a tree saw and a hammer.
After a few hours work and no major incidents involving gushing blood or smashed fingers, I stood back to view my work of art. This was a thing of beauty. Solid 2x4 construction, with plywood flooring, and I had gone so far as to buy a padded seat and cover.
One day while I was enjoying a cup of coffee, an SUV vehicle pulled up in the wash, and a little old gent jumped out and made a bee-line up the path to our little building. "The nerve of some people, not even the courtesy to ask if they could use the restroom!"
I watched with some amuzement as he opened the door and stepped in. Now, give it a few seconds, the door opens, and there's no way to describe the look on this old gent's face, as he waddled back down the trail, mumbling to himself as he got into the vehicle and headed out across the desert.
You see, I had'nt "QUITE" finished the thing. I had yet to find the means to cut a hole for it.
I'll leave it to you to wonder, as I did, the conversation that took place in that vehicle. "It's not my fault, ETHEL, there was no hole in that outhouse!!!" BUDDY.

RUN IT! GRAB IT! PAN IT!

2009-07-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

The total take for the day!
After we detected the .6 gram piece of placer gold we used our sluice box in the one day excavation.

Videos filmed by our son, Chris. BUDDY.

DETECT IT

2009-07-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Using a metal detector can greatly increase your chances of finding placer gold. I use the Fisher Gold Bug with the small coil, which is good for narrow and tight spots with-in the bedrock. You can see in the video, that the coil comes in handy again for reducing your dirt material you grabed from the ground. "ZIP and FLIP" I call it! At the end of this dig, there it is in my palm! It is a .6 gram nugget. This is the first video in our instructional set of Gold Prospecting Videos.

Video filmed by our son, Chris who is also helping with the digging! More to come! BUDDY.

Metal Detecting Out On The Claim

2009-07-08T21:49:00.001-07:00

Back Drop To Our Claim

2009-06-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Live With or Live Without Conviences

2009-06-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

We get so used to modern living with electricity, running water, gas and electric stoves and a store or shopping center close to home that we can't imagine that it's possible to get along without these conviences. My family and I lived for eight months in the Arizona desert, and it is possible to live without modern conviences and even fun.
How many times have you turned on the shower and stood there for 20 minutes while gallons of water flow over you and then disappear down the drain? You may not be paying for the water, but the electricity to heat it costs quite a bit. When water is scarce, you can get just as clean by sponging down with a gallon of water! As a matter of fact, my wife, two boys and I used only 65 gallons of water per week, to drink, cook, and bath in.
Cooking can be fun and save money when your away from modern conviences. We had a coleman stove that used white gas, and by cooking most of our meals, and heating our water over a campfire, we used about one gallon of fuel per month. That fuel only cost about $4.00.
Electricity is probably the most needed convience in modern day living. Without it you can't turn all the lights in your house on, run the dishwasher, watch television or listen to the radio. Being without these conviencies can be terrible, right? WRONG!
A coleman lamp will use about one gallon of fuel a month. You only need it on for a couple of hours each night to finish the supper dishes and read a little. It also helps to take the early morning chill out of the cabin. After all, when you don't have TV or radio, or electrical appliances, night time is for sleeping. You also get up much earlier, feeling more rested.
The boys night-lite was the full moon shinning through the windows, and music to lull them to sleep with was provided by the coyotes yelping on a distant hill.
We came away from the desert knowing that living without modern conviences isn't something that everyone could do, but everyone should try sometime.
Buddy wrote this story for one of his English Journals back in 1986. Costs have gone up some by now but the idea was to live on as little as we could and he had fun calculating those costs then! I also want to add that around Christmas time we had a small tumbleweed as our x-mas tree. We set it up on the top of our stepvan's engine cover inside. We had a visit from one of my sisters and her family x-mas day. That morning the boys also told us they heard BELLS sometime during the night! hemmm???

Living and Learning from the Desert

2009-06-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

I remember our last camping experience in the desert before the boy's had to enroll in school. We had a chevy stepvan then, with bunkbeds in the back built by my husband. We were invited to visit Arizona by some folks we met at Buckskin Joe, near Canon City, Colorado, during our previous visits to Colorado. We found a dirt road leading into the desert from the highway near Apache Junction, Az. We parked along side a nice dry wash. Did some Gold Prospecting and seached for Arrowheads, Driftwood and such. We came upon a natural spring along the top of the bank of the wash, about five foot up. My husband put holes in a tin coffee can and attached the can to a shrub just under the spring. We now had a shower! Ice cold, but in the heat of the day it was great!
We had the neccessary camping equipment to cook, and light our camping area with and a huge ice chest that kept our food cold. Once a week we drove into town to replenish our supplies and do laundry.
We met several interesting people while we camped out in the desert. On one of our return trips we were followed into our camp spot. The gentleman introduced himself and we found out he owned the mining claim area we were on. After a nice visit with him he asked if we would be interested in staying in a little trailer he had set up a little farther down the road, as watchmen. We agreed and we spent the rest of the summer and part of the fall there.
My husband built an outdoor potty house but did not take the time to cut out the hole inside; we never used it. An unexpected visitor driving by stopped and ran to it and went inside. He came out shaking his head and took off.
It turned out that the trailer was between two washes and when it rained they both ran with water! So we learned about getting to high ground when in doubt about what would happen to the trailer. It stayed securely in it's spot!
One day we had visitors who were a little lost. After a nice visit we invited them to stay for dinner. They were from back east and were on their honeymoon, never been out west. After we ate they took notice of our attire and asked why we all had our long socks over the bottoms of our pants. So we commenced to explain about the desert in the evenings how scorpions and snakes start to move about and all of a sudden they had to leave!
Before our experience here was over we met another visitor; actually we picked this hitch-hiker up on one of our trips back from town after checking out his story. He just finished working in a carnival, sitting on the biggest cooler we had ever seen! Spending a week with us in the desert we learned how to skin a rattlesnake, cook it, de-bone it and make rattlesnake vertebrae necklaces! The hitch-hiker said we would be in his book he was writing,"Five Hundred Thousand Miles by the Educated Thumb".
We met one more person out here that summer who turned out to be my husband's first prospecting buddy. That will be another story! I, Cindy, wrote this story.

Gold of Lynx Creek

2009-06-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

Lynx Creek, and surrounding area, located just out of Prescott, Arizona, was discovered around 1863-1864. The area was a major gold producer and is filled with interesting mining history. The area has a huge drainage system and each spring run-off and summer monsoon flooding has a tendency to move material around, replenishing small flakes & dust of gold. This makes the Lynx Creek Recreation area a perfect location for the novice prospector to get started. Try shaking out the grass roots and moss in your pan, or sweep the cracks in the bedrock. You are almost assured to find "color" and small flakes.
The gold at Lynx Creek is in the form of real thin small flakes, and there is plenty of "super dust", pin-point little pieces. This makes for an ideal place to perfect your panning techniques. I have always said, "If you can pan gold at Lynx Creek, you will be able to pan anywhere in the country".
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!!

There will be more informative gold-prospecting tips along with stories to come!
I have been prospecting as a Hobby for over 30 years and welcome your comments or questions anytime!

Gold & Critters

2009-06-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

The power of the mention of a gold discovery brings to mind the time we were on one of our early camping and prospecting trips to Lynx Creek, just out of Prescott,Arizona. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon and the creek was lined with people enjoing themselves and panning along the banks and small pools of water. The soothing buzz of insects, chirp of birds, and clinking of tools against bedrock, was suddenly broken by an excited, "Gold, I found nuggets"!
Heads turned up creek, and a few folks actually grabbed up their tools and headed for the "discovery". Of course, the "rush" was short lived, when the "prospector" turned out to be Jim, our 2 -1/2 foot tall, chubby, little three year old! He had just panned his first little pieces of gold and just had to let the world know about it! The rest of the afternoon and well into evening around the campfire was filled with joy and laughter as the story was told and retold, how little Jim had created such a stir along the creek!
The excitement of our outing didn't end there. After supper and story-telling around the fire, we all turned in for a restfull nights sleep. All was still until 2:00 in the morning, when I was awakened by this "sniff, sniff, sniff" sound. I slowly turned over and was suddenly eyeball to eyeball with the biggest Mamma Skunk I'd ever seen!
My movement caused her to back out of my tent and go on sniffing around the campfire area. I, in turn, woke everyone up as quitely as I could and we all retreated to the "safety" of our truck! We spent about an hour observing this old skunk checking out our camp area before becoming bored and meandering off, allowing us to return to bed.
It seems we had left some potatoes baking in the coals of the fire, to have for breakfast. The smell of them cooking probably got the skunk's attention. How she managed to not spray us all remains a mystery!!
Read more true family stories that have humor at: http://www.cynthiamargaret.com/cm_my_blogs_adventure.php

Our First Trip Out West

2009-06-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

Buddy, my husband, and I, Cindy, and our sons Chris, 4 and Jimmy, 3 lived in a tent and a blue van, during our vacation in Colorado, at the Royal Gorge KOA campground in 1979. I worked at the Emporium Gift Shop at Buckskin Joe during our summer stay that year. Buddy was hired there also as a Gunfighter in their every hour shows for the tourists. Both Buddy and I sang country songs inside the saloon in between the gunfights and the magic shows. We worked for tips. We fell in love with the western way of life; easy laid back style. When it came time for the boys to enter school, we moved to Arizona.
Buddy became interested in Gold-Prospecting and Geology. He took geology classes at Yavapai College in Prescott, AZ. We took the boys out with us camping and prospecting at Lynx Creek, in Prescott several times. Go to http://www.cynthiamargaret.com/cm_my_blogs_adventure.php to see the photo of Dad and the boys! The story that follows is written by Buddy.

Our First Family Blog

2009-06-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog where we will be sharing our own true family stories with a touch of humor! Since the purchase of our own mining claim we call, Cinbud's Gold, and the use of this blog, we can now share our Gold-Prospecting experiences with you. We hope to be an informational resource for you in the Art of Gold-Mining!