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OK guys and girls, here is a synopsis of what has been going on since I arrived into the second richest gold fields in American history, The Northern gold fields of CA, Arrived here and staying in Hamburg CA, (google it or look on mapquest).
Came with big plans and ideas, but since leaving Barstow my bride got her state certification for sports injury thereapy and now has opened an office in Oroville, ( 5 1/2 hrs away) so she won't be finding time to dredge after we got her the expensive dredging permit. maybe once in a while on weekends, She has opened a clinic in with a chiropractor. At least she won't have to go through the stresses of her heart clinic where she kept losing patients every now and then, and she doesn't have the 18 hr days making her "rounds" at all the hospitals again.
Jim and I have been putting the finishing touches on getting ready for the season in between his other commitments. He has the Alaska Gold forum and the New 49er's Forum and is moderator on some 20+ other forums so has to keep daily tabs on them as some sicko enviro nut is posting porno on some of them. Plus we are doing a lot of combative research into the current attacks and some that we have heard are coming. Jim was instrumental in beating down the greenies in Virginia a couple of years back when they tried to outlaw metal detecting there and his testamony was one of the reasons it got beat. In the fall, I drain the oils and gas out of all my equipment and service all, while I can still remember which ones had problems, in the spring they all have to be oiled back up and test run with new problems coming from just sitting all winter. I was given a 12' raft since they bought new, and I checked it as I knew the floor compartment had a couple of holes in it. 76 holes later I laid it up against the side of the house so I could look to see if there was any light coming through from some holes I missed when my bride calls me in for dinner. Being late, I figured I'd just finish in the morning. WRONG!!! Jim was in Oregon doing some business and expected back late so Anita turned on the yard light so he wouldn't trip over my stuff coming in. Next morning I go out to find the raft lying on the ground flatter than a pancake and on closer inspection, found that it had been lying up against the light bulb and it in turn burnt 2 large holes in the air chamber. SO, i get on line and find out what it is made of and order the correct repair kit. Took 4 days for it to get here and now the raft looks like a raft again. This is one of those high (to me ) dollar river rafts, so its worth repairing.
Jim and I decided we need to get to doing something since we are so out of shape. Aha, the answer is, let's go highbanking. Ok, we go to one of the areas I know where it is worthwhile to shovel. Only 150 yds upriver from the truck. We pack everything up and get set up and darn it, I forgot one of the pumps. Back to the house I go and leave Jim there to do what ever he wants. I come back and he's all wet and sitting on a boulder rubbing his knee. He had gone down to the waters edge to take the temp so we could post it for the guys waiting to come up and lo and behold he steps on one of the mossy rocks, slips and falls in turning his knee in an angle it didn't want to go. OK, now he's crippled so I go ahead and start comboing and do so for about an hour and a half. Jims knee is throbbing something awful so we decide to call it a day and we get him out leaving all the stuff stashed in the bushes. He barely makes it back to the truck. Good thing because I couldn't carry him as he is now is in the neighborhood of 285 and its all in the middle. Fact is, if he were female, he would be due anytime now. He's had to just sit around since last summer taking constant care of Marcie until she passed. Next day I decide I'm not going to do that by myself, so I go back down and pack everything out. Come home and some new members called wanting to know where would be a good place to go. Yep, Next day found me loaning them all that stuff and we all are packing it right back up river and I get them started and show then how to do it etc.
I can't wait to see what today brings... Maybe I'll even get a dredge in the water in the next day or two. Sure looks cold and is still up and running pretty fast. Never would have bothered me or even entered my mind way back when, but now.....
I know you guys would give anything to just spend a few days here, and yet, here I am in the middle of what you only dream about and I am dragging my feet. Well a couple of thousand feet above me there is still all that snow and it's not been all that warm to melt it yet so if I wait just a lottle longer then maybe..........
I Love My Country
It's the government I'm Afraid OF
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