Prospecting In the House.

[Bobj.]

Been off the site for a while as I have been nursing my wife, Jo. She has breast cancer and dementia, which makes it somewhat difficult to do things. As she has dementia, she has no memory of things said, or done 10 seconds ago, so I started clearing out the rubbish she has collected er, accumulated, over the last 10 years. So far, I have filled 2 wheelie bins of utter rubbish, from old combs to placcy bags by the hundreds and to empty bottles, old face cloths, cut up material, magazines, newspapers etc.
Yesterday, I found a small plastic butter container that had a small ribbon, a few knots from string, used hairpins, 3 pencil stubs, paper clips and lolly wrappers. Anyhow, at the bottom of the container was a tiny placcy bag with a piece of garnet we found out near Gemtree in the NT. Stuck under it was a piece of paper with a coin enclosed. I nearly fell over when I opened the paper, it was a gold sovereign dated 1893… And I very nearly threw it in the wheelie bin!
In our 50 years of marriage, Jo never told me about it. But, thinking back, she is a Scottish Kiwi, which explains it!
Bobj.

 

[WalnLiz]

Sorry to hear about Jo's condition mate and can imagine how testing the whole situation can be. That piece of garnet must really have been of great importance to her and I'm glad it never ended up in the bin. The sovereign must also have had a lot of significance and keeping them both together will mean a lot to her even if the memory has failed in this present day. Hoping the situation improves for you and all our best wishes are being sent your way. Stay strong and cherish all the memories....cheers Wal.

 

[Longfellow]

My word you guys are having a bad run, I hope all comes good for you soon.

 

[Bobj.]

Many thanks for your concern, you good people, but it is not all wet and soiled nappies. I get a trip to mackay for groceries while Jo is sleeping and I make sure I gat a session fishing off the rocks…If the stupid wind eases.
Jo and Iused to go camping in the NT near Gemtree , or up to the Keep River for barra fishing, but, at 81, I might have to slow down a tad…
My piece of paradise.

 

[Bobj.]

Just before Jo took ill, I bought a pinger, a Gold Monster 1000 and have only managed to use it a couple of times since. It was really intended for my grandson, but sod him, his Dad is richer than his Dad…
Bobj.

 

[Bobj.]

Just remembered a session “prospecting” in the East Kimberley Region.
I lived and worked there for about 9 years as a soils technician on the Main Roads Dept in Kununurra. One time, the engineer in charge told me to pack a swag for a week and go south of Hall’s Creek and locate ‘sufficient gravel for 30 km of road’.
off I tootled in the trusty 4wd. Well found lotsa good gravel and one fine morning, about 60 km south of Hall’s Creek, went over a couple of low hills on the east side of the road and found…a Chrysler ‘Valiant‘ with all doors wide open and the keys in the ignition!
There were no tracks around, so it must have been there for quite a while. Called the boss on the 2-way , who called the Hall’s Creek police. It was arranged for me to meet the police on the main road, so after a few hours, here came the cavalry. The officer followed me and when we got to the car, he looked it over and noted that mine were the only tracks and came to the conclusion that a group of Aboriginals had abandoned the car and decided to either walk to Balgo Mission, or to walk back to the road and wait for a lift. All this was in 1976. Yes, found plenty of gravel for the boss, but never heard any more about the car.
Another, later…Then another…So, don’t go away, hey?
Bobj.

 

[WalnLiz]

Just remembered a session “prospecting” in the East Kimberley Region.
I lived and worked there for about 9 years as a soils technician on the Main Roads Dept in Kununurra. One time, the engineer in charge told me to pack a swag for a week and go south of Hall’s Creek and locate ‘sufficient gravel for 30 km of road’.
off I tootled in the trusty 4wd. Well found lotsa good gravel and one fine morning, about 60 km south of Hall’s Creek, went over a couple of low hills on the east side of the road and found…a Chrysler ‘Valiant‘ with all doors wide open and the keys in the ignition!
There were no tracks around, so it must have been there for quite a while. Called the boss on the 2-way , who called the Hall’s Creek police. It was arranged for me to meet the police on the main road, so after a few hours, here came the cavalry. The officer followed me and when we got to the car, he looked it over and noted that mine were the only tracks and came to the conclusion that a group of Aboriginals had abandoned the car and decided to either walk to Balgo Mission, or to walk back to the road and wait for a lift. All this was in 1976. Yes, found plenty of gravel for the boss, but never heard any more about the car.
Another, later…Then another…So, don’t go away, hey?
Bobj.

What a pity you weren't swinging a detector back in those days Bobj, as even the old VLF's picked up some huge nuggets from all around that Halls Creek region back then. It's still my place of choice these days. Take care mate.

 

[Hawkear]

My wife came to Austalia when she was 5 years old. When her grandfather died he left her a gold coin saying that it was quite valuable and to keep it safe for bad times like those many of her family in Holland had suffered at the hands of the Nazis during the war for helping Dutch Jewish. The coin was a gold Catherine the Great Russian 10 rouble coin with an eyelet soldered to it for wearing around the neck.
Some time ago looking up the value of the coin she found that it could be valued at up to $8000 depending on professional assessment of its quality. She decided to have the eyelet professionally removed by a jeweler and having that done she forgot about it for a while.
Sometime later searching through our house for it, the tragic realization came to her that she had left it in the bottom compartment of a handbag which she had since given to an op shop. This was over two years later and she had no idea of which shop that might have been as she had donated to a number in that time.
Life is a scale balancing the good and the bad, and whilst it is hard not to regret a loss, she says this was was just one of those bad things that have been heavily outweighed by the good things in her life.