4/1/20 The Case For Opening Beaches, Parks and Outdoor Recreation Areas.

The Case for Opening Beaches, Parks, and Outdoor Recreation Areas.

The United States Declaration of Independence lists "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" as three "unalienable rights."  Unalienable means not to be given or taken away.

Sometimes people don't do what is good for themselves or others, but the assumption seems to be that those in government can make better decisions for the entire population than individual citizens can make for themselves.  Prove it.  Where are the double-blind studies that prove those decisions safe and effective?  Are the citizens too dumb or irresponsible to exercise safe behavior appropriate to their own situation?

Not only do officials presume to know better and care more than the citizenry, but they often exclude themselves from the restrictions they impose.  In their "essential" functions they exercise their own judgement and remain immune to the penalties or forced compliance exercised upon the general population.

In the case of Coronavirus, is it safer, or even possible, for a family to remain cramped together 24 hours a day in a single dwelling?  Would not total confinement in close quarters mean that any one of them having other contacts be in danger of infecting the entire household, therefore leading to multiple contacts with healthcare workers and others.

Would not an automobile or outdoor setting actually provide or allow more effective isolation and social distancing while reducing stress and possibly adding the psychological and health benefits of exercise and fresh air?

People are capable of self-distancing.  They are wearing masks and staying away from others.  It is easier in open spaces.

Can't we see that packing people in close proximity is the worst thing you can do?  Compare the disaster in New York with Wyoming, or even Los Angeles, which has a very large population, but one that is much more spread out.

There is always risk.  Nearly 70,000 people die from drug overdose every year.  Nearly 40,000 people die from car accidents, while over 4.4 million are injured by car accidents.  The flu just two years ago was killing 4,000 a week for a period of time.  Are people willing to accept risky behavior?  Do we for some reason more easily accept some causes of injury or death?  The obvious answer is yes. There is a balance to be reached.  Some risk is acceptable.   Some risk is beneficial.

The elderly might be more at risk, but they've lived through World Wars and epidemics without modern medicine and survived.  The elderly living do not need anyone to tell them how to survive.  They have done it.

From their towers, the vision of researchers is as skewed as their data and models.  Their advise is valuable but it should not be taken as the whole wisdom of mankind.  If we are to maintain our form of government, our citizens must be thought intelligent and responsible enough to make decisions for themselves.

I am not minimizing the dangers of coronavirus.  It is dangerous.  It may be unprecedented in many ways, and adequate precautions need to be taken.  However one thing that must be considered is the risk of depriving the citizenry of their self-dignity and their right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Signed,
The TreasureGuide

Feel free to share.

Happy Mother's Day.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Happy Mother's Day

From the TreasureGuide

Easter Sunday I took my 93-year-old mother to church.  While we waited for church to begin, once again she told the story about how I crawled up under the pews when I was a baby.  She caught me by the leg before I got too far.  That seems to be one of her favorite stories.

That was over seventy years ago.  We are now a thousand miles away, but we could both still see it in our minds as if we were watching it take place all over again.

The two-story church built in the 1840s was one of those old-style churches: two tall stories with towering spires, huge stained glass windows, fine carpentry and huge organ pipes that filled the wall behind the pulpit.

Downstairs was the nursery with its yellow table and short little chairs that were barely off the ground, and in the corner was a yellow sandbox elevated on legs.  Right next door was a elegant Victorian sitting room with padded chairs, lace curtains and speakers connected to the sanctuary by wires for the elderly who couldn't make it up the tall stairway to the sanctuary.

I can see it so well because every Sunday from the time I could crawl until I went off to college, I attended with my family.

When I crawled up under the pews my mother and father were kids of 22.  Mom was a very shy country hick that had never been much of anywhere.  Little things were a big deal, but dad had been most of the way around the world during WW II.  He has been gone for over ten years now.

My mother also told me once again how the ladies always wore hats to church.  She's told that a number of times too. Things have changed. 

Her memory isn't as sharp as it once was, and she struggles to keep some of the past alive.  We shared much of that past, and we are the only ones left that can share those special memories today.  

Whether because of her eyes or unsteady legs, she doesn't walk very confidently, and I take her by the hand, like she once took mine. 

It has been a lot of years, but in a way it seems more like minutes.  It only takes one step to go from the nursery to the seniors room, and one more from the sitting room to the stairway upstairs.

Me: I'm a grey-haired oldster now, and I try to take care of her, but I know it can't be too many more times that I'll be able to take her to church - or anywhere.   But those memories will live on with me.

Today is indeed the day.  

Happy Mother's Day.

12/31/17 Report - Treasure Hunting, Digging Holes and a Metaphor of Life. Should Be Viral Photo. South Hutchinson Island Beaches. Bigger Surf Coming Soon.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Partially Buried Scoop In One Big Hole 

Photo by Eric H.

This is the perfect picture for New Years.  If the world was populated by detectorists like me, the photo would go viral.  As soon as I saw it I had to laugh and showed it to my wife, who also laughed when she saw it.

It isn't that the picture is so funny.  It is just so meaningful.  It is a metaphor for life.

I won't tell the story that goes with the picture yet.  As a detectorist you can probably identify with the big hole at the water's edge.  You get it.  You've been there.

You get a signal.  You check it out.  More beeps.  There is something definitely there.  You start digging.  It is still there.  Dig some more.  Still there.  Dig and dig and dig.  You are almost there and the tide tarts coming in and every time you remove some sand, water comes in and fills the hole again. The object is so close, yet remains just out of reach.

As one year comes to an end, it isn't really an end.  We aren't done yet.  There is more to do.  There are things that we haven't yet accomplished even though we put in a lot of work.  There will be obstacles to overcome but there will also be windows of opportunity. There are treasures that will continue to draw us on and some that will continue to remain just our of reach.

You don't know what lies in the bottom of the hole.  Imagination says it might be some exciting treasure, while discouragement says it might be nothing but junk.  The optimist keeps digging, but the pessimist gives up and says there is nothing good there.

There is a lot in life that we can't see and haven't yet reached, yet we know it is there waiting for us - urging us on.

I've been surprised how religious or spiritual so many detectorists are.  It is no wonder though.  They search for what they do not know and do not see, yet they believe that it is out there.  They can search and work for something and not know what it is.  They can do everything right and still not be successful - until the right time.

Yes, there is much left to do.  There is more to find.  There is more to learn.  The goal has not been reached.   2017 may have been the start of many projects and the finish of some, yet there is much more to do.

May 2018 NOT be a year of bottomless holes and junk targets.  May your efforts be rewarded, and may you find the real treasures of life.

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Fort Pierce South Jetty Beach Yesterday Just Before Noon.

I took a look at the beach yesterday.  Here are some photos that I took at Fort Pierce South Jetty and John Brooks beaches.  There was no new erosion at those beaches.

Fort Pierce South Jetty Beach.

It was foggy still around 11 o'clock when I took the photos.  I had to enhance them a little because the fog made them look blurry.

Fort Pierce South Jetty Yesterday.

The wind was coming from the northwest.  The water had only been to the toe of the cliff.

I did pick up some fossil pieces.

John Brooks Beach Yesterday Just Before Noon.

John Brooks Yesterday.

There was no new erosion at either of these beaches.  I don't know if any of the beaches to the north improved.  Maybe some one can give me a report from up there.

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The surf predictions are encouraging.  As you can see, we are supposed to get a 5  - 8 foot surf next week.  Also some north winds.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Have a Happy New Year.

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/16/15 Report - Beach Conditions Starting To Improve This Morning. Different Times and Stages For Detecting. Items That Sell Well.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

South Hutchinson Island Beaches This Morning Before High Tide

It looks like we're finally transitioning from summer beach conditions.

From what I saw this morning, beach conditions are improving.  In my opinion not enough to increase my beach conditions rating quite yet, however it might be the start of something.

The wind changed yesterday and blew some last night so I thought I'd go see what, if anything, was happening.

These beaches were eroding well before high tide.  I'd expect more later.

The water isn't getting up as high on the beach as it did when we had the high tides, but at least there is some erosion.

The erosion I saw ran for probably a mile.  It wasn't big though - less than two feet at the highest and usually less.

The surfing web site says we're going to have a small surf today and tomorrow, increasing slightly Sunday and then Monday up to something like eight feet.

Funny how we got this erosion with such a small surf.  I always say that the size of the waves isn't the only thing that matters.  Angles are very important.

Hopefully we'll get some decent angles when the surf gets big.

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Life is short and passes quickly.  You only have so much time, and can only do so many things. With your time you can either dabble in a lot of different things or dive into one thing and do it very well.

My detecting and professional life have both been varied.  I've done a lot of things, but managed to do some of them fairly well.

There have been definite stages in my detecting.  When I started detecting, I hunted coins, kept track of my coin finds and gradually got better and was able to find more and more coins.

That stage passed as I became more interested in finding jewelry. That progressed in steps and stages too.  I became primarily a shallow water hunter.  I changed how I hunted and got a detector that was excellent for finding gold in salt water environments.  I got into detecting very radically for a while.

Where I lived was a very important factor.  It offered a lot of good jewelry and also good water hunting conditions.

While I was doing consulting work and traveling around the country doing  work for organizations such as the Navy, Federal Express and Martin Marietta, I got to detect a lot of different places.  I liked detecting the lakes around Minneapolis and the beaches and historic areas around Pensacola, for example.  My jewelry hunting strategies and techniques worked well in those different places.

Then there was the period between jobs before I went back to university teaching.  I had a few months between jobs, and it was during that period that I was able to prove to myself that I could make a decent living at detecting if that was what I wanted to do.

I spent a lot of time detecting during that period and did some really intense detecting.  I spent a lot of time hunting and worked very difficult conditions, including very rough water.  I even did some dangerous things that I wouldn't be stupid enough to try now.

One thing I kind of regret is not going to Columbia when I was invited to be a keynote speaker at a computer education conference at Antonio Nurino Unversity.   There were travel advisories at the time because of the drug wars.  I'd love to detect there, but probably never will now.

Eventually I moved to the Treasure Coast.  Then I got more into finding old things.  The old jewelry hunting techniques still worked well when I wanted to do that.  I had to learn the new local beaches though.  I still don't know the Treasure Coast beaches as I knew the South Florida beaches.

Hunting old stuff is different from hunting modern stuff.  You have to use different strategies and techniques for optimal results.

I'm no longer as intense about detecting as I once was.  My family situation has changed and my priorities have changed.  Maybe I've matured some.   When the hurricanes hit, I didn't even get out to the beaches because I had other priorities.  I missed out on a lot of good finds when I missed out on some of the best hunting conditions, but like I said, my priorities have changed.

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According to Kovels Komments

Click here to see the other popular items on their list.

Don't ignore jewelry finds just because they are costume jewelry.  They can still be worth something.

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The main thing today is the improving conditions.  Keep watching to see what happens the next couple of days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/25/15 Report - Memorial Day Post

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

I was thinking today that I'd talk a little about freedom, first because it is Memorial Day and we respectfully remember those who fought to preserve our liberties, but also because freedom  is a topic that I've been touching on in different ways in recent days.

We all want life, liberty and to be able to pursue happiness, but sometimes the things we do endangers our freedoms.  Lack of responsibility and good judgment puts freedom at risk.  Not that all restrictions on freedom are wise or just, but restrictions are often, not always, a reaction to something done without good judgement.

On smaller matters such as metal detecting, we often lose our liberties because someone somewhere did something stupid or harmful or maybe something that just didn't look good.  Leaving unsightly holes is one small example.  The hole might not actually be dangerous, but someone, perhaps too many someones, or someone with too much power, might see it that way.

I don't want you to get the idea here that I'm putting something like our metal detecting issues at the same level as wars and the loss of life suffered by those in the military.  I'm definitely not, but this is a blog on metal detecting and many of the same principles apply whether we are talking about large or small freedoms.  I often heard, "Take care of your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."  Take care of the small things and the large things will be taken care of as well.

Ronald Reagan once said,  “I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.”   

H. L. Mencken said, “The urge to save humanity is almost always a false face for the urge to rule it.”  I believe we face a lot of that these days. 

We get more rules, laws and regulations when we need them, or when we don't need them but when someone has been able to convince enough people that we do.  

Not all decisions are made with honesty, good judgement or knowledge.  That is true for each of us and governments too.  The result is that there are at times conflicts, and there are issues worth fighting for.

Government seems to have fewer and fewer limits as people are crammed closer and closer together and more and more people depend upon the government for more and more.

I find it interesting to listen to talk shows and hear how so many people are willing to give away freedoms and liberties these days.  People give their lives for our freedoms and then we give the same freedoms away because of fear, laziness, convenience, or stupidity.

I guess there will always be that tension.  Freedoms will always be at stake.  It will require vigilance and good judgement, whether we are talking about the basic freedoms of life and liberty or smaller things.

Of the smaller things, we often think it really doesn't matter, but maybe it does.  What are you willing to let slide?  Where do you make your stand?

Big things matter, but so do little things.

Remember,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/6/14 Report - Young Boys Find Very Rare and Old Gold Hair Tress. Fake or Real Escudo? Error Dime. Poor Beach Conditions. It's All About ...

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.bogspot.com.

4000 Year-old Hair Tress Found By Young Boys.

This 4000 year-old hair tress was found by four boys (ages 7 - 10) while participating in an archaeological dig.

Joseph, seven, said: "We were digging carefully in the ground and I saw something shiny, it was gold.  "Me and Luca started dancing with joy. It was very exciting."

Luca, eight, added: "When I first saw it I felt happy but I thought it was plastic.  "When I found out it was gold, I was very happy."

To their astonishment it turned out to be an ancient hair tress which is one of the earliest pieces of metal work dug up in the UK.

Experts say the pre-Bronze Age ornament is one of the most significant recent archaeological finds ever discovered in the UK.

 

Here is the link for the entire article.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/495572/Gold-hair-tress-more-than-4-000-years-old-found-by-kids

Great story.   It is great that the boys, and the public in general, were able to participate.  

It also goes to show that you never know what might pop up.  

Fake or Not? 

Here is a little practice exercise. 

This is supposed to be an 1715 era escudo.   Do you think it is real?

I'll  show you an easy way to tell below.

Here is a common dug dime - 1985 D.

Do you see anything unusual?

It has a double rim at the bottom right. 

I noticed that, and when I researched it, saw that it appears to be a fairly common error.  People sell it on the internet as an error coin for a few dollars.







Back to the questionable escudo.

Edge of
Questionable Escudo

Here is the picture of the edge of the escudo in question.  Notice the mold seam.   That is a dead give away.   Fake!

That is a quick way you can often identify a poor fake.

I took a look at some beaches from Fort Pierce Inlet to Walton Rocks this morning.    See photo below.

There was nobody on the millions of dollars of what remains of the newly dredged sand at South Inlet Park.  If that was supposed to help bring tourists, it was an obvious waste.  Very few people go there.

The water along the Treasure Coast was very flat this morning.  And there were steep piles of course sand on some of the front beaches, such as Douglass park.

I didn't see any savage vessels anywhere around the Nieves site this morning.

The beaches around that area were very poor.  There is a lot of sand around there.







The surf web sites are predicting a one foot surf for a week or more.   That means easy water hunting, as far as water conditions go, but it might be difficult to find anyplace that isn't mushy sand.   If you can't, you'll probably have to be content with recent drops.

Treasure Coast Beach This Morning.

You can't find things like the gold pyx or gold hair tress everyday.  Rare things are rare.  That is why they call them rare.   But no matter what treasure you are trying to find, there is always something you can find along the way. 

When it seems like you can't find anything at all, maybe you are missing the most important thing.   All you have to do is stop and take it in.   The joy of life is all around you, anywhere and everywhere, waiting to be had.  Just drop the preoccupations that keep you focused on less important things, and you'll find that joy hovering around you just waiting to be taken in.

Some say it isn't about the find, it is about the hunt.  I'll go a step farther.  I'll say it isn't all about hunt, it is about the gift of life.  Don't forget to appreciate it, no matter what is going on with it. 

Being thankful magnifies the joy of life.  Give thanks.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net