11/27/19 Report - Concreted Three-Hole Deadeye Once Found on the Treasure Coast. Broad Breasted White Turkey Not On Pilgrim's Menu.

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

3-Hole Deadeye With Small Part of Concretion It Was Extricated From.

Photo by GB

I received the following note along with several photos of a three-hole deadeye from GB.  The concretion containing the deadeye was found on one of our treasure beaches as described below after Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

Here is what GB told me.

… I was approached by a young couple vacationing here who had found an object on the beach and after pounding with a hammer brought me the object inside and a major part of the accretion. Having some experience in minor conservation of beach finds, it was immediately, in my eyes, something special. They offered it to me and I gave the wife a pair of 1/2 reale earrings in exchange...

The item is: 8 1/2" in diameter, 4 1/4" thick, weight 68.6 ounces (4.28 lbs),eye holes 1" diameter, edge channel width  1 1/4"  and edge in channel circumference 22 3/4".

The larger loaf shaped base was fabricated from plaster of paris and a little dirt and shells for display purposes. 

That is one beautiful find and a great piece of history.

Front and Back Views of the Remaining Concretion.
Photos by GB.

Two Views of the Same Deadeye

Photos by GB.

Congratulations GB!  Thanks for sharing.

If  you don't know what a deadeye is, here are a couple pictures that I found on Wikipedia.

Three-Hole Deadeye With Mounting Hardware.

And below is a photo of a three-hole deadeye that gives an idea of how it would have been used.

Source: Wikipedia.com

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When you think of Thanksgiving you might think of turkey.  I do.  If you are old enough you might remember tracing your hand in school and making the drawing into a turkey.

Turkeys, like people, have changed with the times.  The turkey you eat tomorrow is probably not the type of turkey the Pilgrims ate.  Today's turkeys, like the people, are fatter.  But that isn't the only difference.

The breed’s white feathers can be owed to selective breeding.  According to Julie Long, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, dark spots can sometimes be found on turkey meat due to pigmentation of colored feathers. Most consumers would likely consider turkey meat covered in dark spots to appear unsightly. So, it has become common practice to breed turkeys in order to achieve colorless plumage, which results in meat void of these spots.

The Broad Breasted White dominates today’s turkey market. However, this genetic selection comes at a cost. Traditional turkey breeds are slowly disappearing as the Broad Breasted White continues to be the most popular choice for Thanksgiving dinner.

Frank Reese raises turkeys on his farm in Lindsborg, Kansas. He is a member of a declining population of farmers that raise heritage turkeys. These are the breeds that date back to the 1800’s. According to Reece, the Standard Bronze is what was eaten at the first Thanksgiving and was the bird that fed America from 1850 until 1950, when genetically engineered breeds began to grow in popularity.

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We are still having some good high tides.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Another front is expect to come through in a few days and the surf will increase.

Have a happy Thanksgiving,
TreasureGuide@comcast.ent

11/23/18 Report (Part 1) Creating Your Own Test Bed. Treasure Hunting: A Way of Life.

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

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

According to the latest MagicSeaWeed.com predictions, the peak surf for the Treasure Coast has been delayed a day or so, now expected to occur on Saturday rather than Friday, as predicted earlier.

We've had a couple days of north wind, but not much surf.  The tides are pretty big though.

I'll get out to check the beaches before long.

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Sebastian Steve offered the following tips for creating your own metal detecting test bed.

I had to do a Minelab Equinox new design coil (15” elliptical) review vs. the EQX stock 11” coil in my Test Bed.
   

To verify my results, and put credibility on my results,  I explained what a proper Test Bed entails.  Surely a big job done properly...but if you are a serious detectorist, it will pay grand dividends over time...

First off - to trust my data means you need to know something about my test bed. I've made many over the years, but never a proper planned development. If you do "hodge-podge" in your backyard, you end up with wondering "Now how deep was this nickel yet, or was this the dime location"??? I think we've all been there! After the embarrassment of actually -losing- a test bed coin...due to placing it too close to the edge of the concrete and getting re-bar masking, I decided to do it right.  A "proper" Test Bed was laid out on the computer geometrically, in simple neat rows, 4' apart rows, and 4' side to side on each target hole.  

But most important... a -record- of your work on computer, phone app, even a simple piece of paper...just to remember your layout later on. Your biggest time consuming work with be de-masking the entire field. That is removing every last piece of unwanted metal, ferrous and non ferrous...  nails, nail heads, soffet tin scraps, screws, and if you're lucky...even a coin or two from the de-masking. Unfortunately I was not so lucky.  

By demasking...I of course mean removing all scrap iron and junk for a 98% iron free test bed that will be free of the effects of -iron masking-. Just as important is the opposite. You leave a piece of iron in the ground inadvertently, and it ends up right next to one of your holes. Now the real target is -amplified- and not a true reading on its own!  So if you can get through the iron removal process... probably several hours, (I had 84 pieces no bigger than a nail), you are well on your way to a test bed to be proud of.

I should take a minute to point out the great value and utility of a well built test bed (Test garden's are for tomatoes). That checking how deep your machine will read a particular target is the least of it. 

One...you may find out something is not right on your machine when you cannot hit an easy target....loose connector, bad coil, etc. 

Then you have the different modes, which really does work well in your soil? And when we get to -tuning- now we really benefit! So many possibilities! 

Wow...it works better and deeper -with- discrimination on!!?? Really??? Things like that. And then of course comparing one machine to another. 

And of course if your buddy's are good to you and bring the beer... well they too could use your test bed. I have personally enjoyed quite of bit of training others in my test bed. The uses are many and varied...and well worth the effort to construct a quality test bed that if done right, will last decades!

Here is how... and I'm going to keep this brief. Any questions, just please ask. 

1. Keep the test bed a minimum of 15' from any structure to avoid EMI and building materials near the structure. Of course a shady spot is always preferred. Watch out for U/G septic tanks, wiring, heavy plumping, etc.

2. You can decide on your own depths, but for me the minimum necessary was 8". 

3. Use a post hole digger if you have it, or your detecting shovel to keep tight, small holes. The less the side-walls are disturbed the better.

4. This is important...place a round plastic disc (from an old Tupperware, etc.) the exact width of the hole in the bottom of the hole by hand, carefully leveling off and pushing down into firm ground. This will keep the coin from sinking deeper into the ground, or worse yet, tilting off on its side.

5. Keep taking this disc in and out until you get the perfect depth to within a half inch or less. But always on the + depth to keep minimums. To measure accurately...carefully lay a paint stick on the ground across the center of the opening of the hole. Press flat and level with the overall lay of the land. Now measure straight down with a tape ruler, crossing the paint stick at right angles. You -will- get excellent depth control!

6. Place your coins logically. I started on the far left hole, 1st row with an 8" penny, then a 10" penny, then an 8" nickel, 10" nickel, 8" dime, 10." dime, 8" quarter, 10" quarter, 12" quarter, and 14" quarter. So you can stand there and easily count out to where you want to be.

7. And simply make your rows 4' apart, and the holes no closer than 4' from each other.  Deciding on the length of rows is up to you.

8, I intend soon to add another 2 rows for the half dollar, $1 coin, etc. And even a row for the Civil War Minie' Balls buried at different test depths!

All the Best,

Sebastian Steve 

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I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

I took my mother and family out to eat.  Amazing!  America is doing well -  at least a big part of it.

The meal was fit for a king - turkey, steak, ham and sides and deserts galore.

As if the meal and fellowship wasn't treasure enough, I found a ten dollar bill on the floor.  Treasure hunting isn't just for the beach.  It seems to be a full-time thing for me - a way of being.  It is about being alert and enjoying the surprises that pop up in front of you.  You can do it anywhere and anytime.

I looked around to see if I could see anyone who lost the bill but couldn't, so I ended up keeping it.  I checked the serial number to see if it was worth more than ten dollars, and it wasn't.

I've enjoyed treasure hunting since my earliest remembrance of going out to see if I could find if the chicken laid any new eggs.  We had one that nested on the ledge of the garage window.  I remember finding an egg and putting it in my pocket.  I must have been about five or something.  The egg broke in my pocket and made a real mess.  

I also enjoyed going out to find wild strawberries in the field on the hill.

Glad I was a country boy.

With the Thanksgiving celebration yesterday, as with everyday, there was a gift far above and beyond those I've already mentioned.  It is the amazing mystery of life and awareness itself, which provides the field and makes all the other things which appear within it possible. 

Some people try to make it about nothing but molecules and evolving green slime, but they can't explain awareness, let alone tell you what it is.  Some might say that it has to do with brain activity, but there is a huge leap from chemical and electrical activity to awareness. 

Where did it all come from?  The big bang?  You must be kidding!   What created the big bang?  The big bang answers nothing.  It just adds another question.  What about Occams Razor?  

People can give thanks for all kinds of things, but for me the most amazing mystery and gift is life itself and awareness.  Everything else occurs within the field of awareness, like ornaments on a Christmas tree.

Yes, there are problems too.  Pain and suffering.  Broken bulbs and lights that don't work.  But they get swallowed up.  They don't last forever.  And they fade in the light of eternity.

Accept your gift of Life and give thanks.

Happy Hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/23/17 - Another Kind of Treasure Coast Treasure: Fossils. Easter Island Stones. Sampling. Happy Thanksgiving!

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

Vintage Post Card OriginallyReceived by My Grandfather in 1909.

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Did you notice that this Megalodon tooth fossil received a winning bid of $550 in the recently concluded Sedwick treasure auction?

Auction Listing From Sedwick Auction 22

I showed that to remind you that there are other types of treasure on the Treasure Coast besides coins and artifacts.  You can find fossils all the way along the Treasure Coast.  I've seen fossils on most of the beaches.  Some beaches provide more fossils than others, of course, but you can find fossil shark teeth, as well as rhinoceros, giant sloth, camel and even mastodon bones on the Treasure Coast.

This meg tooth is more valuable than the vast majority of what you might find, but there are valuable fossils to find, and if you like finding old stuff, you should know that Treasure Coast fossils can be millions of years old.

Below are a couple of fossils I picked up the last time I was at the beach.  Beach conditions were not good for finding fossils, but I noticed them along the way.  They aren't really worth anything, but it shows that fossils are out there.

Matrix Containing a Few Pieces of Fossil Bone.

On the left bottom of the photo above is a vertebra.  At the top is larger piece of fossil that I have not yet identified.

Larger Piece of Broken Fossil Bone.

This one is larger and a little unusual because of the two colors.

Keep your eyes open.  You never know when you might see a nice shark tooth or something else nice.

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There is always more than meets the eye.  You've seen the huge stone heads of Easter island. but they are actually more than heads.  They have bodies too.  The bodies were buried over a period of about 500 years by natural processes. They didn't sink - at least not much.  They sit on rock foundations where they were originally carved and then raised from horizontal to vertical.

Here is the link.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2017/07/26/famous-easter-island-heads-have-hidden-bodies/#220cb45af804

People wonder how huge stone blocks like these could have been moved.  In this case they weren't moved - at least not far.  They were carved on location and then flipped up.

Use your head and save your back.

Speaking of which, I was glad to see on a recent episode of Oak Island that the fellows FINALLY decided to do things a bit more systematically and methodically.   They finally drilled a grid of holes to do some testing and sampling.  I've been screaming at the TV for them to do that for at least a couple of years.  I felt the same way when the Hoffman's ( I think) finally had Tony Beets (sp) do some serious core sampling.

In the past I've done a few posts on sampling.  Sampling can save a lot of time.  Very important concept.

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Here is a sad article.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/18/wwii-veteran-calls-for-help-and-dies-as-nurses-laugh-video-shows.html

While you are being thankful, express your gratitude by being kind, especially to those who need it most.

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Today we'll have a three to five foot surf.  The next few days the surf will be decreasing.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/19/15 Report - Thanksgiving Before The Pilgrims. Gold Coins and Ingots. The Real Treasure.

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

A press release dated Nov. 18, 2015 claims Spanish settlers celebrated the "first" Thanksgiving, in St. Augustine 50 years before the Pilgrims arrived in the New World on the Mayflower. If you follow that same line of thought, the "first" Thanksgiving could have actually been celebrated on the North American continent by Chinese or Norse sailors if you don't count the "Native Americans" who must have eaten numerous meals thankfully tens of thousands of years earlier.  Just another attempt by a supposed "scholar" to make news and appear scholarly by challenging tradition with a pseudointellection proposition.  If you really want to talk "first" Thanksgiving, credit a monkey who was happy a banana fell on his head and gladly consumed it.  The monkey would have been nearly as likely to utter something resembling the word "Thanksgiving" as would Pedro Menendez de Aviles. Hey, we get it.  Cultural traditions are seldom or never totally factual, but there are "real" reasons they have become continuing traditions.  Don't overlook that.

Here is the link to the article about the first real Thanksgiving that we all really celebrate without knowing it.  Really?!

http://news.ufl.edu/articles/2015/11/before-the-pilgrims-floridians-celebrated-the-real-first-thanksgiving.php


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Chinese archaeologists on Tuesday discovered 75 gold coins and hoof-shaped ingots in an aristocrat's tomb that dates back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD).

The gold objects -- 25 gold hoofs and 50 very large gold coins -- are the largest single batch of gold items ever found in a Han Dynasty tomb. They were unearthed from the tomb of the first "Haihunhou" (Marquis of Haihun) in east China's Jiangxi Province.

The coins weigh about 250 grams each, while the hoofs' weights vary from 40 to 250 grams, said Yang Jun, who leads the excavation team...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-11/17/c_134826435.htm

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As I pushed my elderly mother around an amusement park in a wheel chair the other day, I couldn't help noticing the many parents pushing their small children in strollers.  I thought about how rolls change with the passing of time.  Someday some of those the children will be pushing their parents like I was.

One of the most joyful things in life is to watch a child become strong, capable and more self-sufficient, and to me, one of the saddest things is to watch a parent go the other way.

As I held the hand that once held me up, I felt no strength in it.  It was now a hand that it seemed would crumble if I held it too tightly.

That was the hand of a person who loved me, dressed me and fed me.  It is my privilege to try to return some of that love while I can.  I won't have that privilege long enough.  I rather hold that hand than a thousand gold coins.

Give thanks and celebrate.

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Here we go again.  Thursday of next week MagicSeaWeed is predicting a seven to eleven foot surf for the Treasure Coast.  Will it happen?  I doubt it.  But here is to hoping.

In the mean time we are having something more on the order of a four foot surf.  That is better than nothing and better than what we had all summer.  You might be able to find a few spots of small erosion, but they will be few and small.

Happy hunting and finding,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/27/14 100 Plus Year Old Thanksgiving Day Greeting!



100 Plus Year Old  Used Thanksgiving Greeting Card.

From me to you.

Here is the back, just in case you are interested.

Earl is my grandfather.

Be blessed!

11/28/13 Report - Happy Thanksgiving - Bigger Surf Predicted

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

I wasn't really going to talk about detecting today but something popped up.  Did you see the prediction for Saturday, December 12?   They are predicting up to a nine foot surf.   Of course we don't know for sure that the surf will actually be that high when the time comes.  On the other hand, it could be even higher.

We've certainly had a good November this year, especially compared to the past year or two of unremarkable beach conditions.  December could be even better.

In a day or so the blog poll will be complete and we'll be able to get some good information from that.

Some nice cold air moved into the Treasure Coast and we have a nice seasonably cool Thanksgiving.  It makes for nice brisk detecting weather.

I've mentioned in the past that my best cob day ever was back a number of years ago a day or two before Christmas when it was so cold that there was ice on some of the bridges on 95 North.  And the beach was blowing and my fingers were freezing.  At the time I wasn't as climatized to Florida weather.  That helped.

People say that your blood thins.  That isn't exactly what happens.   When a person is exposed to cold the peripheral blood vessels constrict and the blood redistributes from the extremities to the core where it is kept warmer.  A person who does not experience much cold seems to lose that adaptive response to cold over time.  I learned that when I conducted biofeedback research in the old days.

Anyhow, what was on my mind this morning is Thanksgiving.  I was reminded of a time when I went to a hospital to visit someone.   As I approached the hospital, the automatic doors popped open and two people with bent distorted bodies emerged in their electronic wheel chairs which they were controlling with a joy stick.  It seemed to be difficult for them given that their hands and arms were contorted in a painful looking way.   But what caught my attention most was the fact that they both had big beautiful smiles.  That reminded me that it is possible to be happy under difficult circumstances, and also, to be unhappy in fortunate circumstances.  The difference is attitude.  That is why today I'd suggest a little mental detecting.  Yes I said mental detecting.

I don,t mean ESP or anything like that.  What I mean is looking inward and detecting those attitudes that contribute to or inhibit success.  A cheerful optimistic attitude not only tends to make a person happier, it also contributes to success.

But today the one attitude that I wanted to mention most is thankfulness.  It is good to be thankful, but even better to express it.

I am thankful for much.  I have two good working arms, legs, hands and feet, and a head that works fairly well.  I didn't really earn that.  It was a gift.

I had parents that faithfully did their best for me.  And that was very good.

I wasn't born in a third world country.  I don't have to constantly struggle for the basic necessities of life.  I grew up in humble circumstances, but always had much more than I needed.

None of that can I say I really earned or deserved any more than most people that don't have it all.

To sum it up, I'm thankful and hope you are just as blessed and thankful today.

Happy Thanksgiving,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net