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Life has been so hectic the past few months that trying to find time for myself and metal detecting has been taking some serious strategic planning.  There’s been multiple weddings, wedding showers, birthday parties, family parties, just have to go even though I don’t want to parties, etc, etc…

It’s been hard enough trying to squeeze in a few hunts here and there, but a month without a blog post, and folks just assume I’ve hung up my machine and retired.  So, um… well, FYI, that’s never going to happen!  It is what it is, and the reality is that I can’t always be lost in Detecting Wonderland. Sometimes I have to do things that are more important than metal detecting (omg-did I really just say that)?

Read More “Finding the Time…” »

We attended the 3rd Annual Catskill Mountains Coin Shoot & Relic Hunt in Big Indian, NY, this past weekend, and I have to give the Nor’easters Metal Detecting Club a good dose of recognition here for putting on such a great event.

There were 19 different sites to hunt, and it was very well organized. Descriptions and photos of the sites (with GPS addresses–thank you) were handed out in a nice booklet, and each site was clearly marked so you were sure you were in the right place.

Read More “Detecting the Catskills” »

Pet Peeve:  How annoying is it when people refer to us as “He (or she) is a metal detector?”  Or, “Oh, You’re a metal detector?”

Dear rest of the world who do not metal detect:
We are Detectorist’s.  We are not the machine, we are the user’s of the machine.  Therefore, Detectorist’s.

Listening to someone speak to a group of us “detectorists” a while back, I had to grit my teeth as he said “You metal detectors…”, and yes, technically, with our machines in hand, we are metal detectors.  We detect metal, but again, we are not the machines, we are the users of the machine.  Calling us metal detectors is just wrong, and just sounds wrong.

Read More “A Detectorist’s Pet Peeve” »

There are two different versions of Nighthawking that I’ve come the be familiar with; the American version, and the UK version:

The American version of Nighthawking is loosely defined as metal detecting in the evening or at night.

The UK version of Nighthawking is metal detecting at night, for the purpose of plundering sites of their precious archaeological artifacts, under the cover of darkness.

Read More “Nighthawking -vs- Nighthawking” »

Since I ranted on about my troublesome VW problems, I feel it’s only fair that I divulge the outcome of the VW saga.

The problem turned out to be the transmission, but thankfully, VW had extended the warranty to 100k on that particular transmission. Fortunately I had not gone over the 100k, but I did come in pretty darn close at 99,500k. Something went right–yeah!

Read More “The New Detecting Gear Transport Vehicle” »

Oh, hey–it’s me. Yup, I’m still here. Thanks for all the emails and messages inquiring as to my whereabouts. I could say something smart like “Well, I’ve been out detecting”, but seriously, sometimes life intervenes, and I just can’t find the time to post as often as I would like.

You’re probably wondering (or not) just what has kept me so busy…. Just life, a change of schedules, less free time, etc… You know–stuff.

So what’s new since last I posted…

Most recently, my not so fabulous Volkswagen, the only car I have ever owned that I suspect hates me (and my metal detector), died again. There I was, just cruising along the Merrit Parkway on a nice Saturday morning, thinking that on my way back home I could stop by my old favorite site–and suddenly, without warning, as I’m in the passing lane, in the midst of passing someone, my car loses all power. No danger there.

Read More “Don’t Buy a VW if you Metal Detect or Not (Part 2) & Skunked at the BONE” »

Fortunately, most detectorists, follow and abide by a general set of ethics while in the field.  Occasionally though, There have been times in this hobby when my head just spins over someone’s’ total lack of respect for property, and the hobby.

I have been volunteering my time, for several years, working to preserve the rights of metal detectorists to enjoy and practice our lawful hobby.  So call me super sensitive, but I get extremely upset when I see the ignorance and lack of respect that the occasional rogue leaves in his or her wake.

This is an open letter to my local neighborhood detectorist, who is one of those people.  I hope he reads this and recognizes himself here, and better yet, learns how to dig a proper hole; but sadly, I doubt he will, as it is obvious he only cares about one thing, and that is himself…

Read More “Dear Local Ace Detectorist:” »

Wow, 2015 flew by fast!

It started off slow and über cold, as I spent most of January & February hibernating on the couch under a blanket engrossed in season after season of Vampire Diaries.

It was difficult for me because I’m not a TV person.  I wish I could revive my body’s former ability to withstand the cold, so I could do constructive things (like metal detect), when the thermometer is reading  “WTF is going on outside” degrees, but even the lure of treasure and vision’s of beach gold does not help overcome my reluctance. Defeated I am.

Read More “Where the Heck did 2015 Go?” »

Bucket List:  In Metal Detecting, a bucket list is a list of coveted, wished for, or cool items you hope to find during the upcoming season, or throughout your detecting career.

I think everyone has had a bucket list at one at one time or another. Some have fulfilled their lists, and have moved on to different ways of challenging themselves, such as beating the previous years silver or gold count, aspiring to find a record number of shoe buckles, coppers or flat buttons, (or in my case…oxen shoes). Others though, may still have a few elusive items they’ve yet to acquire.

Read More “Metal Detecting Bucket Lists” »

I’m in the middle of the forest this past Thursday evening, nighthawking a cellar hole with, my obsessed as I am, detecting buddy Scott. I’ve got part of a shoe buckle, a square pin & a neat old flat button in my pouch. He has a coin (type yet to be determined), and a nice thimble. Things are going well for us in the darkness of our detecting wonderland… Suddenly, mid target dig, Scott comes over and says “Hey Allie, there are people coming up the trail, lets head back to the Land Rover”. I look around and see nothing–no flashlights, just darkness, but I hear a small commotion, so I quickly take heed, grab my gear and follow him.

Read More “You Can’t Make this Stuff Up” »

I went hunting a cellar hole site with an old detecting buddy a while back. It’s a site that we’ve hit hard in the past, and it wasn’t our site of choice, it was our site of necessity. We wanted to detect, yet were short on time. Driving an hour or more just wasn’t going to happen, we needed a site that was close by for instant detecting gratification.

Read More “The Ugly Pin” »

A while back I spent the day at Orchard Beach with Petrina Engelke, a German journalist based in New York who likes to write about inspiring people, especially women. We talked Metal Detecting of course, and I showed her what those folks she’s seen hunting the beaches do, and how we do it.

The article is in German, but hopefully you’ll be able to translate it easily enough.

Read More “A Day at the Beach with Petrina Engelke” »

If you ever wanted to build your own metal detector, detecting gear and accessories, or create your own unique artwork from relics–whether to save money, just for fun, or because you’re a do it yourself person, below are some links you might find helpful (or amusing).  

Read More “Do-it-yourself Projects for Metal Detectorist’s” »

I was wondering which article to post, as I promised to delve into the archives to bring you a little bit of metal detecting humor.  Then I saw this pic posted on Facebook, and it reminded me of a humorous little article where I briefly mentioned having to choose between a guy or metal detecting.  I hope this brings a smile to your day–

Read More “The ABC’s of Metal Detecting” »

Humor and metal detecting don’t seem to get together very often. Colonial shoe buckles, flat buttons and old coins just aren’t very funny. It’s kind of like trying to find the humor in cross country skiing–you know its there… somewhere, but you’ve really got to search for it.

Read More “Are you a Detecting Widow? Tips for Living in Harmony with a Detectorist” »

It’s not very often that you get to detect empty fairgrounds, but that was us, as my partner and I–with great expectations, mind you–enthusiastically drove to meet the “Keymaster” at the gate to the empty fairgrounds.

Read More “Hunting the Fairgrounds” »

I frequently search the web for interesting content and links to websites about metal detecting and history, and I’ve compiled a few of my recent favorites below.  Check them out–some of them are pretty cool–

Read More “A Few of my Favorites” »

How many times have you wished you had some type of holster to carry around your T-handle shovel? Don’t most of us walk around carrying it in our hand, or slung over our shoulder as we detect? It can be cumbersome, especially in the woods, or when walking or hiking long distances.

Read More “The “Ready Shovel” – Very Simple, yet Very Cool.” »

“I hope this publication can develop a shared language with metal detectorist’s and move us toward and ever increasing collaboration”.~Giovanna Peebles

The March 2015 issue of the SAA Archaeological Record—the magazine of the Society of American Archaeology is now out.

This month’s issue is a special thematic issue, all about archaeological practice on reality television (i.e. metal detecting reality shows).  As the popularity of these reality shows has increased, archaeologists have been working with TV executives and producers, trying to find ways to communicate and form relationships with responsible detectorist’s and the public.

Read More “Archaeology, Reality Television and Metal Detecting” »

It’s been a while since I’ve been doing regular posts on my blog.  The reason is simply hibernation.  Since Christmas I have been out detecting exactly 4 days–the three days following Christmas, while the ground was still unfrozen and the weather was mild, and then one brave outing to the beach in January.

On the beach outing, I actually called it an early day, (hard to believe, I know), but it was too darn cold for me.  I just wanted to go home, sit on the couch where its warm, and watch Vampire Diaries until Spring arrived.

Read More “YouTube, NYC Permits,Top Posts & Camo Cake…” »

My boyfriend is new to the hobby of metal detecting, and when he expressed an interest in trying it, I was a bit skeptical because his hobby is auto racing, and race cars.  I wondered if an E-trac would be able to hold his interest, or compete with the excitement of racing.

Despite my skepticism, his enthusiasm seemed genuine, and I was more than willing to spend a day detecting with him, with the hopes he might get some enjoyment from it, and perhaps we could add it to the list of activities that we do together.

Read More “Hunting for “Coppers”” »