Lucky Slippers!

[mn90403]

When you are not a regular at nugget detecting you forget things sometimes and that is what I did last night.  I decided I had a few hours in the middle of the night to make my 3 hour drive to a nugget patch where I've found more than 100 nuggets.  The problem has been the last 4 trips ... well ... I didn't add to the total.  This trip was somewhat of a hasty decision as I also wanted to see some of the Perseid Meteor Shower.

When I got about half way to my patch I realized I didn't have anything but my sandals.  I had left my old boots and new boots sitting near the door.  What can you do?  I saw a Walmart but none of them are open all night any more or at least this one was closed at midnight.  I went to the truck stop, then another, and another and back to the second one and got the only 'shoes' available!

 

Now, that is hunting nuggets in style!

It was about 2 AM by the time I got to the patch and got my gear on (I had everything else) and started walking in the last place I had found a nugget.  A couple of hours later I took a break and no joy so far.  The only thing I saw was a grey fox looking at me when I shined my flashlight on him.  I looked to see the meteor shower and it was cloudy.  So cloudy in fact that when the dawn came there was a little bit of rain.  It was just about this time when I finally got one of those sounds you detect for.  I tested in Bogenes settings and much less.  I scraped and it was still in the hard pack!  Yes ... it had to be a nugget.  And sure enough it was down about 5 inches.  I estimated my Find Point to be .2 g (actual weight .18g) so I was on the board.

The heavens decided to celebrate with a sunrise and some rain and partial rainbows.

I had spent 6 hours at this spot and it was time to move.  Just as I was making the move I noticed a bird had landed near the car.  It was a hawk and he was not afraid of the car for some reason.  Best I could figure is that he wanted me to scare him up a mouse of something to eat.  I got a picture of him.

It was a good morning.  I didn't get skunked.  The desert is really beautiful.

[Northeast]

23 minutes ago, mn90403 said:

Now, that is hunting nuggets in style!

And comfort  😊

Great pics Mitchel - there sure is a whole lot of area to swing a coil.  

Congrats on beating the skunk.  

2 sayings come to mind from your post

 - Never judge a day by the weather. 

 - No rain - no rainbows.  

Enjoy your sleep - if the kids let you! 

[Gold Catcher]

Great story and pics, Mitchel. The shoes might be luck bringers, you should keep wearing them. 😉 0.18 g is not bad for Barstow. I never got anything bigger in this general area. The landscape alone is worth the trip. I get mesmerised everytime I'm there.

[mn90403]

43 minutes ago, Gold Catcher said:

😉 0.18 g is not bad for Barstow.

We averaged much bigger in this area but that was a few years back now.

[Lunk]

Nice skunk-kicking shoes, Mitchel...WTG!

[GotAU?]

Thanks for sharing a nice day out there!  Miss seeing desert foxes out there while camping. They are not shy, once had a pair come right up to us during dinnertime!

[flakmagnet]

You may have started a trend Mitchel.

I can see it now - a bunch of guys out detecting in their cool styled slippers.

[Valens Legacy]

Thank you for sharing the story with us along with the beautiful pictures.

Glad that you were able to find some comfy shoes to wear that brought you some good luck.

Sometime you just have to do what you can with what you have.

Good hunting and leave those shoes in the trunk just in case.

Happy hunting.

[rvpopeye]

I'm with Lunk , them's "no skunk slippers"...👍

[geof_junk]

I now know were you got your avatar. 😉