Coker Creek

[Larry]

Just got in from the coker creek outing, we had a good day. I belive the kids enjoyed themselves. Our SMARTS club had a very slim showing today. We only had 5 or 6 show up to do the kids hunt. It was a good day to be out with the kids.

[Treasurehound]

I'm glad y'all had a good time. I could not get away. Hope to see pictures soon.

[Scruch]

I gotta tell 'ya larry, I'm torn between going and representing our club, and just really not being interested in panning. I will admitt that it does sound interesting, I've never done it, so I really have no idea what it's all about. Is there something I'm missing here, or is it really just to each his own?

[BEATNGU]

Just got in from the coker creek outing, we had a good day. I belive the kids enjoyed themselves. Our SMARTS club had a very slim showing today. We only had 5 or 6 show up to do the kids hunt. It was a good day to be out with the kids.

Sorry i missed it..... but duty calls, i hate hail damage.....!!! i really had a good time at the last outing.

[HRife]

I appologize for not making it........I had two rocks dropped on me.......a emergency door install which took four hours.....and........

after 23 years of marriage I will be seperating from my wife. I am in the process of moving my stuff to Knoxville and will be moving there myself on the first of September. I have to start all over on household items and furniture while still trying to put my last two kids through school. It is sure going to be a mess. I may have to resign as club VP because I might not be able to give the position the attention it needs......with Saturday being a perfect example. Thanks to the ones who went and represented the club.....your duty to the club and to those kids is to be admired.

Harold

[CoinHunter]

Larry, I want to thank you for starting this thread. I was so worn out and tired by the time I finally got home I think I passed out. All I remember is I woke up at 4:30 this morning and I had my C-Pap mask on but I had failed to turn the machine on. Scruch I guess the answer to your question is to each their own about panning. It is not hard to do, but unless you hit the mother lode your not going to get rich anytime quick. I enjoy it simply because I love being in the water and the potential of finding GOLD. I think I must have a lot of the old 49'er blood running through my veins. I am sure that if you tried it you would enjoy it as an every once in awhile thing but not for a regular hobby. I would love to own a power dredge, sluice box, high banker, dry washer, and all the other equipment used in full time gold mining, but the cost of all this equipment even used is way beyond anything I can justify. Besides it is so much easier to swing a detector and find more clad coinage than the value of all the gold I have found so far.

Now the Coker Creek outing yesterday was a total different day than what any of us that attended expected I believe. When the outing was first being planned it was supposed to be a day where we would go down and help them have a coin hunt for the children attending. What it turned into was an all day event with too few SMARTS folks to manage the kids and too few detectors that worked properly. All of ours performed flawlessly, but the folks who brought theirs for their kids to use were all Radio Shack, or other off brand no name machines. We had a total of 9 folks to represent SMARTS, 4 of which were wives and grand children. That left Larry, Bob V., Paul S, Wendell C, and myself to plant, teach, help dig, pin point etc. etc. etc. I checked with Chuck and there were 24 folks who RSVP'd or signed up to come down from SMARTS. I can understand emergencies and work requirements, but dog gone it folks it really chaffs when you just wake up and decide I am not going because I just don't want too. Especially when you don't even bother to call and tell someone! Any way we had a great day, filled with fun and tons of sunshine. The kids all seemed to enjoy it and we managed to scrounge up enough stuff that we had 25 items to give as prizes and we dug through our vehicles and found about 20 bucks worth of change that was planted. We wound up having to split the kids into age groups and had a total of 4 hunts. Next year if we help them I personally will be more prepared and since I know what to expect it will go better for all involved.
None of us that attended got to participate in any of the days activities except lunch, and the raffles so we didn't get to find any gold or watch any of the demonstrations. That was a bummer as I had hoped to jump in the creek and cool off. So with that said I think I will just go back to bed and catch up on some more sleep. Thanks again to everyone who came down, with out you I would have been in deep trouble.

[pastorals]

I know what you mean about BEAT!!!  I got home from Coker Creek about 6:30 yesterday and the first thing I wanted was a shower; the second was dinner and the third was my bed!  I was asleep by 9:00 and didn't get up until 8:00 this morning. My granddaughter came by for a visit and left about 10:00....I took a nap 'til about 2:00!!!  Boy!!! that Coker Creek outing was great fun...can't wait until we can do it again!

Scruch, here is how I'm approaching it. On those Summer days that are way too hot to detect I plan on taking my gold pan, folding chair, cooler and sun glasses to a nearby cool shaded stream, wading out and sitting in my chair with my feet in the cool water and pretending I'm gold panning!!  Sure beats cussing the heat because you can't hunt or going out to hunt anyway and risking heat stroke. Boy! that cool stream sure sounds good!

[Boaz]

we got a lot to do with MOM right now so that take a lot of my TIME 

[Scruch]

Well Alan, I think you've got exactly the right idea! That sounds like a good plan :-)))

[CoinHunter]

Hey Alan I forgot to get my hat back from you yesterday. If I don't see you before the meeting bring it with you please.

[Curly]

hey guys , i am sorry i cound't make the trip to coker creek.maybe next time