Finding The Lost Dutchman

We've been anticipating exploring the gold belt of the South East for some time now. The history of gold discovery and mining in this country has become one our more pronounced interests as we see what the country has to offer. Dahlonega , Georgia, is a quaint and wonderful little town. Shown below is the old court house which has now been changed into the area's Gold Museum. I got some excellent photos of the changing display in the museum but publication of photos is not permitted without written authority and it will take quite some time to get that, so I will probably not post those photos until the Fall when we expect to be back in the area for a more in depth exploration. But this much I will tell you about the court house which is also quite demonstrable about the area. If a flashlight is focused on the brick walls in a darkened room, the flour gold content of the clay used to make the bricks sparkles like glitter on the wall. And no, it's not mica! At one time there was gold darn near everywhere here, even in the clay used to make the bricks which built the town. There is still plenty of gold here, although the "easy" gold has been pretty much found.

Downtown Dahlonega is both quaint and current. The silhouettes of the living and those of the past blend in the southern light to produce a very nice, almost magical atmosphere.


In the general store, coffee sells for a nickel. No Starbucks here. It's self serve and honor system and as you might surmise the fact that the honor system is alive and well is exemplified by the seven jugs just sitting there full of change and paper money. Deposits only, no withdrawals.

Nearby we found the entrance to Crissan Mine. It is a working gold mine but like many a mine now that the big strikes have been worked out, this one "mines tourists" for a greater return than the mine could otherwise produce in mineral content alone. A tour is a couple bucks. Panning or running the trommel, a couple bucks. A bag of sand with gold concentrates, a couple bucks. Being a new age gold miner- priceless.

Crissan boasts the only operating "Stamper" in the state. If you are not familiar with the term "Stamper", it is a shaft driven machine for smashing, grinding, pulverizing quartz into sand. Because the gold at this mine is contained within the quartz, breaking it down into sand makes it possible to reclaim the gold as it is released from its host. Big rocks in- course sand out. About a quarter oz. of gold per tom of rock crushed. A most amazing process. Gold concentrates sold at the mine are produced in full (sand and gold) from the on site process of the mine.

There's plenty of the old equipment to see and it's in great shape. While we love seeing the types of machinery and equipment that was used in the earlier mining efforts, we always love to see present day equipment too and Crissan mine has a store that sells all types of modern day pieces for today's prospectors- pans, sluices, high bankers, dredges, and so on. We picked up and added a small highbanker/dredge combo to our on the road arsenal.


Almost every shop in town can sell you a gold miner's hat. Not a necessary piece for those seeking "placer" gold- that gold that has already been released from the earth by erosion of one type or another- but colorful and great fun for the kids.

We stopped by, but didn't have time for the tour, at the Consolidated Mine nearby as well. The operation here is more tour oriented and goes under ground, but they do have panning facilities and you can pick through their "seeded" bags of sand for gems and crystals as well as gold. We will take the under ground tour at some point, but for authenticity of operation, display, quality sales and actual on site operation- Crissan Mine is a much better way to spend some time.

The gem sluice table at Consolidated Mine is pictured below...

After a couple of days exploring Dahlonega from our base camp on the Etowa River, we drove an hour or so to Loud Mine, Cleveland, Georgia. This "gold claim" is the property of the Lost Dutchman Mining Association. Formerly a separate group but closely affiliated with GPAA which we have mentioned many times in the past, the LDMA and GPAA are now commonly owned by the enterprising son of Buzzard Massey, founder of the recreational gold prospecting activities as we know them today and also the creator of the Outdoor Channel, which most if not all of you are probably familiar. Tom Massey and his wife and family now run both operations, and we came to attend an LDMA common outing at the invitaion of the LDMA to GPAA members, which we have been for some time.

While GPAA owns, operates, and leases "gold claims" for use by its members, The LDMA takes the operation one step further and makes their claims available for members to prospect and camp. While the camps are "rustic" to "primitive", they each have their own distinct features and beauty and members are permitted to stay, even long term, to camp, prospect, and enjoy the area surrounding each camp. A few "hookup" sites are available at some of the camps but dry camping is more the order of the day. We found the Loud Mine property in Cleveland, GA to be just delightful. Sign us up!

Nearly 200 people attended this rally, with about 125 of us joining in a common operation. We split up into teams, each team running a highbanker. We learned to set them up correctly, make adjustments, and got a look at about 6 different makes and models. It was a good intro to help with making a selection for those of us who might like to acquire a piece of equipment for ourselves. Water for the highbankers, this is a "wet" operation as opposed to a "dry" operation that might be used on the desert, was supplied by a series of pumps run to the stream. Water from the process (which does create some silt) is released into settling ponds so that the silt is not returned in any significant amount whatsoever into the river. Members may use their own machines in the area of the settling ponds by recycling that water for their purpose. The whole operation seemd to be set up quite safely as it regards concern for the environment. Properly carried out, recreational mining is actually quite good for the environment. Dangerous chemicals used in the past are no longer necessary with today's methodologies, and sound digging and dredging techniques actually and significantly improve fish and other wildlife habitat. Good organizations "self police" their members. This one does!


For those who preferred not to engage in the common operation, there was plenty of places to get off by yourself or in a group to enjoy the outdoors and see what you might turn up in your pan.
Our highbanking team was made of of a dozen workers or so. We could not have been happier to be hooked up with any other of the teams. Nice people. Interesting people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Fascinating experiences and tales to tell. AND, they all worked harder and more effectively that I saw any other group working - hands down! While working efficiently is a matter of control, there is also no escaping the fact that moving material is the key to finding the gold you are after. Luck aside, it's pretty much a no pain, no gain story. So while other teams put dirt in the hopper and let the machine do the work, I would say we effectively quadrupled the amout of yardage we ran through our machine by making sure every team member had a job. We shoveled into buckets. We lugged buckets. We added water and slurried the material by hand befor feeding it through the highbanker. Georgia clay is think and tough and nasty- so it must be effectively broken up (make that down) in order to release its gold, and also to avoid a clump that could pick the gold back up and carry it off the end of the machine where it would most certainly be lost. We adjusted water supply. We pushed big rocks out of the way. We kept our drainage channel open. We truly worked as a team and that was a good feeling.

Now Georgia produces some pickers and some nuggets (although mostly "fines"), but because of how effectively we worked and how much material we processed, we manged to come up with the largest nugget found on the property in at least a couple years. That's what one of the crew members told me. However LDMA roving rep Ken Rucker told us he thought it might be the biggest one from this property in an even longer time frame than that. To be sure, landing that big one was a group effort, but it just did happen to be me who saw it in the sluice bed and picked it out to go show off to the team. Not your typical nugget, this looked like (and was quickly named) the "Flying Eagle" nugget. Word of its discovery spread through camp faster than the 49ers headed off to California!
Because it was a common operation, all of the gold was distributed by means of a lottery so the nugget did not wind up in the hands of any of our team liked I had hoped it would. But seeing it flash in the sluice, picking it out of the water and looking at it in wonder was worth the effort in ways I can't really explain. It was a moment, of which there all too few in this life, that I am sure will stick in my head til I draw my last breath. It was a moment I think is shared by most if not all of the members of that team. In the greater scheme of life it was a relatively small piece of gold- but oh what a moment!

But lest you think it is all work and no play at LDMA- think again. I got more tired trying to catch all the planned events than I did in working my assigned shifts. I think the constant laughter wore me down a bit as well. Interesting thing about the activity of prospecting- it brings together people of all ages, all backgrounds, and all physical abilities as well. No matter- everyone had something to do and found a way to get it done. And they found a way to have fun doing it. Those confined to scooters- on your mark, set, hey he's cheating, go!

Ah, camp. All the necessities. Antenna- it's for the Outdoor Channel, don't you know. Gotta have a couple crappers for those not self contained, right? A resident constable, who shows off that he was able to recover the plastic cup and Christmas light chandelier that had gone missing in the "whodunnit." Not to worry, that rascal was found guilty and sentenced in Miners' Court a short time later. Go get'um, Dave.
You want to know how far we went to recover all the gold in our team's material. We had our own "stamping" operation going full time on site. Any good looking piece of quartz that came our way got crushed to release whatever fines we could find...

Here's the team. I used to think the one thing "miners" had in common was that they liked "getting dirty." Apparently, the truth is that they like playing in dirt; I however, evidently really like getting dirty. Truth is, some of the tasks in the process require getting dirty, some getting wet, and some times you get a job that lets you stay clean- but who wants that job???

At the start of this contest, the "Detectives" must keep metal detectors up until the start command is given. A series of tokens are placed and/or buried and the winner is determined by who finds what in a given time period. A good time was had by all.

Can't you just tell the look on the face of someone who just found "sumpin good" ?
Pot luck suppers are a regular part of the rallies. There was some pretty good grub on that table.

And in the end, here's the gold that was split up among the participants in the common operation. Volunteer crew members, very necessary to the process, get a share of the loot as well. The "Flying Eagle" is in the vile in the center of the pan along with some of the other pickers that came out of the common operation.


"Hey, Greg!(No. Not me.) Nice hat!" A Loud Mine tradition that surely was imported from Alaska one way or another. But I ain't talkin'......

Cinco de Mayo 08

It was a happy circumstance that had us pulling into Van Hoy Farms and Campground in Union Grove (just north of Charlotte off Rt 77), North Carolina, on a Sunday afternoon for a one night lay over on the way to Dahlonega, GA. It was Sunday, May 04. This farm is the site of the North Carolina Fiddle Festival- made me think of the country version of Woodstock. (That will be held at another time). Some nice camp sites surrounded by an expansive farm with lots and lots of grass fields. We wondered what all that grass was for, that is until the cars started coming in to celebrate the Carolina version of the Mexican Cinco de Mayo Festival. Parking! That's what all that grass is for! Now we were thinking Woodstock, a Fiddle Festival, and a Mexican National Fiesta all rolled in to one. What a bonus. The owner greeted us and gave us a pass to the party. I love Cinco de Mayo festivities and this was a great party. Best we could tell, we were the only non Mexican attendees, but we didn't care a bit and they didn't seem to either. It was easy to understand what was going on and plenty of warm smiles throughout the crowd made this a real blast for all!

The pavilion that houses the festivities is enormous. What a great venue for a large festival. Plenty of outside space and mucho under cover space as well. As the crowd gathered under the" big top", the size of the place was appreciable.

The dancers warmed up. Old and young joined in the family fun...

The band got in its groove. They were excellent. Big sound. Made us all dance. No standing still during this performance!

The stage where the band performed overlooks a bull holding pen which in tum overlooks a rodeo ring, which in turn overlooks a dance floor. If you are getting the idea the place is big....Si!

Five girls (Cinco Mujeres) from the audience volunteered for the first contest. Chug one cerveza (that would be beer in case you don't know), run across the corral, put your hand on top of a soda bottle and rotate around it 12 times as fast as you can go, then stand up and run back to the finish line. The winner made it look easy, but there were plenty of laughs, chills and spills as most of the contestants had a hard time with the effort. Beats a bull fight any day!

There were all kinds of Mexican treats and snacks available in case you got hungry. It smelled really good there!

I uploaded three short video clips, maybe just enough to give you a sense of the event. One is the winning run of the "Cinco Mujeres" contest, one is of the band in full groove, and finally the riding of the bull. Enjoy!

Another New Blog Feature Map

As we head back south from Pennsylvania for a while, I've been working to catch up the blog postings and add some new features as I get a chance. I went nearly three weeks without adding anything on line owing to an eye infection- the treatment for which clouded my vision so much I found it extremely difficult to do anything on the computer that wasn't absolutely necessary. Antibiotics are wonderful, but when they are in cream form and you must put them in your eye to work- what a pain! Never take vision for granted!

Our trip toward the south again is so that we can hook up with the GPAA (Gold Prospectors of America) and do some prospecting with that organization in Georgia and North Carolina, and then again later, in South Carolina.

In preparation for those events, and because I really really like prospecting in general, I have added another tracking map on the left side of the posts, "States Where We Found Gold." There's only three right now, but hopefully there will be three more soon, and I have it in my head that I might just try to find gold in every state in much the same fashion as we hope to first visit every state. I got the idea to try that when we inadvertently found some gold in our pan in Florida- the state regarded as the most difficult place to find it. For now, I'm looking for 49 states. We'll deal with Hawaii later!

Ain't Easy Being Green

Kermit the Frog, of Muppet fame, made popular the song, "It 's Not Easy Being Green." Kermit was more than likely introducing kids to the idea that some things are different- like say skin color- and that different is sometimes a bit difficult. That is all well and good, but when someone in the here and now starts talking about "being Green," they are more than likely hitting on the topics of global warming, co2 build up in the atmosphere, drilling for oil in sensitive locales, depletion of the earth's resources and the like.

It's a complicated discussion to say the least and we won't resolve it here, but there are some thoughts that might serve us all well to take into account. I think the basic goal of "Living Green" should be to use what we have wisely, diversify into other means as they become available and practical, protect that that needs protecting, and improving our own lot where ever and when ever we can. But having said that, I do think you can take some "green issues" too far. Some would have you abandon petroleum use all together. That would be foolish and counter productive. Solar is nice, but to be effective you must employ massive batteries to store the energy as it is developed. Those batteries require perhaps more energy to build than the oil they save in the process. Surely the technology will catch up at some point, but that has not happened yet and it will be a while. And disposing of those batteries when they can no longer function is perhaps the least Green thing we could possibly do at this point and time. Wind energy strikes my fancy as well, but it has many of the holdbacks of solar development. We can burn coal; it puts pollutants in the air. We can burn wood; same problem. We can develop nuclear, but we all know there is currently no prospect for safely storing the waste products which last next to forever. Green. A wonderful idea that is tough to achieve. Certainly truly living in this fashion involves some compromise with some of the comforts we have come to call "normal."

However! It's not a new concept. There are "folk" who have lived this way for centuries. Shunned mechanization in part or full. Avoided anything unnatural. Forsaken many creature comforts that demand the unsustainable consumption of resources and causes pollution. Steered clear of the modern in favor of the traditional.

I am speaking of course of the Amish people. They live simply, and close to the earth. I see similarities between the way they live and the way the Native Americans lived before the white man made things problematic and virtually impossible to continue. Close to the land. Sustained by the land and their own energy which comes back to them in the form of food and a way of live which itself is sustainable.

Where I grew up, the Amish buggies were part of the ordinary life. I always enjoyed seeing them but was never surprised by seeing them. It is their basic form of transportation. Where do you think the rating of "horse power" comes from? A one horse power buggy can haul a small family to church, the store, to visit neighbors. The horse eats the grass that grows on the farm. The waste products of what the horse eats nourishes the soil which grows the food for the family. The family sells the excess food or hay and uses the proceeds to meet their minimal needs like material for making clothing.

A two horse buggy can haul the family and the neighbors and a few of the kids from the nearby farms. Again, the horses eat the grass on the farm or the hay from the field. The by products enrich the soil which grows even better crops and the cycle continues. Very efficient. Provides all their needs, unless of course they were to need a TV, an iPod, a computer, a Ford or Chevy van, a John Deer tractor, a flashy suit with shiny shoes, a washer and dryer or even electricity!- all of which they do not need, do not want, and do not have. They live a simple life. They live Green. It is hard to do. It is a hard life. But for them it is the right life and a good life and we would do well to take a serious look at what Green is really all about.

There are exceptions to every rule. But there are also some basics that are worth mentioning. Most Amish live on farms that are from 40 to 60 acres. That is enough land, God willing, to grow enough of a crop to feed the family with a small left over for sale, and graze 40 to 60 head of dairy cattle. The milk from the cows is generally the cash crop of the family and again helps to provide nourishment for the family. A farm that size is large enough to provide for the family and still small enough to be worked by "horsepower." Horses, as we have seen, provide the transportation. They also power the mowers for cutting the hay, tilling and harrowing the fields, and hauling the crops back to the barn when the harvest is ready.

The beauty of the countryside in what we lovingly call "Dutch" country is breathtakingly pastoral. I found these gents sitting on a bench in Lancaster County contemplating the beauty of the Amish farm land before them. If you can sit and look out over the farm lands and watch the plows pulled by horse teams in the field and not get relaxed and happy, you probably have little possibility of achieving either any time soon.
Not only the life of these people is simple, but so too is their clothing. Uniform-like in its "uniformity" and nearly always black and white- no flashing colors here- it is pleasing to the eye and a treat to see, especially on the children as they come and go to school, to work, to church in their bonnets and straw hats...

On a hazy morning in April, this Amish farm boy plows the field with his eight horse power machinery...
At the Shady Maple, the largest of the area farmers' markets, there is plenty to see, buy, sell....or eat. We visit the farmers' markets everywhere we go. These are some of the best. Farm produce is cheaper here than anywhere else I have ever seen. It is produced at a lower cost by simple means and thus can sell for less at market. A simple, a Green, concept!
Work is a family affair. If you are old enough to eat, you are nearly old enough to work in this community. See the kids stroll out to meet the work team in the field.
Wash day is every day when there is sunshine. Solar Dryer! How Green is that?
I always wondered what it was like to ride in one of those carriages!

We contracted with an Amish gentleman to take us for a ride in his buggy. He spoke openly and freely about his lifestyle. About farming methods. About waste in our society. This was a rare and candid access to this relatively closed society. We visited a farm on our jaunt in the carriage (photos below) and learned a lot. In all the years I spent here growing up, I never had this close of an access to the culture of the Amish. It made for an eye opening and fascinating day down on the farm.

"I'll show you how, little one, then you try it..."
The first alfalfa cutting of the year...in a perfect year you can get as many as five cuttings...
"Welcome to our humble home"
Our driver and guide gave permission for a photo (and all of the others for that matter). As a general rule, the Amish prefer not to have their picture taken. Certainly not without permission!

My artsy shot: "Amish Turn Signal"
The Greener we hope to live in this world the more sh-- we might have to put up with. Always remember the basic Green principle: Turn the sh-- into fertilizer and make it work for you! Spread it around....

This is the Green version of "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"

Agility Trials and Tribulations

We were going to an agility trial for dogs and we were relatively certain that we had followed the directions we had been given pretty well, so I was surprised to see this sign on the entry gate to the activity field and two course setups! Still, signs are often funny, misleading, double meaning or otherwise interesting so I am never truly surprised I guess.In the center of the picture below, you will see the gate with the "No Dogs" sign. OK. But a "no dumping" sign as well? With hundreds of dogs spending two days running at the site? Some body's gotta be a kidder!
This was the first time we were able to catch up with Marilyn's sister Julie at one of the many agility trials she runs with her two dogs. We had hoped to see her, make that "them", run in Phoenix, but plans had to change and so this trip to Bainbridge near Harrisburg was the next best available date and venue for us. Timing is everything. And speaking of that, here's Julie with the timing instrument at one of the judges' stations in the master's ring.

There's more to it than I am going to explain, but basically the dogs compete to see which one can run the obstacle course in the fastest time and with the least amount of contact with the jumps. I found it rather like a horse jumping show, but with a twist, as I have never seen a horse run through a tunnel or scramble over an A-frame or even across a narrow little bridge.

It was a wonderful day with Julie and the dogs and a lot of her friends who share the same sport. Generally, it was a laid back day, but not entirely. I couldn't help but notice that some of the trainers tried to psych out the competition by leaving the tailgate of the transport vehicle open with all those pretty and impressive ribbons displayed to the fullest. Some will say it is just a matter of taking pride in the accomplishments of the dog and trainer team. (But I ain't buying it...)

Here Julie puts one of the dogs through its paces. It's either Ranger or Strider- but truthfully I can't tell you which one is which. I'm hoping that neither the sister-in-law nor the dogs are offended by this shortcoming! I like to think they are going just soooo fast that no one can tell them apart.

After each round of the trial the course is changed. From what I could tell, the change was rather radical- enough so that neither the trainer nor the dog knew what to expect when it came time for them to run. A brief time period is given for the trainers to walk, or run as the case may be, the course before the competition starts again. I had almost as much fun watching the trainers and their various techniques of learning and preparing for the new course as I did when the dogs ran. I don't think it's necessarily supposed to be that way, but it worked for me.

I especially liked the "bob and weave poles" (for seven points if I remember correctly). I don't think they were actually called that, but I think you'll get the idea. Kind of like an up close and personal equivalent of the barrel weave at a rodeo. Border collies are some fast! And agile! And that's exactly the point!

Some family photos are better than others, eh, Julie? And this one- well, it rates right up there...
OK! Big finish now. Quick! Before the buzzer goes off!

The Best of Spring Gardens

Every year or two we make it a point to visit Longwood Gardens on the former Dupont Estate in Pennsylvania, but very near the village of Kennett Square and the Delaware border. This year we traveled the extra few miles to visit Delaware and add that state to our states traveled map.

Longwood is one of the most fantastic garden displays in the world. The garden changes with the season and specialty shows coincide with holidays and special events. There are casual gardens, formal gardens, inside and outside gardens, waterfalls and ponds, streams, bell towers, garden planning areas, local summer garden idea centers...and on and on. If you love gardening, this is a must see stop on your travels. There is a modest fee to enter the enormous grounds and complex. There is something spectacular to see in every direction at all times. You will not be disappointed!

Spring was just beginning to "spring" on this trip. But not to worry, plenty of color and beauty...

In the main Spring garden area, some 250,000 bulbs were coming into bloom. Every size and shape and color imaginable is on display. There are often nearly as many photographers on location as there are flowers- but still plenty of room so that you won't feel crowded at all. Ever.


The solarium always has magnificent displays going. There are so many rooms in the building that nearly every garden environment can be displayed and explored- tropical, desert, temperate, rain forest, just to name a few. My favorite is always the lush bromeliad room, with its streams, waterfalls, misting heads and incredible layout. I could live in that room! (not shown here)

The orchid room is a real winner as well. You will see varieties here that you may not find anywhere else! Period.
Bird room? Bird of Paradise, yes. Flying birds? No.

Above and below, young and old alike can get good ideas in the Imagine Garden.
All of the species shown here are readily available and relatively easy to grow.
The massive formal gardens are meticulously kept and provide year round enjoyment. NOTHING is ever out of place in Longwood Gardens and this is especially true in "the formals." Put it on your list as "Gotta Do!"