Adventures with Atom Rat

[kathy]

So last Tuesday Atom Rat & I caught up for a wander and a few pans.
We walked along the creek having a look around first. Just to see the changes since the heavy ran.
Of course the terrain in the Yarra Valley can be testing and the bush is quite thick.
To get to the point.... I slipped down a wet clay embankment. SPLITS AWKWARDLY. Get up like nothing happened and we got to the creek and dug a few pans.
Found a few flakes but not worth show & tell.
Atom gave me a few pointers and showed me a few variations to look for in the land & creek.
BIG FAT THANK YOU AR!!!

Thing is, it was about the adventure, atmosphere, discovery and mates with a common interest. Not caring about the value of any find but of course finds do add a highlight to the adventure.

So my trip down the embankment reminded me that I'm aging. I woke Wednesday morning with a ripped thigh muscle, limping around like an old lady Still sore!

Thanks AR, had a great day and appreciate your advice as well as the company

 

[SCROUNGER]

You're lucky AR wasn't filming at the time and got the 'big splits' on camera kathy otherwise it may have been posted on this forum for us all to see. :lol: Get better soon hey? And get back out there.

 

[kathy]

You're lucky AR wasn't filming at the time and got the 'big splits' on camera kathy otherwise it may have been posted on this forum for us all to see. :lol: Get better soon hey? And get back out there.

I'm female and think its my god given right to complain
I'll be fine.
Would have been humorous to see on film.
I felt fine until next day.

 

[Ramjet]

Great stuff apart from the slip.

 

[Guest]

It's beautiful country out there and I'm sorry to hear about the injury. Sounds like you guys had a great day none the less.
There's nothing better than being one with nature and the hunt/challenge of the elusive is obviously appealing. Doesn't differ from Bird Watchers, Photographers, Fisherman, Prospectors or just going bush to find that amasing view or landscape.
I've always had and loved the sense of adventure since I was a boy and I'm certain most of us here have as well.

Keep the spirit alive Kathy and like SCROUNGER said " Get better soon hey? And get back out there".

 

[kathy]

It's beautiful country out there and I'm sorry to hear about the injury. Sounds like you guys had a great day none the less.
There's nothing better than being one with nature and the hunt/challenge of the elusive is obviously appealing. Doesn't differ from Bird Watchers, Photographers, Fisherman, Prospectors or just going bush to find that amasing view or landscape.
I've always had and loved the sense of adventure since I was a boy and I'm certain most of us here have as well.

Keep the spirit alive Kathy and like SCROUNGER said " Get better soon hey? And get back out there".

Haha I've been back out.
And i love it too even as a kid. I grew up in the yarra ranges. Its an amazing place.

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

Hey Kathy, thanks for sharing that tale of adventure, i was picturing in my minds eye actually there with ya (and yeah, i've had slips into streams as well... :8 ) and had a little smile of knowing.

The reason for this post though is to display the differences of "wet" gold hunting to "beeping". I am a little jealous of stories like these as, being a "beeper" myself the thing that differs in the two pursuits while with friends...is the gap between the "social" aspect of the two.

When "wet" golding you have the advantage of being shoulder to shoulder so to speak, and able to have continual banter among each other throughout the day.

I "used" to go "beeping" with a mate for a few years (until i moved away) and as much as we were good buddies and saw plenty of each other aside from the gold hunting, the only time we had to "enjoy" each others tales & companies was when we decided to stop for a cuppa or feed break.

The rest of the time we would have headphones/earbuds on and be wandering around at our own pace/location and keeping a "respectable" distance from each other. This was due to cross interference of the detectors and having to focus on the "threshold" tone for any change to identify the target, therefore preferring to avoid distractions like conversations.

Yes we are there "together" (in spirit) but not really working together as one, so to speak.

So in summary... i'm glad AR had someone who wished to spend the day with "him" as much as being there in spirit in the same location.

Guess i'm gonna have to think more about doing some "wet" work and find myself a buddy to enjoy this side of color hunting as well.

Hope your next adventure is accident free and produces color worth bragging about.....Thanks for Sharing.

Gypsy

 

[AtomRat]

Oh poor kathy.. the slips only happen for microseconds but I certainly feel the pain from them too lol

Hope it heals up well real soon mate and only a strain

Alwats great having a dig and sharing what I can anytime kathy, and thanks for a post I can read about from another persons view

I think my gumboots are still drying out from my knee deep slip in the creek..lol

 

[polky]

It's good to read ya out and about AR.

 

[kathy]

Filled one boot crossing over today, then filled the other on the way back.
You would get a chuckcle seeing AR & I on the creek. He's 6ft everything & Im not even close to 5ft nothing. His boots are tall, mine short due to foot sizes. So my boots couldnt reach his depths. And waders are no go for me as i would bend over and fill up lol
Another trek maybe next week. I'll stay in touch

 

[AtomRat]

I'm sure the whole town can hear us cackle like witches in the creek kathy haha

6ft 6 and scared of heights..how ironic :lol:

Kathy had a garden trowel to dig as she thought her shovels were locked up, sobit took her a minute or two to fill her pan by the time I'd cleaned up 5 of my own, decidingbthebusebof my shovel would save some time.

I showed kathy a trick or two on how to make the creek do 'the work for you' and she got to see some real shovel earth moving to form a dam within minutes and control flow through a chute explaining that's what the old timers did and where they would lay a ground sluice etc.. after explaining, the dam and holesbwere restored within seconds, also with the help from her two awesome brat dogs that love sticks and jumping on piles of rocks..they had a ball lmao

 

[kathy]

Those two brats were at it again today lmao
Missing on the side of the mountain for 2hrs.
Might have to stop taking them now. Worried i might loose one in a old hidden shaft or they really get lost. Lucky I know the owners on other side of the hill. They found them.
Maybe the little bloke had his nose on a vein

 

[AtomRat]

Probabky does..he was right into sniffin our pans and I recon he was onto somethin digging behind that log where the sand buildup wad..lol

I would be careful and we should walk as far as we can to see what distance the shafts actually are from your house From google earth its very green and could have a few dangers from past mining in there. Its just best to know. The whole area there is dodgy ground and if cows can fall down them...

 

[kathy]

Let the adventure begin

 

[AtomRat]

*Hanson - mmm bop*

.. wth.. 8) changes radio station

*Jungle Boogie - Pulp Fiction Soundtrack*

Lets go!