The other night I was sitting on the side of my bed and was looking
out the window. I could see a flock of vultures flying around the
house. Then about a dozen decided to roost up in the trees by our
house. Next morning when we were going up to the hills, they left and
flew to the east. Strange, last night when I was getting ready to
go to bed, 3 huge flocks of vultures flew over and went to the east as
well. This is the first time I have seen them gather up this far
north. Usually they gather down on the desert before they leave for
the winter. They are a bit later this year too. Seeing the flying
sround the house kinda spooked me to say the least. Just another
strange thing happening.
I have another, so when I get some pics, I will put them here on the blog.
Love ya, Granny.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
So you want to be a prospector?...Part 9
Well we started out to go back to the house when Darcie called us back. She said she almost forgot to give us a box of vegies that one of the locals had brought in. She also said she forgot to tell me that she sold the cluster of quartz crystals I brought in from the big quartz blowout I found.
I was glad to see some fresh vegies. I like frozen ones but fresh is better.
Back up at the claim, Jeb said to help him get the contraption up on the bench then I would be free to start supper. "don't fix a big supper he said, since we had such a big lunch." Out in the shop we hoisted it up and propped the side so he could cut it off. I went on back to the house and found Max waiting at the door with another baby rabbit. Darn things still having little ones this late in the summer? Any way I told Max he wasn't bringing the bunny in the house and closed the door in his face.
In the box of vegies there was tomatoes, cukes, and 2 big zucchinis. I decided to make some zucchini bread first. When I got the nuts from the freezer, I heard the chipmunks chirping. Sure enough, they were out on their shelf begging for nuts. They didn't have the run of the house now because Big had made a wire run over their shelf. The little house on the shelf had an opening to the outside where Jeb had built a well insulated nest up under the eave. The chipmunks could go out, on their outside shelf and wait for Jeb to come out the door, then jump over on his shoulder. Big, did put a tiny trap door in it so they could be fed some goodies once in a while. After I put the bread in the oven I gave them some nuts and a few raisins. I went on ahead and made a batch of gazpacho salad, and got the stuff ready for zucchini and eggs.
Just as I was taking the bread out of the oven I heard Jeb coming into the house. I heard him say to Max, You put that rabbit down, you're not bringing it into the house. okay, then stay out there." Then he came on in. He said he was going to clean up, then rest his eyes a bit..
Jeb sat down in his recliner, got his pipe ready, put it in his mouth and leaned back. For the life of me I don't see how he keeps the pipe in his mouth when he is sleeping.
While we were eating supper, I told Jeb that Darcie had called and the guy who bought the crystals liked the pictures of the white quartz blowout and wanted to come up and get a close look at it. He is looking for some more big chunks to carve. He said the ones the drag line brought out of the creek were too fractured to do what he wants do with them. Good thing I gave Darcie those pictures. Jeb said, that they could look all they want, but if they want big chunks, they would have to find their own way to get them out. Jeb got up and cut off a big hunk of zucchini bread, buttered it and chomped away. We took our coffee and sat by the fire for a while.
Next morning we took the contraption out to the sluice and Jeb screwed some pieces of wood to the inside of the sluice so he could wedge it in good. Got some burlap under it and put a loose piece of re bar under the side he cut off. When it was all in place, I went up and opened the dam at the head and then I started to put the gravel I had dug out the day before, at the head of the new piece. The clay seemed to stay in the squares in the re-bar and the water dissolved it pretty good.
We kept at it til I had gotten all the gravel I could reach here. We called it a day and went on in the house. Jeb cleaned up and went for a nap. Since it wasn't all that hot today, I went back out and climbed up above the two big boulders and looked to see if I could dig some gravel from out in front of them. I climbed on top of one when the darn thing started to slide a bit. I reached up and grabbed at a bush to keep from falling and the darn thing pulled right out of the ground, bringing a bunch of gravel with it. Wow, there was an other ledge above the one were were working on and it had been covered with over burden. I cleaned off an place on the over laying rock and decided to sample the gravel to see if it had any gold in it. I panned a couple of pans and did find some fines in it. I'll check with Jeb and see if it would be worth working instead of moving upstream right now.
I had just climbed up out of the creek when Stan came up with the carving artist. I took them back up to the end of the road to the clear-cut area. The old logging road up the draw, left of the clear-cut was not in real good shape. We had to walk a ways to the big white quartz blow-out. I thought that artist guy was going to have a heart attack when he saw the blow-out. He wanted it all. Like Jeb said, he would have to figure a way to get it out, in big chunks to boot. Stan did a bunch of measuring, and took some more pictures so he and Darcie could give the artist a quote of what it would cost him. I was content just stand back and watch them. I did point out the area where I found the crystal cluster, then I went on back to the house. I'll let Stan take care of it now.
When I got back to the house, Jeb was up from his nap and ready to do the clean up. I told him about Stan and the artist and about the new gravel find. He said, "Sonny, I'm going to leave this up to you about the upper ledge. If you want to do it, then we will. The clean up wasn't too bad despite the clay problem. In the morning I would have to rig up some sheet metal to put across the sluice so I could remove the over burden and flume it across the sluice to the stream and let that take it downstream.
Next morning Jeb and I got the metal set up then He said I was on my own because he was going into Wallace to take care of some business. He was taking the last gold to the processor. I spent the rest of the day removing the over burden, then shoveled a big portion of the un-covered gravel down to the ledge we were working on before. Going to feel like a big fool if we don't find any gold up there.
Since I was alone, after cleaning up, I just grabbed a sandwich and went off the work on my computer. I was keeping a journal of my time up here and needed to up-date things.
Next morning I went outside and came almost face to face with a big black bear. I could see Sammy jumping around and playing with the darn thing. What in the world was going on. I called her to come in the house but she and the bear just played, then they both ran up the road and into the timber. I called but she wouldn't come back. Jeb will have a fit if that bears kills her. I waited a bit then went on down to the creek I was glad I had the rhino. It beat trying to out run a bear on foot.
I worked, shoveling the gravel into the sluice and then jumping down to clear the race ever so often. Not a whole lot of big rocks in this gravel. Not much black sand either, but an abundance of white sand. Lots of quartz pieces as well. I stopped around noon for a sandwich the went back to work. I was still at it when Jeb came back about three . He was surprised to see how much I had done. I told him about the bear and Sammy. He just laughed ans said, "that was just Bruin. I picked him up as a tiny cub. He was almost dead. His mother was dead and there he was by her body just starving. I thought he was long gone by now. He stayed in the dog house with Sammy when he started eating dog food on his own. He wouldn't hurt a flea." " Darn it Jeb, you could have told me about that darn bear. I almost fell over when I saw him" "slipped my mind." Jeb said. Lets see what you have for a clean up. After Jeb panned it out, he said, " Not bad there , Sonny, not bad," Looks like you are going to be a prospector yet.
To be continued.
I was glad to see some fresh vegies. I like frozen ones but fresh is better.
Back up at the claim, Jeb said to help him get the contraption up on the bench then I would be free to start supper. "don't fix a big supper he said, since we had such a big lunch." Out in the shop we hoisted it up and propped the side so he could cut it off. I went on back to the house and found Max waiting at the door with another baby rabbit. Darn things still having little ones this late in the summer? Any way I told Max he wasn't bringing the bunny in the house and closed the door in his face.
In the box of vegies there was tomatoes, cukes, and 2 big zucchinis. I decided to make some zucchini bread first. When I got the nuts from the freezer, I heard the chipmunks chirping. Sure enough, they were out on their shelf begging for nuts. They didn't have the run of the house now because Big had made a wire run over their shelf. The little house on the shelf had an opening to the outside where Jeb had built a well insulated nest up under the eave. The chipmunks could go out, on their outside shelf and wait for Jeb to come out the door, then jump over on his shoulder. Big, did put a tiny trap door in it so they could be fed some goodies once in a while. After I put the bread in the oven I gave them some nuts and a few raisins. I went on ahead and made a batch of gazpacho salad, and got the stuff ready for zucchini and eggs.
Just as I was taking the bread out of the oven I heard Jeb coming into the house. I heard him say to Max, You put that rabbit down, you're not bringing it into the house. okay, then stay out there." Then he came on in. He said he was going to clean up, then rest his eyes a bit..
Jeb sat down in his recliner, got his pipe ready, put it in his mouth and leaned back. For the life of me I don't see how he keeps the pipe in his mouth when he is sleeping.
While we were eating supper, I told Jeb that Darcie had called and the guy who bought the crystals liked the pictures of the white quartz blowout and wanted to come up and get a close look at it. He is looking for some more big chunks to carve. He said the ones the drag line brought out of the creek were too fractured to do what he wants do with them. Good thing I gave Darcie those pictures. Jeb said, that they could look all they want, but if they want big chunks, they would have to find their own way to get them out. Jeb got up and cut off a big hunk of zucchini bread, buttered it and chomped away. We took our coffee and sat by the fire for a while.
Next morning we took the contraption out to the sluice and Jeb screwed some pieces of wood to the inside of the sluice so he could wedge it in good. Got some burlap under it and put a loose piece of re bar under the side he cut off. When it was all in place, I went up and opened the dam at the head and then I started to put the gravel I had dug out the day before, at the head of the new piece. The clay seemed to stay in the squares in the re-bar and the water dissolved it pretty good.
We kept at it til I had gotten all the gravel I could reach here. We called it a day and went on in the house. Jeb cleaned up and went for a nap. Since it wasn't all that hot today, I went back out and climbed up above the two big boulders and looked to see if I could dig some gravel from out in front of them. I climbed on top of one when the darn thing started to slide a bit. I reached up and grabbed at a bush to keep from falling and the darn thing pulled right out of the ground, bringing a bunch of gravel with it. Wow, there was an other ledge above the one were were working on and it had been covered with over burden. I cleaned off an place on the over laying rock and decided to sample the gravel to see if it had any gold in it. I panned a couple of pans and did find some fines in it. I'll check with Jeb and see if it would be worth working instead of moving upstream right now.
I had just climbed up out of the creek when Stan came up with the carving artist. I took them back up to the end of the road to the clear-cut area. The old logging road up the draw, left of the clear-cut was not in real good shape. We had to walk a ways to the big white quartz blow-out. I thought that artist guy was going to have a heart attack when he saw the blow-out. He wanted it all. Like Jeb said, he would have to figure a way to get it out, in big chunks to boot. Stan did a bunch of measuring, and took some more pictures so he and Darcie could give the artist a quote of what it would cost him. I was content just stand back and watch them. I did point out the area where I found the crystal cluster, then I went on back to the house. I'll let Stan take care of it now.
When I got back to the house, Jeb was up from his nap and ready to do the clean up. I told him about Stan and the artist and about the new gravel find. He said, "Sonny, I'm going to leave this up to you about the upper ledge. If you want to do it, then we will. The clean up wasn't too bad despite the clay problem. In the morning I would have to rig up some sheet metal to put across the sluice so I could remove the over burden and flume it across the sluice to the stream and let that take it downstream.
Next morning Jeb and I got the metal set up then He said I was on my own because he was going into Wallace to take care of some business. He was taking the last gold to the processor. I spent the rest of the day removing the over burden, then shoveled a big portion of the un-covered gravel down to the ledge we were working on before. Going to feel like a big fool if we don't find any gold up there.
Since I was alone, after cleaning up, I just grabbed a sandwich and went off the work on my computer. I was keeping a journal of my time up here and needed to up-date things.
Next morning I went outside and came almost face to face with a big black bear. I could see Sammy jumping around and playing with the darn thing. What in the world was going on. I called her to come in the house but she and the bear just played, then they both ran up the road and into the timber. I called but she wouldn't come back. Jeb will have a fit if that bears kills her. I waited a bit then went on down to the creek I was glad I had the rhino. It beat trying to out run a bear on foot.
I worked, shoveling the gravel into the sluice and then jumping down to clear the race ever so often. Not a whole lot of big rocks in this gravel. Not much black sand either, but an abundance of white sand. Lots of quartz pieces as well. I stopped around noon for a sandwich the went back to work. I was still at it when Jeb came back about three . He was surprised to see how much I had done. I told him about the bear and Sammy. He just laughed ans said, "that was just Bruin. I picked him up as a tiny cub. He was almost dead. His mother was dead and there he was by her body just starving. I thought he was long gone by now. He stayed in the dog house with Sammy when he started eating dog food on his own. He wouldn't hurt a flea." " Darn it Jeb, you could have told me about that darn bear. I almost fell over when I saw him" "slipped my mind." Jeb said. Lets see what you have for a clean up. After Jeb panned it out, he said, " Not bad there , Sonny, not bad," Looks like you are going to be a prospector yet.
To be continued.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
update
Finally getting some big heirloom tomatoes that the birds haven't
pecked or the slugs haven't got into. Love those tomato sandwiches.
Granny
pecked or the slugs haven't got into. Love those tomato sandwiches.
Granny
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Monday, September 4, 2017
Monsoons.
Monsoons can be the darnndest things. You can't always tell when you
get up in the morning what the day might be like. It might be a
beautifull morning. Not a cloud in the sky. Not a cloud on the
weather radar, but pretty soon, the hot air rises and hits the cold
air aloft, then seemingly, out of nowhere, the clouds begin to build,
turn black, then the sprinkles start. Next, all hell breaks loose,
the lightning flashes, the rain starts to pour out of the sky like the
floodgates have been opened. Water everywhere, running like a river
all over the place. You never know when, but when the temps get over
85, and there is a bit of humidity. There it is.
get up in the morning what the day might be like. It might be a
beautifull morning. Not a cloud in the sky. Not a cloud on the
weather radar, but pretty soon, the hot air rises and hits the cold
air aloft, then seemingly, out of nowhere, the clouds begin to build,
turn black, then the sprinkles start. Next, all hell breaks loose,
the lightning flashes, the rain starts to pour out of the sky like the
floodgates have been opened. Water everywhere, running like a river
all over the place. You never know when, but when the temps get over
85, and there is a bit of humidity. There it is.
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Idaho
What's going on now? Is Idaho blowing up? 51 earthquakes in the last
36 hours in Soda Springs, Idaho/
36 hours in Soda Springs, Idaho/
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Yesterday
Yesterday was food bank day at the Senior Center where Phillip and I volunteer.
Real strange stuff brought up from Pheonix.. We got a Big pallet of
strawberries, A Big pallet of some kind of Aloe Vera drink in half
gallon jugs, a pallet of cantalope, small and oval shaped, the usual
bread products and a pallet of chopped collard greens in gallon bags.
Trouble is, only about 38 people showed up to get food. Most were
gone on vacation or something. Gal who runs things was trying to get
people to take cases of melons and flats of berries. Not many takers
in these old folks. Guy who only has one hand asked Phillip if he
would ask the gal if he could have another flat of strawberries
because he could get his neighbor to make his up into jam if he got a
flat for her too. Gal who runs the place told Phillip to take 2 more
flats out to his car along with a couple cases of melons. The old guy
could give them out to his neighbors. He took 2 cases of collard
greehs for his chickens along with a BIG box of bread for them. Seems
like NO body wanted to touch the Aloe Vera drink. Me neither. Well
it would keep til next week ok. We got a flat of strawberries and
bread. I did take one cantalope the see what they were like.
Needless to say, Phillip has been busy cleaning and fixing berries for
the freezer. He even made what he called Strawberry long cake. Just
finished off a dish. So good.
Take care, Love ya, Granny.
Real strange stuff brought up from Pheonix.. We got a Big pallet of
strawberries, A Big pallet of some kind of Aloe Vera drink in half
gallon jugs, a pallet of cantalope, small and oval shaped, the usual
bread products and a pallet of chopped collard greens in gallon bags.
Trouble is, only about 38 people showed up to get food. Most were
gone on vacation or something. Gal who runs things was trying to get
people to take cases of melons and flats of berries. Not many takers
in these old folks. Guy who only has one hand asked Phillip if he
would ask the gal if he could have another flat of strawberries
because he could get his neighbor to make his up into jam if he got a
flat for her too. Gal who runs the place told Phillip to take 2 more
flats out to his car along with a couple cases of melons. The old guy
could give them out to his neighbors. He took 2 cases of collard
greehs for his chickens along with a BIG box of bread for them. Seems
like NO body wanted to touch the Aloe Vera drink. Me neither. Well
it would keep til next week ok. We got a flat of strawberries and
bread. I did take one cantalope the see what they were like.
Needless to say, Phillip has been busy cleaning and fixing berries for
the freezer. He even made what he called Strawberry long cake. Just
finished off a dish. So good.
Take care, Love ya, Granny.
So you want to be a prospector...part 8.
I was getting hardened in, slow but sure. As the days of aches and pains stretched into months, along with the ministrations of Big, I was getting muscles I didn't know existed till then. Oh, I knew they were there really but quite unused and undeveloped, but prospecting really brought them forth. We had been working that shelf above the creek for a long time, and it was getting close to just becoming a solid rock face now. Oh there was still gravel there but it was getting harder and harder to get to, with all the bigger rocks the glacier had piled in that bench area. We were down to figuring out another way to get at it. Jeb didn't want to move the sluice upstream quite yet. We had been working hard, but we also had time out for Big and I to go down to the Regis and the Clark Fork river to fish, when Jeb went to Walace to take the gold to the processor and do business there. I also went to the end of the road to the clear cut and picked 4 gallons of huckleberries. I wanted to take some to Marge when I went back to town.
This morning Big said he was going into town for his cancer treatments. He would be gone for a week. He said. Jeb had been sitting there at the table drinking the last of the coffee, and smoking his pipe. He pointed his pipe at Big and said, " be careful, you don't have to drive back if you don't feel good. Just take it easy." He looked at me and said, " Big will stay with his Sister there in Woodland Park, in Walace close to where I live.He don't really have to hurry, You and I will be able to make it til he gets back, I'm sure." I nodded my head, I know we will make it I was thinking.
After Big took off, Jeb said, " we need to do things a bit different now. Lets go out to the shed and pick up some different prospecting tools. We are now down to where the work will require a lot of work on your knees. Your knees are a whole lot younger than mine so I'm going to let you take care of this part."
At the shed we got some gads and a small sledge hammer. Jeb said to get 4 of those big wooden wedges and the green rubber coated canvas gloves. This along with some large sturdy screwdrivers and an old fireplace poker, a couple chunks of foam rubber matting and we were all set he said.
Back out at the workings, we took all the tools over to the bench. I Sad to Jeb, "I don't think this one rock is holding up this over hanging rock, but I do think this bigger one up ahead of it a ways just might be doing it if it isn't just solid bedrock." Jeb looked and said, " you just might be right there Sonny. You're learnin, you're learnin. Jeb went back to the other side of the sluice and I took the sledge and gave the bigger chunk of Ryolite rock a couple of good whacks. It broke loose and broke into 2 pieces. Jeb said to hand them over and he would put them in the tub and wire brush them good. I broke a few more smaller rocks and handed them to Jeb to do his thing with, then put the chunks of foam down and went to work cleaning all the gravel out of the deep grove the glacier had carved out of that solid granite, I cleaned, scraped, swept every thing I could find in the crevice. That left 4 or more huge rocks the glacier had piled in the way. I was starting to clean out in front and under one of them, when I could see what the big wooden blocks we brought were for. I took two of them and pounded them in under the one big rock. I looked over at Jeb, and he was nodding and smiling. Yep! I'm learning, I'm learning for sure now. I raked a pile of gravel from under and between the boulders, then got up and tossed a shovel full onto the sluice. " Hold it! Hold it! yelled Jeb. This is got to be pits for now. This has too much clay in it to run like we have been doing. Let's call it quits for now and think about this." We left the clay there above the riffles for the water to dissolve and went to the house. I was going to make another pot of coffee when Jeb said, " lets go down town and talk to Dan there at the pit. He may know how we can fix this with out moving the sluice back down stream a ways and putting in Hungarian riffles to break up the clay. We don't have the room to do it where the sluice is now. I don't want to if we don't have to."
We got in the beast and headed to town. We got down to the pull out where the drag line was working. There was a red pickup parked there. Mike, the drag line operator must have gone to town for lunch because his truck was gone. There was a guy walking around the machine and then over to the hole and looked in. He must have looked up and saw us, and was slowly walking back up the hill. Jeb Pulled out his pipe, stuck it in his mouth. That's when I pulled out my little camera and took a couple pictures of the truck and plates.
Guy came up, stuck out his hand, that Jeb ignored and said, Howdy. I'm with the BLM and was just up here checking out these mining claims, to make sure they are operating legally. Got to check this, and two other claims up this creek and the abandoned mine at the end of the road." Jeb just went Mummph, mumph a couple times the asked the dude how how got thru the gate. Dude said he had the card from the Forest Service given to his office for this purpose. Jeb went Mummph again and asked him if he knew where he was. He said he was just checking out the Blue Mountain Mining claims. Jeb went Mummph again then said, " Mister, I don't know who you are. You don't have a BLM vehicle, and you are not wearing a uniform, I need to see some ID if you don't mind.." Guy said he works out of an office and don't wear a uniform. Don't have his BLM ID with him at the moment. Said his name was Bill Orr. Wanted to know just who in the hell we were to question him anyway. Jeb told him we were the owners of this property, and he was trespassing on private property. Guy said bull, the Forest Service boundary started at the gate, and he was going to call the Sheriff. Jeb told to to go right ahead and we will wait right here for him, although it might take him a couple of hours to get here. But if he would like, Jeb said he would call the deputy who works part time down at the Post Office there in Blue Mountain. He could be here in a few minutes. Besides, he told him the gate was a private gate and the Forest Service boundary was still up the road another quarter mile. he also told him his information about the claims and abandoned mine were way out of date. There was no abandoned mine. Just a patent he owned. I took a couple of pictures of the guy before Jeb finally told him if he knew what was good for him, he best turn around and go back to his office and get things updated. I guess the guy figured out he better leave while the getting was good.
We waited till he was back thru the gate the piled back in the beast and went down to the pit. When we got there the red pickup was there. The guy started to get out then got back in and left. When we went in the office, Dan wanted to know what that was all about. Jeb brought him up to date then Dan said, " Bill Orr, huh. That guy is as crooked as a dogs hind leg. He's a buddy of that Hank fellow who worked here a few years ago. I had to can him when I caught him with his hands in the riffles of the trammel.
Jeb told Dan what we had run into up at the diggings. He thought a minute or so then motioned us to come out side to a big pile of junk. He tossed a few things around then came up with a contraption he had made for a trammel sluice. It was bigger than what we needed but Jeb said he could cut some of it off to fit our sluice. It was re-bar that was welded into 3 inch squares with a couple pieces of angle iron welded on top. Dan said to put it in the sluice with the angle iron pointing up stream. then put our gravel in the race above it but to break the gravel clumps up the best we could, and let the water do the works. A bit slower but more effective.
We went on down town and had lunch with Darcie and Stan. Jeb told them what happened and that we needed new cards made for the gate and gate reprogramed. She could call Big and tell him he needed to pick up a new card when he came back. They said that that guy Bill Orr had been all over town asking questions about the claims and the old abandoned mine. They figured he knew all about everything but was just snooping. He didn't get much in the way of answers here in town. Darcie wondered who gave him the card he used on the gate. Time would tell there, when somebody couldn't get in. She worked a bit on her computer then got our new cards from the printer and gave them to us. Said she had made 4 extra cards for the ones who needed them. Any one else had to stop here at the office before they could even try to get in.
We took the piece of stuff Dan gave us back up to the house, Jeb had to get it cut to fit so we could try it out.
To be continued.
This morning Big said he was going into town for his cancer treatments. He would be gone for a week. He said. Jeb had been sitting there at the table drinking the last of the coffee, and smoking his pipe. He pointed his pipe at Big and said, " be careful, you don't have to drive back if you don't feel good. Just take it easy." He looked at me and said, " Big will stay with his Sister there in Woodland Park, in Walace close to where I live.He don't really have to hurry, You and I will be able to make it til he gets back, I'm sure." I nodded my head, I know we will make it I was thinking.
After Big took off, Jeb said, " we need to do things a bit different now. Lets go out to the shed and pick up some different prospecting tools. We are now down to where the work will require a lot of work on your knees. Your knees are a whole lot younger than mine so I'm going to let you take care of this part."
At the shed we got some gads and a small sledge hammer. Jeb said to get 4 of those big wooden wedges and the green rubber coated canvas gloves. This along with some large sturdy screwdrivers and an old fireplace poker, a couple chunks of foam rubber matting and we were all set he said.
Back out at the workings, we took all the tools over to the bench. I Sad to Jeb, "I don't think this one rock is holding up this over hanging rock, but I do think this bigger one up ahead of it a ways just might be doing it if it isn't just solid bedrock." Jeb looked and said, " you just might be right there Sonny. You're learnin, you're learnin. Jeb went back to the other side of the sluice and I took the sledge and gave the bigger chunk of Ryolite rock a couple of good whacks. It broke loose and broke into 2 pieces. Jeb said to hand them over and he would put them in the tub and wire brush them good. I broke a few more smaller rocks and handed them to Jeb to do his thing with, then put the chunks of foam down and went to work cleaning all the gravel out of the deep grove the glacier had carved out of that solid granite, I cleaned, scraped, swept every thing I could find in the crevice. That left 4 or more huge rocks the glacier had piled in the way. I was starting to clean out in front and under one of them, when I could see what the big wooden blocks we brought were for. I took two of them and pounded them in under the one big rock. I looked over at Jeb, and he was nodding and smiling. Yep! I'm learning, I'm learning for sure now. I raked a pile of gravel from under and between the boulders, then got up and tossed a shovel full onto the sluice. " Hold it! Hold it! yelled Jeb. This is got to be pits for now. This has too much clay in it to run like we have been doing. Let's call it quits for now and think about this." We left the clay there above the riffles for the water to dissolve and went to the house. I was going to make another pot of coffee when Jeb said, " lets go down town and talk to Dan there at the pit. He may know how we can fix this with out moving the sluice back down stream a ways and putting in Hungarian riffles to break up the clay. We don't have the room to do it where the sluice is now. I don't want to if we don't have to."
We got in the beast and headed to town. We got down to the pull out where the drag line was working. There was a red pickup parked there. Mike, the drag line operator must have gone to town for lunch because his truck was gone. There was a guy walking around the machine and then over to the hole and looked in. He must have looked up and saw us, and was slowly walking back up the hill. Jeb Pulled out his pipe, stuck it in his mouth. That's when I pulled out my little camera and took a couple pictures of the truck and plates.
Guy came up, stuck out his hand, that Jeb ignored and said, Howdy. I'm with the BLM and was just up here checking out these mining claims, to make sure they are operating legally. Got to check this, and two other claims up this creek and the abandoned mine at the end of the road." Jeb just went Mummph, mumph a couple times the asked the dude how how got thru the gate. Dude said he had the card from the Forest Service given to his office for this purpose. Jeb went Mummph again and asked him if he knew where he was. He said he was just checking out the Blue Mountain Mining claims. Jeb went Mummph again then said, " Mister, I don't know who you are. You don't have a BLM vehicle, and you are not wearing a uniform, I need to see some ID if you don't mind.." Guy said he works out of an office and don't wear a uniform. Don't have his BLM ID with him at the moment. Said his name was Bill Orr. Wanted to know just who in the hell we were to question him anyway. Jeb told him we were the owners of this property, and he was trespassing on private property. Guy said bull, the Forest Service boundary started at the gate, and he was going to call the Sheriff. Jeb told to to go right ahead and we will wait right here for him, although it might take him a couple of hours to get here. But if he would like, Jeb said he would call the deputy who works part time down at the Post Office there in Blue Mountain. He could be here in a few minutes. Besides, he told him the gate was a private gate and the Forest Service boundary was still up the road another quarter mile. he also told him his information about the claims and abandoned mine were way out of date. There was no abandoned mine. Just a patent he owned. I took a couple of pictures of the guy before Jeb finally told him if he knew what was good for him, he best turn around and go back to his office and get things updated. I guess the guy figured out he better leave while the getting was good.
We waited till he was back thru the gate the piled back in the beast and went down to the pit. When we got there the red pickup was there. The guy started to get out then got back in and left. When we went in the office, Dan wanted to know what that was all about. Jeb brought him up to date then Dan said, " Bill Orr, huh. That guy is as crooked as a dogs hind leg. He's a buddy of that Hank fellow who worked here a few years ago. I had to can him when I caught him with his hands in the riffles of the trammel.
Jeb told Dan what we had run into up at the diggings. He thought a minute or so then motioned us to come out side to a big pile of junk. He tossed a few things around then came up with a contraption he had made for a trammel sluice. It was bigger than what we needed but Jeb said he could cut some of it off to fit our sluice. It was re-bar that was welded into 3 inch squares with a couple pieces of angle iron welded on top. Dan said to put it in the sluice with the angle iron pointing up stream. then put our gravel in the race above it but to break the gravel clumps up the best we could, and let the water do the works. A bit slower but more effective.
We went on down town and had lunch with Darcie and Stan. Jeb told them what happened and that we needed new cards made for the gate and gate reprogramed. She could call Big and tell him he needed to pick up a new card when he came back. They said that that guy Bill Orr had been all over town asking questions about the claims and the old abandoned mine. They figured he knew all about everything but was just snooping. He didn't get much in the way of answers here in town. Darcie wondered who gave him the card he used on the gate. Time would tell there, when somebody couldn't get in. She worked a bit on her computer then got our new cards from the printer and gave them to us. Said she had made 4 extra cards for the ones who needed them. Any one else had to stop here at the office before they could even try to get in.
We took the piece of stuff Dan gave us back up to the house, Jeb had to get it cut to fit so we could try it out.
To be continued.
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