Reflections of Yester years and a Thank YOU

[MrSandsman]

I was reading some post recently and came to realize all the people I have meet throughout the years in the prospecting community.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who have helped me along the way and who help mentor, train, and teach me how to hunt for this little yellow rock they call "GOLD"

TOM: I too would like to know where Virgil ran off to I remember the days when he would run the bumble bee saloon, my detection teacher and mentor Richard would take me to the saloon after a good day of hunting and we would shoot the shit with Virgil, that was many, many years ago and looking back now as I am older I can only reflect on all the wonderful prospectors and people we have lost over the years. When those guys leave this world a piece of the prospecting world goes with them. The "OLD TIMERS" have a knowledge and way with the land the younger generation can not learn from books, youtube, or TV. I was fortunate enough to be in the game when these great men where around and willing to share secrets with the younger generations.

Today is a very different day from the older days when gold was only $200 an ounce back then there was plenty of open lands to hunt and many people who were willing to share there knowledge of the Hobby. Please help teach the younger generation how to enjoy this Hobby guys because as we all get older we need younger blood to help pickup and keep this alive, teach them the proper ways and how to respect the land there is no one who does better for the land, wildlife, and saving our forests than the sportsman, hunters, fisherman and Hobbyist who play in those lands.

Many thanks to all the great prospectors and people who helped me along the way.

Respectfully

Brandon AKA HOT ROCK

[nuggethunting]

Hey Brandon,

It was always great to hunt with you. Yep, it was the good old days for gold when Richard Doherty was around. I wish I could remember just half of all the washes he took me to back in the day. Here are a few pictures of you back in the day.

Take care kid,

Rob Allison

[oldies1955]

Brandon:
I agree its good to thank the guys that have helped us along the way.

Rob: Thanks for the honest sale on the 5000, all the help and encoragement along the way and your friendship!
Nugget Bob: Your a gold mine in wisdom and infomation. Your guidence in the field means a lot and just being a friend.
Wade: What can I say, you got me out of the workshop, out in the fields prospecting again and spending time with Dad

and you didnt laugh at me too much being a rookie

Adam: Your humor kills me! Thanks for the fun when weve hunted together.
Most of all.........I can trust these guys.....we have been in each others patches and have always kept it honest.

Thats PRICELESS!
Thanks all and hope to have many more years together.

Tom H.

[MrSandsman]

Rob thanks for the pictures I don't have any of those pics any longer after my house fire last year I lost everything but a very small hand full of things. All my childhood pics, boxes, books, memories all went up in smoke. I learned a hard lesson last year I did not have near enough backed up and stored off site for added security. If you have any other pics like that could you email them to me?

Thanks Again

I almost forgot if Richard could see you today Rob he would be very proud and probably shit a brick too he would have really enjoyed seeing the mine

[Glenn]

Hey Brandon, long time no see, I am looking forward to getting out with you and hit some old areas, I stopped in at Virgil's about a year ago, he is still the same, we had a laugh about that nugget that Richard had him put in the display case to remind me to always find your target, don't walk away, good old Richard, every now and then I still hear the old. " uh-huh" and I know he just found another one.

[MrSandsman]

Wow Glenn you just sent chills up my spin with the "uh-huh" thanks for helping me remember that. I do have some good new spots pulled a little over 2.5 ounces out of a new area during a night hunt.

[nuggethunting]

Hey Guys,

Brandon - I have more pictures, I will send them over. I will have to go through hundreds of pictures to find them.

Tom H - You're welcome. It was great to see you get a Minelab PI and find the pieces you have so far here in Arizona. We need to get out on another hunt when it cools off a bit.

Glenn - You heading back out this Winter Season?

Speaking of Richard, I spent many years with him. Without a doubt he is my detector mentor, without his help I wouldn't be detecting. I still remember when I walked over a 1/4 ounce nugget and my footprint was right on the spot. He asked me if I had my gun on me? I wasn't sure where he was going, but then he dropped the piece in my hand and told me I stepped right on it. I about shit, but sure enough, I was doing more walking with my detector on my shoulder then coil on the ground. This was a hard lesson learned, but it taught me to not give up so early.

I have no many memories of Richard and all you guys. Glenn and I spent a lot of time tromping the hills from down South to the tip of the Northern Bradshaw's.

Take care,

Rob Allison

[Glenn]

Hey rob, I will be heading back for all of November , then I will spend the holidays with the family and come back out for most of the winter, I will get ahold of you when I get in, we sure covered a lot of ground all over the state, and even Alaska, I would like to get back into that area we hunted one winter when I shredded the tire on the Tahoe , we were in an area between globe and Tucson, it is a shame we can't hunt that area near quartzite where we found all those nuggets, where that guy had that old backhoe

[nuggethunting]

Hey Glenn,

The spot where you blew the tire has always interested me. It's difficult to get back in there without hiking now. Ya, that old guy from Parker that owned those claims at Quartzsite had some good property. I'm not sure what's going on back there now.

[MrSandsman]

Thanks Rob, Jim P said he too had some pics he will email me so no worries on time frame. I remember how many pics you would take, in fact it was you who got me to enjoy photographing the nuggets before they were plucked from mother natures nugget traps. Some little some BIG

I have a guy who is retired working the night spot I found he is bring home lots of gold, and best part of all I get a good cut and don't have to do the hard labor. Good to have people you can trust out there.

Cant wait to meet up with you again Glenn it been too long. ( Mark from Rock springs told me to say Hi for him as well )

Happy hunting to all you guys, and always remember the nuggets are not like animal you don't have to wake up at 2 am to catch them at first light....... LOL I love this Hobby.

[Jim P.]

Hey Brandon, long time to see. I didn't have as many pics as I thought but will send what I have.

Here's the only one I could find of the three of you, Rob, Glenn and you. Sorry to say I don't remember who the fourth guy is. Hard to believe this was over 8 years ago. I think this was the same day the pissed off/drunk tried to kill the two of us while we were parked on the side of the road. Sure woke me up. Later...Jim P.

[nuggethunting]

Damn Jim,

I was a porker in that picture!! I can't remember if that was a customer of mine or one of the other guys friend.

[Glenn]

Rob, I kind of figured that area down south would be much harder to get into since the trail went through private property, but it still seems like a high potential area, if I remember right there was another way in but we were in the Tahoe, a quad might get up the wash to the trail unless the owner of the other mine has blocked that way off. Rich Lampright, and Steve H might be meeting up with me this fall to do some hunting, I will let you know when we all arrive and maybe we can all get together for a large hunt.

Brandon, congrats on the new find, is that the area you were telling me about at the red spot or another new one.