Chinese Families MD For Scrap

"The Shang family, from Zhumadian of Central China's Henan province, recycles steel bars at a demolition site in Jinan, the capital of East China's Shandong province, Aug 8, 2011. 

As many urban Chinese children are enjoying cool air conditioners, 8-year-old Shang Guangwei and his 11-year-old sister are spending their summer vacation at construction sites, recycling waste iron and steel with their migrant parents. 

Each day, their mother would use a metal detector to find metal and their father would then try to dig out what was seen as treasure to the family"

Read more HERE. 


Image Credit: China Daily

52nd St.

Today was a great day, it really was. Friday afternoon Ash had been talking with my sister-in-law Maria about getting together for the beach. Perfect idea IMO.

Anyhow, we got ready and met up at my brother's dad's timeshare condo type thing just off the beach on 52nd St. in Virginia Beach. Parked halfway on the walkway back to some other residents, but there was no place else. Walked over to the beach, setup, and off Taylor and Coral went, they had a blast. I got in the water a few times, it felt nice. Super strong underwater current though, while on the surface it seemed alright. I even took Ash's McTavish surf board out and got my ass handed to me by the current... within 5 mins I swear I was a quarter mile down the beach.

Oh, and ECSC was going on, along with Danny fueling the waves, surfers everywhere!

Enough talking, enjoy the pics!

Father's Day Loot

What a great day for a hunt! Temperature in the 80's, nice cool breeze, overcast... perfect!

As many of you who read my blog know by now, on most holidays that I'm not on the boat, I spend at the g/f's parent's... today being no different. And every time I go over, the metal detector comes along. The last time out was two weeks ago to the day, I scored 9 wheats. I always find something neat here, be it rings, old coins, buttons... something.

Today, we arrive and the first thing I do before the cookout is crank up the XLT with my self made coin program and start working an area of the yard I've never touched. That was the smartest thing I did all day. Within the next thirty minutes I pulled a 10K ring and 2 rosies! My first of each The ring is marked UNCAS 10K G.F. which I know is "gold filled"... but still gold right? A little research hints to the makers mark as being a vintage jeweler from the 50's. So perhaps this ring has been buried for some time, as it was as deep as the length of the Lesche blade.

After eating the great food I grilled (burgers, dogs, and chicken), and the sweet pasta salad, I headed back out front just to go over all the area I've hit time and time again. And what do you know, I landed 9 more wheats and another rosie that I called from the signal. Our friend John had just come over when I got the signal and I told him, "I'm betting it's a silver dime." Sure enough, 5" down there she was glimmering back. He was pretty amazed at how I knew it before I dug it.

After pulling 20+ wheats from this yard over 4 or 5 hunts I knew there had to be some silver somewhere. Glad I finally tracked it down! Nearly all of the wheats and definitely all the rosies today were 5+" down.

Another great holiday spent digging. Ended up with 32 coins @ $1.34. The Rosie's are '50-D, '53-D, and a '56.

FCHS Graduation 2009

Just thought I'd give a nod to all the graduations of the 2009 class at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach. My mom graduated from here in 1969, and now 40 years later, my cousin Sarah graduates, yay! Enjoy the pics from the night at the convention center and then at Croc's down the street.

Williamsburg & Yorktown

I had caught word Monday morning that come Tuesday, everyone was headed out to visit Williamsburg. I hadn't been there in years and decided I wanted to go too. The only crappy part was that I had to get up and drive an hour to my sisters to be there by 9am.

We loaded up and headed out. Turning down S. Henry we parked at the corner of Duke of Gloucester and started our stroll. In tow was Bravo, Shannon's dog. Our first stop was Bruton Parish, an Episcopal Church in the heart of Williamsburg that has been there for over 300 years. Our main reason for stopping is that my Great Grandmother, Coral Sophia Blodgett Rogers has her ashes buried on the grounds and a plaque with her name on it. For more on Bruton Parish, click HERE.

After that it was just a walk wherever, see whatever type thing going on. They had some sort of event in the part of town known as "Revolutionary City" and it was blocked off to all without "passes." But we had a great time seeing everything else around.

After Williamsburg we headed out to Yorktown's Riverwalk Landing for lunch at the Yorktown Pub. Small place, busy as hell, and yummy. It sits right on the beach and across from the Schooner Alliance which offers river tours.