{"id":537,"date":"2007-08-07T04:22:03","date_gmt":"2007-08-06T19:22:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-08-07\/537"},"modified":"2007-08-07T04:22:03","modified_gmt":"2007-08-06T19:22:03","slug":"kid-in-the-country-binking-with-grandpa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-08-07\/537","title":{"rendered":"Kid in the Country: Binking with Grandpa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

The other day, after visiting a farm<\/span><\/a> with\nAnthony, we stopped by a house<\/span> where Grandpa was binking. “Binking” is our\nfamily's term for using a metal<\/span> detector. For many years<\/span> my dad's had the\nhobby of hunting for old stuff at area parks and old houses (always with\nthe owner's permission, of course).<\/p>\n\n

This part of Ohio was settled as early as the 1790s, so one can\noften find old coins and jewelry if one knows where (and how) to look.<\/p>\n\n

We arrived just as Grandpa was about to dig on a target.<\/span>...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 17mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f\/4, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nApproaching with Caution<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 17mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nAnyting Dealing with Dirt Raises the Interest Level<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nLending a Hand<\/span> with the Proximity Probe<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 55mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 100 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nPhew, This is Tough Work!<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 34mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 100 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nI Think<\/span> Something's There<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 22mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nGetting Close<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 55mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nTa Da!<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 55mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nA 1948<\/span> Silver Quarter<\/span>Value: about two bucks in silver\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55 f\/2.8 @ 35mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f\/4.5, ISO 200 —\nfull exif<\/a><\/span>\nQuality Time With Grandpa<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Dad does this for the fun, not the money, although having recently\nfinally sold his accumulated silver coins for $1,800 in silver value\nperhaps went a long<\/span> ways toward what he's spent on gas and equipment over\nthe years.<\/p>\n\n

The real satisfaction is to find a bit<\/span> of history. For example, last\nyear he was at an old house where the owner said that his sister had lost a\ngold<\/span> ring when she was a little<\/span> girl, 50-something years ago. Gold rings\nare generally difficult to find because they register the same on the\nmachine as a pulltab<\/span> (which is extremely common in the grounds of Ohio),\nbut knowing there may be a ring<\/span> in the area, Dad decided<\/span> to dig all the\npulltabs. The first<\/span> target turned out to be a pulltab,<\/span> but the next was the\nring.<\/p>\n\n

Dad didn't get to see the look on the face of the woman when the ring\nshe lost 50+ years ago was returned to her, but it's was a wonderful<\/span>\nfeeling for him to have found it. He's done this<\/span> many times over the years.\nPerhaps even more commonly, when he finds a class<\/span> ring, he uses the\ninformation on the ring to track down the often flabbergasted owner to\nreturn it. He's been successful<\/span> in finding an owner several dozen\ntimes.<\/p>\n\n

It's been a very dry summer, so he hasn't binked much this year. (He\nwon't dig in a lawn<\/span> unless he can be sure to leave it without any marks,\nand that's difficult when the ground is dry.) We were lucky that he was\nable to do it a bit<\/span> when Anthony was there, and that he found the nice\nsilver quarter when Anthony was there. It turns<\/span> out that there wasn't much\nelse at that particular house, so Anthony's timing was doubly good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n