Ringing In The New Year 2024, By Dave Milsted

I am not using the real names of this couple. I will call them Betty & Barney Rubble. Barney called me to see if I could help find some lost jewelry. He was referred to me by Fellow Ring Finder/Treasure Hunter Ed Cropski (he was out of town for the weekend). I work with a core group of excellent detectorists with much experience. If one of us gets a call and can’t make it, we give it to someone in our group.

Barney said his wife got very angry and walked out the back door to their deck, and Bam-Bam threw 2 silver bracelets, a gold wedding ring, and a gold engagement ring. Doing his own reconnaissance, he found 1 of the bracelets. I was near the neighbor’s fence beside a pile of wood rubble, reminding me of a gravel pit. The other 3 items are still missing.

Betty was out on their deck in the area where she was when she threw her jewelry. She looked very sad. After reviewing the angle of where Barney found the first bracelet and the scene, I told Barney that gold rings would travel farther than the lighter bracelet. I asked if his neighbors were okay with me searching their backyard. He said yes that he contacted them after our phone call. Betty went inside.

I started searching the neighbor’s yard. There were a lot of signals. There is a newer deck, and I was finding a ton of wood screws that are used in deck building. After about 12 minutes of searching, I started to look under the deck. I almost immediately found the engagement ring. It was under the deck. From where Betty threw the jewelry and the angle of where the ring was, it had to go through the open-backed stairs from the ground to the deck; if I threw it, it would have bounced off one of the steps. Lucky throw.

I intensified my search under the deck. It took another minute or two to find the missing bracelet. At this point, Barney had no idea I found either item. I asked him if he could hold my pinponter. He came over, and I held out my hand and dropped the engagement ring & bracelet into his hand. The look in his eyes was priceless.

I asked Barney if he would search on the deck for the other ring while I searched on the ground. I didn’t feel right searching up there with all of the windows. The neighbors know Barney, not me.

About 5 minutes went by, and Barney was standing next to me. He held out his hand that held the missing ring. My hunch paid off; it was laying on some covered furniture on the deck. He enjoyed the thrill of making the discovery.

Betty came out on their deck as I talked to Barney in the driveway. I told her to come down & get her jewelry. She was grinning from ear to ear. Barney and Betty are happy once again in Bedrock.

I love my hobby!!