I received the following message, from Sam, on Monday night.
“Hey there, my grandfather lost his Masonic Ring that was bought for him by my grandmother. He is extremely stubborn and insists if he can’t find it he’s going to buy a new one.. He lost it in his backyard somewhere, I haven’t had the chance to look yet, but I hear you guys are the best! Let me know if this is something you could help with!”
It’s always nice when someone tells you that they hear “you guys are the best!” It will also be my first search, for a Masonic Ring. I then replied
“Hi Sam, I am so sorry to hear this. We can certainly find rings, in backyards. So a few questions first, if you don’t mind. 1) How long ago did he lose it? 2) What makes him think it was lost in the backyard? Did he see or feel it come off? 3) What city or town would the search take place? Thank you, Dennis”
Sam replied
“He lost it while working in the yard, he thinks back, but could be the front. It was lost about a week ago. He says he didn’t feel it come off. He’s in Scarborough, Maine.”
I replied
“OK, So fairly recently then. I would recommend that the lawns SHOULD NOT BE MOWED, until the area is searched. We have found damaged and thrown rings, that a lawnmower has hit.
So I do not charge for my Emergency Metal Detecting Services or my time. I do however, require a Transportation Fee, to cover my Gas, Tolls, Wear and Tear etc.. The transportation fee to Scarborough is $25.00 and that’s it.”
Sam agreed to go ahead and search for his Grandfather’s Masonic Ring. I told him I would be at his grandparents home at 8:00am the next morning. Sam told me his grandparents were good, for that time and his grandfather would show me the exact areas, he had been working.
I arrived at 8:00am, as promised and Sam’s grandfather came right out to meet me. He introduced himself, as Lee. Lee then explains that approximately 10 days earlier, he had been doing some yard work. He had planted two new flowers, by digging the holes and bringing the dug up soil, out back and dumped in a pile. He then put new potting soil in the holes and planted the flowers. He had walked back and forth across the front lawn a few times, between the flag pole and the house. That was the extent of his movement that day, up until he realized he no longer had his Masonic Ring on. Lee told me he was extremely sure I wouldn’t find the ring, under the new flowers. He had already removed the flowers and the new potting soil, down to the hard pan dirt. Lee then visually and physically searched the two holes and the potting soil. No ring was found. If the ring was on the property, it would be on the grassy lawn. I asked Lee if the lawn had been mowed, since losing his ring. He confirmed it had been mowed and I just kind of lost a little bounce, out of my step, so to speak. Once a ring has a lawnmower go over it, all bets are off. The lawnmower could have hit the ring, sending it flying in all kind of different areas. The lawnmower can also damage rings, beyond repair. I then confirmed with Lee that the ring is a Gold Ring. I took out a sample gold ring, which happens to be my actual 1974 Thornton Academy High School Class Ring, which most resembled the Masonic Ring, according to Lee. Ithrew it up into the air a few times and each time the ring was still visible, to our eyes, on the well manicured lawn. I then set the detector up, to the best settings, to find the Masonic Ring. I then ran the coil over my class ring and it went off nice and loud, so Lee could see how the detector works. Now to get to work.
I told Lee that I would grid search, from where we stood, in the driveway, to the plants on the other side of the lawn. I would search just inside the flagpole, back ann forth, up to the house. The lawn to be grid searched wasn’t a large area at all and I figured I could cover the entire front lawn in 25-30 minutes. I searched the newly planted flowers at the end of the first line. Nothing under the plants, other than a small nail. I then turned around and took a 1/2 step over and continued the search, now heading back towards the driveway. I repeated this 3 more times and other than coins, buried in the soil, absolutely nothing was found. I started talking to Lee again, about that day. He was certain the ring should have been in the area but it could also be in the discarded soil. So we went out back and I searched the soil there. Nothing again. I then told Lee that the ring may have come off while he was taking the wheel barrel out back, to dump the soil. I explained that I would start grid searching, that area. Wasn’t a large area at all and wouldn’t take long. While standing there I reached down and gave Lee the nail, I had found under one of the plants. He told me that wasn’t one of the plants he had been working on. He then told me it was the two flower plants. One that we were next to and the other plant was two plants over, going towards the street. I had totally misunderstood which plants had been worked on. I told Lee I would check the other flower plant, right now. We both walked over and my first swing, under the flowers, produced a nice low tone. I swung a few more times and saw my VDI Screen was reading between three numbers,, 27, 28, 29. Those are definitely numbers I am interested in, while searching for gold rings. I took my pinpointer and stuck it into the fresh potting soil. Nothing found. I tried again and again. On the third attempt, I located the target and removed some potting soil. Didn’t see or feel anything. I then removed another handful of the soil and I caught a glimpse of something gold. I reached into the hole, grabbed it, stood up and flashed the Masonic Ring to Lee, “I found your ring”. Lee was absolutely stunned. He said “I was absolutely sure you wouldn’t find it under the plants. I had taken them out and searched the soil myself”. Lee kept saying how he just couldn’t believe I had found his ring and he was absolutely certain, I wouldn’t find it. Thankfully for Lee I let my Metal Detector do my looking. I know my eyesight isn’t isn’t what it once was. I also know Lee is one happy man, to have his ring back on his finger, where it belongs. I love helping others out, when they need my Emergency Metal Detecting Services. It’s truly a great feeling to return such a sentimental item back to the owner. Congratulations Lee❤️🙏
