Well I finally got to take the BH T4 out for a spin today and it sure was interesting.
Let’s start with the beach, its just two blocks over but I didn’t want to hunt there the first time out. Really, I just don’t want a bunch of people staring at me while I try to figure this thing out. With my luck I’d step on someone gal’s engagement ring, fall to the ground with blood gushing from my foot requiring many stitches, and STILL wouldn’t have detected the ring. She’d just snatch it out from between a couple of bones and say “There it is”.
So I chose a tot-lot at the southend of the beach, in the pouring rain, with no one around except for a bunch of homeless people whom I’ll get to in a minute.
I don my slicker and wide brimmed sailing hat, rig the MD, insert the ear buds, cover the electronic goodies with a bag, put on the apron and off I go.
I wasn’t expecting much since this park is only about a year old, but practice I wanted, practice I got.
I started with the approach to the lot, but the ground is so darned hard I couldn’t dig anything without a full on shovel so I moved straight to the mulch. I searched the areas I thought would produce the best chance of finding some love: around the benches, swings and covered tables.
Oh, did I mention the homeless????
It didn’t take long to get my first “hit”. And let me tell you, that Tracker was singing a tune! As a matter-of-fact it was singing a looong, wiiiiide tune. Did any of you know that park benches could have concrete and steel holding them down????
I backed away from the bench and came up empty hand-tooled.
By the third bench I became acutely aware of some noise from around the first bench I checked out. I ignored it at first.
I moved on to the swings. Bam-O! Hit after hit. Holy crap a pocket spill! Yeehaw I’m on my way to paying this thing off.
Nope… You see, it turns out the construction crews who built the park must have cut the chain for the swings on site. Nice, huh. Half a dozen half-links later I move to the slides and the noise I heard before is louder. Much louder. It even has an angry quality about it.
First slide down and nothing but playground foundation.
Now I hear it. Well I’ll be damned but this homeless lady is having a fit over me “cheating”. WTH is that about??? No need to post what she was saying, but she sure wasn’t using nice language. Potty mouth. I seriously contemplated offering her my finds….
I hit the last slide and find nothing. The lady is flat out wigging and its pouring like mad. I’m leaving but on the way out I stop by the concession stand area. I already know I can’t dig so I hit the shrubbery in front of the window area.
Oh yea baby. A hit within 1 foot of me starting. Nail…
Wham! Another hit. Nail…
Kapow! Pulltab…. In the middle of ginormous red ant colony that appears pretty pissed off for some reason. Go figure, I only moved their mulch, scrapped a bunch of their dirt and in all likely hood I split the queen in a few pieces. Sheeze.
On that note I gathered my garbage, dumped it in a can, listened to my new friend serenade me one last time, dried off and left.
Frustrating, comical, enjoyable. I can’t wait to head out again. Oh, oh…. I hear thunder – Later….
