Back when Mr. Daddy and I were newlyweds and had tons of free time, we used to take our dog for a walk in one of the state parks nearby. The lake at this park had been created by the Army Corps of Engineers by damning up the Savannah River, and in doing so, they had flooded a portion of the county that was a teeming metropolis during the post-Revolutionary War period. The town of Petersburg had long been abandoned, and it was quickly covered by Clarks Hill Lake.
During times of drought; however, the town would reappear. From the shoreline you could clearly see the outlines of the tiny cabins that stood in row, the wooden frames rotting, but still there. All you had to do was run your hand through the sandy lake bottom and you would come up with handmade nails by the dozen, broken shards of blue and white pottery, bits of glass, handmade bricks.
We would spend hours sifting through the sand, amazed by each find. I loved imagining what the lives of those people must have been like. What was a typical day like in the of one of the women? Full of hard work and little rest, I'm sure.
Now, about 50 yards behind our house is the site of an old homeplace. There's nothing to indicate that a house once stood there except the memories of the locals. A couple of months ago Mr. Daddy and Bubba went exploring and came back with some really neat stuff: broken pottery, the bottom of a beautiful purple glass dish, a glass seal for a Mason canning jar (circa the mid-1800s per the research Mr. Daddy did online), some pieces of an old boot with decorative work punched into the leather.
Mr. Daddy and Bubba were hooked. You can often find them down the hill, digging up pieces of the past. Bubba already wanted to be an archaeologist, but these little field trips sealed the deal.
But neither he nor Mr. Daddy were really satisfied with their discoveries. They wanted MORE.
So, on Friday of last week, our very own metal detector arrived. Yes, that's right. We are now the proud owners of a metal detector. Mr. Daddy got a lot of grief from his coworkers about being an old man. I was tempted to tease him, too, but frankly I think it's kind of cool. And I can't wait to see what we find!
Mixed Bag
12 years ago
Posts
20 comments:
Please don't tell anyone...but hubby is SUPER jealous. It is one of his lifelong dreams to have a metal detector....
Hey, I have nothing against metal detectors. Thanks to a gentleman who owned one we found my wedding ring that was lost during a family softball game. My hero!
Hey MQ! Long time no comment-y, I know.
My uncle bought a metal detector to take to the beach, and I totally called him a nerd! Finding coins in the sand? Geez. HOWEVER, finding pieces of the past is another story. I can't wait to find out if they find anything interesting!!
Not nerdy at all! Oh my gosh, my son would be all over that! So would my husband! In fact, we've looked at metal detectors at Target, in the toy section, but they are the National Geographic brand, and they don't really have much range (no idea if that's the correct 'metal detector terminology'!). I'd be fascinated making up back stories of the people who used the things you all found. How fun!
Man, we are SO older and SO nerdier than you. We bought our metal detector this past spring. LOL
Oh, man! One of my friends had one when I was little and I've been in awe ever since. Does it make me even more nerdy that I'm jealous of it?
That's awesome! I think it's great that they spend time together, having fun and learning about the past. What a lucky family.
ps - I hope they find you a gigantic diamond ring like the one on the commercial!
What fun! And what a nice way to experience history first-hand!
Two words for you, dear: Indiana. Jones. (Okay, three words if I throw in the "yum" that followed those two in my mind.)
I think that sounds fun and what a great way to spend time with Bubba.
Oh my gosh, I loved those as a kid.
My mom and husband both studied anthropology so our walks are always being put on hold for digs.
It's fascinating.
Just wait until he strolls the beach with black socks with sandals while using his metal detector!
That's SO funny...and now you can use the metal detector as a Halloween costume for Mr. Daddy. He can be That Beach Guy! Just have him grow a beard and wear a robe and mutter to himself.
That's awesome! I'm so glad there are nerds in this world who are even bigger nerds than me.
I think that is wonderful and not at all nerdy (so says the woman obsessed with a world where Latin was commonplace) at all. I would kill to have that sort of history RIGHT THERE. In fact, I was jealous of where Ike landed, because it was one of the earliest Indian settlements & I wanted to see if the surge brought things up.
that is so cool! proof positive that I'm a super-dork is that I'm wondering if you have a pic of that ball mason jar seal.
Have a metal detector does not make you old, it makes you AWESOME! I want one!
Behind my old house was a treasure trove of old items as we lived on an old homestead where my dad's family once lived. Guess they tossed all the old china, etc. out there. As kids we loved to look and my grandmother pulled out some of the bottles for her bottle collection from there. I think a metal detector would have made it even more interesting. Have fun with it!
You didn't hear any banjos, did you?
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