Gold bars worth £10,000 buried on Folkestone beach

Posted on August 29, 2014 by waterhigh

If you happen to be over there….

Don’t Miss Your Turn

Posted on July 26, 2014 by waterhigh

Wrong turn? Road not taken?

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

― Hunter S. Thompson

The Road Not Taken

66,000 Links

Posted on June 17, 2014 by waterhigh

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
– Henry Miller

Dinkelsbühl_stadsmuur_stadtmauer (Photo credit: duitsland-reisgids.nl)

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” ― Frances Burnett, The Secret Garden

This was once carved in stone above a fireplace in Wisconsin. I only remember the first stanza—

It may be never, it may be soon,

But I hope that it will be some afternoon.

I’ll hear a step on the creaking stair.

I’ll open the door and you’ll be there.

Keats’s Grave, by William Bell Scott (Photo credit: Martin Beek)

Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together. JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE ( 1749-1832 ) (Photo credit: frank carman)

Image taken from page 288 of ‘Goethe’s Italienische Reise. Mit 318 Illustrationen … von J. von Kahle. Eingeleitet von … H. Düntzer’ (Photo credit: The British Library)

“Every day one should at least hear one little song, read one good poem, see one fine painting and — if at all possible — speak a few sensible words.” ― Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Whatever you can do or dream you can do … Begin it now (Photo credit: symphony of love)

[I’ve been in the garden, waxing poetic, and not having any luck solving the clues in THE Poem…..]

Pieces of Eight

Posted on June 6, 2014 by waterhigh

The Spanish dollar was the basis of the United States silver dollar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Aaargh! Am I the only one who thought pieces of eight were made of gold?

There’s been a lot of pirate talk on the Thrill of the Chase blogs lately, and some pirates have already departed on their quest for the Forrest Fenn treasure hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe.

English: The two Manila galleons-the “Encarnacion” and “Rosario” during the five battles of La Naval de Manila in 1646. Original illustration by John Ryan M. Debil (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So while I sit patiently in the Midwest trying to decode the clues in the poem, I continue to decorate my mind with new and possibly-never-useful facts. But then again, Mr. Fenn said nothing is too small to know (I still need to find his exact words on that.

Even though where I grew up “two bits” was not uncommonly used in place of “quarter”, for some reason I always pictured pieces of eight as heavy gold coins. Wrong. The Spanish gold coin was the “scudo” or “escudo” and equaled 16 reales (royals).

English: Spanish doubloon stamped as minted in 1798 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Spanish 8 reale coin was silver, and sometimes cut when smaller coins (i.e., a picayune was a half reale) were scarce. Hence, 2 bits, four bits, etc. One bit equaled 12 1/2 cents, which is coincidentally why, up until August of 2000, the New York Stock Exchange reported value changes in eighths.

Wait. Why base the NY stock market on the value of a Spanish coin?

Well, for starters, the colonies were forbidden, on pain of beheading and/or drawing and quartering, from making their own coins.

Secondly, the Spaniards had been reaping(?) the silver from Mexico to Chile since at least the 15th century. Spanish “Milled” or “Pillar” dollars were minted in places like Mexico City; Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; and, of interest to seekers of the Fenn chest, Santa Fe de Bogota, Columbia. (Quote: ” …in the mountains north of Santa Fe.” How far north, some have asked.)

English: Detail of Pillars of Hercules from Ta…

Holy Pompeii Pillars! I mean, Pillars of Hercules, at the Straights of Gibralter, gateway to the New World, as seen on the obverse of the coins milled in the Americas.

Back to the stock market question.

The Spanish silver dollar/real a de ocho was the most common coin in circulation in 1792 when the NYSE was founded. That was the same year Congress authorized the first Coinage Act, which established the mint in Philadelphia. Since it was going to take awhile to ‘print’ a lot of money, Spanish coins were made legal tender in 1793 and remained so until 1857, you know, after the California gold rush filled the coffers. And new regulations.

Next question: so why are old reales showing up in fields, clay pots, and creekbanks in Illinois? Like the 1/2 reales minted in Lima in 1755 and Nuevo Reino de Granada (Santa Fe de Bogota), and the 1702 to 1733 (?) vintage two bit piece.

(Hint: It’s good to look near really old tavern sites with a metal detector.)

http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Galena-2.jpg

Again, a couple answers. This was the frontier back in the day. Even before the War of Independence, the French, Spanish, and Brits were all over the place trying to plant flags and claim what wasn’t theirs. And up the Mississippi were the Spanish Mines—lead, not gold or silver.

And then, consider the sheer number of reales produced—between 1732 and 1821, 1.3 billion eight reale coins were minted at Mexico City alone. And they didn’t all make it to Madrid. The Manilla Galleons took them to Asia, as silver was the only commodity the Chinese accepted in trade.

1748 Seale Map of the Pacific Ocean w- Trade Routes from Acapulco to Manila – Geographicus – Pacific-seale-1743 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shipwrecks. Pirates.

“Pizzas at eight! Pizzas at eight!

So, Dal, maybe you should go back to scuba diving for treasure and leave the Rocky Mountain treasure to us landlubbers.

Just kidding…..

Adventurers

Posted on October 26, 2013 by waterhigh

borrowed from Kelly @flateleven—Thank you.

Me to Mr Waterhigh: please, please, please, ….

I think once he’s done with his day job we could hit the road. If it’s not too cold. And I’ve got this puzzle solved, with confidence.

Forrest Fenn’s Treasure Chest

Forrest Fenn’s Book Signing in Santa Fe New Mexico (op2myst.wordpress.com)
‘The Thrill of the Chase’: Why Forrest Fenn sparked a treasure hunt for $3-million worth of gold and artifacts (news.nationalpost.com)
How to Be a Modern Day Treasure Hunter (money.usnews.com)

Let’s call this non-partisan, please

Posted on October 2, 2013 by waterhigh

I hope this link works—

Honoring the guardians:

Our local heroes (Quad Cities) are scheduled for tomorrow!

Spc. James Phillips, 249th Eng Battalion (Prime Power), assists World War II veteran Vernon Bolstad as he arrives at Reagan National Airpor from Minnesota as part of the Honor Flight Network to see the National World War II Memorial. http://www.army.mil/armylife/veterans/ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Honor Flight Veterans Refuse To Take No For An Answer (youviewed.com)
America… Where we barricade off our heritage (xbradtc.com)

Where It’s Not — Part Three

Posted on September 7, 2013 by waterhigh

In the morning, I drove through the tunnel, past Mummy Cave, and the BB Dam again. About the time I stopped to pay my entrance fee to Yellowstone Park, I was struck by a blaze — the blinding kind you get before a migraine, if you’re subject to auras.

At home my remedy would have been to boil water, brew green tea with half a capsule of feverfew, and hit a dark room with an eye mask. On a 2-lane winding highway, I popped a cola for caffeine and downed Excedrin, and took a time out at a pull-out. Then I spent more time at the ranger station/stuffed animal museum. In the shade.

The ranger called the lone bison I’d seen a “fed-up bull” — fed up of fighting the young bulls in the herd, and at an age where he prefers to go it alone.

There were 5 fires burning in Yellowstone Park at the time, a few pull-outs were closed, but no roads closed that day. I remembered the summer of 1988 and the massive fires in Yellowstone. We could smell the smoke all the way over in Minnesota.

Fishing Bridge

So far, going solo hadn’t been a problem (except for getting creeped out by a guy in a van who asked me where I was from. He had just been staring at my license plate, so I thought it was not a real question. This happened back at the Oregon Trail ruts and Register Cliff where we seemed to be the only tourists out in the 105 degree weather. Not a good sign. Maybe it was nothing, but I didn’t like being followed.)

West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake

Another reason I’m going to bring Mr. W next time came about at Isa Lake.

Lily Pads at the Continental Divide? Is there a frog?

I really wanted to wade into the lily pads to see what was at the end of an under-water marker, but a couple (searchers??) from Salt Lake City was kinda killin’ time, like they were waiting for me to leave.

I won, but then realized, typical female, I didn’t have the right shoes.

Also, I saw strange underwater bugs, a possible fluke-wiry worm, and a very fast little pond-hugging, mole-nosed rodent running towards me. The picture that was supposed to of him is a blur of me jumping out of his way.

Yikes!

I don’t think I screamed.

From there, not far but too far to walk, I arrived at Old Faithful at the perfect time. People were streaming towards it so I parked and joined them. Another geyser was putting on a show at the same time. Serendipity strikes again.

And then, something else. Remember I left home without a GPS? The only place I might have needed it this trip was in the parking lot at Old Faithful Lodge and Visitor Center. It’s changed in the last 15 years apparently. The other thing about migraines is the mental shadow they leave you with. It took me an extra 15 minutes (or so) to find my car, and then I scared a poor family picnicking next to it when the alarm went off.

I passed another lone bison as I continued west. My heart goes out to the old and lonely.

On to the much discussed Firehole River and Canyon. Is it “Where Warm Waters Halt”? I couldn’t say.

And then, of course, the much touted Madison River, which had lots of giant boulders lying around.

I tarried as much as I wanted that day. I had a reservation for that night in West Yellowstone, so no need to hurry. Just tried to absorb the beauty and if a potential solution to one of the TTOTC 9 clues presented itself, all the better.

No treasure yet, but so far, so good. Any day that doesn’t involve a trip to the hospital is a big plus.

25 years after 1988, Yellowstone reflects change wrought by fire (ravallirepublic.com)
August pushes Yellowstone visitation over 2.5 million (billingsgazette.com)

To Go or Not To Go . . .

Posted on September 1, 2013 by waterhigh

I knew I would regret it all winter if I didn’t get out West for my first TTOTC search, but where was my back up: my husband couldn’t get away; a brother just laughed; my friend needed more notice.

(Really a diaper bag)

So, I just did it. Found a back pack that could easily carry a bronze box, water, and bear spray. Flashlight. Check. Whistle. Why not? GPS. No. Forrest’s book. Definitely.

Packed the car. Took off. It’s amazing how much ground you can cover at 75 mph. The vast, flat, empty Nebraska disappeared in a blur. Made it to Ogallala the first night. Then came eastern Wyoming. Hillier. Also mostly barren. Until the mountains start looming up out of nowhere.

I headed north and stopped in Chugwater, site of an old buffalo jump, a museum (closed), and the state’s oldest soda fountain.

Since it was 105 degrees F, I indulged in a delicious chocolate malt after wandering the outdoor exhibits.

From there I headed for Buffalo and the Big Horns via Casper. On the way I took a quick peek at Register Rock and the Oregon Trail ruts near Guernsey. (See Stephanie’s coverage at her blog ‘What’s A Chase’.)

I passed the reservoir at Glendo, water low, where many ancient layers of rock are visible. Saw a couple antelope roaming, and a couple raindrops made it to my windshield. Fort Fetterman was Closed as was the GlenRock Museum. (It’s not even Labor Day yet, folks. Not that I minded the lack of crowds on the highways, etc.) I also saw the bright red gash where they’re cutting Red Mountain for the rock.

At Kaycee I took in the Hoofprints of the Past museum, which had an outstanding number of arrowheads on display. Down the street was a large bronze of a rodeo rider/singer.

I picked up a book on Wyoming’s geology at the museum in Buffalo. Also, helpful was the museum in Worland, Washakee. I tried to memorize the various ages/layers of stone by color and texture. ( Like, where are the dinosaur fossils, the oil, the ocean beds–a visible geologic clock.)

Tensleep Canyon

The most stunning visually is the Tensleep layer, a swirly red and cream, which I saw coming down out of the Big Horns. BTW, there’s a beautiful Meadowlark Lake up there in the woods.

Meadowlark Lake

Are the Big Horn Mountains part of the Rockies? Until I hear otherwise from Mr. Fenn, I’m not ruling them out.

[To be continued. . . .]

SCARED IN THE SKIES! Man Takes Friend Who is AFRAID of Flying on Aerobatics Flight

Posted on August 7, 2013 by waterhigh

This is funny, in a terrifying sort of way.

Profanity Trail (Photo credit: found_drama)

[Warning: put on mute if bad language offends you]

Click on this: SCARED IN THE SKIES! Man Takes Friend Who is AFRAID of Flying on Aerobatics Flight.

I can relate. A friend once took me up in a tiny plane, sans the aerobics; just a mighty crosswind on landing.

Thank you, Jim. It was unforgettable. : )

“If you can’t fix it with gum or duct tape, it’s not a real VW bus”

Posted on August 6, 2013 by waterhigh

Okay. So why did I reblog this? Aside from the humor, it reminded me of the first James Michener book I read. The Drifters— a pop-top VW bus cruising across Europe with, I think, 6 occupants.

It kindled a spark I had for overseas travel, being young and single at the time. I didn’t make it to the running of the bulls in Pamplona (I’m fine with that), or the ancient cave paintings in Lascaux, France (which are now closed to the public).

Lascaux Caves – Prehistoric Paintings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Michener’s known for dozens of works including Tales of the South Pacific, Texas, Hawaii, Alaska, and Centennial. You get the idea. Lots of historical facts woven into great stories.

Treasure in the Rockies

But, more important to The Thrill of the Chase by Forrest Fenn, it reminded me of another Michener novel I read (and reread) ages ago. The Source. I plan to revisit it again. It’s multi-layered—an archaeological dig at a tell in the Middle East, with a new story at each strata, plus the thread of the current dig. Very Fennesque in imagination.

For more on the VW, click this link:

If you can’t fix it with gum or duct tape, it’s not a real VW bus.

(Having owned a VW bug, I can attest to the cabin comfort consisting of ‘Heater On/Heater Off’. The change in temperature was accomplished by getting underneath the beetle and beating something to the opposite position.)

English: Duct Tape (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For more grins and giggles with duct tape, check out the Red Green videos, especially the Possum Club oath at the end of each show.

From Red Green’s Facebook Page

Chasing Idaho

Posted on July 1, 2013 by waterhigh

The Fisherman

Not a long post. Just wanted to mention the 2 new pages on this site: Flywater, filed under The Book, and Idaho, filed under The Diagrams. (A great and future destination.)