First Snow of the Season Brings Indian

It snowed about 3 inches overnight and it was a chilly start to detecting this morning. We hit one of the old stand-by locations and I came out with an Indian Head Penny from 1900, a few relics and modern coins.

Thanksgiving Copper

My brother and I went on our annual Thanksgiving metal detecting trip this morning. The weather was chilly early on, but warmed up quick as the morning progressed. We detected a field that we hit many times in the past, and Bob dug up two nice old large cents. Unfortunatley, no dates were visable.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chilly November Morning Ride

Codgus and I hit the trail on this chilly November morning.

The temperature was in the mid 40's when we started out, but warmed up as the day progressed. We rode a total of 30 miles - Longest ride of the season!

First Ride on the Fantom 29

Early November and nice weather for biking. Great day for a ride and to test the new Motobecane Fantom 29. My good buddy Codgus and I rode a total of 23 miles on the Perkiomen Trail. I hope we have more weekends like this before the cold of winter rolls in.

Early November Silver

Deep into the Fall now and detecting is going to start getting good. The field was still full of soy beans, waiting for the farmer to harvest. I dug up a nice button, then a silver coin, flat and very worn – thought it was a dime. Turned out to be a Spanish Colonial ½ Reale – could barely make out one of the pillars. Bob found one in the same area a few years back – his was dated 1789. No date visible on this one, but it is old silver for sure.

Bike Upgrade - Motobecane Fantom 29r

Well I recently decided to upgrade my mountain bike. I wanted something lighter and with disc brakes. After shopping around at five different local bike shops, reading all the forums and doing TONS of research, I decided to get a 29r.
A 29r is a mountain bike with 29 inch wheels instead of the standard 26 inch.
I tested one at a local bike shop and loved the size and handling. After comparing specs and price I opted to order my new bike online from BikesDirect. I ordered the Motobecane Fantom 29 and received the bike in less than week. Some minor assembly was required, but it was alot of fun putting it together.

Signs of Fall

Summer is winding down. The air is cooler in the morning and the trees are just starting to show hints of color change. It was rainy and windy the evening before so there was alot of mud and debris on the trail, but I managed a 15 mile ride up to the bridge and back. I installed a new stem and handlebars on the Diamondback a few nights ago and was eager to take it for a ride.

Dodging Rain Drops

13 mile bike ride on the Perkiomen Trail this morning. Installed a new set of clipless pedals on the mountain bike last night and had to take them on a test run. Rained a little bit, but not enough to make things miserable. The Perkiomen Creek was high and muddy from the previous days rain - no fishing or kayaking for a while.

Changing Wheels

On Sunday I placed an ad on Craig’s List to trade my 18 year old Trek 1100 road bike for either a mountain bike or a kayak. I haven’t ridden the 1100 much since I picked up a Trek 7.2FX Hybrid last year – it’s been hanging in the basement collecting dust, tires slowly losing air pressure. I purchased the 1100 brand new in the Spring of 1991 - I was 23 years old – It was the same year I met Susan. I’ll bet I put over 1000 miles on it in the time I owned it – did a lot of great, fast riding on that bike.

So anyway, I received a response from a gentleman in Delaware who had several mountain bikes he was willing to trade. I ended up trading for a 2007 Diamondback Response mountain bike – almost new condition – only about 20 miles on it. Still, it was a little sad handing the bike over to another person on Wednesday evening. But, my riding style has changed. No longer do I crave the speed of road riding, 40 MPH downhill runs – I’m more of a cruise and back woods trail adventurer now. So spin the wheels of change.

A Perfect Summer Day

One of those rare summer days when the weather is perfect – not too hot, not too cool. Slight breeze and just a few clouds in a brilliant blue sky. I woke up early and put the Kayak in the Perky – water was clear and smooth as I paddled up to the steel bridge. Fished for about two and a half hours and then drifted back to the landing. Caught only a few small bass and blue-gills, but it didn’t matter…the day was perfect.
Met up with Brian later and went on a nice 8 mile bike ride. Then took the family down to the Skippack for a brief creek walk. Tasha (our Labrador) also went along - a rare treat for her as she has arthritis in her hips and legs. I could tell she wanted to run like she did in the days of her youth. But we kept her on the leash and made he take it easy – she’ll be 13 years old in January. Finished the day with a BBQ and board games…Perfect.

Sunday Glass and Brass

I paid a visit to my favorite old dump site this morning. The brush and mosquitoes were thick so I covered myself with Deet and dug for about an hour. Persistence paid off as I pulled 2 nice insulators - one embossed with Ame Tel & Tel Co (American Telephone & Telegraph), a Levengood's Dairy cream bottle, and a small medicine embossed with W.T. & Co USA (Whitall Tatum Co). I later found the medicine bottle to be dated between 1875 to 1901. More likely dated to early 1900, as I have dug many artifacts from this location around that time period. Later in the day I found a brass name plate with the words "Jewett Buffalo" engraved on it. I've just started researching this piece, but I believe it is from an old stove or ice box - again, from around 1900.

Early July Rainbow Adventure

Jenna and I headed back to the Skippack Creek today to enjoy

some fishing and creek walking on Independence day. I caught many small pan fish and one rainbow trout held over from the stocking back in April. The water is starting to clear up nicely - soon fishing will be good in all the creeks and rivers.

Kayak Fishing On The Perkiomen Creek

June is almost a memory. I decided to put the kayak in the Perky this morning. Fishing was not good - the water is still up and muddy from all the rain we've had recently. The paddle up stream was great exercise and the drift down to the landing was peaceful. I saw a few other people on the creek swimming and canoeing, but had the water mostly to myself.

Wet June Means More Detecting

This June has been one of the "wettest" in recent memory. Fishing and Kayaking have been out of the question because of the muddy and high water. I've been spending allot more time detecting - I believe I discovered an old camp site, as I have dug many relics and small coins.

Everything seems to date around the early 1900's.

Memorial Day Weekend Adventures

Went on a creek walk adventure with Jenna. We found all kinds of cool wildlife...tadpoles, turtles, frogs, snakes, and crawfish. She loves to discovery and pickup these creatures. I fished for a while and caught two nice rainbow trout. On Sunday I detected for a few hours and dug up a nice Mercury dime from 1919.

Last Day of Vacation Pocket Spill

I've been on vacation for the past week. Decided to do some detecting this morning even though I am fighting a head cold. Found a nice dog license from 1949 - couldn't find the damn dog anywhere though. Also dug my first old "pocket spill". Five nice coins all around the turn of the century - 1907 V Nickel, 1918 and 1919 Buffalo Nickels, and two 1917 Mercury Dimes.

Metal Detecting In The Rain

Metal detecting in the rain this morning. It started out light, but turned into a heavy down-pour around 11:00AM, so I ended the day early. Found a 1917 Wheat Penny and a dress pin dated from around the late 1800's (just a guess).

First Entry of the One 2 Many Hobbies Blog

Well here it is - my very first Blog entry.
I spent a while thinking about whether or not I was even going to start a Blog.
But after pondering the idea, I decided to move forward...so here goes...

What is this Blog all about? Well, just a place to "unload" my world.
I have (as the title indicates) one too many hobbies - fishing, metal detecting, music, biking, computers, video editing, and most recently kayaking (I know there are a few I left out). Although fishing and kayaking have melted into one fantastic hobby for me.
This will be a place to share my pictures, stories, and adventures with friends and family.

More to come...