I went out to a site that was just rubble in a field and started probing for possible dig areas. I marked those with as shown (pic#1). I dug 3 one day and 3 the next day. #2 shows me probing for the boundaries of one to dig. #3 shows the start of a hole. I only dig one side to try to determine it's age. If I'm finding old enough items, I'll keep digging. If not, I'll check the bottom of one side to make sure the items are recent. This was the case for this one. It had nothing but discarded foundation stones. I covered it up and started on the next one (pic#4). Notice the outline from the different soil colors. The original clay surrounding the dark debris filled dirt in the center is a good giveaway that one has been found. I'm only down about a foot here and can see the outline of the hole. Image #5 shows some bottles beginning to be uncovered. Will they be cracked, broken, embossed, or whole? That is what keeps me going. #6 was a close call. Notice the probe hole just above the neck of this bottle, WHEW! I have zeroed in on them before. :o( #7 shows the finished hole. This one was 4 &1/2' long by 4' wide by 3 & 1/2' deep. #8 shows the finds from the hole. Left to right: Ball Mason fruit jar, 12" tall Adolphus Busch Manufacturing Co. beer bottle, embossed RAWLEIGH'S medicine, 2 unembossed druggists bottles, a possible ink, and a broken pretty blue saucer.

Pic#9 shows unwanted and broken stuff. I always keep this stuff off to one area so when I sift the dirt, it won't be in the way. I do the same with the iron items so when I detect the pile of dirt, it won't interfere with the detector. BREAK TIME!! #11 shows me having lunch before filling in the hole pictured in #10. #12 is the start of the 3rd hole. Actually, it is two seperate small ones side by side. Notice the clay separating the two holes. I think this was a real old one dug for "him and her". Unfortunately they had nothing in them. I covered them up and called it a day. The last pic is of some small items found while digging: metal button, deep blue medicine vial, black glass doorknob, and the pretty blue plate glued together with backmark and id from book. Can't wait to do it all again. :o)) Tom