It has been a while since my last gold find but there has been a bit of erosion on my beach which so far has provided a small 10k band and a tungsten/silver ring with 9 diamonds.
It amazes me that the store price for such a ring is ranging form $599 to $1025 yet I would be lucky to get $100 for it.
My friend and fellow TH'er Dave has had even worse luck, having only managed a tungsten and a titanium ring from the same area.
That being said I have been finding quite a bit of silver, lots of change and some useful items during my hunts. As I do not work anymore (I found it was cutting into my TH'ing time too much) I hunt almost every day, usually in 2-3 hour stints.
I have made slings for both my sand scoops which reduces arm fatigue. I now wear a magnetic necklace that a friend gave me. I got whiplash some years ago and would suffer severe neck discomfort after a lot of hunting, but since wearing the necklace my neck is fine!!
Today is the 4th of July and I am on the beach. It is packed. Too packed to hunt so I am biding my time.
I have repaired the headphones on the Surf Pro and cleaned them with charcoal lighter fluid (found on the beach). They are looking good.
The wife is at her brothers for a couple of days so I am enjoying alone time with my dog.

I finally broke the gold drought last week with an 8.4g 14k white gold men's ring with 7 diamonds. Eureka!!
Although, as I said, the beaches are sanded in, every now and then a small wall or cut will appear.
I had been eyeing one such cut while dry sanding and hit it on three consecutive mornings.
First morning I got the gold, second found silver but by the third morning it was filling in again and I just managed coins.
Well Summer is in full swing and I will be too.

The best I could do today was a tungsten wedding band.
But at least it fits.
Found in the wet sand at low tide with the Surf Pro.

So I'm trying this new app on my smart phone sitting on the beach on a Friday.

I am using the voice keyboard which seems to work but if I pause too long I have to go back and edit.
Today and tomorrow there are dog challenges on the beach.
It is promoted by Purina amongst others and involves frisbee catching, diving, retrieving and basic obedience tests.

it's a nice 70 degree day so very good conditions for such an eventI will try to take some pictures tomorrow and post  them

White Sand, Southern California

We have had some rain passing through, which can be expected this time of year but this morning we got some hail on the beach.

Crows

I learned something about crows that I never knew. I know that they are a rather clever breed of bird and have always liked them.
 My wife likes to feed the pigeons with some bread in the mornings and I noticed a couple of crows had joined the party. They were not as bold as the pigeons, who are quite used to us and feed right by the door. The crows though would swoop in and grab a piece of bread then land on the sand nearby and bury it.
 I have never seen this behavior before. They continued doing this until all the bread was gone and only then would go to their hidden treasures, dig them back up and eat. Even though they had hidden the bread in many different locations they did not forget any.

Cooler weather ahead.

Sundown Huntington Beach

Beach Visitors

I don't like to feed the wildlife normally unless they are in need. This one seagull comes by every morning and I give him a little breakfast. He has a harder time than most as he lost one of his feet. 
I see this a lot on the beach. I think the birds get tangled in fishing line and kite string and eventually loose a foot, or even feet.
I often come across string when I am detecting and I make sure to remove it from the sand.

This little guy has been showing up lately. He comes out for a rest and seems to be in good shape. The sea lion rescue centers are full up right now, there have been many malnourished pups found on the Southern California beaches this year.

High Tide Sunday

A shot of the beach at high tide today.
There has been a lot of sand build up and little erosion, making wet sand hunting very unrewarding.
The tankers in the background are waiting to get into LA/Long Beach harbor but the longshoremen are having a dispute creating a backup.

SOME RECENT FINDS

Gas prices remain comparatively low, I just paid $2.49 per gallon.
I have found Korean cigarettes for $3.30 per pack. I would still save a lot if I quit but it is my only indulgence.
I have found that this lifestyle has made me feel more in touch with the world. Not with the technical world and its people but the earth itself. Each day is a new day and I set about trying to survive, to find some way of making a little money maybe. I hear the coyotes during the night and often see them in the early mornings and I feel more akin to them. Yet, as I see people going off to their jobs, en masse, I feel less like my own kind.

I have always wanted to live this way. When I was about 18 a college teacher asked the class to write where we saw ourselves in 20 years. While most of the other students wrote about their career hopes and family I wrote that I saw myself as a 'gentleman of the road', travelling around with all my belongings on my back.

This video is of some recent finds after a storm passed through.

Well I am still surviving!!

I have found that without a job to take up the bulk of my time I can get a lot more done. Or not. It is my choice.

I do not have a regular income but my expenses are down to: phone, storage, gas, cigarettes and food.

Food is not a big issue as my wife, who is disabled, qualifies for aid but still does not get actual money.('food stamps' they used to call it.)

The streets are paved with gold in the form of plastic bottles and soda/beer cans. Each morning, before sun-up I walk around some basketball, tennis and baseball courts gathering up quite a few recyclables. I take my dog with me and she is always pleased to find a bottle to carry back.

Treasure hunting is still my biggest source of income though. I have been finding quite a large number of gold rings during my low tide hunts.

I have sent two lots off to the smelters recently, netting me $1200. I am about to send some more off which will cover my vans registration and a new annual beach pass.

I have decided to start working on my larger RV. (currently in storage due to a broken windshield) It has been off the road for almost a year and looked in sad shape 'till I washed it. I had been planning to junk it and get another one but I figured out how much it would cost for a new shield, fridge, upholstery etc. and found it would be about the same as getting another used one that I don't know, and don't know what issues it might have.

I got a call from my brother just before Christmas to let me know my father died! That was a tough one.