my 4 inch dredge has sold!

[russau]

Well I got invited to a friends home in NW Illinios for the weekend. it was only 150 miles one way but it was real EZ driving. this man (Bill) had 40 acres on one piece of land that had a creek gravel bottom creek on it that he was panning fine gold out of. He contacted me about my 4 in dredge that has been for sale (reluctantly) because of my back/knees/ankels giving me fits. I had been hopeing that they would get better and as soon as I "was feeling" better id try to get out with it only to have more rain/flooding come in. BUT here was my chance to giver h*ll. I got to his location early to save as much daylight as I could. Im a early riser!! we didn't waste any time and got the dredge into the creek quickly and goter going in two pulls (after not being run in 3 or so months) I was happy! we ran two tanks of fuel through her and did seperate cleanups per level of the sluices. I hadn't seen so much black sand since I was dredgeing with Leonard on the Arkansas River in Buena Vista Colorado. this was glacial Morain kinda stuff at its best!!! and lots of fine gold . and almost like dredging the BV stuff. I had fun and my body felt kinda ok as long as I was in the cool water. the temp was upper 90s and all the humidity you could stand! WHEW!!! The Veranda carpet that John Oates gave me and the extra Veranda carpet that I got for the lower level of my dredge did its trick. I really like it a lot! I also brought with my a light weight 2 inch dredge on inflatable pontoons like Keene has . I TIG welded a aluminum frame and a over / under ABS plastic sluice with Gold Hog mat that I built several years back and I wasn't up to snuff to try it out and like the 4 inch dredge ,if I wanted to try it, either my back / knees /ankels would hurt or it was flooding. Misery has LOTS of rain in the Spring and a lot more this year!i wanted to try it out BUT we got really going with the 4 and just never got-a round toit for the 2 in. that was Friday. so I thought to myself Ill do it Saturday after this Fridays work out! NOT!!!!!! Friday night it started raining and blowing and then the lightning started BOOMING! well I got up early Saturday morning and got coffee and sausage sandwich going while I started assembling the 2 during first light. all was going well until 6:00AM went the heavens opened up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well I can get over the rain, BUT the lightning put a halt to anything else. Bill asked me if my 4 in. was still forsale and I said yes! he gave me my asking price. and I gave him back my split of the gold cons.I wish I hadn't of done that. it would have been fun running them through my Gold Cube and then over my Miller table.i had a great time and a pocket full of dough to boot, UNTILL latter Saturday after I got home and had a good long HOT shower. that's when it all hit me and I got sore. today is the same! Ill be in the hottub most of today while my wife is at work!after watching the weather report for Bills location , it was a good idea to leave! the weather showed HEAVY rains/ lightning /winds. all in all it was good! now where are my pain pills?? I hope everyone had a good weekend like that (except for the pain pills)

[dickb]

Hi Russ:

Glad to hear you found a good home for the dredge. Sad to see it go, but it was a big thing to drag around. Now for some good weather and get the 2" wet. Ha Ha.
Dickb

[Hoser John]

THE GOOD-got gold and dredged...THE BAD- 1 tired beat up ol' dad....AND THE UGLY-dredge gone along with any future memories. BUT puddle pumping is fun too and kudos for finally pulling the trigger. I know it's hard to do as down to 4 now and haven't dredged "yet" this year as no water AND going to party in Reno first with Hot August Nights and Barreet Jackson Auction first before I take the plunge AND find water hahahaha...that's the hard one-kudos Russau-John

[russau]

The mans land that I was dredgeing on called last night to see how I was doing. he said its a good thing we stopped when we did! the weather cleared up but the heat and humidity rolled in big time and it poured Saturday night and his stream came up again . GOOD THING we pulled the dredge up to high ground when we did! 4 wheel drive ATVs are a good thing! Now to start sorting out what goes and what don't!

[russau]

Bill sent me some pics and im going to try to upload them from my desk top. somehow I couldn't get them into my "pictures" folder.

[russau]

IM not really that short , but I don't know how to resize the pictures.

[Hoser John]

By god I wish it was that ez to do Russ. Nice to see ya in the water again,even a last farewell to a old friend works-John

[russau]

Bill sent me a youtube video on his first run this year. he also had it posted on TNet.com in the dredgeing forum. Thankyou Bill!!! lots of memories with that dredge . Now I built a light weight 2 inch dredge and just bought a new Keene 2.5 H.P. with a P90 pump. from Mark Keene and I cant wait to try it out. New knee DONT FAIL ME NOW!

[russau]

This is Bills top secerat location so don't anyone say where it is!

[russau]

I think I pulled the trigger to quick on selling my dredge. I just may try to aquire another 4 in. dredge depending on what my ole bones tell me !