Yeah, that's why we were skimming the fields in that section today. We looked at the area on some very old maps but were looking for the original house. We weren't paying attention to what else was on the map because we were focussed on the old original house, which is the one we were at today, not the old farm built in 1831... the old house predates that.
It was important to gain the trust of the landowner, though, so he understood we have ethics and morals. Yes, we're there to find things... no doubt about that. We don't hide that fact at all. But we ARE people and so are THEY ... And God knows if we happen upon a mason jar with gold and silver coins (never in our lifetime is that gonna happen) we're gonna tell the owners. Joe even spewed diarrhea of the mouth today and told the father, If we find a bunch of gold coins we'll give ya one! .... and while he was kidding, the father replied, All I want is enough to get to the store. I need to go to the store and get some supplies, so if you find enough for that, I'm good. There is soooo much more to the conversations that I've left out because the post is boring enough as it is. but the dialogue is important. No one should fake who they are with the landowners. If you're out for gold and they ask, tell them.... make a finder's fee agreement or something. Don't hide who you are or what you're after. People respect that.
Joe and I ARE who we are, and we ARE who we portray in our posts. We're people and we know the hardships of life around here. I was a farmer's daughter, grew up on a farm and started working on a farm when I was 14. I can associate with that, which is why I do most of the talking. Joe's a city boy, rough and tumble, but he also knows the hardships of life around here and can associate with that. Granted, he follows my lead a lot. He didn't like the dog's hair standing up on her back when we drove up, and he warned me she wasn't friendly, but I told him she liked me.
Anyway, we're gonna look up some more maps and deduce where buildings were when... my guess is that when the fourth descendant generation (the great-grandfather of the guy I know, and the grandfather of the guy we talked to today) bought out all the other farms, he eliminated them back then, which would have been the late 1700s.... finding those old cellar holes might be difficult today because it appears they used those holes as dump sites through the years. I'm sure the father, who we talked to today, can tell us all of that.
The most important aspect at this point is getting the family used to seeing us around. After all, there are 3 generations still living there and the newest generation is on its way if it doesn't exist already. The next step is meeting/greeting the eldest of the family... the ones living in the newest farm house, built in 1831. I'd LOVE to hear their stories and spend some time on their lawn. Patience. and if we DO get that far and find some old piece of jewelry, you KNOW we'll have pics but will turn it over to the family. Why not keep it? Because it's not us. And we'd never sell it. It would have more meaning to use than any cash value, but imagine what it would mean to that family if it meant that much to us....
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