Gemstone Miners' Living Conditions Today (not in 1850)

[Joe S (AK)]

Why not now?

Waiting for someday is just burning daylight - right?

Joe

[Geowizard]

The "land down under";

Now is the best time to visit!

It's 1:00 AM Friday here in Arizona and 6:00 PM Friday, in Emerald, QLD.



It's springtime in the Land Down Under.

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Remote Prospecting;

For those that are interested in my further comments on this subject, please feel free to follow me on the Remote Prospecting thread.

- Geowizard

[chickenminer]

Joe,
Trouble is way to many things to do/see/explore right here in my own backyard of Alaska !
We all have our own priorities.

[Jim_Alaska]

Joe,
Trouble is way to many things to do/see/explore right here in my own backyard of Alaska !
We all have our own priorities.

How true; having lived in Alaska for a good part of my life I can attest to the fact that even though it is the land of the midnight sun, there is just never enough time to do it all and see it all.

Believe me, as a young man I tried and now life is almost gone.

[Joe S (AK)]

Jim,

At 73 I'm still (as much as I can) trying to do everything, see everything and still get a couple of hours of sleep a night. Sometimes I forgo the sleep.

Carpe Diem, Carpe Diem while you can.

Joe

[Jim_Alaska]

Jim,

At 73 I'm still (as much as I can) trying to do everything, see everything and still get a couple of hours of sleep a night. Sometimes I forgo the sleep.

Carpe Diem, Carpe Diem while you can.

Joe

I remember 73 Joe; that was a time when my body could still obey what my mind told it to do a lot better than today at 78. I still do some of what I love in relation to mining, but find that a lot of what I can do takes more time to recuperate from than the actual work.

And then there is the "think about it" factor. Thinking and planning are a lot easier and less dangerous than the actual doing. Tomorrow always seems like a better time than today, especially when tomorrow arrives in the morning.

[Joe S (AK)]

Jim,

When I was in my early 20s, my dad confided something in me that has really stuck with me over the years.

He had been born in 1914, just before WWI and had gone through a tough childhood while growing up during the war and then the depression, pretty much growing up on the streets of Philadelphia. He saw many of his friends die early on and then others kept dying along the way. When WWII came along he voluntarily enlisted in the Army as an Airborne MP and saw combat action in both Europe (Purple Heart) and then the South Pacific. He saw a lot of tough action but having been a boxer in his late teens and early 20s he had the stamina and discipline to come through all that with only a few 'battle scars'.

He was pretty reluctant to admit it to me (50 years ago) that while growing up, and then serving in the Army, he had fully expected to die before his 35th birthday. Not just had thought about it, but had fully, fully come to grips with the fact that, just like everyone else from his childhood, he would certainly be dead and buried before he turned 35.

He finally did die, in his mid 80s, after having lived well beyond that 35 year mark (and after having me come along 74 years ago this Christmas).

Because of that little story he shared with me I have, since that day long ago, actively appreciated each and every minute of each and every day. I think that's why I just don't allow myself to 'put my pack down' and just allow myself to start rusting up. True, the pack is lighter now (I threw the jokers away out of the deck of cards) and some rust has started creeping in, but I guess that is to be expected.

I know that I probably have a few years of activity left in me and I plan, as best as I can, to "use it" before I "loose it".

78, huh? Who would-a thunk-it?

Carpe Diem, Jim, Carpe Diem!

Joe

[chickenminer]

You guys are an inspiration..... Now I feel great about turning 65

[easy goer]

I feel like a spring chicken, only 59.

Easy goer