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As the weather turns cooler, there begins to surface a host of predictions as to actually how cold the upcoming winter will be.

Some folks split open the seed of a persimmon to reveal the pattern of either a fork, knife or spoon. A fork indicates a mild winter, the knife is a sign of cutting edge cold temperatures, while a spoon tells us that there will be plenty of snow to shovel. Here in the Midwest, the persimmon centers are shaped into a spoon this year.

Other people, particularly those who raise livestock, rely on the growth of an animal's coat to determine how severe a winter will be. Mother Nature automatically provides a thicker coat for survival in bitter cold.

Still others rely on the Farmer's Almanac for guidance. This year, in Texas and Oklahoma the almanac predicts, "Winter temperatures will be near or slightly colder than normal. The coldest temperatures will occur between Christmas and New Year, with other cold periods in early December and in mid- and late January. Precipitation and snowfall will be slightly below normal. Snow and ice should be limited to the northern half of the region, with the most widespread accumulation around Christmas."

All I really know for certain is that the older I get, the seasons fly by so rapidly. Further, if I did examine a persimmon, there's a good chance I wouldn't have remembered what the original prediction was in the first place.

With all that in mind, perhaps it's better to concentrate on today's quest. After all, it matters not whether the snow is knee high to a tall giraffe or the ice is so treacherous we have to wear golf shoes to walk from the house to the car--we still have to deal with whatever comes along on a given day.

Toss aside the persimmons and go treasure hunting today--bask in the beautiful opportunity of the autumn season.

My friends, I just received a phone call which informed me of the sudden death of my longtime and very close friend Nolan Underwood in Kerrville, Texas.

I understand Nolan woke up this morning, got dressed and was about to make a phone call when he collapsed. The doctors believe Nolan had passed away before he hit the floor, maybe an aneurysm, his passing was swift.

Nolan Underwood was retired as the Texas Lions Camp for Handicap Children activities director for over 30 years--the same camp he attended as a youth himself for his blindness. Nolan was a very trusted and dear friend of mine for many many years and was a very special part in the starting and continued efforts of the Texas Council of treasure Clubs and their part in supporting the Texas Lions Camp for Handicap Children and our yearly visits to teach the handicap children the excitement of metal detecting. I know and witnessed Nolan's loving heart for all children, especially those that had physical hardships.

There are not words that can express my feelings of loss in my heart for this man. He will not only be very much missed by myself, but missed by the metal detecting community and the Texas Council of Treasure Clubs. He was the finest example of our hobby in the hands of the handicap and the finest example of faith and strength of anyone on this earth I know of. I will miss him, but I know he is now no longer blind or handicapped in any way; for now he is enjoying all things.

Happy Hunting Nolan, my friend!

Keith R. Wills kwills@worldnet.att.net

Knowing how many years Nolan had invested in the camp and his great love for those challenged children that attended, if you wish to make a donation in Nolan's memory, send it to:

Steve Mabry

Texas Lions Camp
Post Office Box 290247
Kerrville, TX 78029-0247

Letters to the Editor

Dear Ms Warford-Perry:

I wasn't sure to whom I should be sending this email so you win. Thank you for making me a recipient of a metal detector in your Lost Treasure sweepstakes. It was great to win.

I have been wishing for a chance to do some of my own treasure hunting and since I live in California I'm hoping for nuggets gold or otherwise.

Please forward this thank you to all-your website as primary sponsor, Fisher Research Labs and all others who contribute to this sweepstakes. Now I must go see what I'm going to need to enhance this adventure.

Best Wishes,

Cathy Gibson, Los Angeles

Lost Treasure is absolutely the best site on the web. I spend at least 20 Hours a week reading all the treasure stories and looking at all the wonderful things on your website. Over and over again. Thanks Lost Treasure. Keep up the good work. I send your site to all the people I know.

Sincerely,
Professor Jargo Spatz6260@wmconnect.com

Noteworthy Treasure News

Wildlands Project--Yukon to Yucatan

The Wildlands Project is alive and well. Some of you have been around long enough to remember when I published a newsletter and spent a number of pages telling of this project. Well, it has not gone away. I have reams of paper telling the story and showed a large color map at many rock shows indicating the lands included in the plan. It entails placing up to 50% of the land mass of the Continental United States in a category that allows no human activity, no removal of any natural resources etc.

With politicians being what they are, it will be no problem finding a good number who will support these Ultra-Green projects. It will take a lot of people standing up for what is right before these kinds of efforts will be permanently defeated. I don't expect to be around to lead in a fight like that, but it will no doubt happen when your children or grandchildren are wishing they had a place to go rock hunting. Will we be the ones guilty of not stopping the action before it reaches full maturity?

Proponents of the Wildlands Project (the plan to re-wild 50 percent of the United States) are beginning their propaganda push to secure vast areas of the continental United States from the Yukon in Alaska to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula as a migration corridor for grizzly bears and wolves. Of particular concern are five areas it considers especially threatening to wildlife, like Interstate 70 through central Colorado and I-40 east of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Jan Clanahan, regional director, explains that large carnivores need the space that humans now occupy and that wildfires and floods will devastate large areas too. “It’s a big plan …We call it a 100-year vision,” she said. “The first step is, you need to get out there and talk to everyone, …we’re talking to [federal] agencies, the landowners, other conservation groups, local community leaders.” Clanahan hopes the blueprint influences the planning of the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

The Wildlands Project is a radical plan whose website states; “It is not enough to preserve the roadless, undeveloped country remaining. We must re-create wilderness in large regions: move out the cars and civilized people, dismantle the roads and dams, reclaim the plowed land and clear cuts, re-introduce extirpated species.”

Mexico-to-Yukon Conservation Proposal Unveiled - Doc 2561

Push for Delmarva Wildlands Project Heats Up - Doc 2562

Bob Cranston promack@quik.com

Jesse James Hideout Auction Info

On October 30, Williams and Williams firm based in Tulsa, Oklahoma will be conducting the auction of the Jesse James Hideout property in Wapanucka.

For detailed information on the sale, click on the picture below:

Federation Forming in Spain
   Today in Spain we are involved in making a Federation of Detectorist Associations and Clubs.
   At this time the things be in this way:
5 of the about 15 Associations legally created, representing more than the 50% of the associated detectorists, promote the creation of the Federation and do the legal paperwork to create it.
   The documents were presented last week to the Spanish Administration and denied temporarily for few small mistakes (Example: The resolutions of each association saying yes to the federation and establishing the delegates to do their legal representation identifies as the "president and secretary" and the right way is "president Mr. XXXX and secretary Mr. YYYYYY").
   Actually we will be working to solve these small mistakes and we hope have it solved in 2 or 3 weeks and then present to the Spanish Administration the documents and create the Spanish Federation of Detectorist. (In Spanish: "Federación Española de Detectoaficionados", for short, FED).
   From our associations and when it comes to pass, from the federation, we plan to work extensively with institutions, universities, administration, TV, press, etc... for present and explain the new Federation, and actually we will be working on future items to present to the Spanish Administration.
   If you are interested in news from Spain, write me and when it happens, I'll write you relating it.

Best regards,
Ricardo Gasco buscatesoros@buscatesoros.net
webmaster of www.buscatesoros.net
President of the Valencian Detectorist Association

Bulldozing Mining Camps

I don't know if the National Forest Service uses H.R. 313 to do this but, I've been shocked to learn that the NFS uses bulldozers to wipe clean old mining camps and ghost towns from the gold-mining era. This is horrible and should be stopped.

These places are just as historically important as old Civil War battlegrounds. I was out Saturday with an American Indian friend doing some sight-seeing and he took me to several places where this had happened. He is 69 years old and grew up in Arizona on the back of a burro, and prospected many of these sites. During the Depression, 11,000 people lived in make-shift camps along the Hassayampa River, panning enough gold to survive.

Another friend of mine who used to work for the NFS told me the same story. She said the Rangers would routinely bulldoze these sites. Why is there one set of "historic places" important and protected to one group of people, and another (which is important to gold prospectors), and ours is destroyed?

H.R. 313 (Rahall), to modify requirements relating to allocation of interest that accrues to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. "Coal Accountability and Retired Employee Act for the 21st Century" (Subject to a discharge from the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.)

Deborah Strole strole@cableone.net