Early in 2000 I bought my first metal detector since the early 70's. At the same time I was getting to know an older gentleman from my Church named Floyd Purchase. I also discovered that he loved metal detecting and had been doing it for 30 years.
He gave me a few tips on where to hunt, but I wasn't finding anything with my cheap detector. So I bought a DFX and immediately had better finds. He bought a DFX too. Soon after that I bought a Explorer. We soon decided to go hunting together. No two people could be much different in many ways. He was from New Jersey, and I was from Arkansas. I hunted with the Explorer and he used the DFX. He is a very dignified gentleman and a retired Army officer. My nickname is Bubba (has been all my 50 plus years) and I was grunt in Vietnam. I am big and heavy and he might go 5'7 155. I love to coin hunt and his absolute passion was the Civil War. I can't tell you the lengths we went to find a single minnie ball.
My passion for detecting grew and I soon joined a local treasure club. He balked at going because he felt that too many clubs are too political. However, at the club raffle, I won a $5 Gold coin and dropped by to show it to him after the meeting. He was at the next meeting. A gold coin was the one thing on his list that he never had found.
As it turned out our club was a very good one, and nothing like he expected. He lived to attend those meetings. The next election I became vice president, but that soon turned out to be president for the next 3 years. Floyd enjoyed that so much, but also was a good enough friend to encourage me to turn it over when it got to be too much.
I always marveled at Floyd when we were hunting these mountains here in East Tennessee. I would often stop and watch him hunt. To see him you would think he would never find anything. He never looked down where he was swinging and often the coil would be 6 inches off the ground. His swing never went more than 18 inches from side to side. To grid off a area or thoroughly cover a piece of ground was impossible for him. He wondered aimlessly and talked the whole time. He would say something and I would have to stop take off my headset and ask him what he said. He would report that he found a pull tab or "memorial day" penny.
What was worse, he would slip and fall hard. He would moan slightly and bounce back to his feet and keep hunting like nothing ever happened. Floyd will be 79 next October, so it was something to be concerned about. That was extra true when we were miles away from our vehicle, much less civilization.
Still, he would find things. Nice things. The only thing that he had not yet found that he wanted to find was a gold coin. He has about every coin you can imagine, mainly found from living in New Jersey. He had civil war belt plates, buttons, and bullets. He found a few shells, but didn't and wouldn't retrieve them. He was afraid of them.
On September 10, 2001, I suffered a heart attack. I didn't know what it was, but Floyd did and as soon as he saw me on our way to our club meeting one night he made me go immediately to the hospital. The next morning in the hospital room, Floyd was there with me when we watched the towers fall. That was on a Tuesday, and on Friday of that same week, Floyd and I went to Jellico, Tennessee for our first Competition metal detecting hunt. I was still feeling the effects but decided to hunt anyway. The hunt wasn't that hard on me, but Floyd was so excited about it that he almost done me in talking about it. I don't know anyone who ever loved this hobby as much as Floyd. He was like a kid in a toy store. He loved every minute of it.
In the meantime, Floyd, Ruth (his wife) and I taught and facilitated a Sunday school class at our church for special needs kids. These kids have mental and physical disorders of every kind. Of course, Floyd loved those kids and they love him. He usually took care of the one with the worst conditions.
Also, Floyd is a great painter. Without any prejudice at all, I can safely say that he is a great an artist that I have ever seen. He taught a class on it at the church, and taught me. Some of his students are now great artist as well.
As the last few years went by Floyd had a few problems with his health that sidelined him a few times. He hasn't had any cartilage in his knees for several years and arthritis kept him in pain quite a bit. Still, he would go detecting any time you asked him.
Last winter, we wanted to hunt "Bulls Gap". It is a gap that was fought over during the Civil war that is flanked by mountains on both sides. The RR ran through there and was important during that struggle.
On the way up there, it began to snow, by the time we got there it was a heavy flurry. Floyd said, "I don't think it will snow long, it's not that bad". I said, "No, no problem!"
We got out and not only climbed that mountain, but detected the faces of it. Floyd found one bullet. I found zip. We went to eat and Floyd says, "you know they might have been on the other side of the tracks. So we did the other side, in the snow.
After we got down Floyd made the comment, "People probably can't tell it from looking at us, but we are in shape!" For 78, and no knees, I would say Floyd is in great shape.
But in the last 2 months Floyd's cyatic nerve has been giving him trouble. About 5 weeks ago, he finally got better and was out detecting again. During that time, I had took up water detecting and had a new Excalibur. I had some pretty good beginners luck with it and was finding Silver and Gold. I could tell that it was almost more than Floyd could stand to see that gold. I knew he would never buy a water detector and he had said that he wouldn't be buying any more detectors.
It began to gnaw on my insides that Floyd couldn't enjoy detecting in the water with me. So, I put my DFX and Nautilus up for sale with the intention of buying a 2nd Excalibur. Finally in mid June, I had them both sold and picked up the Excalibur 800 with the small coil so Floyd could handle it easier. On Wednesday June 20th I took Floyd water hunting.
After awhile, he still had not found anything really good, when I hear that sweet sound in my headset. I call Floyd over and tell him to listen and then dig that target. Low and behold, in a few minutes he says he can't hear it. I find it again, and put him back on it, but soon he has lost it again. This time I couldn't find it again.
Just the same he keeps hunting, and right at the steps before we get out of the lake I hear him say, "I can't believe it! I found a ring!". It was just a cheap ring, but he was thrilled. That ended up being all we found that day.
The very next Sunday I got to church only to find out that they had rushed Floyd to the hospital and that he had a stroke. That was June 24th.
Tomorrow morning, July 25th, his wife Ruth who he calls "Babe" will allow me to go in and be with Floyd when they disconnect his life support. Many times during our trips together Floyd and I prayed over meals together and for other people we had in our prayers. Tomorrow I'll pray with him one last time. If you are the kind of person who prays, I would covet your prayers for his wife and family. Floyd would like that too.
Meningitis has spread through out his body and he is suffering and his living will lays out that he did not want life support. His daughters will arrive for tomorrow to be with him too.
I hoped that he would go home on his own and he still might. I know that he is ready and therefore I'm ready to let him go.
Plus, I know that tomorrow Floyd will have his gold. I can hear him now telling me, "Bubba, you don't even need a metal detector here, the streets are made of gold!" I know he will be happy. We have talked together of heaven often and I know he is prepared.
Looking back, I paid $1100 for Floyd a detector that he got to use one time. It is the best money that I have ever spent in my life!
I hope all of you have someone in your life, even for a short time, like Floyd. It has been great to have someone to model my life after and to look up too. He is the best metal detecting buddy there is, just like he was. I hope you can cherish and appreciate them like I have Floyd. He has taught me so much and tomorrow will be no different.
I know I have rambled on, so thanks for listening. God Bless you all.
He gave me a few tips on where to hunt, but I wasn't finding anything with my cheap detector. So I bought a DFX and immediately had better finds. He bought a DFX too. Soon after that I bought a Explorer. We soon decided to go hunting together. No two people could be much different in many ways. He was from New Jersey, and I was from Arkansas. I hunted with the Explorer and he used the DFX. He is a very dignified gentleman and a retired Army officer. My nickname is Bubba (has been all my 50 plus years) and I was grunt in Vietnam. I am big and heavy and he might go 5'7 155. I love to coin hunt and his absolute passion was the Civil War. I can't tell you the lengths we went to find a single minnie ball.
My passion for detecting grew and I soon joined a local treasure club. He balked at going because he felt that too many clubs are too political. However, at the club raffle, I won a $5 Gold coin and dropped by to show it to him after the meeting. He was at the next meeting. A gold coin was the one thing on his list that he never had found.
As it turned out our club was a very good one, and nothing like he expected. He lived to attend those meetings. The next election I became vice president, but that soon turned out to be president for the next 3 years. Floyd enjoyed that so much, but also was a good enough friend to encourage me to turn it over when it got to be too much.
I always marveled at Floyd when we were hunting these mountains here in East Tennessee. I would often stop and watch him hunt. To see him you would think he would never find anything. He never looked down where he was swinging and often the coil would be 6 inches off the ground. His swing never went more than 18 inches from side to side. To grid off a area or thoroughly cover a piece of ground was impossible for him. He wondered aimlessly and talked the whole time. He would say something and I would have to stop take off my headset and ask him what he said. He would report that he found a pull tab or "memorial day" penny.
What was worse, he would slip and fall hard. He would moan slightly and bounce back to his feet and keep hunting like nothing ever happened. Floyd will be 79 next October, so it was something to be concerned about. That was extra true when we were miles away from our vehicle, much less civilization.
Still, he would find things. Nice things. The only thing that he had not yet found that he wanted to find was a gold coin. He has about every coin you can imagine, mainly found from living in New Jersey. He had civil war belt plates, buttons, and bullets. He found a few shells, but didn't and wouldn't retrieve them. He was afraid of them.
On September 10, 2001, I suffered a heart attack. I didn't know what it was, but Floyd did and as soon as he saw me on our way to our club meeting one night he made me go immediately to the hospital. The next morning in the hospital room, Floyd was there with me when we watched the towers fall. That was on a Tuesday, and on Friday of that same week, Floyd and I went to Jellico, Tennessee for our first Competition metal detecting hunt. I was still feeling the effects but decided to hunt anyway. The hunt wasn't that hard on me, but Floyd was so excited about it that he almost done me in talking about it. I don't know anyone who ever loved this hobby as much as Floyd. He was like a kid in a toy store. He loved every minute of it.
In the meantime, Floyd, Ruth (his wife) and I taught and facilitated a Sunday school class at our church for special needs kids. These kids have mental and physical disorders of every kind. Of course, Floyd loved those kids and they love him. He usually took care of the one with the worst conditions.
Also, Floyd is a great painter. Without any prejudice at all, I can safely say that he is a great an artist that I have ever seen. He taught a class on it at the church, and taught me. Some of his students are now great artist as well.
As the last few years went by Floyd had a few problems with his health that sidelined him a few times. He hasn't had any cartilage in his knees for several years and arthritis kept him in pain quite a bit. Still, he would go detecting any time you asked him.
Last winter, we wanted to hunt "Bulls Gap". It is a gap that was fought over during the Civil war that is flanked by mountains on both sides. The RR ran through there and was important during that struggle.
On the way up there, it began to snow, by the time we got there it was a heavy flurry. Floyd said, "I don't think it will snow long, it's not that bad". I said, "No, no problem!"
We got out and not only climbed that mountain, but detected the faces of it. Floyd found one bullet. I found zip. We went to eat and Floyd says, "you know they might have been on the other side of the tracks. So we did the other side, in the snow.
After we got down Floyd made the comment, "People probably can't tell it from looking at us, but we are in shape!" For 78, and no knees, I would say Floyd is in great shape.
But in the last 2 months Floyd's cyatic nerve has been giving him trouble. About 5 weeks ago, he finally got better and was out detecting again. During that time, I had took up water detecting and had a new Excalibur. I had some pretty good beginners luck with it and was finding Silver and Gold. I could tell that it was almost more than Floyd could stand to see that gold. I knew he would never buy a water detector and he had said that he wouldn't be buying any more detectors.
It began to gnaw on my insides that Floyd couldn't enjoy detecting in the water with me. So, I put my DFX and Nautilus up for sale with the intention of buying a 2nd Excalibur. Finally in mid June, I had them both sold and picked up the Excalibur 800 with the small coil so Floyd could handle it easier. On Wednesday June 20th I took Floyd water hunting.
After awhile, he still had not found anything really good, when I hear that sweet sound in my headset. I call Floyd over and tell him to listen and then dig that target. Low and behold, in a few minutes he says he can't hear it. I find it again, and put him back on it, but soon he has lost it again. This time I couldn't find it again.
Just the same he keeps hunting, and right at the steps before we get out of the lake I hear him say, "I can't believe it! I found a ring!". It was just a cheap ring, but he was thrilled. That ended up being all we found that day.
The very next Sunday I got to church only to find out that they had rushed Floyd to the hospital and that he had a stroke. That was June 24th.
Tomorrow morning, July 25th, his wife Ruth who he calls "Babe" will allow me to go in and be with Floyd when they disconnect his life support. Many times during our trips together Floyd and I prayed over meals together and for other people we had in our prayers. Tomorrow I'll pray with him one last time. If you are the kind of person who prays, I would covet your prayers for his wife and family. Floyd would like that too.
Meningitis has spread through out his body and he is suffering and his living will lays out that he did not want life support. His daughters will arrive for tomorrow to be with him too.
I hoped that he would go home on his own and he still might. I know that he is ready and therefore I'm ready to let him go.
Plus, I know that tomorrow Floyd will have his gold. I can hear him now telling me, "Bubba, you don't even need a metal detector here, the streets are made of gold!" I know he will be happy. We have talked together of heaven often and I know he is prepared.
Looking back, I paid $1100 for Floyd a detector that he got to use one time. It is the best money that I have ever spent in my life!
I hope all of you have someone in your life, even for a short time, like Floyd. It has been great to have someone to model my life after and to look up too. He is the best metal detecting buddy there is, just like he was. I hope you can cherish and appreciate them like I have Floyd. He has taught me so much and tomorrow will be no different.
I know I have rambled on, so thanks for listening. God Bless you all.
