Sorry for the delay in posting. I didn't post because there just wasn't much going on. They missed getting their heavy equipment into the site again this year due to El Nino. The rivers didn't freeze solid this winter due to El Nino again. It was a tragic winter with the news media warning to stay off the rivers but several Alaskans still lost their lives trying to cross. I have to say it is frustrating to have our equipment sitting 60 miles (as the Eagle flies) from their site for a second year. You might reread their harrowing experience trying last year. They almost lost everything in one of their river crossings including losing their own lives. Their were several close calls. When you think of what the old gold miners went through in the olden days and the lack of equipment, you might think these guys are just whining, but I guarantee it has been a long hard road. Our gold miners are getting ready for their annual migration. I'll call it the goldcation when they get to the mother load.
George and I did go to Portland, Oregon to the GPAA. Here we are happy because I have designed so many T-shirts and products and I just know I will make more marketing these than the guys will make mining gold. Yeah, well that smile turned to tears for me when I had to reload the truck for the long trip home. I guess it paid for our trip and we did do some great site seeing and visited some museums along the way. But I lost my bet.
We met some well know gold miner celebrities and I snapped this staged pic of Jim Thurber (From Gold Rush) and George. I think Jim is asked for a picture so many times he goes into his trance pose automatically. You can see George was excited and thought he was in the presence of gold mining royalty.
Now, this is gold mining royalty in my book. The guys from Ice Cold Gold, Jesse and Josh Feldman, were at the show and they were so personable. They are even too young to even be my kids but they were the cutest and nicest gold miners you will ever meet. I tried to get them to go to George and Dave's claim to do their next show. Cross your fingers and hold your tongue just right and who knows. This is Josh and I. That is a true legit 35 ounce chunk of gold. And guess where it came from? Just 4 miles from George and Dave's site at Moore Creek. 35 ounces! Holy moly. That's a dollar bill in my right hand. The nervous guy in the background is the keeper of the nugget and he cancelled our transaction.
Our next celebrity came all the way from Nome. Steve Pomrenke from Bering Sea Gold. He was asking questions about George and Dave's heavy equipment not because he was interested in their adventures; but rather to rattle off his vast knowledge of bull dozers.
These are my favorite guys to hang with. They are the Wilson Brothers. They had their booth right next to ours and they are the sweetest and most caring gold miners I have ever met. Since George and I were novices at gold shows, these guys gave us pointers and support when times were slow. We love them. Also my maiden name is Wilson so I am sure we are related somehow.
If you faithfully read your Gold Prospector magazine then I don't need to tell you who this is.
He is history. Boo Coo and George, Buzzard, Massie are responsible for all this modern day gold rush. He is
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