Hey Kids,

Neither one of you told me what you got your wives for Christmas so I thought that maybe if I tell you my "unbelievable" story, one of you will be talking to me when I get back off the slope. The sound of a voice would be nice today.

Did you ever try to find or create the perfect Christmas gift? Are your efforts not quite what you expected or the results kind of a bust?

This fall while searching for the diamond willow walking stick clumps, we took the gold pans with us to Hatcher Pass. Not really having the time to dig and find the motherlode, I dug under rocks at a small waterfall on one of the numerous creeks in the gold district area and collected a good sample of sand.

After digging down to the bedrock, I pulled some more samples from under a very large boulder where the creek fed into the Little Susitna River. This filled a five gallon bucket. I knew that I would have enough fingernail size nuggets to give Irene the "jewelry" she thinks she needs. If not enough for a necklace, surely to put some gold encrusting on a bracelet.

I didn't have a lot of time this Christmas to do shopping for commercial type presents, so, I figured, what the heck, just give her the bucket of "Hatcher gold" and let her have all the fun of panning it out, too. Kind of like a treasure hunt, ....you know?

YOU KNOW WHAT? She didn't even show any joy over my thoughtfulness. She did get rather animated and excited in other ways though. Anyway, being the big hearted fellow I am, I panned the whole bucket out for her. I had even picked up a couple of tubs and rigged up a sluice box in the bath tub. Worked out pretty good, too. I was proud of that.... Warm water, heated room, and decent lighting, great place to have a little fun at home. I just don't understand some women. I think I panned ten or eleven full pans. Did not find one darn nugget, UNBELIEVABLE! If there was any gold in there, it had to be in flour form and not much of it.

Needless to say I'm a little disgusted in the way things turned out. It would have been nice to gloat a little to Irene. She could have at least shown some Christmas spirit at my thougtful, homemade gift. Just cause the end result didn't produce. Heck, I bet there are lots of presents that don't "pan out".

It wasn't a total loss though. Irene likes to get a couple tubes of traction sand to put in the Explorer. If I can find a couple gunny sacks, I'll let her fill them with the "Hatcher sand". I don't think I should have to handle it all over again. Hopefully she will be talking to me again when I get back from my hitch on the slope.

Love

Dad

Wish you and yours a Happy New Year!!!

Dan Taylor, 2002