Gold Fever II - Bob actually finds gold!!!

But, not in the way he expected....  A couple of honeymooners arrived at the cabin on Tuesday and when I pitched up there in the evening with their cabincuisine dinner I found Mr Honeymooner flailing about in the lake with a bucket, seemingly involved in some kind of low-tech dredging operation.  He explained that he'd lost his newly acquired wedding ring whilst dismounting the raft and was searching for it.  He was relieved to hear that Bob has a metal detector (of course) and I arranged that he would look for the ring the next day.

We arrived the next morning, Bob wasn't too hopeful but we waded in anyway, and found a fishing weight....some nails and then....hey presto!...The Ring.   So hooray!, Bob saved the day (and, possibly, their marriage!)  

Gold Fever!

A few years back, whilst on holiday in New Zealand, Bob suffered his first attack of Gold Fever. We were trundling round the South Island in our hired camper van and came across a road marked on the map with what we eventually deciphered as a gold nugget symbol.  We decided to follow the road, which became a track, which itself then dwindled to a trail and eventually we parked up in a leafy glade, surrounded by beautiful 'Lord of the Rings' type forest.  We set off to discover the old mine workings - there were tunnels, diggings and mysterious sluices - and the ghostly evidence of miners, long gone, and their attempts to find 'The Colour'. 

The fever came on quite quickly. One minute he was fine, the next he was ransacking the camper's kitchenette for frying pans and sieves.  Then he was down in the stream, a-slooshin' and a-swillin' 'til nightfall.  Next day, he was up at sunrise and down there again - I swear he'd still be there now if I hadn't insisted that he return that frying pan. I needed it to cook breakfast.

Fast forward a few years and we are in our own little leafy paradise, where the waterfall tumbles over the rocks to fill the stream and lake at Fisherman's cabin and here the fever struck again.  In the shaily banks can clearly be seen the bright and shiny flecks of Iron Pyrites or 'Fools Gold', which often goes hand in hand with the real stuff. He was spurred on by a book a friend had recently sent him, called 'Gold Panning is Easy' by Roy Nagel.   Well, Bob never found his golden nugget, nor even a flake but he reckons it's down there somewhere, and as Mr Nagel is fond of saying, 'People ask me where to look for gold, the answer is: Gold is where you find it!' You're welcome to try your luck if you come and stay - I'll get a back-up frying pan just in case!!





"Oi! is that my frying pan you've got there?"

 

In Tandem

If you choose to spend your honeymoon at covertcabin you get to use our beloved tandem bike.  It's an excellent test of any relationship - teamwork is called for, as are coordination and good communication skills.  The person at the front is called the 'steersman' or 'pilot', the one at the back is called the 'stoker'.  The stoker has no control of brakes or steering so must (pretend to) have faith in the Pilot.  - The word 'stoker' implies that he/she is the powerhouse of the operation which, according to Bob, is clearly not the case when I'm sitting there.  But then, Bob and I have differing views on lots of things and cyling's one of 'em.  I like pootling along, being overtaken by snails, as I look at the hedgerow flowers and the birdies.  Bob sees every hill as a challenge to be conquered as quickly as possible and goes all sergeant majorish - which is bound to create dissention in the ranks!  But wait, I'm putting you off, there are advantages!  For one, we arrive wherever we're going at the same time, and as we wend our way along we bring pleasure to passers by who shout 'Allez! Allez!'  At least, I think that's what they're saying. By the way, the name tandem refers to the configuration of the seats - one behind the other - if they were side by side that would be called a 'sociable'.  They're still to be seen in some of the old fashioned seaside resorts - I'd love one of those! 

Hide

If you follow the trail to the far end of the lake at Fisherman's cabin, to where the steeply sloping forest gives way to the marshy edges of the stream,  you'll find the place where Bob has built our wonderful new hide.  It looks a bit like the entrance to Badger's house in Wind in the Willows, (I imagine). It's got all mod cons in a rustic way, a little seat, space for yer binos, yer thermos and yer Tunnock's Caramel Log.  (You're going to need sustainance) and of course, a splendid view.  We've often seen tracks of deer, boar and other mystery animals in the muddy borders of the stream and now we have the perfect vantage point to observe their coming and goings.  Sit for a while completely hidden admidst the trees, listen to the bird song and see what you can see.....

Note to self: Check out possibility of 'Donate Tunnock's' button for website - we can't get them here.

http://www.covertcabin.com/