Keeping the money train rolling!

Well, I just got done watching the Red Sox beat the Indians 9 to 8 with another clutch homerun by big papi, David Oritz. In all my years of watching the Red Sox I’ve never seen anything like it. The Yankees can buy every player they want, but when it comes right down to it, they have no answer for Oritz, and neither does anyone else. He will be the hands down winner of the MVP award for the American league, and should have won it last year over Gayrod. George King of the New York Post, eat your heart out!

Ok, I’m off the soapbox now.

We found 55 cents and 38 bottles and cans today. Michele found 7 cents on her walk with Lexi and one on her run. Yes, she’s a runner, too. I didn’t find anything on my 5 miler but I did spot a few returnables on the way. After I finished my run I rode the course again on the mountain bike and picked them. Of course, there were some detours along the way. As I headed up Mill Street I spotted a coke cap and circled around to pick it up. When I did I scanned the washed out gravel area where I picked out a badly soiled dime and 2 pennies. After that I finished up the course and retrieved the rest of the bottles but found no other coins. I did however find a dime up at Holdsworth park. Michele had mentioned she had seen a couple of bottles up in the front parking lot but when I got there they were gone, finding the dime was the consolation prize.

Finally, on our evening walk, we found 4 pennies at the car wash, 2 nickels on Main Street, a new dime drop on Rankin Street and one penny on Grove.

Now it’s on to August!

Money totals for 2006 - 112.54
Money totals since Jan. 2005 - 229.89

Bottle and can totals for 2006 - 7082 - 354.10
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 - 17,104 - 855.20

Doing a little work, finding a little loot!

Today was the kind of day you hear people refer to as the perfect Summer scenario. Low humidity, plenty of sunshine and temperatures that were delightful, if only every day could be like this!

In between our money hunting adventures we did find time to do some much needed work around the house. Today it was staining the front deck. We had done the back deck about 3 weeks ago with a slick tool made especially for this task. It’s similar to a paint gun but works through gravity and flows out to a wide pad that spreads the stain evenly and efficiently. Needless to say, it was a snap and only took us 45 minutes from start to finish. Now all we need to do is wait 48 hours for it to completely dry and we’re good to go.

On the money front we found 66 cents and 117 bottles today.

Not wanting to waste the day, Michele and I jumped on the bikes in search of treasure. On our way we found a couple of yard sales but we didn’t really find anything useful. It wasn’t long on the ride though before we had our first coin find, a dime on Harris Street. After that, we found 2 pennies at the Depot. Then we finished it off with 3 pennies, 1 at Cumberland Farms and 2 on Main Street. Earlier in the morning Michele was out with the Lexi and scored 3 pennies on her walk and one nice looking marble that we added to the marble jar.

On our evening walk, we started out with 2 pennies at the rite aid parking and one at the Sunoco station. Then we picked up 2 dimes at the High School parking lot. Heading north on Main Street we snagged a nickel and 5 more pennies. On the way home we found 2 more pennies at the skateboard park and one on Rankin Street. The final dime came from the Car Wash.

As far as the bottles go, many of them came from the Mousam trail. There’s a party spot on the other side of the river where the locals frequent quite often. We picked 60 or so there and rest came from a number of places. I probably could have picked up another 10 or 15 on the bike ride but we’d already filled the bags and dropped them off at the house. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

Last, but certainly not least was the discovery of some baseball cards randomly deposited on the streets of Springvale and Sanford. The scan above give you a sample of those we found along the way.

Now it’s a time for a little dunkin donuts hazelnut coffee!

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 - 111.99
Money totals since Jan. 2005 - 229.34

Bottle and can totals for 2006 - 7044 - 352.20
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 - 17,066 - 853.30

Blast from the past!

I wanted to start this post off with a little bit of information concerning coin finding on the streets. For those of you who spend time metal detecting, it’s a well-known fact that after a storm is usually the best time to hunt the beach in search of coins and other treasures. The coastal storms churn up the sand and the dunes and brings to light those items that were once buried deep below. The same thing applies on land as well. Take for instance a line of violent thunderstorms, their torrential rains pound the streets and surrounding landscape, i.e. gravel, sand etc. that border the roads. After it’s over, large amounts of those substances are moved, churned up if you will, and those things that were buried come to the surface. Some of the best finds have come after a storm and today was no exception.

As you might have already noticed, there’s a picture of a war coin above. This particular one was an old world war II 503rd NCO coin. As it turns out, this coin once belonged to a member of the 503rd Airborne Parachute division that fought 5 important battles in the Pacific theater. The unit was disbanded shortly after 1945 so I’m guessing that it’s at least as old as 1945 and perhaps a little older. Michele found it on her morning walk with Lexi and when I saw I knew it was something unique and historic. It was in a washout down on River Street and had probably been buried there for the last 60 or so years. It’s just one of those neat finds that we come across every once in a while.

As for the money totals, we found 18 cents and 14 bottles and cans. As I mentioned earlier, Michele went out for her morning walk with Lexi and found 5 pennies plus the war coin. I found one penny in front of the 7-11 on my run (2 ½ Miles), and on our evening walk, we found 2 pennies at the skateboard park and one dime in the Springvale hardware parking lot. All in all a good day and a time to reflect.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 - 111.33
Money totals since Jan. 2005 - 228.68

Bottle and can totals for 2006 - 6927 - 346.35
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 - 16,949 - 847.45

Thunder Boomers and Chinese Food

Yet again it was another hazy, hot, and humid day, but at least it was mostly cloudy when I decided to head out for my 4 mile run. I felt pretty good for the most part and threw in 4 or 5 pickups for turnover. I didn’t find and money though. A little later on we got a call from Michele’s parents who were on their way back from New Hampshire visiting the latest grandchild. They wanted to know if we were interested in catching a bite to eat so we went down to the china lau. They have excellent food and air conditioning which was just what we needed. Their timing couldn’t have been any better as a line of severe storms rolled in a few minutes after we were seated. Whew!

On the money the front, we found 30 cents and 67 bottles and cans. The majority of it came after I completed my run. I had spied several bottles earlier and went back for them on the mountain bike. During my trek I’m always on the lookout for loot and anything else of any value. My first find came at the depot which yielded 16 cents, a dime, nickel and a penny all right together, though I only saw the dime at first. Then I found one penny on cash corner (that’s what we call it), one penny in the rite aid parking lot and one penny on Mill Street headed back to the ranch. I did snag another coke cap and 2 dr. pepper caps, too. Hey, they’re giving away hummers! So far though I’ve come up empty (0 for 6) but there’s always tomorrow. I think I’ll leave at that and watch the rest of the Red Sox game. Did I mention I was a diehard Red Sox fan? Oh yes! Go Sox!

Money Totals for 2006 - 111.15
Money Totals since Jan. 2005 - 228.50

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 - 6913 - 345.65
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 - 16,935 - 846.75

Laying Low on a Hot Day!

Hello to all my fellow change finders, bottle hunters and wealth accumulating fanatics. Today was another extremely hot one here in Maine, and the humidity made it just about unbearable. I did get my run in this morning before it got too hot, but it wasn’t what I would call enjoyable. Yet, in a weird sick kind of way, I think I’m finally starting to acclimate to it. It is good though to finally back on a regular running routine again. Now all I need to do is start building up my weekly from 20 to 30 a week. I’m just glad I don’t live out west, those poor souls are in their 12th day of 100 plus heat…thanks but no thanks.

Okay, now for the important news, as you probably already noticed, that’s a picture of our dog Lexi, complete with backpack and ready for action. She’s always up for a walk and more than happy to carry her share of the load.

We found 17 cents and 36 bottles today. All of it came on our one and only walk this evening. The first penny was found on Main St., just past Frost Street and Subway. After that we picked up 12 cents at the car wash along with the majority of the bottles, then finished it up with 1 penny at the skateboard park and 3 pennies and the 7-11. In addition, I did pick up a couple of coke caps as well. I’m closing in on the 600-point mark and gaining steam, plus, I have Mona down at the redemption center saving them as well. She should have a whole bag by the time I get down there. I’ve been entering codes for the powerade promotion as well.

Good hunting and good night!

Money totals for 2006 - 110.85
Money totals since Jan. 2005 - 228.20

Bottle and can totals for 2006 - 6846 - 342.30
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 - 16,868 - 843.40

Another hot, humid day!

It was another blazer here in the northest today. While I understand that we are in the throes of Summer, I really have no love for the humid weather. I mean, man enough is enough already. We had plenty of it up at the camp last week and now this, and no relief until Saturday night.

Today we found 57 cents and 38 bottles and cans. As usual, Michele and Lexi went for their morning walk and found 3 pennies, one of which was found in a crack in the road and was in pretty rough shape. The other 2 she found on Mill St. After that, I went for my run, a 2 1/2 miler (I'm coming down the ladder) . I found 7 cents on Payne Street and then 1 cent on pine for a total of 8 cents.

After lunch, Michele and I went for a bike ride on the mountain bikes around town. We focused in on areas outside of our walking range. We were able to nail down 16 cents as well as about 20 bottles and cans which I carried in plastic shopping bag. The remainder, 30 cents, was found on our evening walk, 25 of it was found in the rite aid parking and 5 cents at the car wash.

A little side bar about finding money on bikes. Last year, when I had a running injury, I bought Michele and I mountain bikes so that we could stay active and I could give my body a break from the pounding of the roads. Besides staying fit, it gave us the ability to cover larger areas in search of money and bottles. Initally, I thought it would be difficult to find coins and such, but with a careful eye and a slow steady speed, it became almost second nature. And as a bonus, it lets us explore all kinds of new areas that we would have never found if not for the bikes.

Money totals for 2006 - 110.68
Money totals since Jan. 2005 - 228.03

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 - 6810 - 340.50
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 - 16,832 - 841.60

Moving Eddie!

This morning, Michele and I went over to Dover to help clean out a relative's house. As it turned out, Eddie, who is 82 and in the hospital was definitely in need of a maid. The place was a wreck and our job was to move out the remaining items. Things like dressers and tables, a bureau or two and some odds and ends. That was the easy part, because this guy was a real pack rat and had lived in the house with his father for the last 65 years. After lots of trash bag filling the house reasonably clean, but, because of its age and condition, it's slated to be demolished and in its place there will be 3 new houses. It's sad really, to see it torn down. We did take a few things with us, trinkets really, things that no one really wanted and were going to be thrown away. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Our money total for the day was 16 cents plus 65 bottles and cans. Michele picked up 2 pennies during her morning walk with Lexi. Then after to going to Ted's fried seafood for some clams with Lee and Roger, Michele, Lexi and I went for a walk. We found 10 cents in the rite aid parking lot, 2 cents at the car wash, and 2 cents and the 7-11. While we haven't had a real big total day in the last few, but we have been consistent. All the while, the money keeps coming.

Money totals for 2006 - 110.11
Money total since Jan. 2005 - 227.46

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 - 6772 - 338.60
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 - 16,794 - 839.70

Fixed The Dog Fence

We had been waiting to have the driveway paved for about the last 10 days, 5 of which were on vacation up in Errol, New Hampshire at the camp. It's not really a camp, it's a 3 bedroom trailer with all the bells and whistles, t.v., hot showers, full kitchen...you get the idea, plus, some of the best trout fishing in the state. Anyway, the guy's mother is near death (cancer), and he's put everything on hold which is understandable. That being said, we re-dug the trench in the driveway to bury our electric dog fence. Living on a busy road we don't want our dog getting injured by wandering out in the road. It's wasn't too much of a chore but we were happy to get it done.

On the money/bottle front - 39 cents today and 80 bottles and cans. During my 3 mile run today I spotted several cans and bottles all along Stanley road, so after finishing up the run, Michele and I road the course on our bikes and scooped them up. We also picked up one penny on 109 on the way home.

During Michele and Lexi's morning walk, she found 2 cents and a really cool marble. We've been putting them in a jar and as well as superballs which we've also found quite a few of. On the evening walk with the dog we found 1 penny on main street headed south, 8 pennies at the car wash, and a quarter and 2 pennies headed north on main st.

A little side bar on the bottles: I noticed back a couple of months ago that most of the coke bottles have reward codes. Since then, I've been on the lookout for these and entering the codes on their site. So far I'm at 545 points which isn't bad considering each bottle is worth 3 points and the 12 pack containers are worth 10 each. I'll certainly have a ton of points when its time to redeem them and the rewards program has a ton of cool stuff. Just another benefit from collecting the bottles.

Money Totals for 2006 - 109.95
Money Totals since Jan. 2005 - 227.30

Bottle and can totals for 2006 - 6707 - 335.35
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 - 16,729 - 836.45

I Found Money!

In this, my initial post, As a joke after a run, looking down, I noticed a penny on the ground and challenged my three fellow runners in the group to also find a coin during our cool-down walk. It wasn't long before we all had one coin. From that moment forward I began keeping an eye to the ground always looking for loose change and any other items that might have value. This is a running total of my finds, well, myself and my girlfriends finds.

Today's total was 28 cents, 1 dime and 18 pennies, Michele found 2 pennies during morning walk with Lexi, our dog, and I went out on the bike after completing a 5 mile run and found 15 cents at the 7/11. The rest of the loot came on our evening walk with our pup pup, 1 penny at the car wash, 1 on main street, 4 cents at the skateboard park and yup, you guessed it, 5 cents at the good old 7/11, thank you residents of Sanford/Springvale.

In addition, we also netted 86 bottles and cans for a total of 4.20. For those of you not familiar with recycling, all of the bottles and cans in maine are returnable with the exception of milk. Needless to say, the streets are lined with gold on a daily basis.

2006 Money Totals - 109.56
Total since Jan. 2005 - 226.91

2006 Bottle Totals - 6627 - 331.35
Total Bottle Totals since Jan. 2005 - 16,649 - 832.45