Wrapping Up The Month!

Well, it really felt like fall today, nice cool temps, a light breeze and lots of sunshine. It almost makes me wish I was up on Androscoggin river fishing today, I’m sure the fishing would have been great and with this kind of weather, the best of both worlds.

On the currency front – Most of the action came on the early evening walk with Lexi. We didn’t find anything on Main Street (the first part of the walk) due the street sweeper. I heard it going by this morning and knew things would be bare on that stretch. We did find a dime in the rite aid parking lot though and then came up with another 16 cents at the car wash (one nickel and 11 pennies). Michele found one penny in the high school parking lot at work and the last 2 came on my short evening bike ride in which I napped 2 pennies at the 7-11.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 139.72
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 257.09

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,840 – 442.00
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,862 – 943.10

The Sun Came Out Today!

Today we found 1.14 in change and 68 bottles and cans.

It was a welcome to sight to the sun again after the last couple days of less than spectacular weather. The warmer temps didn’t hurt either as the latter couple of days reminded me more of late September than late August, and I’m really not ready for that quite yet.

At any rate, it seems that the improved conditions made people more in the mood to drop change, and that’s just what we want. Michele went out on her morning walk with Lexi and managed to come up with 2 cents, breaking her 2-day string of shutouts. After my run, in which I didn’t find any money, I did spot a few bottles and cans, so I took the bike out and to collect them up. During my journey I also came up with 12 cents, a dime and 2 pennies. In later action, the evening walk Lexi, I recovered 35 cents. The majority of it came at the car wash where I found one quarter, one nickel, and 5 pennies. The only other find of the walk was another quarter in front of the 7-11.

Finally, during a shortened evening bike ride, I picked up another 40 cents, 38 of it came at the rite aid parking lot (1 quarter, 1 dime, and 3 pennies), then I finished it up with one penny at the sunny side restaurant and one penny at the Luigi’s Pizza! I really love pizza, too!

Sidebar – In addition to the coins and bottles, I did find a nice pair of scissors on Pleasant Street. How they got where they were is anybody’s guess (no houses).

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 139.43
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 256.80

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,811 – 440.55
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,833 – 941.65

All Business!

Today we found 18 cents and 10 bottles and cans.

Things have been pretty busy lately. I’ve been adding a ton of inventory to my store on ebay. It’s time consuming because of the scans, descriptions, and then there’s the actual listing of each item to the store. A minute or two to load an item doesn’t seem like much, but when you add about 70 items it does take a little while.

On the money front – Michele didn’t find anything on her morning walk with Lexi. That makes 2 days in a row for her that she’s come up empty. I didn’t find anything on my short run today either (only a 2-miler). The bounty came on the evening walk. I found one penny heading down Main Street, then I picked up 14 cents at the car wash (1 dime and 4 pennies). Last but not least, I found 3 pennies right next to the skateboard park. Lexi and I stopped there to watch the boarders do some tricks.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 138.29
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 255.66

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,743 – 437.15
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,765 – 938.25

Tough Sledding

Today we found 25 cents and 32 bottles and cans.

After the rains of yesterday, I figured the streets would be lined with money. They usually are, with people in a hurry trying not to get wet and not worrying about a couple of lost coins in the moment. However, that could have not been farther from the truth.

Michele went out for a quick morning walk with Lexi and didn’t find anything. Later on I went out for my run. I did get one coin, our only one of the day which was a quarter. Then, on the evening walk which I started out by myself, (Michele met us on the way back) we didn’t find any coins. Needless to say it was tough going out there today.

Sidebar – I’ve been noticing this woman in a red van showing up at the car wash lately (probably in her late 50’s or early 60’s). She’s been hitting the area a few times before I get there, too. So, to counter, I’ve been leaving for the evening walk a little earlier (around 5:30). Even with that, she still beats me down there some days by a few minutes and today was one of the those days. Lexi and I walked down to get a closer look and boy, Lexi started barking wildly at her (strange). She’s not the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen either, she could probably knock a fox off a chicken truck. The fact of the matter is that she’s been intruding on my area and I don’t like it. Hopefully Lexi scared her off for good! If not, I may have to take matters into my own hands, kind of like bumfights…lol!

Good Night and Good Hunting.

Money totals for 2006 – 138.11
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 255.48

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,733 – 436.65
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,755 – 937.75

In Retrospect

Today we found 40 cents and 10 bottles and cans.

Typing away for my blog entry tonight, it occurred to me that I’ve become a coin finding junkie. Every day I head out that door looking for money or other valuables. It’s kind of like needing to find your dealer to get a fix, to feel that high. The best part about it out though is that is doesn’t cost me anything and it actually improves my health, and my wallet.

You could call me a gleaner I suppose, living off the land, but hey, with all of these people around here practically giving their money away, how could someone not take full advantage of it. Some might say, well, it’s only a penny, or a nickel, or a dime, but to me, its free money, and free money is always welcomed around here. Then, when you figure in the all of the returnables, almost 1,000 dollars worth in a little under 20 months, what’s and not to like. I always have good laugh when I think about the interest it’s making in a money market account. Now that’s good business!

Now on to the daily official tally – Michele found 3 pennies with Lexi on her morning walk, which will probably be the last one for a few days. She starts teaching tomorrow as the advent of a new year begins. After my run, I walked up to Holdsworth Park and after stretching out, I managed to find one penny and a couple of bottles.

On our evening walk, which was later than normal because of the constant rain today, we picked up 16 cents. The first 2 coins came from the car wash, a nickel and a penny. Then on our way out of the skateboard park Michele spotted a dime. The other 20 cents came from a no-name car wash in Somersworth that I suggested we try on our way back from food shopping.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 137.86
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 255.23

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,701 – 435.05
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,273 – 936.15

Holding Down The Fort!

Today we found 54 cents and 240 bottles and cans.

Most of the day I was alone on the quest for money and returnables. The Acton is fair is going on right now until Sunday so I was hoping that the passersby would be donating to the cause. While I did have some good luck with the bottles and cans, the coins came hard. In fact, my only find, up until the evening walk was a single penny found on Mill Street during my walk with Lexi.

When Michele got back from Cony, she had 11 cents, a dime and a penny which were found around the fields. Looks like the team is rounding into shape though and hopefully they’ll get off to good start. Time will tell, as it’s a young team.

The rest of the coin finds came on our evening walk. Heading down Main Street we found 11 cents, both by the Home Plate restaurant, then we hit the car wash and found a 2 dimes, a nickel and 4 pennies. The last 2 pennies came from the 7-11. When we got home I fired up the grill for some burgers. Michele said it was good to be home.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 137.46
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 254.83

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,691 – 434.55
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,713 – 935.65

About The Weather!

Today we found 33 cents and 58 bottles and cans.

For most of the day here in Maine we had off-and-on showers, and while not ideal walking conditions, we toughed it out. Michele took Lexi on her walk this morning before heading out for her last play day at Cony. Her only find was a nickel though I never got the exact details on where she found it. As for myself, Lexi and I went out on the evening walk solo. We picked up 28 cents overall, the first was a nickel headed down Main Street, right near the consignment shop. Then we recovered 13 cents from the car wash, a dime and 3 pennies, and finally, on the way up Main we found our last coin, a dime.

Sidebar – cap update – coke cap points are at 806, power aid is at 114 and dr. pepper win a hummer – 0 for 16. I do also have drawing coming up for 1,000 at fsn sports. I’m crossing my fingers…and toes.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 136.92
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 254.29

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,451 – 422.55
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 –18,473 – 923.65

Finding Time!

Today we found 57 cents and 21 bottles and cans.

Success came at all intervals of the day. First off, Michele found 11 cents on her walk with Lexi in the morning, a nickel in the rite aid parking lot, 4 pennies on main, and 2 pennies at the entrance to the Mousam trail. On her run, she managed to pick up 2 more cents, one at cash corner (pleasant) and one coming up Main on her way. In addition she also found a men’s movado watch (see picture).

After she got back from her field hockey play day (second of 3 during the preseason), we headed out for our evening walk. We snagged 6 pennies at the car wash, then found a dime on Main, a quarter in the 7-11 and one penny at the skateboard park. The final 2 cents came on a store run to hannaford’s where I found one penny, and a quick stop at the car wash where I also netted a penny. Tomorrow should be interesting, I’ll be solo with Michele headed north for her final play day at cony.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 136.59
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 253.96

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,393 – 419.65
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,415 – 920.75

Dropping The Hammer!

Today we found 2.61 in change and 92 bottle and cans.

Good evening to all of you coin finders out there. Wednesday was a day of good fortune on the roads of the Sanford-Springvale area. Michele started out the action with 7 cents on her walk with Lexi. She found 5 pennies on Allen, then 1 on George and 1 on Main.

Things remained quiet when I went out for my run of 3 miles, though I did snag half a dozen bottles and cans on my cool-down walk through Holdsworth Park. The real back breaker came on our evening walk with Lexi. Michele found one penny in the rite aid parking lot, then we hit the jackpot at the car wash with an astounding 2.45, 1 quarter, 6 dimes, 1 nickel and the rest pennies. There was money everywhere, on the islands, on the ground, in the self-serve bays, even in the automatic washers. The final penny of the walk came on Main Street, not too far the house.

The rest of coins finds, 7 cents, came on my evening bike ride. I rode down to the ssya fields to roundup any stray bottles or cans and on my way there I picked up 2 pennies on Main and a nickel in the rite aid parking lot. I also checked a few other well-known coin finding venues without success.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 136.02
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 253.39

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,372 – 418.60
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,394 – 919.70

A Little Foreign Flair

Today we found 1.52 in change and 36 bottles and cans.

The real beauty of coin finding is you never know what’s just ahead. In some of my earlier blogs I’ve mentioned some of the more unusual finds. Well today was another one of the unusual days as I picked up a one-dollar Bermuda coin (worth 1.01 against the dollar). I wasn’t sure what it was at first, but it had that glint of gold that caught my eye. Sure, I’ve found other foreign coins but this one by far has the most worth, though it doesn’t count toward the change total.

As for our money finds, all but 1 cent came from the car wash (6 quarters and one penny), including the Bermuda coin. The other penny was found on Main right in front of famous Pizza. Seems like I should be writing more but I guess that covers it for the day.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 133.41
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 250.78

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,280 – 414.00
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,302 – 915.10

Night Riding!

Today we found 73 cents and 58 bottles and cans.

Lately, I’ve been going out for some late night bikes. I don’t venture out for too long though I’m always on the lookout for money, bottles or anything else of value. Most nights I make out pretty good and the only thing it costs me is a little time. The whole idea behind this venture was to be as profitable as possible. That meant finding all of the treasures via walking, during runs, or by bicycle as the main means of travel. Of course, there are times when I have used a vehicle, but only when the bounty is such that it’s not manageable by those options i.e. large amounts of bottles and cans or something of size, and then only for short distances, less than 2 or 3 miles. I guess I like the thought of reducing my carbon footprint while making some extra tax-free cash from the area residents and summer vacationers.

Now for the money rundown – Our first find came during a run, Michele as been slowly building up base mileage, and after a brief respite via day surgery the last couple of days, she was back out on the roads. This time I accompanied her on a 2 miler. Toward the end of the run she spotted a penny. Next, on our evening walk with Lexi we collected 27 cents, one penny at Miller Ford on Main Street, then 3 pennies at the car wash, 1 penny at the bakery and 21 cents (2 dimes and one penny) at the 7-11. Then, on a ride down to rite aid, Michele found one penny. Finally, on my late night bike ride I came up with an additional 45 cents, 44 of it came from our good friends at the 7-11 and one penny from the rite parking lot.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 131.89
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 249.26

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,244 – 412.20
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 913.20

Rainy Day Sunday!

Rainy Day Sunday

Today we found 44 cents and 7 bottles and cans.

We had plenty of rain of overnight and in to the afternoon, which usually makes for good coin hunting. It certainly didn’t start out that way though. I went out for a 5 mile run around 2 pm or so and while I doing that Michele took Lexi for a walk. Her efforts yielded only 2 pennies, one on Whitham and one penny at the 7-11. I didn’t get anything on the run.

The evening walk was where we did most the damage. We found 3 pennies on Main, then 23 cents at the high school, one dime and 13 pennies. Then, at the car wash we picked up 2 pennies and 4 pennies at Cumberland Farms. The final find came in the form of a dime that was found at the hannaford’s supermarket where I stopped to pick up a couple of things.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 131.16
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 248.53

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,186 – 409.30
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,206 – 910.30

Charging Up The Batteries!

Today we found 11 cents and 32 bottles and cans.

Saturday was one of rest for me. I didn’t climb out of bed until about 11 am. I was pretty wrecked from the day before and even though I got a decent amount of sleep, I still felt a bit off, like a needed another few hours shut eye or something. While I was cutting some z’s, Michele went out a really short walk with Lexi. She’s usually power walks but in her current state, she has to take it real easy, at least for another day or two. She did manage to pick up one penny though in the rite aid parking lot and Lexi got in her morning exercise, albeit one of leisure.

The rest of our finds came on the evening walk, a 2 miler, again at a deliberate pace. We found all 10 cents at the car wash, 10 pennies and nothing else the rest of the way. I did pick up one coke cap in addition to the coins and a fair amount of bottles and cans here and there.

A note on card sales – I know I mentioned earlier that I buy and sell graded sports cards, mostly vintage (baseball, pre 1978). Things have been a little slow this month, not unusual for August, but I expect sales to start picking up around the end of the month. I had one sale today for 56 dollars. July came in at slightly over 2,500 in sales. My biggest month so far this year is just over 10k.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 130.72
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 248.09

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,177 – 408.85
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,199 – 909.95

Surgically Removed!

Today we found 41 cents and 36 bottles and cans.

Friday has been a very long one for Michele and I, she had day surgery this morning and I had to be up at 6:30 am. That’s not usually a big deal but I didn’t get to bed until around 2 am so I’m pretty beat right now. The good news is that everything went well and she’s feeling fine. After tonight, she can slowly get back to her normal routine which I know she’s pretty excited about, and I am, too.

On the money finding front, Michele found 3 pennies on her abbreviated morning walk with Lexi. The remaining 38 cents came on the evening walk with Lexi. Together, we found a quarter, dime, and 2 pennies on Main and one penny at the car wash. All in all it wasn’t too bad of a day under the circumstances.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 130.61
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 247.98

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,145 – 407.25
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,167 – 908.35

Two Halves Make A Whole!

We found 35 cents and 72 bottles and cans.

Here’s a good human-interest story for all of you coin finding gurus. Back in 2005, somewhere around March or so, I was on a walk with Lexi and came upon half of a penny. Don’t ask me how I noticed it, maybe it was the glint of copper that clued me in, maybe it was just dumb luck. Anyway, I showed it to Michele that night and we had a good laugh about how much it would count toward the total.

Now fast forward 2 days, I’m walking the same stretch of road with Lexi again and this time I find another half of penny about 100 feet away from where I found the first one. So I start thinking, no, this can’t be. When I get home I locate the first half I found and then put it next to the second one and bingo, it’s a perfect match. We sat down for a while and tried to figure out what the odds of finding both halves of a penny were. Take into consideration that we still had some snow on the ground at the time and still very much in the grip of winter. As best we can figure, the penny at large must have been hit by a snowplow, then somehow was broken into two halves, and then through the thaw runoff and constant traffic slowly became separated until I came upon them. Now that’s something you don’t see everyday.

On the money front, Michele found 28 cents on her morning walk with Lexi, a quarter and 2 pennies came from Mill and the remaining cent was found on Allen. When I went out for my run in the afternoon I found one penny on Riverbank. Then, on our evening walk, we found 7 cents, one in the rite aid parking lot, 4 at the car wash and 2 at the 7-11.

Keep your pace even and your eyes to the ground!

Money totals for 2006 – 130.20
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 247.57

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,109 – 405.45
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,131 – 906.55

Pounding The Pavement!

Today we found 1.58 in coins and 26 bottles and cans.

This morning, Michele went out early for her walk, about 5:45 am with her trusty little sidekick Lexi, actually, she’s not that little. Anyway, it appeared that getting an early start would turn out to be very profitable. Just down from our house she picked up 3 quarters on the side of the road, then she finished up with one penny on Mill Street.

Meanwhile, at her field hockey practice (She’s the varsity coach) she also found another quarter and a penny. I didn’t have any luck on my run or cool down walk but did score some returnables along the way.

The evening walk netted the rest of the bounty. We picked up 31 cents at the car wash (quarter, nickel, penny) and yes, another quarter and a penny on Main Street.

Side note – coke cap, power aid cap, dr. pepper cap update – We currently have 725 points for the coke rewards, 111 for the power aid rewards and 0 – 16 in the Dr. Pepper win a hummer sweepstakes. Bummer!

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 129.85
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 247.22

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,037 – 401.85
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,059 – 902.95

Big Ticket Item!

Today we found 54 cents and 32 bottles and cans.

Just when I thought I’d seen it all. I was riding my bike down on a remote area of the Mousam trail this afternoon. It’s pretty steep on both sides and I was on the lookout for stray bottles and cans when I came across a new kids mountain bike. It was way down in the woods and hard to tell what shape it was in at first. When I got a close look at it, it was in nearly mint condition, other than a few small scratches along the handlebars where it was probably pushed down the embankment (see picture). It was tricky getting it home as I was about 2 miles out, but with a little balancing act and a few stops along the way, I made it back home in fairly decent time.

As for our money finds, I found 2 pennies at the depot during my afternoon bike ride prior to coming across the bike. Then, on our evening walk, we found 52 cents, 2 quarters and 2 pennies, all at the car wash. Michele didn’t have time for a morning walk today because of some organizational issues with field hockey, however, things are improving, and she should be back to normal soon.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 128.27
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 245.64

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 8,011 – 400.60
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,033 – 901.65

The Competition!

Today we found 71 cents and 31 bottles and cans.

Continuing on the theme from yesterday, but with a slight twist, are the interesting characters we see in our travels on walks and bike rides. The picture above is that of a person we lovingly call the “Bike Lady”. This older woman rides her bike around Springvale and Sanford each day while the weather is good collecting up cans and bottles. She’s an interesting person and doesn’t attempt to hide her craft from the viewing public. I saw her this morning riding up by the house (unusual), and on her back by I snapped a photo. As you can see, she’s hard at work on a beautiful August day. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t find too many returnables. We keep our turf pretty neat and tidy!

Well, enough of the competition talk, now on our coin finding fares. Michele found 3 pennies on her walk with Lexi this morning. I didn’t get the details on where she found them though. The evening walk produced 27 cents, a quarter and penny on Main and one penny at Springvale Hardware. I found the rest the of the loot at the 7-11 during a late night bike ride in to town, 41 cents worth in the form of a quarter, a dime and 4 pennies. 2 additional pennies came from the Rite Aid parking as well on my way home.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 127.73
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 245.10

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7,979 – 398.95
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 18,001 – 900.05

Friends Along The Way!

Today we found 38 cents and 54 bottles and cans.

One of things I love about our walks and bike rides are the people we meet along the way. It reminds me of days gone by, the times when you really knew your neighbors and many others around town on a first name basis. I always enjoy stopping and chewing the fat, and we’ve become very well known (along with Lexi) around the village. The term, “I see you guys all the time” comes up quite often in conversation. I say to myself, yes, and I’m smiling all the way to bank, too!

Speaking of the bank, most of today’s bankroll came on Michele’s walk with Lexi. She found 11 cents on Mill, 1 penny at the high school, and a nickel and the depot. She also picked up 3 pennies on her run, all on Water Street. She’s in the zone and there’s no stopping her!

After I completed my run, I went out on thea bike and collected the bottles and cans I noticed on the run, plus some I didn’t notice. I also retrieved 3 pennies as well, 2 coming from Dorsey and one on Payne. The evening walk produced another 15 cents, 14 of it coming in front of the Sunny Side Restaurant and one in front of the karate studio. We did find one lonely marble, too.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 127.02
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 244.39

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7,948 – 397.40
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,970 – 898.50

Hi-Ho Silver!

Today we found 20 cents and 44 bottles and cans.

What started out to be a good day fizzled out by evening. Michele did most of the damage on a short walk with Lexi (had a field hockey clinic to attend) in the morning. Her first find came at the parking across from the library on Main in the form of a penny. After that she picked up a nickel and another penny on Mill, a dime on cash corner (Pleasant) and one penny in the rite aid parking lot.

I did a couple of walks during the day, the first was at 12:30 and was about 50 minutes long, but I didn’t find anything. Later, on the evening walk with Lexi, I netted one penny at Cumberland farms and one penny at the car wash.

Side note – in addition to our coin and bottle finds I did also pick up a brand new oversized beanie baby, a white cat named silver. Looks like the previous owner had set it out on the island while doing some cleaning and left it behind. I’ll just add it to yard sale items.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 126.44
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 244.01

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7,894 – 394.70
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,916 – 895.80

Ho-Hum Friday!

Our totals for the day were 7 cents and 29 bottles.

It looks as the though the finding gods have temporarily left us. We did have some success mind you, but certainly not at the rate we had been retrieving the currency lately. Michele found 2 pennies on her walk with Lexi this morning. Then, knowing that we had plans later for my uncle's 65fth birthday party in Somersworth, I went out for a short bike ride by myself while Michele took a nap after her doctor’s appointment. She did find 2 more pennies in the parking though. That seemed to be the theme as all I could come up with was 2 cents. The street sweeper has been out the last day or so and that’s cut in to the totals for sure. The final penny came on my run, a single cent on Pine Street. We probably would have pulled in a bit more on the evening walk but that the way it goes.

May the coin finding gods smile on you!

Money totals for 2006 – 126.44
Money total since Jan. 2005 – 243.81

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7,850 – 329.50
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,872 – 893.60

Honest Abe!

Today was another huge find on the money front. We found 5.40 in bills and coin and 139 bottles and cans. Michele was out on her morning walk with Lexi when she stumbled across a 5-dollar bill up on Webster. She normally doesn’t walk up that way but she wanted to break up her routine a bit, and because of it had the big score of the day. She also picked up another penny on Webster and one on Main. During her run she found an additional penny.

After I had finished up my run (found 2 pennies on cash corner) I got a call from my cousin Roger. Apparently he couldn’t connect to the net and had tried to work with a support tech to figure it out but became frustrated. So Michele and I went over and I took a look. Everyone in the family calls me now because of my years in the software industry. Once I got tech support on the phone it only took about 20 minutes. The problem was in the ip address and once we released the address in question and then the reassign, which applied a new ip address, bingo, we had a connection. Still, a little puzzling on why he lost his internet connection in the first place.

From there, I needed to hit the bank for a deposit, and then treated for the ice cream at the dairy delight where Michele found a nickel on the ground. The rest came on our evening walk with Lexi. We found a quarter at the car wash and a nickel at the karate studio.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 126.37
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 243.74

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7,821 – 391.05
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,843 – 892.15

Adding To The Total

Today we found 79 cents and 91 bottles and cans.

Hump day was another successful one on all fronts. Michele started out the action with 9 cents on her walk with Lexi. 7 cents of it was found on Mill Street next to the store, the remaining 2 came from Barbara and the High School.

After I got up, we decided to head to Somersworth and do some food shopping, during which we picked up 2 pennies when we stopped for lunch at Mickey’s D’s. After we arrived back home I went for my run and then off to the post office to mail some packages. When Michele got back from the high school, we went out for our evening walk (around 5:30 or so). Most of the bounty came from the car wash where we found 48 cents, a quarter, 2 dimes and 3 pennies. The last two finds, both dimes, came on Main Street.

A little side note – we picked up a really nice cradle planter for free from a place down the street that was giving it away. It has a beautiful design on it and will look great as part of the flower garden. If I get a chance I’ll snap off a pic.

Good Night and Good Luck!

Money totals for 2006 – 120.97
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 238.34

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7,682 – 384.10
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,704 – 885.20

Change, Change, and More Change!

This month has been an interesting one so far, we’ve had some dollar finds, an 18k gold ring (see earlier blog), and lots of change. Today was another of surprises, and that’s why we enjoy it so much because you never know what’s around the corner.

Our total for the day was 1.26 in change and 45 bottles and cans. Michele found the majority of it on her morning walk with Lexi. It seems our little girl was in need of a pee stop so Michele found an out of the way area on the corner of Elm and Payne. Little did she know that when she did, she stumbled upon a change purse with 91 cents, mostly pennies, that was in the gully (see picture). She found 2 other pennies on Mill and Allen.

After I had finished my 5 miler, we took our bikes and rode the course again to pick up the bottles and cans that I had spotted earlier. We did also pick up 27 cents as well, a dime and a penny on Riverbank, 10 pennies on Dorsey, 2 on Pine, one on Main and 2 at the 7-11. The evening walk netted 6 more cents, 4 pennies at the car wash and 2 at the 7-11.

I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 120.20
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 237.55

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7,591 – 379.55
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,613 – 880.65

Muggy Monday!

With the muggy weather returning today for a one day stint, we got in our runs fairly early, then headed to Red’s Shoe Barn so Michele could purchase a couple of pair of new running shoes. She got a great deal on some closeout models and tomorrow, when she’s out for her run, I know her feet will thank her.

On the money wire, we found 27 cents and 46 bottles and cans. Michele found 5 pennies and one marble on her walk with Lexi this morning. The rest came on the evening walk, 2 dimes and 2 pennies, all found at the car wash. The rest of the walk was bare bones. Nevertheless, it was another good day of finds.

Sidebar – coke, power aid, and dr. pepper cap update. Our coke reward point total is at 662 and counting. Power Aid is at 102, and in the Dr. Pepper win a hummer contest, (there are other prizes) we are a perfect 0 for 11! We did also pick up a 1942 wheat penny as well.

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 118.94
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 236.29

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7,546 – 377.30
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,568 – 878.40

Rings and Things!

In all the time I’ve been searching the roads for money and other treasures, I’ve been amazed at the things both Michele and I have found. Things like cell phones, pagers, various jewelry, a brand new Norelco electric razor, a checkbook, tools, plus a whole host of other items, not to mention 3 wallets and counting. Seeing is believing though, and I’m living proof that virtually nothing is sacred.

Why am I telling you this? Well, today was one of those unusual days. We were about 2 miles out from the house heading home on our bikes, near Hannaford’s Supermarket, when I saw a glint of what I thought was gold next to the curb. I told Michele I was turning around to take another look and sure enough, it was an 18 Karat gold ring in the shape of a horseshoe with what appears to be diamonds. Apparently this item, which was probably meant to bring the individual luck, was lost, how unlucky for him. Ironic, don’t you think? When we arrived home I took a closer look through a 10x jewelers loupe to confirm it. Then Michele dropped it into some cleaner to bring out the sparkle. The pictures above are that of the ring and one of the other finds (coins and a marble).

In addition to the ring, we found 22 cents and 67 bottles and cans. Michele found 2 cents on her morning walk with Lexi, then on the bike ride, we found 5 cents at the car wash, a nickel on State and a nickel at the Laundromat. Our evening walk gave the 5 remaining pennies, 2 on Main, 1 at the High School and 2 at Nasson College.

Good Night and Happy Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 118.67
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 236.02

Bottle and can totals for 2006 – 7,500 - 375.00
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,522 – 876.10

Holy Mother Load, Batman!

Today we found 2.09 in bills and coin and 106 in bottles and cans.

Saturday continued our fantastic run of money finding, almost like it was falling from the sky. Michele found 15 cents on her early morning walk with 2 pennies on Mill, 1 on Pleasant and 11 cents at the Depot. Then it was off to the family reunion, which on the way we found 3 cents in the median strip just before the entrance to the Maine Turnpike in Biddeford. On the way back we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for coffee (Auburn) and found another penny.

The rest of this mammoth day came on our evening walk, which we did a little later than normal, due to our over indulging of fine cuisine and the reunion. I just couldn’t lay off the goodies. Anyway, we found one penny at Rite Aid, and then a mind staggering 1.86 at the car wash which contained a dollar bill, 1 quarter, 2 dimes and 41 pennies. Looks like someone was cleaning out their penny jar today, hooray! The final few finds came in the form of 2 pennies at the skateboard park and one at the 7-11.

Sidebar – with the 2.09 today (118.45), we officially shattered our 2005 total of 117.35, with nearly 4 months to go in the year, and it just keeps getting better and better!

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 – 118.45
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 235.80

Bottle and can totals for 2006 – 7,433 – 371.65
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 – 17,455 – 872.75

A Fabulous Friday!

After a pretty heavy rain overnight and into the early morning, the sun broke out and it was just a gorgeous day, one to get out and enjoy. Michele and I did just that. First, she went out on her walk with Lexi, although it was later than scheduled, and upon returning, did her run. She’s starting to get some base mileage under her belt and can see the confidence starting to build. That’s good because the fall race season is closing in and I’d like to see her enter a couple of races and see how she makes out. After that I got my run in followed by a quick bike ride and then our evening walk as well. In between it all, we went over to visit my cousins Lee and Roger to catch up with the goings on. Michele also spent time in kitchen preparing goodies for the family reunion tomorrow at her sisters. Homemade egg rolls, tasty beef teriyaki and pound cake, yum, yum!

Now on to our daily totals, we found 26 cents and 109 bottles and cans. Michele found one penny on Pleasant Street during her morning walk with Lexi. I nailed down a nickel at Holdsworth Park, then 11 cents on Water and one penny at the skateboard park. The evening walk provided the rest of the action 2 pennies on Main and 6 at the car wash. * A note of interest, in our finds today we did pick up one wheat penny, a 1946. We get them pretty them often but I thought I’d share that little tidbit.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 – 116.36
Money totals since Jan. 2005 – 233.71

Bottle and Can totals for 2006 – 7327 – 366.35
Bottle and Can totals since Jan. 2005 – 867.45

Another dollar plus day!

Today was a day of little fixes, house chores and errands. We had put a new door in on the garage about a month ago. Because the original door was not a standard length, we had to cut it to size. After visiting my cousin Roger for the resizing, we put it in without a hitch. The one thing the door didn’t do was close securely. Basically, all we needed to do was make the door latch on the frame a little deeper, and that’s what Michele did today. Now it works great. In addition, she also did a little re-sealing around the tub as well. She always says it’s those little things that add up and boy is she ever right. I was just too pooped to help. I had all I could do to get in my run, and after that I was nothing more than a lazy sack of potatoes.

News from the money front, today we found 1.17 in change and bills and 34 in bottles and cans (see picture). Michele did most of the damage on her early morning walk with Lexi. While there weren’t many finds, she did pick up 2 pennies, both coming in front of Rite Aid, followed by the kicker, 1 dollar bill found just after subway on Frost. I was glad to see her find the green as it was her month (we alternate each month of the year) and most of those kinds of finds seem to come when it’s my month.

We did stop at a couple of stores in the afternoon, Mardens, which is a bargain closeout store and the off price outlet as well as the dollar store. Our only find was a single penny, but we did pick up some yummy snacks, cheap!

The rest to the money came on the evening walk. We found a dime and 3 pennies at the car wash, one penny at the Cumberland Farms and one penny on Main Street.

A little sidebar from last night, I had run down to the store for some soda about 10:30 last night and on my way back, I saw a line of animals crossing the road. At first I wasn’t sure what they were but when I got closer I saw what looked to be a family of raccoons, at least 6 but there could have been more. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen any thing like that. Usually you see one raccoon here or there and maybe 2 or 3 if you’re really lucky, but 6 or more? It was one of those times that you hear people say, “I wish I had my camera.” I’m echoing those thoughts right now.

Good Night and Good Hunting!

Money totals for 2006 - 116.10
Money totals since Jan. 2005 - 233.45

Bottle and can totals for 2006 - 7218 - 360.90
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 - 862.00

Dime Wednesday

I know now why I live in the northeast. Today’s blazer of 97 degrees with a heat index over a 100 was enough break even the toughest of diehards from their daily routine. The streets were pretty bare of pedestrians and those were outside didn’t stay there for long. Thankfully, the heat wave has run its course and from here on out it looks like smooth sailing.

As far as the money front goes, we found 1.84 and 73 bottles and cans, a huge day which didn’t start out so good. After an uncomfortable night of sleep for everyone including the animals, Michele took Lexi out for a short walk which yielded nothing. Right after that she went out for run and found the same thing, nothing. I had a planned day off from running so I thought I would go out for short bike ride (around 11am) to get some activity in before the real heat kicked in. This time the quest was successful. I found a nickel and a quarter on State Street and one penny on Nason Street. I had a little more luck on the ride netting a penny on Jackson, one on Central Ave., and one on Main heading home.

Things dramatically picked up from there. As today was a shopping day, we headed for Demoulas in Somersworth. On the way we stopped for a quick lunch and McDonalds and found 4 dimes and one penny on the way in. Then we went out the opposite way and found 2 more pennies. At Demoulas we found anther dime as well plus some really good deals on some ribeye streaks!

Then, during our evening walk, the money kept rolling in. First we found a dime in the rite aid parking lot, then another dime and a quarter on Main, and another dime, a quarter, and 3 pennies at the car wash. Rounding out the finds was a dime at Springvale hardware and 2 pennies at the 7-11.

It’s funny, when I first found the quarter and nickel during the bike the ride, I thought, hey, hitting the cycle should be easy, the dime and penny are the easiest to find. Then, for the rest of the ride, I couldn’t find that elusive dime. Little did I know that the rest of the day would be littered with dimes, a whopping 8 in all.

May the Money Finding Gods be with you!

Money totals for 2006 - 114.93
Money totals since Jan. 2005 - 232.28

Bottle and can totals for 2006 - 7184 - 359.20
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 - 860.50

Welcome to the dog days!

Well it seems that August is taking it's cue from July. Another blazing hot humid day here in Maine and over that last couple of weeks I've had about all I take. Unfortunately, tommorrow is supposed to be right around 100, the record here is 101 I think. After that, one day at 90 and downhill from there. It can't come soon enough for me though.

On the money front, we found 55 cents and 29 bottles. I had to get my hair cut today so that didn't allow time for an evening walk, not that I was really looking forward to it in this heat, but Michele did fit in short 45 minute walk with Lexi this morning and found most of the day's catch. First off was a dime in a parking lot on the corner of Mill and Main Street. Then a penny in front of the Mill Street Market followed by a quarter a few houses down. She then snagged a dime on Allen and penny on George. The last 2 pennies came in front of the social club and one in the rite aid parking lot. She also went to Somerworth to have Subaru serviced and found 5 additional pennies on her walk. The last coin was found at the car wash, which by the way seems to be attracting some new coin seekers. We usually find quite a bit of loot there but lately its been slow. The garbage cans were ransacked, too. Someone looking for bottles no doubt. Don't they know whose turf they're on. This car wash is only big enough for 2 people and that's us, so back off winos! There's a new sherriff in town!

Over and Out!

Money totals for 2006 - 113.09
Money totals since Jan. 2005 - 230.44

Bottle and can totals for 2006 - 7111 - 355.55
Bottle and can totals since Jan. 2005 - 17,133 - 856.65