Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Remains of Civil War Vesseel in Troy Spring in Troy State Park. |
While the beaches of South Florida get a lot of the attention and draw tons of tourists, Florida offers amazing fresh water sites in Central and North Florida that should not be missed. Besides the swimming, tubing and snorkeling, most are rich in history and many offer a view of Florida's historic and prehistoric past. One of those is in Troy State Park.
Troy Spring was purchased by the state of Florida in 1995. Prior to that time, Troy Spring was accessible only by boat or by navigating dirt roads and cow pasture gates. Many people still remember when they could drive their boats all the way into Troy Spring to enjoy fishing, swimming, diving and the company of others.
Today, boaters can still enter the park from the river boat dock; however, a paved entrance road has become the more popular access route.
The historic site of what remains of the steamship Madison lies within the spring run. In the mid-1850s Captain James Tucker had the ship built with a very shallow draft especially intended for the frequently changing water levels of the Suwannee River. For many years, the ship served as a floating mail service and trading post.
In 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War, it was used by the Confederate forces as a privateer and makeshift gunboat...
Thanks to DJ for the link below.
As the world warms, driving sea levels higher, saltwater is encroaching along the world's coasts and into its estuaries. The seawater invasion can overtake the freshwater that gives life to deciduous trees. It is happening in the Chesapeake Bay, and it isn't going unnoticed. Scientists released a report on the salinization that is impacting coastal ecosystems.
"The impact of saltwater intrusion on coastal forests and farmland is typically understood as sea-level-driven inundation of a static terrestrial landscape, where ecosystems neither adapt to nor influence saltwater intrusion," according to a study conducted by an international team of scientists. "Yet recent observations of tree mortality and reduced crop yields have inspired new process-based research into the hydrologic, geomorphic, biotic, and anthropogenic mechanisms involved."
"When a lot of these forests die back, instead of being replaced with a native salt marsh...
And below is Devil's Den Spring, just one more example that should not be missed.
You might want to check into some of these wonders.
Below is the link for Devil's Den Spring.
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As the world warms, driving sea levels higher, saltwater is encroaching along the world's coasts and into its estuaries. The seawater invasion can overtake the freshwater that gives life to deciduous trees. It is happening in the Chesapeake Bay, and it isn't going unnoticed. Scientists released a report on the salinization that is impacting coastal ecosystems.
"The impact of saltwater intrusion on coastal forests and farmland is typically understood as sea-level-driven inundation of a static terrestrial landscape, where ecosystems neither adapt to nor influence saltwater intrusion," according to a study conducted by an international team of scientists. "Yet recent observations of tree mortality and reduced crop yields have inspired new process-based research into the hydrologic, geomorphic, biotic, and anthropogenic mechanisms involved."
"When a lot of these forests die back, instead of being replaced with a native salt marsh...
Here is the link for more about that.
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| Some More Florida Metal Detector Finds. |
In a previous post I mentioned that I found a stack of photos of metal detecting finds. Normally between two and four weeks I would photograph my gold and a few other finds before taking the good stuff to a bank deposit box. The find photos quickly accumulated.
As I've said before, the photos were a good idea but in retrospect, I realize it would have been better if I added more detailed information such as the location of the finds. As you will see today, even the photos aren't sufficient. In many cases they are not clear enough to allow identification of many of the items.
Just to point out a few things about this group of finds, the item I remember most clearly is the gold chain with the religious medallion. It was one of those beautiful days with a clear blue sky. Despite the water being calm, I remember having one heck of a time digging up the chain. There was a shallow layer of sand over a layer of rock that prevented getting a good deep scoop.
I don't remember how many times I tried before I finally got it up, but it took many attempts. With long heavy gold chains, it is difficult to get the entire chain in the scoop and if any of the chain is not in the scoop, the bit hanging out will pull the entire chain out as the scoop is being raised.
You'll notice that it looks like a piece of the medallion was broken off. That is another reason I remember this chain. I always wondered if I might have done the damage with my scoop. I'll never know for sure.
There are also a couple class rings in that group of finds, but I don't remember those individually. I remember finding some of the class rings I found but these pictures aren't clear enough to provide the distinguishing details.
Some class rings are remembered by size or weight, such as some of the larger ones that weight an ounce or so or others that I remember by the name of the school or age of the ring. This photo just isn't clear enough to provide that kind of distinguishing information. Again, it would have been better if I recorded additional information with the photo. That is one those lessons I didn't learn soon enough
There are a number of class rings finds that stick out in my memory, such as the heavy 22 pennyweight University of Miami class ring that was found in an small area with a group of lead fishing sinkers. I could have been tempted to quit digging the sinkers before getting to the ring and was happy I removed all the sinkers so I got the ring.
There is always something that makes the most memorable finds memorable. Sometimes it is a characteristic of the find and sometimes it is something unique about circumstances, day or hunt.
At the far right of the photo is a pair of earrings. Although you can't see it in the photo, they both feature a pearl and three diamonds. Very nice earrings, but I don't remember where I found them.
Most earring pairs are found in dry sand. Sometimes they are linked together and have obviously been intentionally removed. Among the earrings found as pairs, most are high quality, which is probably why they were removed before swimming or other activities.
The rope chain is broken and silver rather than gold. I don't know why I included it in the photo. I don't remember finding it and I don't remember finding the other shorter gold chain to the left.
There you have just some notes on find metal detecting finds and another reminder to take good photos and keep detailed records. Find photos help you keep track of your finds, but they also open doors to long forgotten experiences and memories.
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Nothing significant in the week weather forecast. Just small surf and moderate tides.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net