<p><strong>I thought I would send this after reading the owners rendition of the whole scenario.</strong> It seems that there was more to the story over the loss and the history of the earring than I knew ahead of taking the V3i to the field. This was found yesterday, May 21st, out in an open field, using my V3i. Her friend was swinging my M6, Cathy and I have been working together for a month or two since she decided to get into detecting, she using my M6. We had the other earring to sample before the hunt in order to get proper tone and VDI. The owner's story was mainly why I felt that White’s would appreciate reading this. I am also pleased that I was successful in finding such a small piece in a rather large area, in an hour. The hunt was near the give-up stage, and then luck struck.</p> [split] <p>The owner posted this on her Facebook with no input from me...it was a cool read in my opinion.</p> <p>"Here's the story of the earring that I posted a picture of a couple of hours ago.</p> <p>So, the week before Mother’s Day, I had to get head shots of Geneva and Paris for some auditions. I decided to go ahead and get some new pictures of Sydney too while I was at it. When styling Syd pre-session, I thought it would be sweet to have her wear a pair of my earrings. This particular set of earrings was my very first Mother’s Day gift ever. Scott gave them to me when I was pregnant with Paris. They are an adorable little pair of silver hoops that have a Celtic knot charm representing the trinity of Maiden-Mother-Wise Woman (or Crone).</p> <p>With Sydney dressed and the rest of the kids in tow, I head out to take her pictures. We shoot a few up at Ben Harmon High School they have some great spots for an urban feel. And then I took her out to an empty field nearby, because despite her roots here in the city, Sydney is a country girl in her heart. She is always happy and relaxed when we are out in the country somewhere. So I thought a setting like that would be good for some of her photos. This field is great. It's got some tall grass, beautiful cedar trees and the odd round bale of hay here and there. We take some great shots but as it was overcast evening anyway and we start losing light fast. We play around a little with light and flash and movement in the fading light because I'm always trying to learn and better my photography. As we wrap up, Sydney realizes that she's missing an earring. We start searching for it. No luck. I break my phone out and use the flashlight app hoping that will help. No luck.</p> <p>I am furious. I am furious with her, not because she lost it but because she lost it because she wouldn't quit messing with it. I am furious with myself for having her wear them. It was my idea. She wouldn't have cared either way. I am devastated. These earrings have no value to anyone but me but I love them. I cherish these earrings. Not because of their value (they weren't expensive) but because of the turning point in my life they represent.</p> <p>I spend a considerable amount of time searching for the earring. No luck. Now it is nearly 8:30 pm and I have the 6 year old and the 4 year old with me (and also my lovely 16 year old assistant who has school the next day) AND I have to pick up Paris from volleyball practice so I have to leave. I picked Paris up and then took everyone home. I dropped them off and drove back out there by myself. I literally pawed around in the hay on my hands and knees for an hour in the dark. No luck.</p> <p>The next morning I drag Sydney out with me and we spend another hour and a half out there digging around. No luck. So I start trying to figure out how I can find this thing. It's small, really small. The field is big. The grass is tall. And then there's the hay... Then, I notice a bunch of dirt equipment at the far edge of the field and my heart sinks to my stomach. They're about to level this place before I get the chance to find the earring. Luckily, a few minutes later a guy from the surveying crew comes by and I ask him if they are about to start dirt work on the field. He says no (at least not as far over as where I am) and I am relieved. It's really a good thing because I was thinking of ways to chain myself to the roll of hay until I could figure out a way to find the earring.</p> <p>Inspiration strikes and I think "Metal detector!!!" Only to find that I can neither rent one nor buy one used from any of the pawn shops within a 20 mile radius of me. Which really is okay because I don't know how to use one in the first place so it probably would have been a waste of money. (Keep in mind that I am sitting in the middle of a field on my cell phone calling pawn shops)</p> <p>Inspiration strikes again as I have a vague memory of my friend, Cathy, digging around in the dump and finding some silver. YAAY! I reach out to Cathy, who I've not seen in at least 7 or 8 years despite the fact that she lives less than 30 minutes from me. (Suffice it to say we've both had a lot going on, especially her.) Much like Obi Wan Kenobi, she is my only hope. What does she do? She rearranges her schedule and finds time to meet me the next day, metal detector in hand. I spend some time narrowing down the places to look for the earring by checking the photos to see when Sydney was wearing it and when she wasn't.</p> <p>I wake up confident that we are going to find that earring. We search for about an hour and half in fog and a slight drizzle all in the roll of hay, around it, in the field. We don't find it. To say I am disappointed is an understatement.</p> <p>Cathy tells me not to worry. She has someone who has been teaching her to treasure hunt with the metal detector. Maybe she can get him to come out with his "better" detectors and we'll find it. (It's at this point that I realize that I am WAY out of my league with this metal detecting stuff.) Cathy texts me yesterday to see if I want to give it one more shot at finding the earring. I say yes, despite the fact that I have, in fact, resigned myself to the fact that the earring is gone.</p> <p>Cathy, Martin and I caravan out to the field again this morning. I show Martin the remaining earring and as he looks at the field of tall grass, a big smile spreads across his face and he says "I like a challenge like this." I'm glad he does. I, on the other hand, feel somewhat differently. We spend nearly an hour looking. No luck. We've swept the roll of hay and all around it.</p> <p>The tall grass all the way up to where the van was parked. (By "we" I mean they carried the metal detectors and did the sweeping and I just wandered around out there wringing my hands.) I didn't want to be disappointed again. I mean, after all, I didn't really think we'd find it. But I am. I am disappointed. I am sad. This was my last chance to find it. And just as Cathy and I are just discussing giving up on it… Martin whistles and waves us over. There it is right in the grass and dirt. Right on top about 15 feet away from the roll of hay.</p> <p>Happy Mother’s Day to me again</p>