We had the corrective braces for both my girls. As for me…having a few Scottish ancestors may have led to my decision when I went to the dentist in 1975. I had got an abcess under a tooth while on a hunting trip - it was a week of misery before I got back to civilization and dentist and got tooth out…well bugger my days if it didn’t happen again when on another trip so another tooth out.
Then in 1975 I went to the dentist and he said “This is going to cost you, you’ve got two fillings”
“How much?” I asked
“$40” replied the dentist.
So I said I could get them all out for that and he confirmed that yes indeed I could so I got an appointment for the following week and got them all out. I have never regretted it. No dentist bills. Economizing. You see my cousins on the kids programme ‘Gummy Bares’ it should that be ‘Gummy Bears’
I also wanted to get intimate with a woman who had no teeth but have never been that lucky.
Back to wheels. I could never justify buying a new vehicle…heck they lose $20,000 the moment you drive them out of the show room.
I also have not one but two Toyota Surfs…why two? One spare and they don’t bring the older ones in any more. My last one I drove down from Auckland and went for a WoF. Guess what - it failed so new tyres…$1250…friends concession price. Drove it to South Otago to visit someone and the head gasket blew on the way home $3000.
Both Petrol V6.
I budget $50 a week for petrol so any trips I save up for and make them multiple day trips
I can fly to Auckland cheaper than it costs me to drive to my own property from Dunedin.
Gold? Yes I still have ‘some’ but it’s for my kids and I never see it as it’s in security. The 70s, 80s and 90s we’re good to me.
Mine doesnt do anything at the moment - last time I had it going it probably saved 25 percent petrol because it only went on three cylinders and that was ten years ago! Before then it sat for another ten years…its got war wounds - three bullet holes, its been in three mine exploration shafts on my place - thats how I found them in the tussock - I dorve into them. On one occasion my nephew and I had to walk a mile back to the house to get long balks of timber to lever it out - on each occasion one of the corners went into the hole - and today it shows it.
Hey I am poor, destitute, insolvent, financially embarrassed and other wise bankrupt and cant even afford ammunition at the two dollar shop for my Nerf Gun to shoot flies off the ceiling…serious - I only budget $50 a week for petrol and that only allows me to start my 4WD and think of more lucrative times.
Meant to say “spent” - I’m on phone; typos are too frequent!
In other news: got what I believe is some microscopic free silver to go along with my native copper (have to confirm with testing).
Now free silver sounds ACE - I am jellyarse as finding native silver has been a dream of mine - I always wanted to go to the US of A to look in the silver mines of the Comstock lode and maybe the Durango, Mexico mine but if I went there I might be mistaken for someone dubious and nefarious and end up headless.
Well it’s only in some quartz, & microscopic.
I’ll see if I can get some pix with Loupe or under microscope. It’s a good sign for gold too. But I’m happy with either, lots of other great minerals too (yet to ID), the place is a bit of a mess - 1 in a million if I can find a source reef/vein. Even then, I hardly want to be crushing quartz all day - too much work aye!
I would be back there looking for more. It’s hard to say. Not right colour for pyrites. Too white for arsenopyrites so you never know. Pity the School of Mines at Thames does not operate any more. There is an elderly mineral collector at Thames who is an expert and might know. The girl who runs the rock shop at the old School of Mines knows of him and might be happy to put you on to him.
they were diamond had them all tested by a mate who was a jeweler he said they were. don’t know where they are now. they was a small rush round 1900 for diamonds but the quality wasn’t there. still good to be able to say Ive mined diamonds.
talked to him before and apparently there was a rush at mt alford near mt somers early 1900’s at a place now known as the diamond slip. an old time scam artist started a rumour there were diamonds there and sold claims to the site and presumably did a runner with a handful of cash because there weren’t diamonds in that area.
on Guns 
& ammo 
