Lost and Found in Berkeley backyard
I received a call from a young husband and new father saying that his wife had recently lost her ring in their backyard.
I drove out to their lovely Craftsman-era rental in Berkeley after work and went to work. This young couple, tired in their new roles as parents, were distraught over the loss of the ring.
When looking for lost items like rings, it is important that I get all of the information before beginning my search. Where were you sitting/standing when it fell off? What were you doing? Where did you hear it land or bounce?
We all believed it was most likely under the porch and that when it flew off of her finger it hit the deck and slipped between boards. I spent several hours under the deck sweeping away leaves, clearing out wire, nails, and other metal odds and ends and yet I could not locate the ring.
It was getting dark so I offered to return on the next available day as they were heading out of town. The following Tuesday I was back out and determined to find it. On this second trip I knew I had to think outside the box. I sat on the porch where she had been sitting when she lost the ring, imitating her movements from that evening, and even spent a little while under the porch again, this time with her help. During the week between my visits the Meyer lemon trees in the planter at the end of the deck were trimmed back a bit making it easier for me to really get in there with minimal pokes and pricks from the thorny branches. The planter was rotting and there were many gaps for items to fall into so I concentrated on these areas. I was running out of options and I really hate not being able to successfully return an item that I am called out to find. Digging through rotted wood, leaves and the odd ping pong ball, I reached down and pulled out this beautiful gold ring.
In the end, it was less about having a metal detector, and more about perseverance. People often think it will take mere minutes to locate their lost items with a metal detector. Many people give up within the first 20 minutes and I have to encourage them to let me keep working. Sometimes they leave me, thinking they will never see their precious item again. But if the item is there, I will find it.
Jason asked if I could look for his wedding band that he was sure was lost forever. Gave it a 3% chance of finding but had me look anyway for closure. He estimated it was lost on a sandbar in the gulf about 50 feet off shore and within a 250 linear foot sandbar. I Started a grid and found it just about in the center of the area. Jason was attending to his baby back at the condo when I found it but the rest of his family and in-laws were watching my progress from the beach. Everyone was impressed with the recovery thinking that the search was a folly. Jason was extremely happy and I’m sure the rest of his vacation was regret free. Glad I could help! 
Sue lost her wedding ring set at Gulf Shores a couple day before calling me for help. She didn’t know where to go and it took a day or so to find someone who could help. I told her i would be there first thing in the morning. I met her where she and the family were staying and we walked to the beach area she thinks it was lost. She wasn’t sure how it was lost, where it might be or if it was even on the beach but felt hopefully it was on the beach. She talked about the day it was lost and her activities and locations. The house and car had been searched and it wasn’t there, so logicly it must on the way to the beach or somewhere on the beach. She showed me the various places they were on the beach and the routes to and from those various places. With that information I put together a search plan and proceeded. After about 30 minutes and after digging several other targets I got a very good signal and knew i found something good. I dug it and showed it to Sue who shouted you found it! She was very, very happily. I’m glad I found it for her, it made both our days. 
Jason lost his wedding band in the sand at Pensacola Beach on Sunday. He called that evening and i said I would help and agreed to meet first thing Monday morning at the beach. Jason had a fairly large area identified as the target area. There wasn’t anyone on the beach and the weather was comfortable. I started a grid and searching it pretty fast while Jason was working the phone lining up his days business. Fortunately his ring was in the area he designated. I found it in record time and it was back on his finger and he back to work on time! 
