Woke up at stupid o’clock Thursday buzzing to hunt diamonds. Grabbed my beat-up bucket and gardening shovel from the shed – totally forgot proper gear. Drove forever past cows and cornfields till I hit the public dig site. Place looked like a muddy war zone already packed with folks.
Getting My Hands Dirty (Literally)
Paid the small fee feeling broke but hopeful. Parked near what looked like a giant molehill playground – all dirt piles and holes. Saw people knee-deep in sludge, sifting dirt like crazy. Thought, “how hard can this be?” Spoiler: Harder than I thought.
Started digging near a freshly turned pile. Stabbed the shovel down. CLANG. Hit rock immediately. Jarred my wrist good. Dug around it for like ten minutes, sweating buckets under the Arkansas sun trying to murder us. Pulled out a gray brick – not quartz, just boring old rock. Tossed it aside feeling like a moron.
- Lesson one: Location sucks? Move your butt.
- Lesson two: Borrow a proper screen sifter next time. Mine collapsed like wet cardboard.
Moved closer to the big water troughs after seeing a kid find shiny flecks. Scooped a bucket of wet gravel – super heavy. Hauled it to the trough. Dumped it onto my pathetic screen and started sloshing it underwater. Muddy goop splashed my jeans everywhere. Swirled it slow, letting the gunk wash away.
The “Maybe” Moment & Pure Exhaustion
Something glinted. A tiny, clear crystal stuck in the screen mesh. Barely bigger than a pinhead. Heart thumped. Used my muddy fingers to pry it out. Held it up – wet and dirty, but definitely sparkly. “Could be?” Probably just quartz, but hope flared.
Felt the energy kick in. Dug like a maniac for two more hours. Filled, hauled, washed, picked through dozens of buckets. Found more teensy glitters, a weird purple stone, and way too much quartz. My back screamed. Hands went numb and raw. Sunburn starting to sting.
Small Victories & Leaving Grubby
Showed my little sparklies to the park folks. They grinned. “Yep,” said one, pointing at the clear one, “that’s a diamond, alright. Small, but real!” Felt a stupid grin spread across my grimy face. Even got a little certificate later for finding one.
- Actual Diamond Found: 1 (Tiny!)
- Possible Diamonds/Interesting Stuff: 4-5
- Weight Lifted (Dirt): Felt like a ton
Dragged myself back to the car, covered head-to-toe in orange mud. Stashed my dirty treasures in a ziploc. The drive home felt long. Blistered hands ached gripping the wheel. But man, staring down at that dirty pinhead of sparkle? Totally worth the misery. Next time? Bringing sunscreen AND bug spray.
