In Placerville, the first order of business was lunch, which we had at a Mexican restaurant Pagan and I always frequent. Luckily enough, our Entertainment book (which we've been pretty bad about this year) had a twofer coupon for it. Then across the street to the Bookery, a great used bookstore which Pagan introduced me to, and which I never got Gerhard to. Sigh. I found some treasures, as usual. We went into Placerville Hardware which is mentioned in the Geezers Gawking Guide. It is, indeed, a great old-fashioned everything-and-the-kitchen-sink hardware store.

Then it was time (and past, actually) to go to the Gold Bug Mine. We put on hardhats and went into the mine. Yes, my claustrophobia was telling me about it, but I made it all the way to the end of the mine. There are lit places all along with really pretty rocks showing.

We didn't have time, then, to explore that museum because the Hendy Stamp Mill would close in 15 minutes. This is fascinating stuff! The hammers hit in sequence, and there's a way they move about slightly. Lessee if I can decipher my notes. The mill could process 240 pounds of rock per minute. The rock powder slid down a screen which mercury was on, and any gold would glom onto the mercury and make a pasty lump. Then this was heated to 650 degrees, to boil the mercury off into a retort where it was recovered. A second furnace then went to 2250 degrees to melt gold. It took 1960 tons of rock to make an 80 pound ingot.

Men earned 20 cents per 12-hr. day to pound rock by hand. Working at the mill meant deafness, mercury poisoning, silicosis, pneumonia, and a whole dollar a day. The machine was in operation 39 years, first run by water, then steam, then by a Cadillac engine.

The park was closing, so it was time to come home. Back here, we noted the mockingbirds threatening our pets... apparently they've had a third nest this year! I spent hours trying to download my mail, and had no luck. I filed an inquiry with Yahoo!Mail, since I've been a "premium" member since April and haven't had trouble before.

Today we went out to the house and worked on sorting and pricing stuff. What do you know, the furniture guy hasn't turned up. This is getting beyond annoying. I suppose we might be ready by Friday.

A great Sept. 11 Archive. And Steven denBeste describes how Clinton inadvertently helped binLaden.