12-10-11

The last couple of days I have been puttering with a few little projects.

A couple of years ago my brother, Sonny, gave Me an old .44 caliber Cap and Ball horse pistol that he found some where. When He got it it was all rusted and not functional. He cleaned it up and got it working. I haven’t fired the pistol yet and wanted to do the first firing in a safe manner so Thursday I built a test stand for the gun so it can be fired with a lanyard.

 

I will probably tri it tomorrow.

Roy and Dennis’s Rhino’s (ATV’s) have been out of service lately. Roy’s had starting problems and was lade up for a couple of weeks. He got it running a couple of days ago.

Dennis had a new top and rack built for his Rhino and got it back Thursday. Yesterday I helped him install a new windshield.

 

The last ride we went on (last season) was an attempt to find a mercury mine on the north edge of the Yuma Proving Grounds. We tried three times but didn’t find it. On the last attempt we passed a trail that we now think is the one that goes to the mine. This afternoon we are going back out there to try it again.

We left the park around 12:30. In the party were; 

Jo Ann and Dave in their brand new jeep.

Becky, Dennis in their Rhino,

Patti and I in Clifford.

We went south on the Yuma road until we got to the trail and turned right, into the proving grounds and followed that track until we came to the trail that we suspected was the one to the Cinnabar Mine. After a few miles we came to a stone structure that looked to have been a dwelling.

 

  

About a half mile further up the trail we could see the workings of the mine.

There are several structures, all made of brick.

This one looked to be a cooling tower judging by the way the inside was made.

above the tower was what looked like bases for the rock tumbler where they cool the cinnabar to extract the mercury

A little farther up the hill is what looks like a flue or chimney.

 

On another trail that went up the hill we found the mine it self.

The shafts were pretty scary looking.

We didn’t try exploring the shafts.

We followed a trail past the mine that ended up in a cul-de-sac.

Appropriate don’t you think?

We got home a little after 6:00.