Coked up

This Coke bottle comes with a remarkable story, which is why it is prominently displayed in the window. This is another beach find, but one with a strange story. When I found this, the top was sealed with cork and melted wax, with something inside. It was hard to tell what, though, since the cork seal had leaked and allowed salt water in. Anyway, I took it home and removed the seals, then shook out what looked like a plastic bag (it was covered with green, slimy algae). When I opened this bag, there was a wad of sodden paper. I dried the paper by placing in on the back grate of an operating box fan (I learned this from years on the water...when your cash gets wet, dry it on the fan). When it was dry, I was able to carefully unfold it, and written on it was a message in rather flowing script. It appeared to be a note from the captain of a sailboat who was soloing across the Atlantic in the Fall of 1970. The note said that the boat's name was the "Connie Mae" and that it had been de-masted in a storm. I'll spare you some of the details, but the skipper indicated that he thought his chances of rescue/survival were low, and then he revealed (in the note) a secret.

Evidently, the guy had been an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant in Vietnam, off of his second tour of active duty. The note said that during "unofficial" operations in Laos, he had acquired a number of gold artifacts, as well as a substantial amount of heroin, which he planned to sell. Under imminent threat of death on his sinking sailboat, he revealed the hiding place of both the gold and the heroin in what I assume is his last note. He said that the loot was buried in the corner of an old tobacco drying barn in North Carolina, and provided details on how to find it.

Well, a year or two after finding this note, I happened to be within about 30 miles of this location while on Spring Break, and a few of us decided to see it the note was for real. Under cover of darkness (on a rainy night), we located the barn and snuck in. Using an old G.I. trenching tool, we dug in the corner of the barn where the note said the stuff would be. After only about three inches, we hit something hard. After taking away a bit more dirt, we found three large ammo cans buried in the corner of that barn.

As for thier contents...well, let's just say that my student loans are paid in full, and also that it happens to be april fool's day.

The Big One

This scary looking black rifle is an Springfield Armory M1A, the semi-auto version of the old M14 rifle (later superseded by the M16). Chambered in .308 (aka 7.62 x 51 mm NATO), this guy is equipped with National Match barrel and flash suppressor, bayonet lug (thereby making in illegal in stupid states like New Jersey), 10 round mag (pictured), 20 round mag (not pictured), and black synthetic stock (original wood stock, not shown, can be swapped out). I got this for a song - a dude was selling in on consignment at a gun store for a price that was obscenely low. I bought it the day he brought it in - later that day he had a change of heart and wanted it back. Too bad. Let's just say I got this rifle for about 1/4 of what it's worth.

Afterward, I equipped it with a scope mount and a variable power Redfield scope. I've shot it out to 300 yards, and from a rest it's easily sub-minute of angle (approx. 3" at 300 yards), even in my clumsy hands with factory ammunition. Sadly, the outdoor range near my house closed a few years ago, and there's no place (that's reasonably priced) nearby that has a range out past 100 yards, so I've not shot this rifle in a while.

No pirates or nautical dainties here - just some serious firepower.