Easter

This weekend was Henry's first Easter! We celebrated it in his maternal hometown. To get there he braved his longest car journey, two hours. The ride out on Saturday was uneventful as he slept most of the way. Once there the town was instantly notified and he received many guests. He met the first female his own age (three weeks apart) and my wife and I spent our longest time away from him. We went to Friendly's for one hour to have ice cream sundaes. We enjoyed the quiet. I'm sure my wife would have traded it for a full a nights sleep, however. Easter Day went well too. Henry made it through the day in only two outfits and wore pants for the first time. He was a big hit with the entire family.



Before we left I did some coin roll hunting. It was one of my best nights!

I searched eight boxes of halves, 8,000 coins. In them I found thirty-seven 90% halves (1939, 1940, 2 x 1942, 1942S, 1945, 2 x 1945S, 1950, 2 x 1954D, 1958D, 2 x 1963, 2 x 1963D, 21 x 1964), sixty-seven 40% halves (2 x 1965, 9 x 1966, 23 x 1967, 23 x 1968D, 7 x 1969D, 1970D), one proof (1989S), and two mint set halves (2004D, 2006D). I had a great feeling before I started tearing into these boxes. Two boxes were showing Walking Liberties at the ends and one box was showing 6 or 7 silvers. This is by far the most Walkers and Franklins I've found in boxes. I was also surprised to find my second 1970D, especially so soon after finding my first. I wish every Thursday could go like this last one.

I also looked through 6,640 hand rolled quarters. They produced one silver Washington (1964), twelve Canadians, and one UK 10 pence. I also found my first 2008 coins in this batch, 2008P Okalahoma and 2008D Okalahoma. I actually found a 2008D before a 2008P!

400 dimes and 280 nickels turned up one War Time nickel (1943P), three Canadians dimes, and one Canadian nickel.

Lastly, I searched 3,150 hand rolled pennies. In them I found thirty-two Wheats, forty-one Canadians, one US dime, and one Barbados 1¢. The Wheats were:

1918(2), 1930, 1935, 1941(2), 1941D, 1942, 1944(3), 1944D, 1945(2), 1946, 1946D, 1947, 1948, 1950(2), 1951, 1952, 1953, 1953D, 1955(2), 1956D(3), 1957D(2), 1958



Last night when we got home I finished reading Tracking Marco Polo by Tim Severin. It is the first book he wrote and tells of his first adventure. As a geography student he decided that he wanted to do some summer traveling like students in other majors did, so he attempted to duplicate Marco Polo's voyage to China. Two friends joined him on two motorcycles (and two side cars). They rode from England all the way to Afghanistan before authorities ended their journey. The northeast part of Afghanistan was too violent at the time period to continue and China wouldn't give them the proper visas. Along the way they lost their sidecars, one motorcycle, broke bones, were jailed, and nearly got robbed several times. At the end they drove from Kabul to Calcutta, 3,000 miles, on one bike! The book is shorter and a little less polished than his subsequent books. The journey is also less historical than his later ones, but this doesn't get in the way of his insight into Marco Polo. It was a great read. Sadly, I only have one and half of his adventure books left to read.



Found: 17 pennies (2 at Costco, 1 at Papa Gino's, 1 at Sovereign Bank, 4 at Mass Pike rest stops), 1 nickel, 2 dimes