Eric reached out to me via email. He’d been in a rush to take down his Christmas decorations before an incoming snowstorm and, in the process, had lost his yellow gold wedding ring. We arranged to meet after his workday ended.

Upon arrival, Eric showed me the area where he’d been working. The search area, blanketed by about three inches of snow, wasn’t very large. He mentioned he needed to pick up his daughter from school but would return in about ten minutes.

As soon as Eric and his wife left, I began my search. Just a minute later, my detector gave a strong signal in the gold range. I brushed away the snow, and there it was—Eric’s gleaming yellow-gold wedding ring. I snapped a few photos and waited for their return.

When I saw them approaching, I pretended to still be searching. Eric’s wife got out of the car first, and I quietly asked her to wait a moment. Eric followed and said, “I guess you haven’t had any luck.” I asked if he recalled shaking his hands or doing anything that might have flung the ring beyond the immediate area. He didn’t. While he scanned the lawn, I revealed the ring from my gloved hand. His wife noticed first, and her surprised smile was wonderful to see. Eric’s reaction was even better.

They were both overjoyed. His wife was particularly thrilled, exclaiming, “This is great! Now I can finally get that dining room carpet and not have to buy him a new ring!”

I love my hobby!