I find this thread rather intriguing. After a couple of trips to Alaska, my husband got “gold fever”. We live in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where there is a history of gold mining. He is semi-retired and this hobby, thank God, gets him out of this house and gives me a break. After nearly fifty years of marriage, I still love him dearly, but I treasure the quiet times when he is out prospecting. He has invested nearly two thousand dollars in his “equipment” (sluice boxes, pans, dredges, pumps, metal detectors, etc.) He has a great time doing it and has actually found enough flakes and “pickers” to pay for his investment. Our youngest grandson loves to go with him. He also caught “the bug”. It’s a great hobby....just don’t count on it being a job.
There is no cure for gold fever.
It is a good hobby, and if times got real bad, you would find enough to keep eating.
But oh, the fun it is.