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Gold Fever

© 2015-present Rick Coona

The Ad copy read:

_ "'Sport-model' Opossum with no fences, seeking "up for anything" adventurous "3-G" Femme 18-29 for NSA watersports, and other activities, _

_ if we can make a mutual splash, lets see what other mischief we can get into?" _

"Well, that is getting it out there, I hope I can make a connection here." the opossum thought, as he hit send on the message posting it to the alternative weekly's 'hook-up' section of their local on-line personals.

Greg Meadows was a quiet adventurer a modern day prospector, who would spent most of his available free time out in the field, after his last trip out he had been feeling the need for a bit of companionship.

About a week later he got a reply, her name was Becka, she was 26 with red hair and violet eyes, she would describe herself as an " Athletic Badger with big Tits" and when they agreed to meet at a local coffee house her first impression was "Oh my Gawd! You look kinda like Santa Clause!" she declared with a delighted giggle taking a seat at his table.

"indeed, I get that a lot...wanna play 'Elf' and sit on Santa's lap?" Greg chuckled stroking his beard. without missing a beat Becka fired back

"Sure! And we can talk about the first thing that pops up!" She chortled "Oh you are definitely fun, this looks promising." the buxom Badger purred blowing the steam off her tankard of coffee.

"Indeed it is, so tell me, what was it about my ad that piqued your interest?" Greg asked opening his notebook.

"Well... I like to consider myself a very 'up-for-anything 3G gal' watersports is something I've wanted to explore, and your ad mentioned making a mutual splash, that to me said it would be both ways, which I think would be really fun, NSA is always a great way to start out and if I read your ad correctly "sport-model" to me indicates..... um, you're fixed?" she hazarded ducking slightly with a blush creeping across the Badger's muzzle.

"Correct on all points, my dear and I have the paperwork and test results, so if we decide to take this farther than mutual water-play you are completely safe so if things get wild you would never have that nagging worry in the back of your mind about you catching a nasty case of the nine month belly bulge."

"Wow thanks, that is a real relief! Most guys today say since it's ME who can get preggers, it's up to ME not to, while they can spray their baby batter around like a fire hose without a concern, I had a scare a couple years ago so I have been really careful. Unfortunately, most contraceptives tend to react badly with me, so I have been having to play 'condom roulette' every time I take it anywhere other than in either end of my GI tract." Becka finished with a wickedly saucy wink that made Greg blink and then grin.

"Oh Really... That sounds promising, you are sounding like a true and proper 3G to me, so how much experience have you had in the watersports arena?" he asked taking a pull from his tankard.

"Good, Giving and Game, that's me...Well, I gave myself a shower once, and had some frat guys do a six-on-one in the locker room shower."

"oh, how was that for you?" Greg asked

"it was alright, though a couple of the guys tried to make it about shame, and that really took the glow off it, and I found out beer makes them taste bitter and I hate IPA's: Becka made a face then chuckled.

"For me it is..." Becka paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "Now this may sound weird, but to me it is... _ Special _, you are sharing something intensely personal. This is something you made for me and it is warm and... loving and I want to share that. I haven't found too many guys into receiving as well, sure they can dish it out, but your ad spoke to me."

Becka reached across the intimate table and placed her hands on his the look in her eyes told Greg everything he needed to know. He nodded squeezing her hand in his she smiled gratefully.

"I think that was the most beautiful way I have ever heard the concept put into words." the 'possom said hoisting his tankard in toast Becka klinked is and they both took a long pull.

"Thank you for that, Like I said, I have been looking for someone to explore this with and you being older, uh, More mature if you will I guess you can understand... more life experience than someone my age and all..." Becka paused looking into the depths of her cup hoping the answers would somehow float to the surface, sighing she shook her head and looked into Greg's Slate Grey eyes.

"Thank you for that hon, Age is just a number, Life is a Journey, and when you get to see it from the other side of the half century mark, a whole new vista opens up to you, and if you are awake, and humble, you get some pretty powerful insights. Where you are at this moment in your life is a result of all the decisions from your past that lead you hear... Now, as to where you are going? Well, that my dear is totally up to you." Greg paused looking just over the top of her head for a moment it looked to Becka that he was looking into eternity.

"...Whoa." Becka just stared almost mesmerized all the activity around her faded into the background.

"Let me ask you something Becka... Where do you see yourself five years from now?"

"Um... five years? Wow, I... I never really gave it much thought, I want some adventure in my life before I settle down but I can't really see myself doing that anytime soon. I'm not like my sister the perfect little house frau, constantly parroting mom with the mantra _ 'You're nobody, until you are Mrs somebody...' _Gah! What wasted potential. I guess the reason I have been temping is I don't want to get locked down in some 'cube farm' burning away my life coding for 18 hours a day and ending up with no life, or worse living vicariously through social media. I want to Experience Life first-hand, not watch it in the Internet only to end up old and grey with nothing but bitter regrets at all the things I missed out on or passed up because I was 'too busy' to pencil it into my day planner. But, I guess that's why everyone says I will never amount to anything." Becka huffed, Greg grinned.

"Sounds like you seek the road less traveled... how old did you say you were?" he asked scribbling notes in some archaic symbols the Badger could not decipher.

"Uh, twenty-six, and yeah that sounds about right I was never one for 'fitting in' some of my teachers kept muttering _ 'The Nail That Stands Up, Gets Hammered Down.' _ For some reason that really used to piss me off, but I knew this was only temporary for me, they were imprisoned in that institution for life." Becka chuckled.

"Mediocrity should never be strived towards, nor settled for. The gifted are always persecuted in institutional settings for their mere existence shows others what they lack the inspiration to achieve for them selves, instead of raising the underachiever to loftier goals, they seek to nail everyones feet to the floor."

"But _ Why? _" Becka asked almost desperately finally hearing the voice of reason to the unanswered questions that haunted her youth.

"Perhaps they seek to crush your spirits so you can more easily be molded into cogs in the great bureaucratic machine that is commerce. A more compliant workforce and population is much easier to control if they have been conditioned from youth not to ask questions and accept without thought the voice of authority."

Greg finished leaning back in his chair to surreptitiously look around to see who was eavesdropping on their conversation. He saw a few heads silently nodding in agreement, than again this was one of the more counterculture coffee houses near the university that tended to cater to free thinkers, poets, writers and non-conformists. In other words, just his kind of place.

Becka visibly shivered, Greg placed his hand over hers drawing her attention away from whatever phantoms were haunting her memory. "Never forget, you are here freely and of your own will, they could not break you when they had the chance and now you seek high adventure where they fear to tread, so in my book you are one of the good ones." His smile was like the sun chasing away the gloom from the dark corners of her soul. (she returned it gratefully.)

"Wow, you have no idea just how much that helps." she said blowing out a breath she didn't realize tel that moment she was holding.

"No worries hon, and as to the whole 'age' thing, it's not the years, it's the mileage! Believe me." Greg chuckled, "I'm _ still _trying ta figure out how to reset my odometer!"

Becka Facepalmed. "Oh man, you have a real twisted sense of humor - I Really like that."

"Thank you my dear, I find you a refreshing breath of fresh air, you don't seem to be cowed by the snares of modern society, you actively seek out adventure and life experience first hand, you have what may be called the _ 'Pioneer Spirit' _ or as my granny would call it _ 'A bad case of fiddle-foot' _. You just had to see what was over the next hill, or around the next bend, not that that is a bad thing, mind you it was part of the winnowing process that helped settle this country... for you see, if you look back on history, you will find there a two kinds of people who moved west; 'Pioneers' and 'Settlers'."

"Now Pioneers, saw the westward migration as a grand adventure, always wanting to discover new vistas, new places, new resources, meet new peoples learn new stories, you get the idea." Greg said pausing to take a pull from his Tankard. Becka nodded, resting her head on her hands fascinated.

"Now when the wagon trains cleared the great eastern forests and came to the great plains, oceans of grassland as far as the eye could see the first devision of these two groups developed. The settlers' seeing the vast prairies looked around and decided that this place looked juuust fine to set up shop and they 'Settled' there rather than see what lay across the great unknown expanse of grass. The 'Pioneers' on the other hand couldn't wait to see what this new territory held to be discovered which is why the old Conestoga wagons were called 'Prairie Schooners' so off they sailed into the unknown.." Greg said with a smile subtly glancing around seeing he had the rapt attention of several tables within earshot he continued his narrative.

"This division happened whenever these brave explorers encountered a new obstetrical to overcome, be it wide Rivers, hostile Aboriginals, the hill country, the great western mountains that one really tested the mettle of those intrepid explorers, can you imagine seeing snowcapped mountains higher than anything you have ever seen in your life? try to imagine what it must have been like to traverse totally unknown territory without your modern conveniences like GPS? Not even a service station map... But fortunately these pioneers were made of stouter stuff. They saw it as a personal challenge to find out what was on the other side of these great mountains that some folks were calling the wall of the world try and cross them and you will fall off into oblivion... that argument made a lot of converts to the 'Settler' camp." Greg chuckled looking around seeing several nods and smiles.

"Wellsir, those Determined lot found a way over the top, and when they beheld more undiscovered lands lay to the west, down they went only to come upon the great western desert. Now, I can tell you, from _ Personal _experience, those arid lands are nothing to take lightly, more than a few expeditions met their doom in those dry desolate wastes the wagon ruts can be seen even to this day a testament th the determination of the Pioneer Spirit." Greg said solemnly.

"Now after all the obstacles and hardships, the death, blistering heat, freezing cold, torrential floods and drought and disease, all the misfortunes that life could throw in their path, these intrepid explorers came to the one unsurmountable obstacle... The Pacific Ocean!" the possom said spreading his arms wide with a grin to match.

"And Let me tell ya; Boy, were they pissed! Having come all that way, only to run out of land to explore! But, what are you gonna do? The only choice is, flip a coin... do you go North, or South? But that, is a tale for another day." Greg finished folding his arms over his chest. And was surprised by applause from the nearby tables. Looking around with a delighted smile, he inclined his head in gratitude. Becka blinked completely forgetting they were in a public setting.

sitting in the tub he looked up at her "ready?" she asked. He nodded and she straddled him he reached up cupping her breasts she closed her eyes and released a golden stream of liquid splashing his belly and groin she rocked back and forth matting his fur from neck to knee. As he cupped and fondled her furry breasts.

Ahh, that felt wonderful Becka, ready to swap?" Greg asked she nodded her half lidded eyes as he stood she took her place kneeling before him. "Do me" she said lifting her face to him,

He pointed and released a warm stream that splashed against her breasts slicking her black and cream fur. she gasped in delight writhing in the pleasure, ducking her head she got a delighted face full of his warmth opening her mouth to taste him ignited a desire and she moved forward and sucked him into her mouth drinking down his gift to her eagerly sucking with a hunger she would hardly expect, the opossum gasped in shock but reached out to caress the back of her wet head as he started to stiffen in her mouth. Becka showed no signs of stopping '_ if this is what she wanted so be it, he thought _.'

"Uh, Becka, this feels fantastic, but just to let ya know, it's been a while, and.."

She looked up at him nodding pulling off "gotta taste you" she said and slurping him back in taking a deep breath shoved him deep into her muzzle and down her eager gullet swallowing rapidly.

"Oh my GAWD!" Greg grunted grabbing the back of her head assisting "get ready" he warned. She pulled back a moment to take another lungfull of precious air before he bucked his hips exploding against her back teeth as she swallowed him down as he pumped load after load of his thick sticky lovesauce down her throat to pool in her belly. Pulling back his last few spurts splashed against her tongue she sucked all he could give her before savoring the gift before swallowing looking up. Her violate eyes warm and loving.

"Just as I thought, not bitter at all, thank you lover, not sure what got into me but I just had to go with it, damn if I can't feel it pooling in my belly all sweet and warm and tasty."

Becka said as he drew her to her feet and they hugged

"No worrys hon, that's what being 3G is all about. Would you like me to return the favor or did you want a balanced load for your GI tract?" he asked fondling her shapely tush.

"Yes to both? I LOVE being licked! "she said turning her back on him and leaning against the wall legs spread palms wide on the shower tiles. "And if you are up for it, do you think you could place a deposit in both? I have never had a guy cum in me without a love glove and from what you pumped into my belly it really got me sprung to feed my pussy, and then maybe finish me off by putting a load in my ass?" Becka asked shyly looking over her shoulder. " Gods I am so _fuckin_horny right now!" Becka laughed wiggling her backside.

"It would be a pleasure to shoot a load into your baby locker lover then finish you off by flooding your colon." Greg chuckled dropping to is knees and parting her lovely ass-cheeks as she rocked her hips flagging her short tail exposing herself.

His first lick was electric drawing a long shuddering moan from the depths of Becka's soul "Oh-my gawd Yes! Lick me! Oh you are good, fuck!" her legs trembled as she rocked her hips pushing herself onto his muzzle as it slid between her lips as his tongue sought out that special spot... "Oh Shit! Cumming!" Becka bellowed and the blinding heat of orgasmic release washed away her perceptions as she fountained much to Greg's delighted surprise drinking down her liquid love as she panted to recover, her display reviving him to rock hard status he stood wrapping his hands around her hips.

"I never knew you were a squirter! that was a real delight, let me know when you are ready for phase two?" he asked resting the head of his cock against the petals of her dripping sex.

"Oh Fuck, that was intense! Haven't cum that hard in a while, I guess like you I had it stored up... give me a minute here to catch my breath and then fill me... Gods I can't believe you are going to fuck me bareback! I am so horny I must be ovulating, this is going to be a wild ride." she said pressing back onto the throbbing head of the possum as he parted her lips, and slowly slid into her, Greg filled her in one smooth motion holding a few moments allowing Becka to adjust to this most welcome visitor. Before finding a rhythm that got them both fired up. five minutes later Becka was screaming out another release as Greg hilted himself bumping her cervix and erupting deep within her filling her womb with his love.

"Oh-my-god, oh-my-god, oh-my-god! I felt that! You pumped your cream right into my baby locker! It felt soo incredible! What a primal RUSH!" Becka said with her hands over her lower abdomen turning to look Greg in the face she looked almost manic! Her eyes seemed to glow with feral hunger. She kissed him passionately reaching down to fondle his still hard shaft slick with their combined juices this seemed to heighten her arousal.

"Greg, I-I have never felt this wound up before, if you are up for it, and it feels like you are, I Need you to fuck me in the ass." Becka said "Gods I am shaking all over at the thought of it! I have Never been serviced this completely in my life it's like I am on fire here." she said resuming her position reaching down to catch the stream of combined cream pouring from her pussy she slathered her tight star rubbing her slick fingers over the pucker she relaxed and slid in a finger then worked in another pumping her personal lubricant into her tight passage. Greg cupped her lips collecting a bit of honey and added it to her own replacing her fingers with his as she reached back caressing his turgid shaft.

Drawing it to her last frontier, he placed it between her cheeks Becka reached back parting the cheeks of her ass as he nestled the head of his cock against her well lubed star, she 'kissed' the tip of his head as Greg once more placed his hands on her well sculpted hips.

"Ready?" he asked

"Uh-huh, I want it hard and fast!" Becka pleaded.

Greg pulled her onto his shaft her resistance momentary before muscling his way into her she hissed out a groan as her ring flexed "Fuck...me...hard" Becka gasped bracing her hands against the shower wall as he pistoned his cock into her backside. She was tight and hot and neater of them would be able to hold out for long.

Becka yelped out her passion punctuating every hard thrust, pushing back taking him as deeply as she could. "Harder...Deeper... Faster... Cum in meee...Cum in meee... Oh Gawds, Cumming again!"

Becka cried as she felt the last of her resistance fail and the all consuming brilliance consume her reality.

Greg growled out his own animalistic release as he pumped the last of his seed into her ass, flooding her colon with his cream as they both collapsed totally spent into each others arms. Resting before reviving with a warm shower.

Cuddling together on the bed, Becka's fingers lazily caressing Greg's gray chestfur.

"I've got to say, Loving the exotic eye color, Very striking, how did you come by them?" Greg asked,

"A 'gift' from my maternal great Aunt Ophelia, legend has is she went into a blood rage during a lunar eclipse and was forever changed, I have seen old pictures, my family says it marks me as 'Eclipsed', as if I am going to fly into a killing rage at the drop of a hat...anyones hat, but I think they really sute me." Becka grinned, Greg matched it.

"I Like it, means you are special." he said caressing her cheek. "And they look, Lovely."

she sighed "Thank you for that, I really wasn't expecting it to go that far this soon. But I am really grateful you were up for it." she said "I've never done an opossum before, I'm usually NOT that forward, despite being a Badger, I tend to be much more passive in my encounters, but there was....something_about that session that made me throw caution to the wind and push myself beyond my limits..._Thank you."

"That was far more, excitement, than I was expecting, but when you started sucking on me I figured you would take the lead and I would give you whatever you wanted. I am glad you can trust me enough to be that open, I am probably much older than you were expecting, but it seemed to have worked out for both of us. And, while this is an NSA hookup, I'd like it to be more than just a one time thing, if you are feeling okay about seeing an older guy, we seem to have chemistry...and compatibility where our own unique kinks are concerned." Greg said padding her plush tush making Becka grin.

"Yeah... we really do. And I never thought I would have this much of a connection with an older guy, but fuck if we don't mesh really well... what did you mean by 'no fences' in your ad?"

"Ah, no fences around your mind, means having no 'taboo subjects.' you are free to explore anything and everything with an open mind and loving heart, it's all about what I like to call unconditional love.

"Ooh, tell me more, this is fascinating." Becka said propping herself up on one elbow.

"Okay, take for example, our mutual interest in watersports. For most folks that is a taboo subject, not to be thought of, discussed or heaven forbid, explored. But I say, why not? It is a part of who we are and if it makes you and your partner, or partners feel good, who is it harming? We are all consenting adults here, no one is being forced into it. If you don't like it, than you can't have any. Is a way I like to look at it. We all should be free to love as we choose without limits or restrictions, jealousy or manipulative game playing that stems from insecurity and fear. For people are NOT possessions and that is the core of what unconditional love is all about... pretty radical a concept, huh?" Greg asked reaching out to lightly caress Becka's right breast the Badger's nipple stiffening under his touch.

She sighed enjoying the caress looking pensive this was much deeper a subject than most of her post session conversations, they usually revolved around pizza and beer. This was a whole new way of looking at the world and Becka really liked it, alot.

"Yeah, but I like it, and I love what you're doing with my Tits. I get so tired of the bullshit games everyone seems to be playing when it comes to hooking up, and don't get me started on the bar scene, I'll pass..." Becka groused. "So tell me, oh wise master, what do you do when you are not totally servicing poor lonely Badger girls into satiated puddles of total sexual satisfaction?"she said gazing at the 'possom with honest admiration.

"Ya probably won't believe it, but I'm a prospector. There is plenty of gold left in the mountains and streams, ya just godda know where to look for it. I work a couple claims up in the cascades. Just got back from a recent prospecting trip and placed the ad for a bit of companionship. Never thought a lovely Badger gal such as yourself would fall into my bunk." Greg chuckled. Becka blinked.

"You mean like old time prospector? With a pick and a shovel and gold pans?" she asked with an excited grin.

"Just so."

"...and a mule?" the Badger grinned

"Nope, traded her in for a four by four Jeep... actually, I never had a mule. You like camping, Becka?"

"Sure, I consider myself the outdoorsy type, camping, backpacking, day hikes that sorta stuff... boffing in the great outdoors is a lotta fun. Why, got something in mind?" she asked rolling onto her back to give Greg more access to her breasts enjoying his attentions.

"indeed... was wondering if you might like to tag along on my next prospecting trip, depending on your work or class schedule that is. Here. Let me show you a bit of what I brought back... If you are interested, that is?" he asked with a sly look Kissing each perky nipple before he rolled outta bed. Seeing her eager expression he could pretty well guess.

"What? Really? Sure! I've never seen real gold before. I work a few temp jobs from time to time just finished a six month contract and not in school, so my time is my own...Um, Greg, were um, aw fuck it" Becka chirped excitedly. Padding after the somewhat shaggy looking possum in just her fur.

"Well okay then, but I warn ya, Prospecting will expose you to a rather unfortunate condition, ya may have herd of it... _ Gold Fever! _" he chuckled at the puzzled look on the Badger's muzzle.

"Really?" Becka asked hands on her hips looking a bit incredulous.

"Oh yeah it's real alright it can override your common sense and create a single minded hunger that can drive you mad... or just keep you plugging away for the rest of your life. I should know, I've had it for nigh on thirty years..." he said with a spry wink. Taking her into his shop in the garage.

Becka saw lots of five gallon buckets, racks of unknown equipment something looking like an indoor waterfall suspended between two blue storage tubs, he picked up a green plastic pan that looked to Becka like an oddly shaped pie tin.

"This is a gold pan, a finishing pan actually." he said handing it to her, "This is the main tool of the prospector. That thing between the tubs is my recirculating sluice-box, I have a larger one I take with me and set in a stream, those buckets have my samples from my most recent prospecting trip, I process them in here, but lets give you a first hand demonstration, shall we? And then i'll teach you how ta pan for gold. Sound like fun?" he asked with a toothy grin.

" Um, sure! I love hands on stuff!" Becka said stepping up to a large blue bin ¾ full of brown water.

Greg picked up a three gallon bucket of what looked like black sand and placed it on the low table the blue tub sat on

"This is a bucket of cons, or concentrates that comes out of the sluice-box over there, these contain all the heavies from the sample material and since gold is one of the heaviest things in there this is where we will find it." Greg said picking up another green pan this one having a set of deep ridges set in the side, he dug out two large scoops of the cons into the pan and dunked it into the brown water.

"Okay, the trick to panning is fluidizing the material by shaking it back and forth with water it makes like quicksand allowing the gold to drop to the bottom.." he said as he held the pan in both hands and deftly liquidized the contents "then you tilt the pan and allowing most of the water to flow out taking the top layer with it over the riffles in the pan here. Then you fluidize it once more with a back and forth motion to get the gold to settle in the front of the pan." he indicated the area just below the riffles.

"it's just a matter of side to side, back and forth and stripping off the layers tel you reach the gold."

he soon had the pan down to less than a half cup "that's about right, now... have a look at this." The possum grinned as he tilted the pan back and slowly washed away the black sand to reveal three or four small nuggets and 60 or 70 flakes of bright shiny GOLD!

Lookie there, a couple of pickers and some good color in the pan." he said handing her the pan for inspection her reaction was delightful.

"Oh my GOD! Is that Real GOLD?" Becka squawked.

"Yup Pure Placer gold. Pretty stuff, ain't it?" Greg said in a drawling deadpan.

"You wanna try your hand at it little lady?" he grinned seeing the first sign of Gold fever take hold.

"Really? Oh hell yeah!" Becka said excitedly returning to the panning bin.

"Okay, now, what I want you to do is pan it into this smaller pan we will call it a safety pan that way you won't lose any fine gold. Now do as I show you and let's see what pans out for you, okay?" Greg said with a knowing grin.

Handing her another pan and placing three scoops of concentrate into her pan Greg showed Becka just how easy panning for gold truly was

" that's it, back and forth side to side you want to get all the gold to sink to the bottom... slow down, you don't want to wash any gold out of the pan, that's it."

within ten minutes Becka was rewarded with bright shiny Gold sparkling in her pan!

"Oh My God! Wa-hoo!" she cried excitedly as the prospecting possum showed her how to gently wash away the black sand leaving only shiny gold behind.

"Let's see what we have here." he said taking the pan and quickly separating the flakes and small nuggets placing them in a small metal dish he set on a hotplate to dry before weighing it out

"looks like just a hair under three pennyweights, not bad... let's see at todays prices, that would be just about; a hundred and eighty dollars..." he said Smiling pouring it into a small glass vial, capping it and handing it to the stunned Badger. "A little souvenir for ya. You panned it, thought you might like ta keep it, whadda ya say?"

Oh-my-god! Thank you!" she hugged him tightly. Then holding it up almost mesmerized by the allure of pure Gold.

"Now, Becka, I want you to describe how you are feeling at this moment?" Greg asked placing a hand on her shoulder, she was almost vibrating with excitement.

"I...I just found Gold! Real GOLD! And it was soo easy! and I want to go out and find some more! It's soo pretty!"

Greg placed a hand on Becka's forehead. "Yup," he nodded sagely.

"Yup, what?" the Badger asked feeling her own forehead.

"Looks like you just got yourself a case of Gold Fever."

"But it's Sooo exciting!"

"Yup, but it can be hard work, that came out of about a cubic yard of dirt that weighs around a ton, dug out of the ground with a pick and shovel, classified down and run through a sluice, that allows you to process more raw material than just panning. Cleaning out your sluice gives you your cons, and then you just need to pan them out. That's the fun part. Still interested in doing some prospecting Becka?" Greg asked

"I'm not afraid of a bit of hard work, I just finished six months at a warehouse lugging heavy wooden crates around couldn't be any harder swinging a pick and shovel." The Badger said folding her arms under her chest.

"Nope, it's moving the boulders that gets you." Greg Chuckled.

"...Boulders?" Becka asked.

"yup, move them outta the way with a pry bar and come-along, takes time but it's doable. It can be a enjoyable, you probably won't hit the motherload, but every prospector dreams of it. My experience is it is fun and rewarding, you can make a decent living, if you work at it. The gold is out there, just waiting for someone to dig it up. I don't use mechanized equipment, dozer's. earth-movers, wash plants, none of that, all too noisy. just hand tools and gumption. Reading the lay of the land and poking around likely places tel I find something worth putting time into. Been doing this since I was fourteen, makes a decent livelihood but it can be lonely, which brings me to you..."

Becka pauses thinking on his sage advice.

"...Yeah, ya know, I'd like to try it. If you are willing to teach me, I am more than willing to put the time in to learn, I've been told that I am very teachable, and I like to think I can help with the companionship part as well, if you wouldn't mind partnering up with me?'

"I'm sure we can come to some amicable arrangement." the older Opossum said drawing Becka the Badger into a hug.