Future gold mine? Let's hope so!

Alex and I were out poking around today and noticed the ground has lots of flecks of gold. We figure we are about to strike it rich big time! We brought some of the flecks home and created our own panning station ---- It was bright and shiny and looks very promising. I am wondering just how many dump truck loads we might be able to get. China Pandas, Kruggerands, watch out, we might be able to start our own private gold coins operation with all of the shimmer we've got going out there. Could it be the toxic sludge glowing?? Perhaps, but we are preferring to dream big. Our wealth of knowledge about the subject (cubscouts field trip to Reed Gold Mine several months ago) tells us that real gold can usually be found near veins of quartz. Check. We've got lots of quartz out there. It also says that real gold is shiny in the sunlight, or in the shade. I'm practically blinded by it, even in the shade, so it must be real. Last test, real gold will flatten with a hammer, pyrite (fools gold) will break. Well, it broke, but I think I didn't whack it the right way.... :-)

Beyond that dream, we are on the hook to decide quickly about mantels. In general the house will have reclaimed beam mantels, but the outside fireplace will have a stone mantel. We've gone to look at lots of hunks of stone and there is a huge variety out there. Of course yesterday I went to look at some and discovered that the one I picked out of the bunch was the most expensive type. Great. Apparently, the thinner slabs (the top one) are taken out of the earth and cut into "slices." The one I picked is taken out just like it is shown, making it "rare." Here is the one I picked at first (in the middle):

But then I went around to the other side and saw another stone I really liked as well. And, it looked so very familiar too....just like home. Why? Because it is Bloomington, Indiana limestone! I really like it too, and the great thing about it is it can be cut to any size we want, vs. the other slab. For that one, the one I picked it 9' long. We need more like 5' --- we'd have to pay for the entire slab. So, now we need to decide which type to choose ---the limestone is the picture below. We'd do a thick hunk like the bottom one, with a chiseled edge (like this one has). I really love how the limestone looks, and it is much less expensive. I had no idea. I'm now disappointed that I didn't know that before getting all of our walls capped.

The only question I have, is it too light for our stone? The outdoor fireplace is going to be stone like the rest of the house. The mantel will be held up by stone brackets / corbels.

Here is a reminder picture of our stone, close up.

Is the limestone too light for our stone, or would it work? I also have several big geodes from Indiana (delivery from Warren) that I am going to ask the masons to include in the fireplace somehow. Think that would bring part of my roots into this house!

Last consideration for the week.... Our walnut floors are getting created now... 4, 5 and 6" width. I would really like to try to use Waterlox on them, which is a Tung Oil based finish. I really like how Tung oil brings out the grain of the wood. I am not sure yet how this will be received by the flooring guys? Anybody have any experience with this?