Now What? (Kid Stuff)

On June 6th, 2020 at 8PM PST, Forrest Fenn posted on his blog, "The search is over!....The treasure has been found!".

Some of you saw the announcement before I did and asked if I had seen the news.  A number of you wondered how the announcement was affecting me.  A few of you asked, "What will you do now?".  And one kind soul even inquired if the anonymous finder was indeed me.

First off, let's lay to rest any notion that the treasure chest is now settled snugly under my bed.  The fact that a private plane has not been reserved and that Jamie and I have not jetted off to the inviting environs of Sweden gives ample witness to a bank account lacking 42 pounds of plunder.  Nonetheless, that one kind soul shall forever hold a special place in my heart although regrettably not in my Last Will and Testament.  You know who you are.  But not to worry - your identity shall remain confidential so as to spare you the embarrassment of being labeled "delusional".

The last couple of weeks have been difficult.  A friend has come and gone.  Only to be replaced by the seven stages of grief.  Yes....shock, pain, denial, and depression have all played their roles in recent days although anger and bargaining have yet to make an appearance.  Acceptance has been arrived at grudgingly.  This next sentence is really, really hard for me to put on paper.  The treasure chest is simply not resting in any of the places where any of my "solves" would allow me to find it.  Ouch! 

So, now what?

On page 127 of Forrest's book The Thrill of the Chase, Forrest presents a chapter that introduces the reader to the treasure chest and a poem that will lead to the treasure.  That chapter is followed on page 135 by one entitled DANCING WITH THE MILLENNIUM in which Forrest tells of his "secret plan" - the process of handcrafting jars and bells, fabricated in bronze, and burying them.  The exact size and shape of these jars and bells is a mystery.  There are no parameters for where the jars and bells are buried other than the bells are "three feet deep".  Indeed, Forrest provides us with less information regarding the jars and bells than he did with the treasure chest.

One of my favorite "solves" (you remember, those "solves" from above that proved worthless) theorized that the treasure chest would be recovered by finding the jars and bells first.  The jars and bells serving as a path of bread crumbs.

Well, I've never found a jar or bell.  If they even exist, I suspect them to be thimble size or smaller.  But on a positive note, if they exist, I think some of them are buried in Washington State, specifically the Puget Sound region.  The "whys?" of that reasoning entails a three day seminar which Jamie has had to endure more often than any earthly woman should ever have to suffer.  Her usual conclusion is a simple "Too complicated".  To which I mutter something to the effect "The puzzle is fascinating".

So there you have it.  I've traded in the chase for 2 million dollars in gold for a quest of maybe 10 cents worth of bronze.

Mercy!  I really am stuck in denial, aren't I?   

Updated 06/25/2020 - I don't like to post pictures and/or comments on this blog that are not my own.  But I want to preserve some of Forrest's comments (in blue) for my own reference and this is the lazy man's tool of choice is this instance:

From Forrest's blog: oldsantafetradingco.com/the-thrill-resource-page

YES! FORREST HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TREASURE HAS BEEN FOUND!

The search is over!

“It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago. I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot. I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries. So the search is over. Look for more information and photos in the coming days” - Forrest

From Dal Neitzel's blog: dalneitzel.com

I believe that Forrest made the first public proclamation that the treasure had been found on this website.

From Forrest Fenn on June 6th, 2020 at 8PM PST

THE TREASURE HAS BEEN FOUND
It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago. I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot.

I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries.
So the search is over. Look for more information and photos in the coming days. f

UPDATED June 16th, 2020
by Forrest

The treasure chest was found by a man I did not know and had not communicated with since 2018.

Photo of the chest taken not long after it was discovered.

The bracelet on my arm was wet when found. The silver tarnished black.

Removing objects from the chest. It is darker than it was ten years ago when I left it on the ground and walked away.

The finder wants me to remain silent and I always said the finder gets to make those two calls. Who and where. f

Excerpts from Forrest's first interview following the announcement with the Santa Fe New Mexican - Danielle Prokop, June 7, 2020

Forrest Fenn confirms his treasure has been found

“It’s true,” 

“The guy who found it does not want his name mentioned. He’s from back East,”

Asked how he felt Sunday, Fenn said it’s been quite the decade.  “I don’t know, I feel halfway kind of glad, halfway kind of sad because the chase is over,” Fenn said.