| My name is David Shackleton. I live in Locust Grove, Virginia, which is 15 miles from Fredericksburg and about 70 miles from Washington D.C. I have a great family that I love to spend time with. My wife Karrie is a middle school math teacher and has recently completed her Masters in Education. We have 4 children (Chris, Matt, Kaityln, and Andrew). We all love spending time outdoors doing just about anything! No matter what happens in life, my family will always be my highest priority. |
| I joined the Marine Corps in 1991 and have been serving since then. In my almost 20 years of service, I have been around the world a few times and seen a ton of places most could only dream of. I have enjoyed being a Marine and have learned alot about about leadership and ethics. I work with a great group of Marines who continue to challenge and teach me. During my career, I've learned how to treat Marines to create a team environment in order to accomplish the mission. I am patriotic to the core, and place God and Country along with my family as my lifetime priorities. I'm not sure what I will do when I retire from the Marines, but I do know that my primary role will be to support my wife in her new career. She has put her ambitions on hold for my military career, and for that I am truly grateful. It will be time for me to do the same for her. |
| I have many hobbies, but most of them include being outdoors. I must be outside doing something (most involve digging holes of some kind). I also love to play all sports and always try to physically challenge myself. Baseball has always been my favorite sport, but my pitching arm is long been shot. Look out, I can still toss a rock! I spent alot of time in the ocean as a kid and love being in the water. I also love being in the mountains with the fresh air, rocks, rivers, trees, no traffic or stress... |
| I enjoy reading about US History and love to spend time researching our past. I am an avid Civil War enthusiast and have visited more than 30 Civil War battlefields in Virginia alone. I also like to spend time walking farmers fields and construction sites with my metal detectors. This part of Virginia was home to hundreds of thousands of soldiers during the Civil War, and over a hundred battles and skirmishes took place within 100 miles of my house. |
| Prospecting for gold is just another excuse for me to be outside, usually in the middle of nowhere (which is fine to me!). It's challenging, both physically and mentally. I have been lucky to link up with other local prospectors, and we have a great time out in the woods prospecting. I'm still learning alot about this hobby. I started this website for all to continue learning with me. I try to learn something every time I go out, whether it be geological or historical. I am very grateful to the folks who have guided me thus far in this exciting hobby. I was also very fortunate to meet Mike Jeffs last year. We've spent hours and hours talking about this hobby and have met out in California a couple times for some great prospecting and exploring. |
| I recently purchased a mining claim from "The Claim Post" (see their website in my Gold Links section) and intend on spending as much time on my claim as possible in upcoming years. My family will also be joining me (once they get a little older!). Besides California, I was also able to visit with fellow prospectors in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. I hope you enjoy the comments, pictures and videos. |
| Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will bookmark this page and visit frequently! |
