Change update

I haven't bothered to update this in a long time. I just lost interest mostly but I've still been collecting change when I run across it. Today I drove into Vancouver to run some errands and found $3.38 worth of change in the coin return of a change counting machine (3 quarters, 12 dimes, 2 nickels and 33 pennies). I also found 3 pennies and 2 dimes in other places. So today's total is $3.61.
Since the last time that I wrote a post about change I also have in my change dish a total of $4.83 plus a dollar bill. There is also a 1 euro cent, a 2 euro cent, a Canadian penny, a plastic dime and a plastic penny.

That brings the total of change found so far to $56.04.

Pepper and Babies 4/17/09

Pepper and Babies 4/17/09
Originally uploaded by pennysquisher

So back in January I was visiting a friend. She had a very friendly kitten who was living under her house. She didn't really want to keep her so since I've been thinking of getting a cat I brought her home with me and named her Pepper. I was planning on getting Pepper spayed but she disappeared for about a week and then again for 3 weeks before coming back again. So now the plan is to get her spayed as soon as she weans the kittens.

On April 15, Pepper woke me up at about 5:30 sitting on my chest and meowing loudly in my face. I moved her so I could get up and out popped a kitten on my quilt. by 11:00 AM there were a total of 6 kittens in the box with her.

New Bonneville Dam set

The Bonneville Lock and Dam Visitor's Center in Oregon has new designs in their penny machine. 2 of the new designs are very similar to the old set but the other 2 are brand new. The salmon on the new penny is smaller than the old one and there are a few more details in the designs of the actual dam. The other 2 encourage water safety like wearing your life vest. Here's a scan of the new set :

And here's a scan of the old set :

Change : Since my last post I've found $1.39 to add to my change pot. I found a nickel on October 25. On the 26th, I found 3 quarters, 1 nickel, 1 dime and 4 pennies at the Safeway in Hood River. The silver coins were in the change slot of a copy machine and the pennies were in the coin sorting machine. On November 11, I found a dime in the parking lot at the grocery store. On the November 3 there was a nickel at the laundromat. This morning I found a quarter in the change slot of the newspaper machine.
Total so far : $46.60

Samudra "Lord of the Ocean"

I saw an auction on ebay last week for a squished penny with a picture of the new baby elephant at the Oregon Zoo on it, so I went to the zoo today to check it out. The penny is available for "free" in the gift shop if you buy a book to put your pennies in for $5.99. I don't use the books so I guess I will just put it in my box full of books but I got my penny.

The baby's name is Samudra or Sam for short. He was born on August 23 and is very cute. Samudra means Lord of the Ocean in Hindi.

Here is a scan of a postcard that is available in the gift shop also -- 99 cents, they're really milking this thing.

Change : I haven't done a change update in quite awhile. Today, I found 54 cents in the form of 4 pennies and 2 quarters. The quarters were in a soda machine. The pennies were at Safeway and the mall. I also have another 55 cents that I've found since the last update but I don't remember where it came from. There are 10 pennies, 2 dimes, and 1 quarter.

Total so far : $45.21

Amazing Race Factoid

This article was published in our local weekly newspaper, The Skamania County Pioneer, on Wednesday. I can't wait for the finale of the Amazing Race now -- watch it and you'll apparently see the Bridge of the Gods.

Change : I found a quarter in the change slot of the USA Today box at the post office a couple of weeks ago. On Monday, I found a dime and a penny on the floor inside the post office. Total so far $44.12

Wabash Frisco & Pacific

I got this penny in the mail last week after sending away for it. It is from the Wabash Frisco & Pacific Railroad in Glencoe, Missouri. If you want to get your own you can order them from the online giftshop at : http://www.wfprr.com/souvenirs.html

Change : I found a dime sometime last week -- I think it might have been in a soda machine but I'm not positive. I also found a Canadian quarter last week but I don't remember what day it was. Monday, I found a dime and a penny at the Safeway in Hood River. This morning I found 2 quarters in one of the newspaper boxes at the post office.
Total so far : $43.76

New computer

I had to buy a new computer and have a new scanner so this post is mostly to see how a penny scans on my new scanner. Here's my Tardis penny. I think it scanned ok.

Change update : Since my last post I have found 1 quarter, 1 dime and 5 pennies. I think the quarter was in a soda machine. The dime was on the sidewalk in front of a paper machine. I don't remember where all the pennies are from but I know one was in the Bonneville Dam parking lot yesterday and one was in the post office parking lot a few days ago.

Total so far : $43.40

Multnomah Falls New Machine

There have been rumors on pennycollector that the gift shop at Multnomah Falls was going to get a new machine to replace their broken machine soon so the last couple of times I have gone into Vancouver I drove on the Oregon side of the river to give myself a chance to stop and see if a new machine had arrived. Today I hit paydirt. There is a brand new 4-die Rocky Rockholt machine located in the gift shop. The designs are Multnomah Falls, a sailboarder, Mt. Hood, and Vista House (a nearby scenic outlook). I don't really like the new design of the falls (the Multnomah Falls design at the Stenwheeler office is better) but the other designs are nice. I listed a set on ebay. Here's a scan : Change : I found a penny and a nickel at Fred Meyer today. Total so far : $43.05

Change update

I found a dime at Walmart in Gresham on Monday. On Wednesday I found a penny at the base of the Beacon Rock trail. Yesterday, I found a penny at a Fred Meyer in Vancouver.
Total so far : $42.99

New penny machine in Cascade Locks, Oregon

I went over to Cascade Locks on Thursday and rolled some pennies at the brand new penny machine that was just installed in the Sternwheeler office. This is now officially the closest penny machine to my house (only 10 miles), though it is unfortunately on the other side of the toll bridge. There was a single die penny machine there many years ago so I'm very happy to see them get a new one. It is a 4-die machine with some salmon, the Bridge of the Gods (aforementioned toll bridge), the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge, and Multnomah Falls. Here is a scan of the designs :

Change : On July 1, I found a dime at Winco in Vancouver and a penny at the Swanson's in Aberdeen. On July 3, I found a penny at Top Food in Aberdeen and a penny at the Shoalwater Casino in Tokeland. On July 4, I found a penny at the movie theater in Aberdeen. On July 7, I found 3 pennies in a driveway. On July 10, I found a nickel in the parking lot of the grocery store in Cascade Locks.

Total so far : $42.87

Happy Fourth

I'm going to the beach for a few days so won't be around on the 4th so...Happy Fourth of July!

Change : I found a dime and 2 pennies at the WalMart in Hood River this morning. Total so far : $42.65

I forgot to do totals for last month so the totals for May and June are :
$2.30
6 quarters, 4 dimes, 5 nickels, and 15 pennies.

Change update

On Saturday, I found 2 nickels in a soda machine. Another soda machine had a penny and another penny was found on a sidewalk.
Today, I found a penny at Taco Bell where I ate lunch.
Total so far : $42.53