I'm a geologist working in environmental consulting -- mostly due diligence reports for real estate transactions, plus some sections in Environmental Impact Reports for public-works projects. Got two degrees in geology back before the environmental field existed, and what I do has little or nothing to do with my education, but I fake it well. I worked on the fringes of the mining industry till that died, then in the oil patch until that died, and now environmental consulting, easily the least interesting of the three. Within the next year I'll be retiring and moving from California back to America...er, Texas. I'm having a metal detecting revival this year, thanks to planned retirement and some major upgrades to my equipment. Goal for this year; breaking my all-time record of $345 in clad (I'm ahead of schedule and with beach season coming up). I have no real idea whether it will be possible to operate on this magnitude in Texas...more time but sketchy weather and no beach. Anxious to see though.