It looks to me from your post that we're looking at 1 to 2.5% nickel averaged (that's quite rough). I was under the impression 1% nickel will get a mine going in the right quantity. With a mine on the horizon a buyout is eventually going to come about. Noront is a junior mining company that is likely to sell off to the big boys so they don't have to invest largely into processing and transporting of the final product.

Of course putting roads in and setting up camp where mining processing is best likely to occur can't hurt the selling price once RN has determined when the best time to sell is.

In either case, tonnage has been added and we were warned not to expect more earlier on. It's time we remember that RN has the bigger plan in mind. One or two NR's that don't have "fulfilled greed" written all over them doesn't make them bad, just real. And I've always said, like many others here, that management here is looking for the best, most affordable means to an end in the creation of a mid to large (depending on tonnage which won't really be known for another year or two) mining company. Presently, "speculative" and "prospector" company is all we should be alluding to and results will vary, in many cases dramatically. The first big reports brought this stock from pennies to 4.00. We all know that 7.50 was out of character but the euphoria of the find pushed us there. Some bashers, with input from their "bosses", came out with some pretty good information, and had I listened and abided by it, would have made a good bit more money to date on this play. Notwithstanding; I do agree that soft bashers can seem prophetic, especially when prices are too high and they really have nowhere to go but down. I'm sure a few soft bashers want to play on the stock right now...but IMHO, based on the NR this week...this stock won't be staying down very long...and I'll be betting they know it as well.

One of the signs of a great "long term" play is where the "big guys" the investment companies, banks and retirement funds, amongst others, begin to drop large money into the stock. Eventually this "smart money" sits and waits for the development stages of the play to turn into the operational stages. At that point the stock price increases on steady trading volume...nothing huge...nothing sparse...just steady. We are seeing the "infant" stages of this institutional buying and have been for a few months now. The manipulation we are seeing is them shaking out the weak hands and adding to their "smart" positions.

In conclusion...I for one would love to swing trade this stock if I were so competent at doing so...and the reason for that is simply..I can't make the price flow in any way different from that which is being juggled by the bigger members of the investment community. That said...I wait like many longs did in the penny phase of this play. I may wait for 2 or 3 years to see a decent return...I may see it much sooner if suddenly big news gets released in two or three NR's. In either case...I'm sitting on my NOT stool...enjoying the summer...and dreaming of what I would dream of being that I was a NOT holder or not. The reality isn't going to change that and the reality will fluctuate in large degrees over coming months. Also don't for the "Sell in May and go away" phrase....just be careful..I'm thinking the bottoming out has happened 3 months early.

MM