Well, Kimber already has done a preliminary economic estimate for Monterde last July.

There is an updated resource estimate due for the second quarter of this year-- by April 30 was a date given to me by IR.

Adding Jim Currie as COO was a move, I think, toward production, or at least making it clear to would-be acquirers that mining is a viable option instead of Kimber just sitting around awaiting a buyout offer.

Also, having Agnico Eagle's Latin American operations head on the Kimber board is encouraging, but Agnico Eagle sure has a lot of problems of its own right now.

When last I talked with Kimber IR Renee Brickner in late December, she gave the hard sell to the mining-it-themselves option. She said that 2014 would be the earliest that could happen, however.

Meanwhile, drilling continues. Proving up more ounces isn't a bad thing. Many analysts I've read on Kimber see it progressing nicely in the "derisking" process, making it easier for an acquisition because uncertainty is being removed.

Kimber, it seems, just has to keep plugging away. Minefinders found (pun intended) that it needed to go into production, and iron out some wrinkles, before it got its buyout offer.

I'm content for Kimber to keep proving up ounces and progressing toward mining. It's a tough transition from explorer to miner, but others have done it and Kimber seems to be putting together a management team capable of guiding the company through the transition.

If someone comes along waving money to buy Kimber, that's good, too. But first I'd like to see Kimber above $2, because a typical 30 or 50 percent buyout premium from here doesn't really look that attractive to me.

And, as we've seen, Kimber can and has made big price jumps. The relatively low share float seems to help there.

Rising gold and silver prices won't produce a moonshot, but they won't hurt. A big increase in the resource estimate could be a catalyst for a pop.

Kimber is an old friend that's made me some money, consistently. I wish I had more friends like Kimber.