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Baby boomers are ideal candidates for becoming the new generation of rockhounds. Statistics reveal that baby boomers are concentrated in metropolitan areas, as opposed to rural counties. What better way for those urbanites to gain a broader perspective of life throughout our country than to become rockhounds? Rockhounding can be as intensive or as relaxed as you want to make it. You do not need a four-wheel-drive vehicle! Many rockhounds are RVers or campers. Some enjoy exploring the wonders of the earth on their travels while visiting children and grandchildren. So, how do you get started? Field collecting guides are useful in planning trips. Specific books will cover a single state or wider area you might be visiting. Books on rockhounding topics including geology, gem and mineral identification, fossils and even jewelry making are available at your local library. Rock and Gem Magazine is an excellent resource which also lists Rock and Mineral Shows throughout the United States. Elderhostel, Adventures in Lifelong Learning, offers programs in lapidary skills as well as geology and field collecting. Gem and mineral societies are found across the country. Our group members are happy to advise and share what we know to get you started on this fascinating hobby. So, get out there, fellow Boomers! A whole new world of adventure awaits!! Happy digging, Marcia

Are those little fossil golden books any good? Think we are going to have an extra credit assignment to go down to the Falls of the Ohio and do some work so I'm going to need some reference. Our text books have almost nothing on fossils......headed to the bookstore at lunch.

11/15/09.........today on a new adventure. The sunrise made the sky on the eastern horizon all golden as I awoke around 0600 hrs. I have and early days adventure planned for the day, so was up and at it as soon as I could. Feeding all the hounds and wolf, and a newly adopted ferrel cat, and the wild birds. As I stepped out the front door, the fridgid air hitting my face, my eyes quickly averted to the outside thermometer noticing the needle at 12 degrees F. When I got out back to feed the dogs, I also checked their water tub seeing an inch of ice on it. So I got a hammer, breaking up the ice. And then went into the garage to get out the livestock water deicer heater, and set it up to keep the water tub tepid and ice free. My dogs are all old now (Snoopy the dad is 11.5, and his three sons Duke, Joker, and Prince just turned 10 y.o. last week), so I have make their lives as reasonbly comfortable as I can, and keeping their winter water supply warmer then freezing is the least I can do for their safety and longevity. All fed and cared for, I ran into the house to get ready for the days new adventure.
......................Sgt Bob Clark, my vet friend who I shared Veteran's day adventure with, had called me yesterday saying he wanted to try and find that lake up in the Truckee Mountain Range east of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation, that we couldn't find on Vet's Day. He said he had contacted his nephew (one of my foster sons) Arron Joseph Valles to see if he would guide us to the lake up there, to which AJ agreed. So we are headed out early this day to discover it's whereabouts. There is snow above 7000 feet, so I'm dressing warm with layers, and good head and hand protection, to keep my health safe, and hoping for an exciting 4x4 interlude back into the Truckees. I have been hearing reports of good arrowhead finds up there, as well as some good rock and mineral finds, over the last two years. So I'm really charged up for the day. Will continue the completion of this adventure tonight, and hopefully include some new photos. Later my friends. Happy trails to all......

It's amazing what they can discern from bones now!
WANTED:

Artist's rendering

if you see this man, do not approach,
call the police immediatly!
news article:
view link

any other examples out there?

~Zeke

I have been terribly busy for a while now but back to our regular seasonal collecting. We now have ample specimens of Emerald Green Biotite from Magnet Cove. Thank goodness Arkansas has so many mineral collecting sites. Will post a pic.

Nam's reponse to a post suggested taking off and collecting rocks all around the world. If you had one place (only one) on this earth to go collect rocks, or one place to see a geologic feature, where would it be?

It's been a bad day
weather domistic or foriegn a terrible day

11/03/09.............Some awesome geological news here my friends. This should give every geophile something to talk about. Enjoy and ask questions class........

view link

Topo map test last night. Thought I was doing pretty good last night till it got to drawing out a terrain. You know you have to mark the contour lines along a cross section of the map, then graph it out. Those are always tricky for me for some reason. This one was really hard, he only put the measurement on one line and we had to figure out the rest. There was a stream going down the middle and I knew it went up hill to the west and only could assume that it went up hill on the other side stream as well.....but that was 10 points so I hope I didn't totally blow it.

Erosion test tomorrow night!!! He's killing me!

.............but related to the rock collector I am.........

.............................Into The Battle.....................

...........of words. As I prepared myself for battle, my hair was shorn, and my bearded face was bared. The better to show my enemy whom would slay him. And I dressed myself in new garments and mail, that he might know the honor of his killing. I prepped myself with my knowledge, reciting it fully. I mounted my steed of winged shiny metal, and flew into the enemy's valley to face the battle of our words. We met on the field of battle, and acknowledged the other. We drew our worded swords and thrust and parried. First left, and then right, as the sun rose overhead, and our blades connected and cut. A bit here, and a bit there, one slice at a time. Long hours of battling, the battleground was covered with the blood of his interrogations, and the truths of my deeds. After long hours he relented in exhaustion, as I had no more to say. He gathered his troops in retreat, as mine held the battlefield as ours. We will only know on the morrows, whom will live from it all to tell. And whether truths bring justice, to we victims of their arrogance..........Amen...

The Battle Of Words In Deposition, in the Willamette Valley Of Death, Portland Oregon. (Oct 29th,2009)..............from the Sagas of Erik The Wild One...........

...............though I will never feel I have won anything in this process of justice o'er the wrongful death of my wife. I will be glad to fairly soon now have some closure, and let her spirit rest in peace. Teri I will love you forever more.........