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Post by 150FromFundy on Oct 7, 2016 6:28:07 GMT -5
This is a piece of Fluorapatie (green) Fluoite (purple) and Calcite (orange) from Otter Lake, Quebec that captbob is referring to. This is a really characteristic combination from this location. If you see a piece, you can pretty much guess where it is from. This one came from a Quebec vendor at the Bancroft show this summer.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Oct 6, 2016 16:54:41 GMT -5
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Post by 150FromFundy on Sept 30, 2016 19:48:18 GMT -5
I picked up a few shelf specimens at the Rockhound Gemboree in Bancroft, Ontario this summer. This is Canada’s largest show with two buildings and a parking lot of vendors. It pales in comparison to the big US shows, but still gets the heart thumping and provides a half-day of entertainment. These two are a pseudomorph of Prehnite after Laumonite from the Malad Quarry in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The colour did not photograph well as these should be a very faint seafoam green. In the first picture, the Prehnite has formed more in spherical balls than the straw-like structure of Laumonite. It may be a pseudomorph of one of the other zeolites from the quarry. In the second picture, the Prehnite has formed more in the straw-like structure of Laumonite. This piece is surprisingly light as the “straws” tend to be hollow. The first piece was $5 and the second was $8, which is a little low for specimens of this size, so I did a little research on the location. Collecting conditions for the mining families in this quarry are not the best and I don’t think they have a health plan, but they do have basalt vugs the size of walk-in closets. If you are curious, MINDAT has a number of photos from the Malad quarry. The link is below. www.mindat.org/gallery.php?pco=2&loc=18220For those who insist on a daily dose of learning … Prehnite was the first mineral to be named after the person that discovered it. It was first documented by Colonel Hendrik Von Prehn in 1788 who was an early Dutch colonist of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Wikipedia rocks! Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Sept 27, 2016 15:39:26 GMT -5
I sell necklace pendants once a year at a Christmas craft fair. I usually sell about $300 to $400 of tumbled stones over the two days. I'm sure I spend more than that on grit and diamond drills in a year. As for making money, I would be happy just to break even.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Sept 27, 2016 15:26:37 GMT -5
I took the advice of captbob and read a few of the stories on the website. Definitely worth exploring. As for The Honey Hole, *sigh*
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Sept 22, 2016 18:26:57 GMT -5
Tough to pic a favourite in there, but I am a little amazed by the sand dunes and mountains in the picture jasper.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Sept 18, 2016 7:58:53 GMT -5
I apologize for the Canadian geese that we send your way each winter. We deal with them in the summer, you get them in the winter. They are beautiful (and noisy) from afar, but what a load of crap they leave behind. In these parts, they keep golfers on their toes. When they have goslings in tow, they can be quite aggressive and generally outrun the average middle aged golfer.
As far as the migratory birds, they look similar and tend to colonize together. Semipalmated Sandpiper Semipalmated Plover Black-Bellied Plover Least Sandpiper White-Rumped Sandpiper
The Peregrine Falcon (and hungry young)are the catalyst to flight. It is impressive to see the young falcons learning to hunt, but they are clearly overwhelmed with the number of possibilities. The birds defense is to swarm like a school of fish and always try to be in the middle of the swarm to increase your likelihood of surviving the attack.
As far as food, the tidal flats are full of krill and other tiny invertebrates that are full of fat and protein. The birds long legs and long beaks are suited for foraging in the mud. At low tide, miles of tidal flats are exposed for about 8 hours. At high tide the birds are crammed on the narrow strips of remaining beach for about 4 hours. The endless cycle repeats every 12 hours. Thanks moon!
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Sept 16, 2016 19:52:59 GMT -5
The Bay of Fundy is a major migration route for many shorebirds as they travel from their summer breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to their wintering grounds in South America. One of the more interesting spectacles occurs for about three weeks every July when the Sandpipers and Plovers pass through. These birds have three weeks to double their weight in preparation for a three day non-stop flight back to South America. During low tide, the birds are virtually invisible as they are spread out over miles of mud flat. However, at high tide they are flocked together on a narrow margin of beach waiting for the next low tide. Flocks are estimated at 50,000 birds, and there are typically 5 flocks along different areas of the Bay. These photos were taken on Johnson’s Mills which is too small to be a dot on the map. The area is slowly being purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect the feeding grounds and keep access available to the public. The photos are a little blurry as the winds were high that day and photographing these birds is a little like photographing a swarm of bees. Here we go. The beach at Johnson’s Mills is typical of the Bay. Beach rounded cobbles litter mile after mile of beach. The water looks brown as the high winds and waves have stirred up the red mud of the Bay. As you walk a little farther along the beach things get a little fuzzy as the beach rock turns to a carpet of birds. The birds need to conserve energy and will not fly unless they absolutely have to in order to preserve their fat reserves. The excitement begins when a Peregrine Falcon or an overzealous photographer send the flock to flight. For the most part, the formations are tight. However, every once in a while someone gets out of sync, or had their wing flipped by the guy next door. Enjoy the pics. Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Aug 24, 2016 18:08:35 GMT -5
Cool! Laura and I were at this location on the guided tour during the Bancroft Rockhound Roundup. I'm still acid etching our finds to reveal crystals beneath the calcite. Should have photos soon. I may need some help with ID's from an old prospector.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jul 22, 2016 17:53:36 GMT -5
Ditto on Snowbirds, not Abbotsford. They are almost guaranteed to make an appearance at any air show north of the 49th.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jul 10, 2016 5:59:33 GMT -5
I’m not suggesting these rocks will bring you good karma, but rather are the result of it. And the story begins … Last week Laura and I chartered a zodiac with two collecting friends in tow. We crossed the Minas Channel between Parrsboro and Amethyst Cove. The name Amethyst Cove conjures up images and expectation in a rockhound’s mind. It’s also known as Captain Kidd’s Cove, but Nova Scotia pirate folklore will have to wait for another day. The morning crossing was unusually calm and the water was flat. When we came across a field of floating debris, we hauled in a number of lobster buoys, line, plastic bottles, etc. The Skipper is a bit of an environmentalist and we did our part to reduce a few targets for unintended marine life that can get snagged up in this garbage. We good karma earned, we spent three hours rummaging through the rock falls and along the beach and kept our fingers crossed for a few good fids. Blue Chalcedony and Stilbite Heulandite Analcime and Heulandite (diamond shaped crystals) Quartz and Hematite (micro-crystal druze) Quartz, Jasper and Hematite (highly concentrated and magnetic) Quartz Druze on Quartz Crystals Quartz Druze Quartz Druze and Stilbite Quartz Druze and Stilbite Quartz Druze and Stilbite Quartz Druze and Stilbite Quartz Druze and Stilbite Quartz Druze and Stilbite Quartz Druze and Stilbite Quartz Druze and Stilbite Stilbite Stilbite Stilbite Stilbite Stilbite and Analcime Stilbite Enjoy the pics. Darryl. PS – Why are you reading this? You should be out rockhounding!
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jul 5, 2016 17:43:08 GMT -5
You did well considering you had a baby in tow. I have trouble managing my backpack and collecting gear. Hopefully, next time your schedule will be a little more relaxed and you will have time for a guide.
I ran into two well known local (Nova Scotia)collectors on my last trip out. They had a 40 foot extension ladder about 36 feet up a cliff face chiselling out plates of Stilbite. That's how they get the ones that are in the ten foot boulders.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jun 15, 2016 17:09:36 GMT -5
Reusable skeet! The clay pigeons are so hard to reassemble if you hit one.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jun 15, 2016 17:07:14 GMT -5
There are a few holes to fill in. Do those counties not have wood, or do you simply need a little more time?
Cool concept!
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jun 15, 2016 16:41:39 GMT -5
Psyllium (Metamucil) works for me, but I've never tried it in a rock tumbler. I have to ask, does psyllium make polishing more regular?
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jun 13, 2016 15:04:49 GMT -5
Lapis Lazuli can be a tough one to tumble because it is a rock made up of several different minerals (Lazurite, Calcite, Sodalite, Pyrite and others)with varying hardness, so undercutting and pitting can be a challenge. Depending whether you are using a rotary, or a vibe, the tips you get from members may vary, so we will need to know what machine you are using.
The white Calcite (H=3)is probably the softest and will likely be the most problematic.
I have saw cut small slabs and tumbled them in the vibe with good success, but I ran a lot of ceramic pellets (50% of the load) to act as cushion and reduce the undercutting and pitting.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on May 31, 2016 19:38:00 GMT -5
The first one is Gypsum. The second one is Gypsum (Satin Spar). Lots of both found between the Parrsboro Campground beach and the walk towards Clarke Head.
Neat to see the Calcite(?) crystals on top of the Satin Spar. That's new.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on May 31, 2016 17:07:57 GMT -5
That looks like a brain scan after staring at Cathedral Agate. Little pockets of light appear between the grey matter.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on May 31, 2016 17:05:34 GMT -5
Conveniently pre-rounded and right-sized. I think it might be Tumble Time! You can always throw in some Montana Agate for filler.
Darryl.
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Post by 150FromFundy on May 31, 2016 16:55:54 GMT -5
I bought a simple workbench with shelf, drawer, and light canopy from Canadian Tire. They are all made in China and almost every major chain store (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) paints them a different colour and puts their name on them.
The lower shelf holds three tumblers. (AR-2, Model-B, UV-10). The upper workbench holds my Gryphon grinder, Ameritool flat-lap and Dremel drill press. The upper workbench is illuminated by the canopy light. The canopy itself is a shelf for more storage. The peg-board back and hooks hold all kinds of accessories. The drawer holds lap disks.
I'll follow up with a photo as this description may not drive home how handy this little unit is for small scale hobby use.
Darryl.
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