jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 8, 2022 5:14:44 GMT -5
Given your location I have doubt as to it being petrified wood. My opinion would be that it is a chert replaced stromatolite. Possibly just a chert nodule similar to Mozarkite in Missouri. I am assuming Northern IL origin. ashley the edge photos didn't reveal much in the way of wood but that doesn't mean that much as far as ID of wood. Let's just say nothing looked obvious. rmf and the others may have the best ID being a strom or a chert nodule. The Great Lakes has a super diverse geology due to Glacier transports and local impact sites. Fun place to collect no doubt.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 8, 2022 4:32:23 GMT -5
Those look good and I like your display idea. Thanks Randy. A quick storm passed by yesterday and wet the gravel road and lit up the wood in the road nicely though a bit steamy.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 8, 2022 4:24:26 GMT -5
Drink lots of water and take breaks. So your secret space is not secret. Perfect day to stay in the cold creek Beth, thanks for your concern.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 7, 2022 9:17:49 GMT -5
What a variety of colors and patterns. They are very pretty. Thanks Beth. Most of it is good glassy Mohs 7 grade, the rest is quite soft. The Alabama geologist stated what layer it can be found at. A real skinny layer crossing the state of Alabama. Darn if he knew exactly where it was found without being told, right in that thin layer go figure. I'm getting ready to head out for the day to collect again (smiling). Stashed about a 40 pound chunk looking full of some ornamental material, bought a dolly to haul it back. Only problem is 98F and 90% humidity.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 7, 2022 9:09:13 GMT -5
jamespI love chert Jim, so if its chert I’m still happy! I would dig more around there but it’s a park and the kids and I got lucky with no one being there yesterday lol. Thank you for the video and the knowledge! I will take some side shots and post them later today or tomorrow. If pet wood(or such nice chert) it may be a large deposit. Sure would be nice if there was a creek or river close by with collecting access. Us poor easterners don't have all that exposed desert to collect from.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 7, 2022 6:19:19 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 7, 2022 5:43:45 GMT -5
Looking at the right side of the first photo gives the impression that that may be a the outside edge of a round chert nodule Ashley. But it sure could be wood that may have had a rotted out center.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 7, 2022 5:38:29 GMT -5
Great find Ashley. It obviously has characteristics of pet wood and some attractive chalcedony-like silicification. It is large suggesting it may be a section of a tree. It looks promising ! A few side photos would help - does it have a bark looking perimeter and vertical sides ?
And it is certainly this type of quartz:
"Cryptocrystalline is a rock texture made up of such minute crystals that its crystalline nature is only vaguely revealed even microscopically in thin section by transmitted polarized light. Among the sedimentary rocks, chert and flint are cryptocrystalline."
It seems to be a cylinder instead of a round or oval nodule. Chert can form oval and less commonly round nodules with bands that can look like pet wood but rarely is it cylindrical. If that is a chert nodule it is certainly a large one.
Wood can be replaced or filled or casted, there are various ways it can become 'petrified'. For that reason it can be a challenge to prove it to be pet wood. It can fill so many different ways with so many color variations of silica and patterns.
I suggest returning to that location and finding more samples similar to it. And would be anxious and excited to find more like it ! If there is one there is probably many more. If it was found in a creek or a river it could have been transported and a random find. I believe you live fairly close to the Great Lakes where there may be a lot of glacial transport. Glaciers in that area are known for moving rock all over the place from long distances.
This fellow gives a great educational speech about the various ways pet wood can be formed. It may help you with ID.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 6, 2022 16:04:19 GMT -5
Seriously Henry. These are some of the hottest June/July days we have also due to the still air and high humidity. Longest days of the year too making ground and buildings hotter than average.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 6, 2022 15:07:28 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 6, 2022 15:01:32 GMT -5
Awesome slices Henry. The sodalite is yummy. It's super hot/humid here, be cautious out there.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 6, 2022 9:36:07 GMT -5
Fair warning. Sawing rock is addictive rockbrain.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 6, 2022 9:25:30 GMT -5
Land owners are often happy to have rock collectors hunt their property jasoninsd. The last thing they care about is their excess rocks. They are often curious as to what the heck you are finding that brought you there in the first place. This often intrigues them enough to converse with you. I am a master suck-up lol. The local watering hole is a great place to meet land owners. so is the local landscape/gravel yard. If there is a bunch of work trucks in the parking lot with farm tools/fencing materials you are probably going to find farm owners. I bring a jar of tumbles from adjacent lands to show/give them. I ask if I can check their gates and report any dumping or trespassing activity. Check condition of fenced animals. Figure out some type of service you can offer. Tell them you will send tumbles of some of your findings. Do they have grandkids/kids that like polished rocks ? In south Texas you find lots of red and green rocks, the Latino folks with Mexican heritage like these colors because of the Mexican flag. Just be creative. You have a great personality and should perform well at sucking up ! Small towns often have family, word gets around and your name may get passed to other land owners. I had a kayak strapped to the top of the car. No one kayaks along the Rio so you stick out like a sore thumb to DEA and law enforcement and the whole town. Everyone knows you are visiting from another planet and often curious. I always invite any landowner that gave permission a steak meal or two in the evenings. This can really get your presence out there. The owner I first met in Zapata invited me to the water hole on their family night(like 20 people) and I had a several members inviting me. One of them tried to hook me up with his daughter omg. It sounds like you are already well connected and have permissions handed on a platter. No need for all this creative hustling. Having partners does make the trip much more pleasurable. I can get by being lonely if the rocks are nice though. I would love to have a dozen RTH members meet me out there. I thought about making a lease deal but Texas is just too far to drive to make it efficient. I believe a $1000/year would be enough to collect on a 1000 acres if you stayed away during deer season.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 6, 2022 8:41:44 GMT -5
Falcon Lake is real low with a bunch of exposed rock HankRocks (hint hint). You are not that far away ! The conglomerates were not common at the Rio. I almost drove up to the Brazos to collect some. The Brazos isn't that far from you. Maybe you have heard of the CJ Young ranch. Actually I am going up to my two friends 7 acres this Thursday 40 miles NW of me to look for rock. One them has been doing a lot of work deepening his pond during our current drought and exposing a good bit of old river rock, mostly rounded quartzite and some Pet wood. Unfortunately without washing rain it will be tougher finding material. Their place is about 10 miles from the Brazos and I need to see if they have any access to any of the river front property. I can see the sand/gravel bars on Google earth and I have never collected on any of them. I am going to hold off on going to Zapata until as you mentioned, cooler weather, no Deer Season, and collecting partners. Not venturing anywhere by myself anymore. Wife needs me to get home from any of these excursions. Check out Quality Stone of Mineral Wells. They have been in operation for at least 15 years. Quarry is 3/4 mile from Brazos. Looks to be plenty of gravel roads to collect from in this rural area. It looks like a public road terminates at the Brazos about a mile NW of the quarry. Texas gravel roads are often agate rich. Tumbles pre-made.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 5, 2022 20:34:01 GMT -5
Falcon Lake is real low with a bunch of exposed rock HankRocks(hint hint). You are not that far away ! The conglomerates were not common at the Rio. I almost drove up to the Brazos to collect some. The Brazos isn't that far from you. Maybe you have heard of the CJ Young ranch.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 5, 2022 15:15:57 GMT -5
jamesp I am pretty sure(90%) this one is a Rio. It's a very nice Conglomerate and looks to be very solid and should take a good polish. The outside is well rounded like a Rio. Got 4 slabs and 2 end cuts out of this one. IMG_4159 by Findrocks, on Flickr It looks like it took a ride down the Rio or some long river. What you say does not surprise. Most of the conglomerates chip as if they were one type of stone all silicified into one. Many are conglomerates conglomerated 2nd and even 3rd generation. Must have been a lot of available glue out that way. The Brazos is supposed to be el primo for conglomerates just west of Dallas. Near Mineral Wells on the CJ Young ranch right on the Brazos(pg. 114 in Gem Trails of Tejas). Guessing the Brazos is loaded with them if there are any rock bars. I see a road trip for Hank. It looks like it would have made a nice monster tumble by Hank.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 5, 2022 12:28:46 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 5, 2022 11:27:29 GMT -5
Just wow. The burned areas are so well preserved.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 5, 2022 10:46:54 GMT -5
To be honest I sent the best batch out first and either shared or tumbled them, these are the 2nds jasoninsd. A fellow can work his way up to Laredo and really score on some pretty cobbles. Not many venture up that way where the river is narrow and covered with brush with trafficking. As you work you way upriver the cobbles get bigger and bigger but that area is all in giant ranches and govt' lands. Planning to go back out perhaps with a boat. Should have better skills at picking better ones this go. I bet you had a blast with those 2 fellows. You folks out west have it made with those killer rocks y'all have. I did make contact with the ranch owner this weekend. He gave me the thumbs up to collect on their properties again. Am pumped... Unfortunately he did not mention bringing others with me. I hate to impose, most of the lands are his cousin's and uncle's for which he can not speak for.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 5, 2022 10:36:22 GMT -5
Better be a fast runner Randy !! Reminds me of when I was a kid on the ranch... we derived a lot of juvenile satisfaction from planting m-80's in fresh cow turds. Fresh cow turd splattered on the walls of the bunkhouse made for a lot of amusement. Well that was a common pastime in my neighborhood too Randy. Except splattering it on the poor fellows bunkhouse ! Cutting the fuses short for dares was always funny when the slow guy lit the fuse. I don't know who would have done such a thing but I heard you can put a small paper bag of dog poop on the front porch, set it on fire and ring the fellow's doorbell only to have him stomp it out. The good ole days...
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