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Post by tims on Jun 12, 2015 22:42:04 GMT -5
Another yard find I very rarely see anything green when i'm out kicking rocks which is why it caught my eye. I do find some similarly translucent gray material around the Teepee Canyon area but it's always in round pockets and not a seam like this. If I run across more will definitely make note of where it turns up.
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Post by tims on Jun 12, 2015 22:22:47 GMT -5
Googling dogtooth calcite there are many that look very similar, both with the crystal formation and the coloration. I think you might have nailed it Pat
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Post by tims on Jun 12, 2015 16:11:00 GMT -5
Under a magnifying glass the "scratch" was metal from the nail. That was confusing me because I'd made similar scratches on quartz and it didn't occur to me that the nail was scratching off on the rock.
The green material is slightly translucent and reminds me of moss agate with the specks floating in it.
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Post by tims on Jun 12, 2015 15:28:06 GMT -5
Great info as always, thanks Don. Mark I'll check out that FB page, looks like alot of useful information there as well. Thanks guys.
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Post by tims on Jun 11, 2015 21:04:27 GMT -5
Rough red matrix and what looks like seams of white quartz. Nail leaves a light scratch.
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Post by tims on Jun 11, 2015 20:50:42 GMT -5
A couple for fossilman ...
The long one is about 9" long, 4" diameter. The shorter piece has much better detail. I've got a can full of small pointy ends but I'm not sure if they're baculite end pieces or what ...
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Post by tims on Jun 11, 2015 20:32:26 GMT -5
Yikes, I've been assuming that water is pretty safe for everything. I did soak it in water for a few hours then used a soft brush to scrub it (prior to photo) and it looked more dull and dirty than before I cleaned it Still, I doubt I did much more damage than letting it sit outdoors in the weather for decades ... Are there certain minerals that I should avoid soaking in water?
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Post by tims on Jun 11, 2015 19:37:01 GMT -5
In your first photos, what is the spongy material that is close to your meter? I think it's petrified coral. I've got an even bigger piece in the back yard that is almost completely submerged, but it and a few other lunkers around the yard are going to have to wait for rescue until I find another set of hands to help out. Have been rained out for a couple of days but will try to get a better pic of it; maybe someone here will chime in if (as usual) I've mid-identified it.
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Post by tims on Jun 9, 2015 23:24:50 GMT -5
Thanks for the UV pics those are cool. Is that gypsum / selenite piece the same as what some people call "Desert Rose"? I've got a couple that look similar but they're a dirty off-white not that pretty brown.
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Post by tims on Jun 9, 2015 23:11:06 GMT -5
DOES scratch with a nail. Thanks as always for the knowledgeable input.
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Post by tims on Jun 9, 2015 22:41:44 GMT -5
Another yard find, a block of quartz crystals about 8" x 4" x 3". If I'm mis-identifying please let me know. I assume it's worthless for lapidary work but it's a pretty rock if nothing else ...
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Post by tims on Jun 9, 2015 22:28:26 GMT -5
This is looking to become an all-summer project. I've got a few spots cleared with sheeting down and so finally have a spot to start putting the stuff I excavate, but first of course everything has to be washed off, sorted and wondered over. Time consuming, but fun. Tomorrow I'm going in search of display table tops ... gonna price expanded metal grating tomorrow, and if that is too pricey am hoping to find someone at the local gravel quarry to see if they have any scrap screens / grates that might be had on the cheap.
Will add photos as things progress but don't hold your breath --- if I moved any slower I'd have a nice druzy crust. Here's one bucket of salvage rinsed off ... some nice intact agates, jasper, quartz balls, wood and mystery rocks. Only about 999 more buckets to go
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Post by tims on Jun 8, 2015 22:03:18 GMT -5
Cool fossils. What is the green stuff in the first couple posts?
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Post by tims on Jun 6, 2015 20:54:24 GMT -5
My sheeting is ordered and I got a couple hours of digging in today (you'd never guess looking at it). I didn't realize the sheeting would pass moisture, so now I'm thinking of surrounding a big lilac with stone and probably just re-doing a long row of rock along the back of the house for starters. Still need to figure out some tables or something ...
Did hit a section of fence that seemed to be the fossil repository; lots of baculite and clam-looking critters, some with the pretty colorful shell at least semi-intact. Too dirty to show well here:
This I have convinced myself is a bone, though I am entirely prepared to be proved wrong. Looks shoulder or hip-y to me but might just be a weirdly weathered rock:
So ... Anyone need a few truckloads of Spruce needle mulch? FREE YOU HAUL
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Post by tims on Jun 6, 2015 13:39:23 GMT -5
Jugglerguy you're just showing off. Thanks for that what a gorgeous yard, and the stone paths and walls make it very inviting to wander around and see it all. Peachfront that plastic looks perfect; I'll order one roll to start and try to fab some tables for pretty small stuff. Love your halved agates ... what are they? Everything around here tends more to browns and reds, the translucent blue is really pretty. Thanks for the input
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Post by tims on Jun 6, 2015 3:25:51 GMT -5
Pretty finds ... 5 minutes there and my pockets would explode.
Hey are you going to attend the Cody show in July?
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Post by tims on Jun 6, 2015 2:55:06 GMT -5
Here are some "before" pics. I'm hoping calling them that will keep me motivated to produce an "after"
Wish I had a stack of old corrugated tin siding, it's held up well for probably half a century ...
Here are a dozen of the first freed captives rescued today, I need to wash them off but they look like pitted agate nodules. These were completely submerged under dirt and turf.
In its current condition nobody even seems to notice the rock collection. Forest through the trees or something. But I'm sure you guys are right, if I get it cleaned up and sorted out I'll probably have to start worrying about securing it. This is going to be more than just a weekend endeavor so I guess one step at a time.
If I don't stack things up I'm estimating needing several hundred square feet of base, which would be a lot of concrete. Realistically I will probably go with plastic sheeting for ease and cost unless I can find a way to repurpose something on the cheap. Or I'll turn the house into a rock shop and live in a tent in the yard.
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Post by tims on Jun 6, 2015 2:09:30 GMT -5
I saw that little guy but wasn't sure it was also scaphite.
Ginger, I'm not sure where this was found. I aquired a large and varied collection but it's completely undocumented. I'm trying to sort and salvage everything but there's a definite learning curve involved, so I appreciate all the helpful input.
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Post by tims on Jun 4, 2015 20:13:41 GMT -5
Situation: I've got several tons of rock I'd like to organize in outdoor displays. Currently I have many big piles of rock which have sat for decades and are literally being swallowed back up by the earth. It's a totally jumbled field collection, with pieces ranging from hand specimens to lunkers a couple feet in diameter.
Question: How to build inexpensive and permanent outdoor displays that can hold serious weight, stand up to extreme weather, and allow for viewing?
I'd like to end up with raised platforms for smaller pieces with room to set the really large pieces underneath. Maybe. Any ideas? Anyone have pictures of their own outdoor displays? Thanks in advance ... all suggestions welcome.
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Post by tims on Jun 4, 2015 19:37:46 GMT -5
Scaphite. Thanks for the ID.
I'll look into glue for the disassembled ones. I'm tempted not to touch this one because it appears fairly solid and I'm afraid it'll come apart if I fiddle with the tape.
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