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Post by captbob on Oct 30, 2016 21:00:31 GMT -5
I was kidding about going back. Would like to, but wife can't get the mornings off work next week, as she did while I was out of town, to take care of the critters. jamesp ... I figured out the McDonald's hounding for ya! Get a couple local kids, show them what you are after and pay them 25¢ per quality rock they bring you out of the landscaping. Who's gonna stop kids from picking up a few rocks - or even notice? |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 21:43:32 GMT -5
I was kidding about going back. Would like to, but wife can't get the mornings off work next week, as she did while I was out of town, to take care of the critters. jamesp ... I figured out the McDonald's hounding for ya! Get a couple local kids, show them what you are after and pay them 25¢ per quality rock they bring you out of the landscaping. Who's gonna stop kids from picking up a few rocks - or even notice? This morning's McDonald's haul. Again, less than 10 feet travelled.  Did a drive by on he way out  |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 21:45:27 GMT -5
Behind the hotel in 10 minutes. So that is about 10 miles up the lake from the honey holes. Whole lake is covered w/them.  |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 21:48:43 GMT -5
Need to find the landscape supply and see if the have a few tons of large Rio gravel stock piled.
Hit it w/the water hose.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 21:49:59 GMT -5
Thanks MrP. I get more than I give here. |
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jamesp
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Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 21:51:47 GMT -5
I wish I had seen this thread earlier. I spent the weekend with my family doing some birdwatching in south Texas and had lunch at that very McDonalds in Zapata today. I picked up a bag full of rocks along the river but they are probably all junk since I just started rock hounding and don't have a clue yet. I passed a fellow in a baby blue compact collecting the gravel road about early noon. Was that you ? These guys doing some bird watching too. Watching a scissors' tail flycatcher.  |
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barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
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Post by barclay on Oct 30, 2016 21:56:16 GMT -5
Why can't you collect rocks in Big Bend Texas? Big Bend is National Monument Park. Thanks richardh!!! Danke |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 22:09:07 GMT -5
Got a late start today. First bag, mixed batch  Second bag much heavier jaspers, they are rounder than biscuits mosses and plumes  mosses and plumes  woods  This is a good one to challenge the I.D. folks. Shape looks wood  window  kinky jasper, lots of very fancy jasper in black and subliminal dark colors  another enigma. multi national  Two giant agates, a new variety, "McDonald's Agate". And dwarfing the mosses I found in the field all day.  |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 22:17:25 GMT -5
Hoping this conglomerate cobble I broke into tumbles will not under cut. It was well healed and chipped waxy smooth. Had good luck with well healed Rio conglomerates.  |
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Post by captbob on Oct 30, 2016 22:21:58 GMT -5
Nice haul for a short day! Finding out who stockpiles the landscaping gravel could be a bonanza.
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richardh
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 391 
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Post by richardh on Oct 30, 2016 22:30:01 GMT -5
I wish I had seen this thread earlier. I spent the weekend with my family doing some birdwatching in south Texas and had lunch at that very McDonalds in Zapata today. I picked up a bag full of rocks along the river but they are probably all junk since I just started rock hounding and don't have a clue yet. I passed a fellow in a baby blue compact collecting the gravel road about early noon. Was that you ? These guys doing some bird watching too. Watching a scissors' tail flycatcher. I was with my mother and her boyfriend in a Gold Nissan. The birds were very impressive on the way home. I think I counted over 50 Harris's Hawks and 20 or so Crested Caracaras. Lots of Green Jays too but no luck with the White-collared Seedeater that we were looking for. Would have loved to have gotten a few rock hounding pointers from you, I'm still trying to figure our this biscuit thing LOL. |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 22:31:30 GMT -5
Nice haul for a short day! Finding out who stockpiles the landscaping gravel could be a bonanza. Every time I find that big stuff whether mined and piled or washed into a pile I score in mass. Landscape yards often invite cherry picking. Bet Dr Ikes would know where a supplier is. A rancher built a ramp to his gate with that stuff. I surface collected 2 buckets off it. The big Rios seem to have a higher percentage agate. Looking for big stuff. |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 30, 2016 22:34:09 GMT -5
Think hockey puck richardh. They usually have sped on them where the chalcedony between the moss has bleached white. mostly yellow and red. |
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richardh
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 391
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Post by richardh on Oct 30, 2016 22:35:24 GMT -5
That is a heck of a haul today, I didn't get anything close to what you did but I was limited to a couple of spots along the river below the dam and one spot on the river above Falcon Lake. I was pretty tempted to grab a couple of rocks at McDonalds but couldn't tell what was good and what wasn't and as soon as I started looking at them my mom started fussing at me.
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 30, 2016 23:18:08 GMT -5
Nice! Usually the conglomerates from down that way tumble quite well Usually hard enough to be real difficult to saw and sealed together with red or gold jasper. I can't wait till you start sawing some of what you've collected. Gonna be some real beauties in there..Mel
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Post by 1dave on Oct 31, 2016 6:18:07 GMT -5
Serious agreement on a long term battle. Donald Kasper of Lancaster CA, places agates in a group of materials containing less than 5% iron content, 5-25% is jasper and anything greater is "ironstone". If you consider the common names used in popular lapidary you will agree this is a very practical (even if not technical) description. One very rarely finds hematite in agates, but commonly in jaspers... Some Jaspers in Utah and Nevada are crushed for their GOLD content. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 31, 2016 7:55:52 GMT -5
Donald Kasper of Lancaster CA, places agates in a group of materials containing less than 5% iron content, 5-25% is jasper and anything greater is "ironstone". If you consider the common names used in popular lapidary you will agree this is a very practical (even if not technical) description. One very rarely finds hematite in agates, but commonly in jaspers... Some Jaspers in Utah and Nevada are crushed for their GOLD content. I found a 4 inch biscuit that had a load of pyrite or gold in it. Bet it added up to a 1/4" cube's worth. Looked like gold. |
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Post by 1dave on Oct 31, 2016 8:03:11 GMT -5
Easy to distinguish. Hit it with a hammer. Pyrite shatters, gold squishes.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,600
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Post by jamesp on Oct 31, 2016 8:14:12 GMT -5
Nice! Usually the conglomerates from down that way tumble quite well Usually hard enough to be real difficult to saw and sealed together with red or gold jasper. I can't wait till you start sawing some of what you've collected. Gonna be some real beauties in there..Mel Some of the conglomerates are glued well. I have tumbled some from last trip that did not under cut a bit. As far as mosses/plumes, probably saw and save the whole half, tumble the windowed side. My gig is to save one of every pattern/color combo. Whether ugly or not. Call it a collection/library of moss. Past few days my collection poundage has dropped as I am trying to collect oddities. Quality wood and palm and jasper is much less frequent. You can cover a lot of ground and load up on the mosses as they stand out clearly. Wood and jasper compete with the mass chert. Got to go real slow and study the material. Surprised me how the 2-3 pound moss biscuits have such high quality. Man if I could find a landscape company that would let me cherry pick a few tons of 3-6 inch rocks. Like the McDonald's landscape beds, full of trophies. Nobody rock hunts in this town. Those agates at McDonalds are good for 15 cabs each. There is no loss in those. Same w/the ones I find in the field. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 31, 2016 8:15:29 GMT -5
Easy to distinguish. Hit it with a hammer. Pyrite shatters, gold squishes. Did that Dave. It was gold. Will keep my eye on these that I collected as I work them. |
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