|
Post by Garage Rocker on Oct 26, 2016 9:21:46 GMT -5
All this talk of biscuits is making me hungry. Love the thread, jamesp. Looks like a lot of material heading back east.
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
|
Post by Fossilman on Oct 26, 2016 10:14:22 GMT -5
James,do ya' keep journals or log books on your hounding? I do,it helps when I go back to the areas....Sometimes don't get back there for a few years (A guy forgets)...
|
|
|
Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 26, 2016 14:39:53 GMT -5
I don't have much to add here because I know nothing about the are you are in or the rocks you are collecting. I just thought I'd let you guys know that I'm checking in daily and really enjoying the trip.
|
|
snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
|
Post by snuffy on Oct 26, 2016 17:47:48 GMT -5
....miles and miles of Texas...
snuffy
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
|
Post by Sabre52 on Oct 26, 2016 20:11:05 GMT -5
Wow! That palm looks like it will have knockout colors inside....Mel
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 26, 2016 22:06:01 GMT -5
Texas chert is 90% of the cobbles. Rings like a bell. Earth tones and many patterns. Up to 20 pound cobbles. On the other hand, Texas agates and jaspers colorful. Colorful jaspers are the most rare of the two. Guessing half the rocks are of this caliper Some real strange combinations in the moss business. Let Mel figure the brown one out. Stopped picking up red and collecting strange colors. This 10 pounder surprised me as it is not one bit grainy, these big ones are rare Same 10 pounder with a lot more than just red in it Found a new rock bed tonight before heading back to hotel. A free range cattle spot. Cows friendly. Bob threatened me for extending my stay. He's addicted and heading back early AM. Travel safe my (jealous) friend. He can clean out ALL the pretty's. Don't go behind him. From the paved road it is a 30 minute drive to the spots. Must cross a dozen cattle guards.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 26, 2016 22:16:46 GMT -5
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 26, 2016 22:25:21 GMT -5
All this talk of biscuits is making me hungry. Love the thread, jamesp. Looks like a lot of material heading back east. Must have strong jaws Randy.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 26, 2016 22:31:52 GMT -5
I don't have much to add here because I know nothing about the are you are in or the rocks you are collecting. I just thought I'd let you guys know that I'm checking in daily and really enjoying the trip. Atlanta has no agate Rob. It is a treat to find this stuff. You would be surprised what I leave behind. Honda Civic can only carry so much back home so being selective. We did not cover 1% of the lake shore on the US side. However a day of doing this kid of collecting will sure make you sleep well. Every branch, limb, trunk has thorns. Ground is treacherous to walk on. Car far away. Toting about 25 pounds 5-6 times per day.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 26, 2016 22:33:52 GMT -5
....miles and miles of Texas... snuffy Loooong way out here snuffy. EVERYONE drives fast. Passing police cars parked with radar at 85 MPH. Me just following you Texans.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 26, 2016 22:36:01 GMT -5
James,do ya' keep journals or log books on your hounding? I do,it helps when I go back to the areas....Sometimes don't get back there for a few years (A guy forgets)... This place is limited in access. So it is easy to keep up with. If I had a boat I would be marking spots collected though.
|
|
meviva
Cave Dweller
Member since July 2013
Posts: 1,474
|
Post by meviva on Oct 27, 2016 0:17:08 GMT -5
These rocks rare, mosses much more common This one is my favorite. Andrea
|
|
|
Post by MrMike on Oct 27, 2016 5:35:14 GMT -5
jamesp thanks for taking us along, great trip.
|
|
|
Post by 1dave on Oct 27, 2016 6:25:01 GMT -5
These rocks rare, mosses much more common This one is my favorite. Andrea The black "partition" lines . . . What are they? If manganese - Why didn't they go dendritic? What scrunched the blobs together? What causes the colors? IMO the Quartz Page was of little value - BUT American Mineralogist Really Came Through! You have to go there to get all the details but here are some excerpts - Less than 1/4 of the information.
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
|
Post by Sabre52 on Oct 27, 2016 6:34:59 GMT -5
Man James, this episode should have come with a drool warning. Beautiful finds and some unusual ones too. Rios are a bit like snowflakes with no two really alike and so many variations. My favorites are the plumes and the orby ones but lots of other patterns are eye poppers too. You guys are doing great and will be scrubbing and cutting Rios for a long time after this trip *L*. Did ole Bob hit his goal of a hundred pounds of good ones a day?....Mel
PS: That strange blacky goldy one with the swirls and spots looks like it got rolled in from out Marfa way. There's an agate there called "midnight lace" with those same colors and swirls. Sometimes has a plumy look to it and though I've never seen the spots in it, it is very similar to that one you found.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 27, 2016 7:59:20 GMT -5
meviva, those conglomerates are my favorite too. Unfortunately are few and far. Atleast well healed and stabilized ones. Probably travelled down the Brazos River. There was a ranch on Texas Gem Trails on the Brazos that such could be collected at on a fee basis.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 27, 2016 8:07:10 GMT -5
I am sure of one thing 1dave, the yellow mosses have a strong flavor if they are poorly silicified. Stopped licking them !! Certain that there is some serious chemistry going on in these rocks.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 27, 2016 8:21:43 GMT -5
Man James, this episode should have come with a drool warning. Beautiful finds and some unusual ones too. Rios are a bit like snowflakes with no two really alike and so many variations. My favorites are the plumes and the orby ones but lots of other patterns are eye poppers too. You guys are doing great and will be scrubbing and cutting Rios for a long time after this trip *L*. Did ole Bob hit his goal of a hundred pounds of good ones a day?....Mel PS: That strange blacky goldy one with the swirls and spots looks like it got rolled in from out Marfa way. There's an agate there called "midnight lace" with those same colors and swirls. Sometimes has a plumy look to it and though I've never seen the spots in it, it is very similar to that one you found. Bob dialed in at the end of the 2nd day. We kinda split up after day 4 and explored new spots. One long finger pointing in the lake he found yielded some of the finest. Probably the best. He made big hauls. The road he found providing access also provided access to a large field I found last night. He was anxious about not being able to hit this spot. I would guess he is taking 600-700 pounds home. Close to 100/day. Bob very intense rock hunter. I wish I could collect on the Mexico side. It is much more sterile and baron. I guess they do not fertilize and run cattle over there. Much less grass. Can tell from google earth.
|
|
|
Post by orrum on Oct 27, 2016 9:18:39 GMT -5
Hey JI'm and Mel are the chert Jim is finding the type that can be knapped?
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
Member is Online
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 27, 2016 9:48:20 GMT -5
Hey JI'm and Mel are the chert Jim is finding the type that can be knapped? Because I window a thousand rocks a day I have saved enough chert window chips to fill a tumble barrel Bill. Maybe Mel can ID them once I have a polish on them. I am limited by weight so knapping materials an issue. I could collect 500 pounds a day without trying. I could make a fortune selling this chert. Bet I could do 500 pounds grade AAA in 4-6 hours. Would be a lot of work though. I will say, 1 out of ten corals are optimally shaped to slab for knapping spearheads. There must be millions of cobbles 2-3 inches thick and 6-10 inches round. Perfect cross section to slab for spear. Mel may know why the cherts are shaped this way, could be the biscuit formation process. This stuff is beyond good knapping material, call it par excellence. Even with out heat treating. All you have to do is tap the cobbles lightly with a hammer and hear the bell ring. The blackish yellow skinned ones are most common and they rarely have a single fracture. I am bringing a few home. Either I will cook them or my friend Stan. Better Stan as he is a master knapper. The black/yellow weathered chert looks like the conglomerate at lower right. Maybe Mel knows what this is.
|
|