jamesp favorites-Rio Grande #2

[jamesp]

Oct 28, 2016 22:06:08 GMT -5 Garage Rocker said:

Now I need an altimeter.

I wish that too Randy. Would a smart phone get er done ?

[Deleted]

Oct 28, 2016 22:58:54 GMT -5 jamesp said:

Oct 28, 2016 9:57:31 GMT -5 Fossilman said:

Those look like Brahma cattle..........

Wide variety of cows. They stay by the lake during day to take swims and drink. As the sun gets low they swing up to collect rocks.
When driving out I have to wait for them to get out of the road.
My friend Fernando whom got me a pass to get on these properties had 14 cattle stolen a few months ago.
They caught them, I think cattle rustling in Texas will take them past the state jail and down the road to the big Hilton.

Or a an abandoned mine shaft.

[paulshiroma]

Oct 28, 2016 22:58:54 GMT -5 jamesp said:

Oct 28, 2016 9:57:31 GMT -5 Fossilman said:

Those look like Brahma cattle..........

Wide variety of cows. They stay by the lake during day to take swims and drink. As the sun gets low they swing up to collect rocks.
When driving out I have to wait for them to get out of the road.
My friend Fernando whom got me a pass to get on these properties had 14 cattle stolen a few months ago.
They caught them, I think cattle rustling in Texas will take them past the state jail and down the road to the big Hilton.

Well, I appreciate that they too, enjoy rockhounding. Guess I'll revise my opinion of these animals.

[paulshiroma]

Oct 28, 2016 22:53:51 GMT -5 jamesp said:

Oct 28, 2016 22:47:44 GMT -5 paulshiroma said:

Hey James, what an awesome trip. Thanks for posting all the photos!

About to pass out Paul. In and out w/the sun.

Didn't look like there was a whole lot of shade. What were the temps like? I'll admit to skipping some of the narrative and going straight to the photos.

[jamesp]

Oct 28, 2016 23:04:29 GMT -5 paulshiroma said:

Oct 28, 2016 22:53:51 GMT -5 jamesp said:

About to pass out Paul. In and out w/the sun.

Didn't look like there was a whole lot of shade. What were the temps like? I'll admit to skipping some of the narrative and going straight to the photos.

Hot Paul. Maybe 90-95.

[captbob]

Oct 28, 2016 22:35:21 GMT -5 jamesp said:

for irritation's sake



And two 5 gallon buckets of jasper and mosses/plumes today. Dialing in on the jaspers.

Oct 28, 2016 22:46:25 GMT -5 jamesp said:

Suppose I need to extend my stay.

May get to unloading truck tomorrow.Haven't unloaded a single rock yet, too busy catching up around here.

[1dave]

IMO this is ultimate Palm Paradise! I've never seen anything like it in wood.

[captbob]

James, I'm as happy for you as you are yourself that you finally found a palm area! Wish I had been there to witness you finding the first piece.

Folks, you had to be there, but it's the little things that thrill James. Whether it's a purdy rock, finding an unhounded area, or even a good dinner. Fun to watch.
Sorry to hear about the stomach cramps. Way no good. And to those reading, yes - he actually licks darn near every rock he windows. And I'm talking about hundreds and hundreds of rocks each day.
I carried around a bucket I use to wash the vehicles here at home in which I had around 4" of water. Dipped every rock that I considered worthy of a better looking over. Faster than a spray bottle and no licking rocks from where the alien cows roam.

Should get to unloading truck today. Seriously wish I had stayed another couple/few days in Texas.
Have rockhounding DTs bad. And I miss hanging with Jim... he is one in a million.

[captbob]

Wife just wandered in my area...

me: that son of a gun finally found palm yesterday!
her: what?
me: palm. palm wood. petrified palm. I never found it while there.
her: he was waiting until you went home so he could find the good shit.

< packing truck > - after I unload it!

[jamesp]

Glad to have kept you amused Bob. Your exuberence made the trip. No wet rag for sure. Glad you got to experience this place, big change from our east.
You said last trip, bet you will return. Ready when you are. All went smooth as silk. Your a tuff customer.

Every single time we went for dinner there was a Mexican additive in the food. Bob not fond of spices.

I was very specific to say I never found palm. That's a fact. I spent 2 more hours roaming to find more. LOL, she messing w/your head.
Bring her along next time ?

I think it is in a native Texas strata. Figured we would have ran up on it. It is not in the caliche, about sure of that.
I believe the caliche is simply dried tumbling slurry. Dries just like it. Imagine where all the grindings went from rounding every single rock...

Thanks for the great company.

Got to pick up some more LFRB's on the way to the hunt.

Mr Dillon says the roads are all picked clean around George West. They need rain to expose more.

[Sabre52]

James: First off, the yellow rock you questioned is jasper not wood. Lots of that sort in the Rio gravel. I really like the Rio jasper and think a lot of folks don't appreciate it enough.

Next: Holy crap you found some excellent palm!!!!!! Rio is famous for the bright colors and man you found them in spades. A few of them though, are orbicular jaspers and others, not palm. That weird streaky wood that looks a bit like palm is not, though I must admit, I have no idea what kind of odd tropical wood it is. Lots of that at George West too but no one has made a good wood ID book for south Texas far as I know.

As a side note, lots of the shrinkwood and such from George West has that darker back exterior too. Would not be surprised if the back wood where you are is sometimes shrinkwood or pocket rot wood.

I'm dancing with glee now too as I ran in to Clayton down by the stables this AM and he told me he's bringing by a bunch or Rio agate for me to sort tomorrow. Another "no walking " field trip. Cool beans!....Mel

Again, this is lie the bestest thread ever. Thanks so much for taking us along on your journey James!.....Mel

[rockjunquie]

Oh wow! I just found this thread and read it straight through. EPIC trip report! Thank you so much for all of the information! I felt like I had a tour guide.

This really stood out for me as being so different from the rest. Reminds me of mooka.



Stay safe and have fun!

[Fossilman]

HOLY MOLLY!!!!!!!

[Deleted]

Defintely orbicular. Notice the rings around the dots?

Sell it to me!

2nd best at 8 pounds

[Sabre52]

Scott, I think orbicular jasper/agate too, but I can see why it could look like palm. If you look down at the edge of the stone far lower right, you can see what look like well defined vascular bundles. Though I suppose it could be a palm cast where the insides are completely replaced with orbicular stuff, that lower right section might just be a section of a different sort of orbs. Whatever, it is sure eight pounds of awesome.....Mel

[Deleted]

Oct 29, 2016 21:17:23 GMT -5 Sabre52 said:

Scott, I think orbicular jasper/agate too, but I can see why it could look like palm. If you look down at the edge of the stone far lower right, you can see what look like well defined vascular bundles. Though I suppose it could be a palm cast where the insides are completely replaced with orbicular stuff, that lower right section might just be a section of a different sort of orbs. Whatever, it is sure eight pounds of awesome.....Mel

Bottom rught corner does have a palmy look. No ring around the orbs. And there is a line of demarcation between that and the orbicular stuff. Red!

[jamesp]

No joke, 6 paces and found 2 mosses. At McDonalds.
I could fill a 5 gallon bucket of keepers from this 3-5 inch caliche derived gravel. Morning sun making excess orange.
This gravel scrubbed clean.
No visible cracks or bleach coating. Just straight up quality agate.

[jamesp]

Found this one just before leaving. Must have 500-800 of these high grade biscuits in every color and pattern imaginable.
Black red orange yellow purple green, and mixes there of.

[jamesp]

Today was mostly pet wood day.
Way harder to find than moss agates as they are very similar to the mass chert cobbles.
The trick is look for shape, blocky, triangular, chunky and often in the 4-8 pound range. Many with cylindrical in sets.
The beauty is on the inside, not the outside.
Lots and lots of wood in various sundries of material. The sun bleaches very clear wood patterns, break it open and the last thing it looks like is wood.
The prettiest and best agatized stuff is often a dullard on he outside.

These two large chunks found in a thin caliche area at end of day, high spot close to river. Reverse of all theories and at end of day.
Me and Bob cleaned this spot out of mosses, completely missed masses of pet wood. The high flat top out on the end of the point captbob.

These two, one a flirting with museum. Jet black with hopefully blood red running thru the rings.

rock on left looks like a million other cherts



left rock, super hard and no fractures



Rock on right was obvious, black with the red, might be the best find of my trip. The saw is getting this one.




Lots of black wood. Found another palm too(bad photo)





big palm windowed, low on color



This wood very common



Could be jasper. no telling in Texas. I think orbs judging from coating is totally pocked w/orbs unlike the 8 pounder earlier. It is a palm, vertical lines flowing opposite window.
Easy to assess when looking at the whole rock than only collinear with the tubes.



Lots of big ones made like this. Hard hard hard. Breaks cross or with grain equally, sign of super high quality material.
This one got made into tumbles in the field. Palm or wood kids



This when Texas wood gets interesting

[meviva]

Wow!! Loving all of them. Keep em coming.