Welcome Must be time to get settled back into daily life again. Our weather this past three weeks has been exceptional. Extremely hot and dry in comparison to some areas of the world. My heart goes out to the people of Texas and the lower States caught in the path of Harvey. With that in mind I will not be complaining. The farmers here are running at full speed with the harvest at 40% completed and the crops are looking very good. They deserve all they get as they are very hard working people who have invested heavily in all they do. Ultimate Rock Hounding I have always been one to keep one eye to the ground while hiking and fishing. You can tell a great deal of the area you are in if you pay attention. I am not certain the area or the size of the nugget on the left. The one on the right comes from Atlin British Columbia. It came from a placer mine close to one of the areas I used to fish. The mine was a father son duo working the riverbed when the nugget on the right rolled down the sluice box. I just happened to be passing through and had the pleasure of holding this one. It weighed in at 52 ounces or 3.25 pounds. Have you got the gold bug yet... I offered to look after it for the guys but alas they said they could. Now for the less dramatic and yet so very beautiful. Finding a rock such as this leaves the mind to wonder of what it took to create such beauty and perfection. My first thought was it resembled Hieroglyphics with a secret of special meaning. Look close and it will speak much to you knowing this was created for us to enjoy. Through the process you are quickly humbled. Yet another look from the back. This particular find comes off the Bull River in British Columbia in an area called Tanglefoot. It is approximately 60 miles back in off the highway on very narrow logging trails. Be prepared as the loads of logs coming from the area fully loaded and the drivers come barreling down the mountainside. The Bull River is a fast moving river, not for the fainthearted. Step out into the flow and you are caught by the full force she can display. After a day of leaning into the current to stay upright you will rest very well. This particular area requires special licensing and costs 25 dollars per day and it is a catch and release only. Years ago while the railroad was being built across Canada ties came from this area. A local historian Verdun Casselman has written a massive book on the history of the area called "Ties to Water" It is becoming a very rare book. I was very fortunate to have found one held by a collector. One taste of the area and you are drawn to research. If you are a rock collector, no matter the level be prepared to set aside your fly rod and go for collecting. The area is also known for it's gold mining. A good friend and I go there at least once a year. This year the gold pans and shovels are being carried. Who knows there may be another 3-4 pound nugget awaiting to be found. Yet another bonus is the area is loaded with agate of all kinds and colours. When shaped in a rock saw and polished they are a sight to see. This rock was found in the Bow River west of Calgary. It caught my eye as it was unique. It is two rocks, as far as I was able to tell the larger must have had a seam of limestone or shale running through it. Over time it must have created the opening. The second rock with the seam of quarts had managed to roll and fall into the hole left. In time sand had started to seal it in place. Try as you may and I was unable to separate them. It now rests on my mantel. The First Nation (Natives) of the area had a name for such a rock it was called "Sakihta Asiniy" (Keep love rock.) It has been said it has an unseen value for prosperity and fertility. I have recently started to tumble and polish rocks if anything for keep sakes, possibly even may putter with making jewellery. These three have just come from the tumbler and are of the Rose Quarts family. When held up to the light they have some amazing reflective qualities as they have small fractures. I have just started and learning all about the hobby. I was out yesterday at the Red Deer River and found two stones like this one. They were nearly side by side. They were actually meant to be stone tomahawks similar to the one below. There purpose was more a fighting weapon or used to deliver a killing blow, crushing the skull of the target. One stone would be a find, two in the same day so close together is a very rare find. I did find small traces of arrow heads, fossils fragments and petrified wood as well. Have a little fun and bring joy to that smooth field stone. Great way for young and old to relax. I once knew a lady who had her entire yard decorated with her own hand painted rocks rather than Gnomes. So there you have it, a day in the life of an old guy. I have a small rock tumbler but find it to be slow and very limited. I have had this idea flipping around in the empty space between my ears of building a backwoods tumbler on a much larger scale. You are going to laugh I know but it involves a treadmill, two old tires which hold the rocks and media... lol... now that I have you thinking I promise I will send photos of what it will look like. I will have it either in the garage or outdoor shed. It will do the larger pieces I have collected and hate to cut down as they are high quality as they are. Hugs as always... © Rolly A. Chabot
16 Comments
|
For a free subscription, just fill out the form below.
Or, click below to follow via RSS. Virtual BuskerFireside with Rolly is a totally free site, but, if you like it and would like to leave a tip, I'll surely put it to good use!
Thanks for your support of the indie biz community. Tipping made easy! 1.Click here ➣ PayPal 2. Select friends or family option 3. Issue to [email protected] Archives
October 2018
|