Sunday, February 9, 2020

NEWS FROM TUCSON; 2020 SHOWS HAVE STARTED


The time has come—Tucson 2020.  According to advertisements there are 51 different show venues this year with the culminating Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®, the main show, running February 13-16 at the Convention Center downtown. Smaller shows “officially” started Saturday January 31 although my dealer friends tell me that high end trading and buying in hotel rooms started much earlier.  In fact, some collectors of fine minerals had left town by February 1.  However, I am just an ole rockhound from Colorado Springs and happy to be here in the sunshine talking to the friendly, often mom and pop, dealers, and frugally buying a few goodies that light up my eyes.  Life is good.


After arriving in town, I started my wandering on Monday the 3rd and was able to hit a couple of venues in the afternoon.  My worn-out legs will simply not allow me to wander aimlessly so I pick my shows carefully where some of my favorite dealers reside, and where I am able to see some interesting specimens.
There are 1 million, 497 thousand and 642 carved Moroccan Orthoceras cephalopods for sale at the various Tucson venues.  They are only exceeded in number by strings of "beads" (below).

Although I am not into collecting fossils at this stage in my life, I enjoy seeing nice  vertebrates (clones) and invertebrates collected from private lands.  The molding and casting processes get better each year, and the prep work on some of the invertebrates is fantastic.  I generally stay away from Moroccan fossils since so many of them are repaired, carved and painted, and are simply unauthentic.
Small fish from the Green River formation in western Wyoming (Eocene) dwarfed by a large Xiphactinus from the Smoky Hill Chalk (Cretaceous) of western Kansas.
Marine reptile from Morocco. Is it "real"?  Don't know as I did not examine closely.  I do know that Mosasaur "jaws" complete with a row of teeth are for sale everywhere in the shows.  Most are composites.

One of the nifty places to see nice fossils and clones is the Mineral and Fossil Marketplace on North Oracle. Leon Theisen of Custom Paleo out of Ardmore, Oklahoma, has a fantastic collection of Devonian and Ordovician invertebrates collected from his two privately owned quarries.  He also has a magnificent amber barite from the Pierre Shale along Elk Creek that he collected several years ago (see my previous post on the barite).  He is always willing to spend time with visitors spinning a yarn or two.

Minerals and rocks by the flat, bucket or individuals are "for sale" by the "mom& Pop dealers.  Many have very nice specimens for the buyer.
Next door to the fossils are several “mom & pop” booths selling a variety of minerals.  At the time I visited, the vendors were trying to tie down and protect their tents from being destroyed by a nasty wind.  I also missed Jack Crawford at his usual spot. Jack, formally from Colorado but now from Silver City, New Mexico, was a great source of information on Baja minerals and always willing to share information.  His neighbor said he evidently sold his business and moved on. 
Trilobite from Custom Paleo in Oklahoma.
Down (south) Oracle a half block is an amazing store called Superb Minerals, 12,500 sq.ft. of the nicest zeolites one can observe—anywhere.  These minerals are from the Deccan Plateau in India and are found in concretions, GIANT concretions.  One can purchase Indian zeolites in about any rock shop or show and different minerals are very showy and quite reasonable in price.  However, these concretions are spectacular, and some could set you back $75,000 or more.  But they are nice. 
Zeolites and more zeolites.



The above three photos show the giant concretions containing a variety of zeolite minerals.  The floodlight is approximately 6 inches in diameter.
So, what was I able to snatch at the mineral booths? For starters I shelled out a whole two bucks for some small wulfenite crystals.  A lead molybdate [Pb(MoO4)], wulfenite is famous for its common habit of forming thin tabular crystals, often transparent (but ranging to opaque), that occur in various shades of orange to red to yellow (uncommon as green or brown or blueish or black) and “butterscotch” is a common color descriptor.  Wulfenite is Loved was the theme of the 2019 Show so why pick some a specimen this year?  The main reason is that the specimen was collected from the Old Yuma Mine, a polymetallic producer not located near the town of Yuma, Arizona, but situated just on the west outskirts of Tucson in the volcanic Tucson Mountains.  The Mine operated, sporadically, between 1916 and 1947 but was never a large metal producer; however, it did yield spectacular specimens of wulfenite and vanadinite.  Notice I used the past tense “did yield” since it was gobbled up by Saguaro National Monument, and since collecting is not allowed on USNPS lands, there will no longer be “fresh” Old Yuma Mine specimens floating around.  I just want to have a specimen from that rather famous locality.
Blades of wulfenite from Old Yuma Mine.  Width FOV ~1.4 cm.
For the same reason, I just want it, another two bucks bought me a crystal of idocrase (AKA vesuvianite) from the Fushan Mine in Hebei Province, China. Vesuvianite has a very complex, at least for me to understand, chemical formula and interestingly contains both neosilicate (SiO4 with a silicon anion and one tetrahedron) and sorosilicate (Si2O7 with two tetrahedra) groups:  Ca10(Mg, Fe)2Al4(SiO4)5(Si2O7)2(OH)4.   The nicest specimens (and I have not seen many) that I have observed are green in color, but specimens also might be brown to yellow to even a nice blue-purple in color.  If in crystals, they are usually prismatic and “eight-sided” with one set (of sides) being quite dominant so the prisms look square in cross section.  They are commonly terminated with a four-sided pyramid.  Vesuvianite is a fairly hard mineral at ~6.5 (Moh’s) with a vitreous to “greasy” luster.  Gemmy vesuvianite is transparent to translucent while other specimens are less than translucent (not quite opaque but something).

Tough to get good photos of a greenish termination of a "squat" vesuvianite crystal. The termination is a four sided pyramid with a flat top.  The numbers represent Miller Indices and are included to better observe the crystal faces.  In the center of the flat top is Axis C running "down" through the crystal.  The A and B axes run from side to side.  The "square looking" crystal is ~1.8 cm in size.
There were a few other purchases, but descriptions will come later.  

Saturday, February 1, 2020

BLOG POSTINGS FEBRUARY 2020



BLOG POSTINGS



Hopefully this list of Blog Postings, an update from 2017, will help sort out the 300+ entries (if I copied correctly).  I simply cannot understand the many vagaries of Blogger so have resorted to this list.  At one time the postings appeared as a list in the Blog Archives; however, that list sort of disappeared from easy viewing.  In this listing I have added the months and years so readers should be able to move to the listings in the Blog Archives on the right and locate the appropriate posting by clicking the arrow > on the left side of the entry.  Sorry, that is the best that my current skills will allow.  As usual, I appreciate readers taking a peak at the postings.  The BLOG is not advertised but somehow 460,000+ people have found it.  That number continues to grow and boggles my mind. Life is good.  csrockboy at yahoo dot com with questions

JANUARY 2020
ELK CREEK BARITE: BEST $3 MINERAL FROM DENVER
DENVER SHOW: DIOPTASE BEST $2 MINERAL
YOOPERLAND COPPER AND ENGLISH FLUORITE
DECEMBER 2019
MORE PESKY VANADIUM MINERALS: MOTTRAMITE, DESCLOIZITE, ROSSITE & STRACZEKITE
NOVEMBER 2019
DENVER SHOW HAMBERGITE, LAMPROPHYLLITE, & KLEINITE
GRAND CANYON MINING: PHILLIPSBORNITE & OTHERS
VANADIUM MINERALS: LASALITE AND CORVUSITE
OCTOBER 2019
RIFT BASINS, THAUMASITE AND LAZARD CAHN
PUCHERITE AND SERPENTINE: LAZARD CAHN
LÖLLINGITE: AN ARSENIDE FROM THE BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA
SEPTEMBER 2019
HENDERSON CREEDITE,ANTERO MOLY, CHONDRODITE, AND WOODSTOCK
AUGUST 2019
GOETHITE FROM THE PIKES PEAK BATHOLITH
ARSENIDES FROM YOOPERLAND SHINING IN A BUCK MOON
JULY 2019
WISCONSIN SULFIDES, MOONSTONES, QUARTZ & AZURITE (AND LUTEFISK)
JUNE 2019
VIVIANITE FROM LEADVILLE, COLORADO
DENVER SPRING 19 SHOW w/ BISMUTH & SULFOSALTS
APRIL 2019
TUCSON 2019: WULFENITE IS LOVED
MARCH 2019
PUZZLER MINE WULFENITE: EXPLORING TUCSON SHOWS, KINO PARK
MORE UTAH WULFENITE: EXPLORING TUCSON SHOWS, 22nd STREET
NATURAL BRIDGES NATIONAL MONUMENT: ANOTHER CHECK ON THE BUCKET LIST
RED CLOUD WULFENITE: EXPLORING TUCSON SHOWS
FEBRUARY 2019
LAFFITTITE:EXPLORING TUCSON SHOWS
ANCESTRAL PUEBLOANS AND GEOLOGY
BRUCITE: EXPLORING TUCSONS SHOWS
BIG FOSSILS: EXPLORING TUCSON SHOWS
UTAH WULFENITE: EXPLORING TUCSON SHOWS
JANUARY 2019
EPIDOTE: GREEN MONSTER MINE, ALASKA
PHENAKITE: LAZARD CAHN AND WILLARD WULFF
DECEMBER 2018
CSMS UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH GRANTS: 2019 APPLICATION
CSMS UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH GRANTS 2017 REPORTS
BLACK HILLS PHOSPHATE: MONTGOMERYITE; A CONNECTION TO CSMS
JIM & MIKE: ALWAYS COLLECTING TOGETHER
BLACK HILLS PHOSPHATES: ROBERTSITE & WHITLOCKITE
BLACK HILLS RARE PHOSPHATES: SINCOSITE & SINKANKASITE
NOVEMBER 2018
OJUELA CARBONATES: ROSASITE & AURICHALCITE
OCTOBER 2018
ARSENATES AND OTHER MINERALS FROM THE OJUELA MINE
SEPTEMBER 2018
KANSAS PSEUDOMORPHS: LIMONITE AFTER PYRITE
AUGUST 2018
HYDROXYLHERDERITE: ANSWERING ONE OF LIFE'S PERSISTENT QUESTIONS
MINERALS FROM THE METALLIC ORE DEPOSITS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
RMFMS 2018 CONVENTION AND SHOW
JULY 2018
VALLEY OF THE GODS, COMB RIDGE, & BLUFF WITH HAYDUKE AND THE GANG
ON TO MEXICAN HAT WITH FOREST GUMP: I GUESS SOMETIMES THERE JUST AREN’T ENOUGH ROCKS
JUNE 2018
MONUMENT VALLEY: LOOKING FOR JOHN WAYNE
APRIL 2018
PEZZOTTAITE AND LONDONITE/RHODIZITE: MORE PESKY CESIUM MINERALS
COLORADO MINERAL AND FOSSIL SHOW: DENVER
THE BOTTOM OF A JURASSIC SEA: PHOENIX
MARCH 2018
POLLUCITE, CESIUM AND THE BUNSEN BURNER
TUCSON GEM AND MINERAL SHOW 2018
FEBRUARY 2018
CARROLLITE (COBALT-NICKLE SULFIDE): TUCSON PUEBLO SHOW
TUCSON: CLINOCHLORE v. KIMMERERITE AND TUCSON CITY CENTER
KYANITE: TUCSON 2018 JOGS
TUCSON WESTWARD LOOK RESORT: FANTASTIC MINERALS
TUCSON SHOWS AT LAST: TOURMALINE
January 2018
RUBY-IN-ZOISITE: ON THE WAY TO TUCSON
DECEMBER 2017
DECEMBER 2017
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS:
NOVEMBER 2017
BLACK HILLS: MORE FAIBURNS, TEEPEE CANYON AND GOLD
OCTOBER 2017
SMITHSONITE: TURKEY FAT
HEAD OUT ON TO THE HIGHWAY: KANSAS, COLORADO, BLACK HILLS
ROAD TRIP: SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS
SEPTEMBER 2017
WHELANITE, STRINGHAMITE AND CALLAGHANITE: THE UTAH TRILOGY
AUGUST 2017
BLACK HILLS, THOEN STONE, AND PICK-SLOAN PLAN
JULY 2017
POWDER RIVER BASIN, GLOWING ROCKS, AND BILLY THE KID

JUNE2017
OZOKERITE, SOLID BITUMENS & WHITE RABBIT
APRIL 2017
DURANGITE: RED ARSENATE, WEST DESERT, UTAH
PARISITE: CERIUM RARE EARTH MINERAL
CHENEVIXITE: A GREEN ARSENATE
WULFENITE: THE BLACK SHEEP VARIETY
SCHOLZITE: & SEARCHING FOR THE EDIACARAN
MARCH 2017
GRAB ME: CHRYSOCOLLA AND TENORITE
DAYDREAMING ABOUT NATURE: MIXITE, FROM TINTIC, UTAH
AUGELITE: AN UNCOMMON GREEN PHOSPHATE
PURPURITE (PHOSPHATE) FROM SOUTH DAKOTA AND COLORADO
FEBRUARY 2017
VOLBORTHITE; BRIGHTLY COLORED VANADIUM MINERAL
POTTSITE; A YELOLW LEAD BISMUTH VANADATE
S. F. EMMONS, EMMONSITE, MT. EMMONS & TELLURIUM
JANUARY 2017
CYLINDRITE: A CIGAR-ROLLED SULFIDE
IMPORTING GEMS, IVORY AND CORAL; QUESTIONS, I GET
BLUE SAMPLEITE; COPPER PHOSPHATE
2016 POSTINGS
DECEMBER
COLLECTING FOSSILS ON PUBLIC (BLM) LAND
BLACK HILLS: TUFA vs. TRAVERTINE
SCAPOLITE: A SORT OF FORGOTTEN MINERAL
NOVEMBER 
MORE SOUTH DAKOTA AGATES
ROCHE MOUTONÈE:  EVIDENCE OF GLACIAL MOVEMENT
COLLECTING STRIPED ROCKS IN UTAH
STROMATOLITES, CYNOBACTERIA AND WORMS
OCTOBER
ROAD TRIP:  MINING COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHERN BLACK HILLS
CUSTER, THE BLACK HILLS AND GOLD
SEPTEMBER
BLACK HILLS: HOMESTAKE GOLD AND SCRIPOPHILY
SILVER FROM THE BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA
AUGUST
KÖTTIGITE (ARSENATE), UMLAUTS AND BEAUTY
JULY
JORDANITE, LAZARD CAHN AND WILLARD WULFF

CHRYSOBERYL FROM THE BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA
CREEDITE: CRESSON PIT, CRIPPLE CREEK
JUNE
CAMP BIRD SPHALERITE
BOLEITE & DIABOLEITE: CSMS SHOW
STICHTITE: PIKES PEAK GEM AND MINERAL SHOW
MAY
THE 2016 RMFMS MEETING: THE NITTY GRITTY
Ar-kan-saw to ar-KAN-zes: THE ROAD TO WICHITA
BLUE AZURITE: TUCSON 2016
TUCSON MAIN SHOW 2016
APRIL
BLUE CARLETONITE: TUCSON 2016
MARCH
BLUE SERPIERITE: TUCSON 2016
BLUE LAVENDULAN: TUCSON 2016
BLUE AFGAHNITE: TUCSON 2016
COLLECTING AMMOLITE IN ALBERTA
FEBRUARY
BLUE CAVANSITE; ZEOLITES: TUCSON 2016
BLUE CHALCEDONY: TUCSON 2016
BLUE QUARTZ: TUCSON 2016
JANUARY
STROMEYERITE, SILVER AND KEVIN BACON
GREEN ARSENATES II: LIBENTHENITE, CORNWALLITE, PSEUDOMALACHITE
GREEN ARSENATES I: ADAMITE, OLIVENITE
CADMIUM, GREENOCKITE AND NI-CAD BATTERIES
2015 POSTINGS
DECEMBER
CACTUS SELENITE: GREAT SALT LAKE
DUGWAY GEODES, ANTLERITE, SCARY PLACES
CRIPPLE CREEK, SCRIPOPHILY AND GOLD SHARES
NOVEMBER
FUSULINIDS, BRACHIOPODS, SOUTHEAST ASIA AND MUNGO JERRY
CLINOCHLORE & SERAPHINITE: CRUD ON THE QUARTZ
COOKEITE: CRUD ON THE QUARTZ
MAMMOTH MINE, UTAH: TYROLITE (ARSENATE)
OCTOBER
KANSAS FIELD TRIPS: CAVES AND ROCK CITY CONCRETIONS
KANSAS FIELD TRIPS: HALITE AND CONE-IN-CONE
RARE EARTH ELEMENTS: COLORADO TROUT CREEK FIELD TRIP
SEPTEMBER
DENVER SHOW 2015: COBALT MINERALS
DENVER SHOW 2015
CAHNITE AND LAZARD CAHN
BLACK HILLS COSMOS AND HUREAULITE
GOLD HILL HIDALGOITE (ARSENATE)
AUGUST
FOLDS: ANTICLINES, SYNCLINES, MONOCLINES
WHY A GEOLOGIST?
VALLERIITE: AN EXTRA-SOFT MINERAL
JULY
VIVIANITE: COLOR-CHANGING IRON PHOSPHATE
COBALT RED & NICKEL GREEN
ARKANSAS PHOSPHATE: KIDWELLITE
MANGANESE: STURMANITE FROM THE KALAHARI
CORNETITE: BLUE COPPER PHOSPHATE
JUNE
MISSOURI MOZARKITE, COAL & GEODES
NEW FOREST SERVICE RULES FOR COLLECTING FOSSILS
ARKANSAS: QUARTZ: DIAMONDS AND MORE
GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP: RITE OF PASSAGE 50 YEARS LATER
ARKANSAS: VARIETY OF GEOLOGY
MAY
TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
APRIL
NON-GEOLOGY: CONNECTING BEECHER ISLAND & BLACK HILLS
NON-GEOLOGY: 1876 KILLINGS--BLACK HILLS
SAND: SMALL STONES
NON-GEOLOGY POST: THE BATTLE OF BEECHER ISLAND--WEAPONS.
MARCH
AJOITE: BLUE-GREEN COPPER CARBONATE
THE DESERT AND PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS; CAVE CREEK
CHASING ARIZONA ONYX
CALEDONITE: RARE BLUE COPPER-LEAD CARBONATE
CONNELITE: ANOTHER RARE BLUE COPPER MINERAL
BABINGTONITE: MA STATE MINERAL
RARE LEAD COPPER OXIDE: MURDOCHITE
FEBRUARY
PEROVSKITE: CALCIUM TITANIUM OXIDE
PARATACAMITE: TUCSON GEM SHOW REPORT: THE END
LAZULITE: TUCSON GEM SHOW: MAIN SHOW
TUCSON GEM SHOW: 2015 MAIN SHOW
PARGASITE: TUCSON GEMS SHOW REPORTS: WHOLESALE
BOURNONITE: TUCSON GEM SHOW REPORT: TUCSON CITY CENTER
KUTNOHORITE: TUCSON GEM SHOW REPORTS: KINO
RUBY & SPINAL: TUCSON GEM SHOW REPORTS: 22nd STREET
PYROPHYLLITE: TUCSON GEM SHOW REPORTS: MINERS CO-OP
CRANDALLITE: TUCSON GEM SHOW REPORTS & PALEO
VANADINITE: TUCSON GEM SHOW REPORTS: MAIN STREET
JANUARY
STRATIGRAPHY TERMINOLOGY: GROUPS, FORMATIONS, MEMBERS
GOLD HILL, UTAH, ARSENATES
2014 POSTINGS
DECEMBER 
TV PROSPECTORS & ZEBULON PIKE
BLACK HILLS: STRENGITE & APATITE
NOVEMBER
BLUE COPPER SILICATES; KINOITE & STRINGHAMITE
GRAB THE BLASTING POWDER: OFF TO THE FIELD
BUTTE, MONTANA: COPPER MINERALS
OCTOBER
MAJUBA HILL: CLINOCLASE & ARTHURITE: COPPER ARSENATES
STRASHIMIRITE: RARE COPPER ARSENATE
MORE CHLORIDES: SYLVITE & CHLORARGYRITE
CARLTON TUNNEL: CRIPPLE CREEK-VICTOR
ROAD TRIP: COLORADO SPRINGS WEST
ATACAMITE: A RARE COPPER CHLORIDE
TRUCKIN THRU BLACK HILLS FAIRBURN AGATES, BARITE AND SNAILS
SEPTEMBER
DENVER MINERAL SHOW: 2014
CONCERNING THE GEOLOGY OF COLORADO
JULY
ROADTRIP: OKLAHOMA CENTRAL PLAINS AND PANHANDLE
ROADTRIP: OKLAHOMA WICHITA AND ARBUCKLE MOUNTAINS.
PYRRHOTITE: A "STRANGE" IRON SULFIDE
ROAD TRIP: EASTERN OKLAHOMA
GARNIERITE: LATERITIC GREEN NICKEL "MINERAL"
COLORADO PSEUDOMORPH: HEMATITE AFTER SIDERITE
THE HIGH PLAINS: FULL OF CHARACTER
JUNE
SIEGENITE: ANOTHER RARE NICKEL SULFIDE
MILLERITE & ?POLYDYMITE: RARE NICKEL SULFIDES
HOLMQUISTITE: RARE LITHIUM SILICATE
CORNWALLITE: ANOTHER GREEN ARSENATE
WYOMING YOUNGITE AND OTHER ODDITIES
MAY
PEACOCK ORE; BORNITE OR CHALCOPYRITE?
CARMINITE: A NICE RED ARSENATE
QUARTZ: RED AND AUTHIGENIC
DUFTITE: A NICE GREEN ARSENATE
CALLAGHANITE; A RARE BLUE CARBONATE
APRIL
DESERT VARNISH & THE COLORADO PLATEAU
THE ARIZONA HILLS NEAR ORACLE
DOTSERO VOLCANO & UNIFORMITARIANISM
GOING TO TUCSON: ROAD LOGS
ISINGLASS AND MUSCOVITE: BLACK HILLS
SELENITE ROSES; BLACK HILLS
MARCH
MOAB: GEM CITY OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU
ROADSIDE KANSAS: UNDERSTANDING THE GEOLOGY
BLACK HILLS PUDDINGSTONE AND LAME JOHNNY
GARNETS: RUBY MOUNTAIN COLORADO
UNITED KINGDOM ROCK & MINERAL CLUBS
PIKES PEAK AMAZONITE & CLARENCE COIL
PIKES PEAK GEOLOGY AND GIRL SCOUTS
FEBRUARY
TUCSON 2014: SATELLITE SHOWS
ON THE ROAD TO TUCSON: FOUR PEAKS AMETHYST
TUCSON 2014: GEM & MINERAL SHOW
TUCSON 2014: WHOLESALE SHOW
RED RIVER SELENITE ROSETTES
JANUARY
GEOLOGY: EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA
UTAH AZURITE & LACCOLITHS
CALCITE SAND CRYSTALS: SOUTH DAKOTA
2013 POSTINGS
DECEMBER
 COLORADO GEOLOGY: I-25 CORRIDOR SOUTH
ARIZONA MINERALS AND THE GADSDEN PURCHASE
BLACK HILLS: LARAMIDE INTRUSIONS
ARKANSAS PHOSPHATES: WAVELLITE, VARISCITE, CACOXINITE, ROCKBRIDGEITE
HUERFANO BUTTE, COLORADO: THE ORPHAN
NOVEMBER
"ZINNWALDITE": MICA PIKES PEAK BATHOLITH
ARKANSAS BAUXITE
HAHNS PEAK, COLORADO
ZEOLITE: MORDENITE
TABLE MOUNTAIN, ZEOLITE, and COORS BEER
OCTOBER
ZEOLITE: LAKE SUPERIOR THOMSONITE
SPURRITE: LILAC-COLORED CALC-SILICATE
ARAGONITE, FAULTS AND JACK SLADE
COLORADO CAVALRY: WM. E. THOMPSON
RUBY RED SILVER; PROUSTITE & PYRARGYRITE
HORSESHOE CIRQUE: A COLORADO TREASURE
BRAZILIANITE; AN UNCOMMON PHOSPHATE
GEOLOGICAL SCENES FROM THE BLACK HILLS
FAIRBURN AGATE: WYOMING
REALGAR--PARAREALGAR BLACK HILLS, SD
SEPTEMBER
FORT HAYS LIMESTONE: THE NATIVE
KANSAS CONCRETIONS (CRETACEOUS)
PHONOLITE AT SPEARFISH PEAK, BLACK HILLS
AUGUST
THE GANGPLANK & THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD
SLIM BUTTES, SOUTH DAKOTA--GEOLOGY, CROOK AND CUSTER
SOUTH DAKOTA LAKE SUPERIOR AGATE
BLACK HILLS: A MIGHTY BIG CORAL
WISCONSIN LAKE SUPERIOR AGATES
JULY
OPAL: QUEEN OF THE GEMS
KANSAS BARITE ROSES
MORE SERPENTINE!
PECOS DIAMONDS: AUTHIGENIC QUARTZ
UVITE: AN UNCOMMON TOURMALINE
I LOVE THE BLACK HILLS
JUNE
FAULTS: I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE UNDER MY FEET...
SERPENTINE AND HYDROMAGNESITE
GOETHITE FROM GRAVES MTN, GEORGIA
HUNTING FOR TOPAZ: UTAH AND COLORADO
ILVAITE: WHODA THOUGHT
MAY
ROAD TRIP: ARIZONA GHOST TOWNS
ROAD TRIP: SALT LAKE CITY
WOLLASTON, WOLLASTONITE, AND A CAMERA LUCIDA
PYRITE, STARTING FIRES, AND FLAGAN SACKETT
PIETERSITE: THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
RARE EARTH MINERALS: PIKES PEAK REGION
A SEARCH FOR SHARPENING STONES AND NOVACULITE
A HUNT FOR COLORADO SAPPHIRE
APRIL
LAIHUNITE: EL PASO COUNTY, COLORADO
SKUTTERUDITE: COBALT-NICKEL ARSENIDE
A NICE BLUE BORON MINERAL: DUMORTIERITE
ANTIMONY MINERALS
LIZARD HEAD: FILL YOUR HAND YOU SOB!
DENVER GEM SHOW: COPPER 2012
ARROJADITE: A RARE PHOSPHATE--BLACK HILLS
KANSAS MINERALS: WEST
MARCH
KANSAS MINERALS: EAST
AEGIRINE: INTERESTING MINERAL
GILSONITE, A COLLECTABLE HYDROCARBON
VALENCIANITE: ADULARIA (K-FELDSPAR)
FEBRUARY
LOST DUTCHMAN & SUPERSTITIONS
ZUNYITE: A COLORADO TYPE MINERAL
TUCSON GEM AND MINERAL SHOW: 2013
KINO SPORTS COMPLEX ROCK SHOW TUCSON: 2013
ARIZONA DESERT ROSES
JANUARY
DARWIN, LYELL & NEWTON
BOOK CLIFFS: BARITE
2012 POSTINGS
DECEMBER
PRECAMBRIAN WYOMING: SNOWY, MEDICINE BOW, LARAMIE & HARTVILLE RANGES
DIOPSIDE-ACTINOLITE AT CALUMET MINE
NOVEMBER
CINNABAR and MERCURY
HIKING PULPIT ROCK
IDOcrase: WHERE HAVE YOU GONE ?
BLUE-PURPLE HALITE
SPINEL: THE FORGOTTEN GEMSTONE
GREEN RIVER: GATES OF LADORE
OCTOBER
BADGERS, STONEHENGE, AND A FURSTY FERRET
OLD THUMPER & THE THAMES RIVER
SPHENE: A NICE GEMSTONE
COLUMBITE & TANTALITE
MT. ANTERO: HELIODOR & EUCLASE
CALCITE FROM LA GARITA
SEPTEMBER
MT. GUYOT
JELINITE (AMBER): THE HOLY GRAIL OF KANSAS MINERALS
ARIZONA GLAUBERITE PSEUDOMORPHS
AUGUST
PETRIFIED WOOD: WHAT ARE THE STRUCTURES?
GOETHITE, GOETHE, AND KANINCHEN
UTAH PETRIFIED WOOD AND FLOWER CHILDREN
STUMBLING UPON A FAIRBURN AGATE
POLYMORPHS: ANATASE AND BROOKITE
CRACKING ROCKS AT TEEPEE CANYON:AGATES
CROW PEAK: A POCKET LACCOLITH
WOW--SOUTH DAKOTA ARTESIAN WELL
GONIOBASIS SPHERE
SOUTH PARK: MAMMILLARY CHALCEDONY
A MODERN MINING BOOM
WHAT IS THAT GREEN STUFF? "MEDMONTITE"
AGATES AT THE AFMS
JULY
WHOA, NICE CEPHALOPODS!
COLORADO FIRE II
JUNE
COLORADO FIRE
FAIRBURN AGATES: GEM OF SOUTH DAKOTA
ASTROPHYLLITE: A MINERAL FROM THE STARS? NO, ST. PETERS DOME, COLORADO.
BEAR BUTTE; A LACCOLITH ON THE PRAIRIE
LARGE ZIRCON CRYSTALS FROM ST. PETERS DOME, COLORADO
RIEBECKITE; AN INTERESTING MINERAL
MAY
FOX HILLS FORMATION
COLORADO SILVER, THE SHERMAN BROTHERS, AND MORGANITE
BLM RAC: LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN AND WOMEN
UTAH AMETHYST AND GEORGE CLOONEY
THE U.S. CIVIL WAR AND UTAH LANDSCAPE
APRIL
AZURITE AT GOLD HILL
WENDOVER WILL AND ADAMITE
STRANGE MARKINGS IN THE THE MOENKOPI FORMATION
TRAVERTINE AT UTAH GEYSERS
MARCH
BROOKITE: TITANIUM DIOXIDE
ADD SOME MAGNESIUM: GET A MOON ROCK
FEBRUARY
WELCOME TO CHAOTIC FUN: QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA
THE 79 MINE: AURICHALCITE
9th CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
COPPER RIVET MINE: COLORADO
KINO SPORTS COMPLEX SHOW 2012
JANUARY
BAKING NEW MEXICO SHALE
A NEW TOY
2011 POSTINGS
DECEMBER
CALCITE SAND CRYSTALS: WYOMING
EXOTIC WATERFALL IN COLORADO
CONICHALCITE: A PRETTY GREEN ROCKSS
NOVEMBER
THE MYSTERY ROCK: FECAL CASTINGS
COLORADO AMETHYST
RMFMS: A GEOLOGICAL MENAGERIE
BUYING MINERALS FRUGALLY
POUDRE RIVER CANYON & LAKE AGNES
OCTOBER
WALKING THE CREEK: COLORADO SPRINGS
DIKES AT WILLOW CREEK
TRACKS/TRAILS WISCONSIN LIMESTONE
THE OTHER RHODOCHROSITE
GEOPHILIA: COMMUNING WITH THE ROCKS
SEPTEMBER
KEEP YOU EYES ON THE GROUND: CHIPPING SITES
JUNE
MINING FOR MANGANESE
COLLECTING AT THE GATOROSA
NOTCH PEAK: GREAT GEOLOGY
MAY
HOT BATH ANYONE? THERMOPOLIS, WY
THE END: FOX HILLS FORMATION
CAMPBELLITE
PROTECTING PYRITE
APRIL
CSMS SILENT AUCTION
IT IS NOT AN AGATE!
UTE VALLEY PARK AND THE LARAMIE FORMATION
BIXBYITE: A MINERAL FOR YOUR COLLECTION; & RED BERYL
MARCH
LOWER COLORADO RIVER TRENCH
BUCKET LIST FOR KIDS
CIENEGA MINING DISTRICT
A HOHOKAM VILLAGE
BASALT AT PICACHO PEAK
BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
FEBRUARY
HIKING PICACHO PEAK
RAGGED TOP: TERTIARY RHYOLITE
CSMS and RMFMS Annual Show
FACETED SPURS: SIGNS OF MOVEMENT
HOHOKAM PETROGLYPHS
SANTA CATALINA MOUNTAINS
GOLD, GOLD, GOLD AT TUCSON
TUCSON ELECTRIC PARK SHOW
SIGNAL BUTTE: A GEOLOGICAL ODDITY