Post by Tommy on May 25, 2013 23:07:23 GMT -5
This was a last minute plan - my son bought a new shotgun and asked me if I wanted to go somewhere and shoot - one thing led to another and I offered to drive him to Area 54 where he could shoot to his heart's content while dad hunts for rocks for a few hours.
I've been to this area a few times before and hauled home a bunch of stuff that didn't really pan out, so this time I made up my mind to be VERY selective - I only brought three crates - and focus on picking out a couple of crates full of beautiful garden rocks for my back yard which I was very successful at.
Garden rocks
Area 54 (so named by Kris Rowe) is about a 120 acre playground strewn with everything from 300lb boulders to walls lined with an indescribable amount of pebbles to medium rocks. The whole area is accessible by roads that any passenger vehicle can traverse, but there are also some very cool areas that high-clearance vehicles can easily reach.
Most of the stuff is not lapidary grade but I've found that if you are very patient and work a certain area for a period of time you will find something cool. I took home just a handful of rocks that I plan on cutting. These two are the best of the best...
This is a fortification agate I found today - I've got it soaking in vinegar at the moment and will show more pictures in the future but trust me when I say that the other side is even better - it's got a delicate lace pattern reminiscent of crazy lace but all in white to transparent colors. I'm already drooling over the cabs that should come from this. Very unique and different - I think it's my first look at a rough from which the white agates we find on local beaches must come.
just added these two - I wish the camera could capture what I'm seeing through my optivisor - the delicate and intricate patterns in the rock.
The other noteworthy rock is a bright red jasper...theres lots of red jasper out here but most of it is darker red with the 'roast-beef' white quartz inclusions. This one is bright red with a hint of a brecciated area with an attractive brownish/green material AND a hint of poppies on the side. I try not to get too excited about it since I won't be able to cut it for a long time but I think it's a good one.
We had a fun day and no-one got hurt this time which is good :-)
Thanks for looking
I've been to this area a few times before and hauled home a bunch of stuff that didn't really pan out, so this time I made up my mind to be VERY selective - I only brought three crates - and focus on picking out a couple of crates full of beautiful garden rocks for my back yard which I was very successful at.
Garden rocks
Area 54 (so named by Kris Rowe) is about a 120 acre playground strewn with everything from 300lb boulders to walls lined with an indescribable amount of pebbles to medium rocks. The whole area is accessible by roads that any passenger vehicle can traverse, but there are also some very cool areas that high-clearance vehicles can easily reach.
Most of the stuff is not lapidary grade but I've found that if you are very patient and work a certain area for a period of time you will find something cool. I took home just a handful of rocks that I plan on cutting. These two are the best of the best...
This is a fortification agate I found today - I've got it soaking in vinegar at the moment and will show more pictures in the future but trust me when I say that the other side is even better - it's got a delicate lace pattern reminiscent of crazy lace but all in white to transparent colors. I'm already drooling over the cabs that should come from this. Very unique and different - I think it's my first look at a rough from which the white agates we find on local beaches must come.
just added these two - I wish the camera could capture what I'm seeing through my optivisor - the delicate and intricate patterns in the rock.
The other noteworthy rock is a bright red jasper...theres lots of red jasper out here but most of it is darker red with the 'roast-beef' white quartz inclusions. This one is bright red with a hint of a brecciated area with an attractive brownish/green material AND a hint of poppies on the side. I try not to get too excited about it since I won't be able to cut it for a long time but I think it's a good one.
We had a fun day and no-one got hurt this time which is good :-)
Thanks for looking