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Post by Tonyterner on Mar 2, 2009 12:34:08 GMT -5
Yesterday Bejewelme and I got togther with Naturenut to do a little rockhounding. We targeted an tiny little stream that was reported to have kyanite. The surrounding rock is metamorphic schist and the blades form in the layers and weather out. It was cold and windy but the stream is in a little hollow so we were shielded from the wind. The stream is jammed between a busy 4 lane road and some new homes and it was full of broken glass and trash so it was much of a getting back to nature trip but we had fun and found some kyanite. The stream. Amber and Jo with something interesting. We didn't find much for the first hour then I headed upstream and found someone had been digging at this spot. There was a white quartz boulder with kyanite blades through at the bottom of the hole. I pulled out the rock pick, chisel and 3 ob. sledge and started banging away. After about 10 minutes, and not getting anything off the boulder, I let Jo try her hand at it and darn if she didn't get a decent piece off. Buoyed on by her success I went back at it and managed to get a few chips off but that was it. We were getting tired, disappointed and Amber's feet were soaked so we headed back out. They both kept scanning as they walked and darn if Amber didn't find a blade on the bank. Her and Jo sat down and started looking and found over a pound of little blades. We finally had enough of the cold and were worried about the snow moving in so we headed back to the car happy and iwth a nice bag of rocks. Of course Jo wanted to stay and we almost had to leave her behind. lol Here are some pics of what we found. All black to blue grey. The blue we banged off of the quartz boulder. The best blue piece. The best black piece. The other rocks we brought back. Amber liked this one because of the shape. This one looks like japser although that would be EXTREMELY rare for that area. This one has a well formed black crystal in it. We had fun and will go back again another time.
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Post by Bejewelme on Mar 2, 2009 12:43:54 GMT -5
It was a fun day and we got out before the snow came!!! The searching with good company is more fun than the rocks themselves!!! It is always fun making memories! The blades are turning out to be a bit harder but not as blue as some others!!! I am making something today!!!! Snow Day!!! My boss called and said don't drive, I know how you drive!!!!
Amber
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Post by NatureNut on Mar 2, 2009 13:09:35 GMT -5
Wow, those pics turned out great! I didn't know well those blades cleaned up, but now I see that they really do have some color. Boy, that stream was anything BUT picturesque, but your pics make it look pretty good. I'm so glad we went. Thanks for posting and doing the trip. Jo
P.S. Amber, your new title is: Queen Kyanite Magnet
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Mar 2, 2009 19:03:00 GMT -5
Great Job Guys! You got out there and brought home rocks from a Winter prospect...together!
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Post by NatureNut on Mar 2, 2009 21:13:22 GMT -5
LOL. That Amber... she was diggin in a bank and we were finding all these lookalikes, but they all were soft as noodles, so Tony sneaks off up the creek (no paddle, but he had a hammer) and any time I walked away from Amber to look around, she'd say, "OOoooh, come look at this..." and I'd have to wobble back to her. LOL. So, I had to bite my impatience and just stuck by her and talked while we looked.... now I know why Tony snuck off, LOL. So, he comes back and we asked him if he found anything, and he says "Oh, just the motherload!" And our jaws dropped! Then, after we tried to get that gorgeous blue stuff out, Amber started complaining and she looked at me and laughed, cause I was laughing at her starting to complain. And then I said I'd help her get to the car (she just had knee surgery a few months ago) and sure enough she looks down and saw some in this little patch of gravel on top of the rock bed on the side of the stream with those eagle-eyes. So I pulled my hat out of my pocket and we loaded it up. It was like finding burried treasure! So cool, cause we had been finding so many soft lookalikes and these were hard and had a different feel to them, a smoothness like glass. We could really tell the difference once we found the real stuff! I didn't want to leave...
It was too cool, she calls me a rock magnet?... she's the rock magnet!
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Post by Lady B on Mar 2, 2009 21:56:25 GMT -5
What a fun and rewarding shared experience for the three of you!! How neat to find the Kyanite in such a dreay place. Course, once the Sundshine returns...Spring will eventually get back to Pennsy, I know!!!...that could be a very neat place to continue searching!!
Thanks for posting the pix and sharing the Fun. It made me a bit homesick...until the snow got mentioned!!!
Kate
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Post by NatureNut on Mar 2, 2009 22:06:20 GMT -5
Thanks Lady B. You are right, spring will soon return to PA. There were lots of pricker bushes, we were saying that we were lucky to be there at this time of year and it wasn't overgrown with vegetation.
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Post by Tonyterner on Mar 2, 2009 22:43:16 GMT -5
Actually I walked ahead because there was some girl talk going on and I felt a little out of place. Amber kept threatening to complain but those were mostly empty threats. After she found the sweet spot those two sat down in the mud for half an hour picking out kyanite. I don't have the patience for that. lol
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Post by NatureNut on Mar 3, 2009 4:25:13 GMT -5
Well, in our own defense, it was like eating potato chips...
Tony, you're a rock magnet too!
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Post by texaswoodie on Mar 3, 2009 8:03:10 GMT -5
Looks like a nice trip! Yankees are hardy folks. If it gets below 50 degrees here, I bundle up and stay at home. ;D
Very cool finds also!
Curt
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Post by Titania on Mar 3, 2009 8:55:22 GMT -5
Looks like a fun trip! Kyanite is one of the few interesting things you can find around here.
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randysgal
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2006
Posts: 62
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Post by randysgal on Mar 3, 2009 18:30:23 GMT -5
WOW, looks like great fun and I am starting to get stoked about our trip there next week. I better go find my biker boots so i don't get wet feet. LOL
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Post by Bejewelme on Mar 3, 2009 21:50:55 GMT -5
Yeah no biker boots here!!! They were at least sensible, just freezing when soaked and it is 30 degrees outside!!!
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Post by stonesthatrock on Mar 3, 2009 22:18:48 GMT -5
looks to cooled for me.......... i'm glad you all had a good time. I really love the blue ones. But i love blue.
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Post by sitnwrap on Mar 3, 2009 22:25:24 GMT -5
It may have been cold but didn't stop all of you from having fun. With the cab that Amber polished up from this trip, I'm thinking trashy streams are a good place to look for great rocks.
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Post by BuiltonRock on Mar 3, 2009 22:30:37 GMT -5
Man what fun! I love to get out and hunt with friends. Wait a minute...I have no friends ;D John
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Post by rockrookie on Mar 3, 2009 22:39:57 GMT -5
looks like a fun trip !!! successful ,too !----------------paul
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Post by Bikerrandy on Mar 6, 2009 8:10:46 GMT -5
Wow, I somehow missed this thread. Cool stuff! Should I bring an excavator with me next week? ;D
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Post by frane on Mar 6, 2009 9:30:14 GMT -5
I looked at this thread the other day when I was shivering with chills and just couldn't comment...brrrrr. Now I can say it looks like a very cold but fun day with good people. Looks like you found a few good pieces too! Keep warm! Fran
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