bouldergal
freely admits to licking rocks
Glacier Meadow
Member since July 2007
Posts: 783
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Post by bouldergal on May 6, 2009 21:42:30 GMT -5
I've complained for a couple of years about not having any rocks in Florida. Still nothing in Naples except what's brought in for construction. Recently I've made a couple of trips up to the Tampa/St. Petersburg area to a small island off the coast of Dunedin called Honeymoon Is. I found some nice but not spectacular specimens of agatized coral and chert. During this time period, I made contact with another RTHer in that area and visited him this weekend. JCinPC introduced me to another world! Gorgeous agate and jasper. I'm sure many of you have been following his thread of "cooking" rock. What an amazing process and end result!!! Hopefully in the next few weeks I can post a few pictures of what he gave me. Even more special is the potential for some of the Florida rockhounds to get together and do some exploring together. Thank you Jeff........you are so generous and incredibly knowledgeable.
Susan2
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jcinpc
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2009
Posts: 722
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Post by jcinpc on May 6, 2009 23:23:14 GMT -5
I can understand your initial frustrations. THERE IS NO ROCK SOUTH OF TAMPA. You didnt know. Now you do. Can`t wait to see some of the coral heads when you cut them. You are more than welcome. Now we have to get your son on some sharks teeth
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Post by 150FromFundy on May 7, 2009 6:31:31 GMT -5
It's amazing how the prospect of rock hounding can change your outlook on things! Glad to hear you found some locations to explore, and even better, you found someone to explore them with.
Rockhounds are few and far between. It would be a lonely pursuit if not for the virtual world of RTH to connect us.
150FromFundy
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Post by Bejewelme on May 7, 2009 21:41:05 GMT -5
Susan:
Until we met Jo and joined the local club we had no idea what we were driving by all the time, we thought it was just shale and granite! It so helps when someone can point you in the right direction!!! Sounds like you had an awesome time and learned a lot!!! My son loves the shark teeth too!!!
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number21
having dreams about rocks
Member since November 2009
Posts: 72
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Post by number21 on Nov 19, 2009 21:37:34 GMT -5
What do you mean there is no rock south of Tampa? I picked up this piece of Florida Rock in Naples. Found it at the Burger King parking lot at the corner of East Tamiami Trail and Collier Blvd. Took a nice polish and is one of my favorite spheres.
;D
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jcinpc
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2009
Posts: 722
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Post by jcinpc on Nov 19, 2009 23:04:45 GMT -5
see its not native rock in a natural setting is it? lol is it limerock? if it si then its native to the area. looks nice.
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number21
having dreams about rocks
Member since November 2009
Posts: 72
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Post by number21 on Dec 25, 2009 0:16:28 GMT -5
Yes it is limerock. They dig up so much of that stuff when they do construction that it costs too much to haul it out. So they end up using it as landscape rock. For such a soft stone it does take a nice shine. The only problem with it when making a sphere is the grit gets in all the holes so cleaning it in between grits is a pain. Other than limerock the only other thing around here is shells.
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sdgoldpanner
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2006
Posts: 226
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Post by sdgoldpanner on Dec 28, 2009 17:54:01 GMT -5
My 2cents worth.
Before you start turning it into a sphere, coat it with a vaseline type product, making sure you fill all the holes in. Vaseline makes it turn better while grinding and it keeps all the dust and particles out of the holes. When done, simply wash it in warm water and soap to get rid of the filler. The holes that are left are clear of any waste debris. It is a much faster process than having to clean out each hole by hand.
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thanrose
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2009
Posts: 3
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Post by thanrose on Jan 6, 2010 13:44:03 GMT -5
That tip about the vaseline is good to keep in mind. I have plenty of Florida agate, some fossil corals and shells, some Florida geodes in the agates, but the rest of my rock collected in Florida comes from homesteads and yard sales and decorative rock trucked in from elsewhere.
I lived near an old cracker artist's home that was burned down in the 1960's. He had collected pretty rocks or just interesting rocks bigger than his fists, and cemented them into a wall on his frescoed patio, all crumbled and tumbled from the fire and the years. Wasn't more than a mile into the woods, so it had been pretty picked over by the time I discovered it, but I still got some pretty stuff in the woods around there before someone told me to look for the old burnt out and overgrown foundation. Like a lot of things in nature, you have to look for the anomalous signs. In this case, finding the old foundation meant looking for the introduced and reseeded plants.
The rocks I recovered from there are all throughout my other rocks now so it's no help to identifying the original source. It's clear that he traveled a lot.
Heck, I even like the hunks of old coquina rock with the holes in them and all the coral and shell fossils and frags. Maybe five or six of the lawn furniture size in my yard.
And almost every day I wear a shark's tooth I found. Nothing special about it, except that I found it at the bottom of Blue Springs boil.
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hueyip
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2010
Posts: 4
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Post by hueyip on Aug 8, 2010 10:58:12 GMT -5
If you're close to Naples go just south of Sarasota to Venice Beach for fossilized shark teeth.
Not sure if you can turn them into spheres (would be a little small) but they're fun to look for. We took spaghetti colanders and looked like we were panning for gold. The kids had a great time and we'll be back if we get back to the east coast. The largest we found was about an inch long. They told us to bring scuba gear and you can find up to about 6" ones.
If you go to Tampa you have to mention part of the trip is getting a Cuban pork sandwich.
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jcinpc
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2009
Posts: 722
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Post by jcinpc on Aug 11, 2010 1:19:15 GMT -5
Im right outside of Tampa and in the heart of phosphate territory/ I grew up walking the railroad tracks picking up teeth where they would fall out the bottoms of the rail cars laoded with the phosphate. heres a few I found at the mones or in the rivers  cuban sandwishes are sold everywhere but they originated here in Tampa in Ybor city. love them |
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hueyip
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2010
Posts: 4
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Post by hueyip on Aug 11, 2010 14:53:29 GMT -5
Those are some good looking teeth. Wish we would have found some like that.
There's a place near Edwards AFB, CA that has shark teeth. I wanted to go there till I found out you get some death inducing illness from the dust. Guess I could wear a gas mask and MOP suit but that wouldn't help our 3 year old thumbsucker, may have other problems in 100+ degree weather.
Think I'll try and find a recipie for the sandwich this evening. Wont be the same without the bread and press.
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jcinpc
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2009
Posts: 722
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Post by jcinpc on Aug 11, 2010 20:34:00 GMT -5
it hard to find authentic cuban bread outside of Florida, or so I hear. I made this for breakfast the other morning, if you wanna press your sandwich wrap a brick in aluminium foil and put it on top of the sandwich in your pan  |
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Aug 12, 2010 9:46:36 GMT -5
Man, that sandwich looks good!!
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hueyip
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2010
Posts: 4
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Post by hueyip on Aug 13, 2010 0:14:21 GMT -5
I know what's for breakfast now! I'll have to make do with a baguette. Bacon for sliced pork.
Makes me think about a conversation with a friend. I can't remember what he was eating but remember it was turning my stomach. He said it was an acquired taste. I told him, "with so much good food I'm not wasting any time acquiring a taste for anything."
Guess I should amend that to if it takes more than a bite to acquire a taste I'm not wasting time, that sandwich past the test.
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