firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Jun 18, 2009 20:18:42 GMT -5
I just wanted to update this thread to let all know that through the generosity of Jeff, Susan, and Rick I will surely have enough rocks to make this happen. I can't thank you all enough for the kindness you've shown a stranger, it really means a lot to me. I'll promise to send pics of the rocks when finished before I send them on to my sister. Again, gratitude to all of you for your kindness.
Okay, I'm not sure this is the right place to have posted this, but here goes. My sister's husband died yesterday, and due to the fact that he was raised in an orphanage in Colorado (and Colorado remained a place that he always deeply loved) I would like to do some rocks from Colorado for her to have in memory of him. Does anyone here have any suggestions as to where I'd go to get rocks specifically from Colorado? Okay, let me re-word that .. I can't physically go to CO myself, but wondered if there is someplace on line that would sell such rocks and would designate them as that place of origin? If this post makes no sense, I understand, I'm not sure I'm asking the right questions.
Bonnie
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Post by MyNewHobby on Jun 18, 2009 20:36:38 GMT -5
First off Bonnie .... I am so sorry to hear about your family member passing. It is never an easy thing.
As for the Colorado rocks, I am sure that with all of the people on this board, there are those that will know where to get them and will be most happy to send the information.
I do not know what your budget is ... for rocks ... so I know that if it turns out to be a big hardship to find and get these shipped I would be most happy to send a few dollars to our PIF (Pay It Forward fund) for you.
It would be best if you could post when you needs these, how many do you want, are you planning to try to tumble them first, cabbing, etc.?
All you can do is post your wants and needs and the rest will happen as it is meant to be.
My heart goes out to and your family!
Julie
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 18, 2009 21:26:23 GMT -5
Well, the state rock of Colorado is Yule Marble. The state mineral is Rhodochrosite. The state gemstone is Aquamarine.
You could look on the RTH Map and see who is from Colorado and PM them for a trade if you don't get an answer in this thread.
Sorry for your loss. Jo
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Jun 19, 2009 9:11:30 GMT -5
Julie and Jo, thank you both for your kindness and input. Julie, I appreciate your generous offer on the PIF fund, but I don't need any help in that way. I think primarily what I was looking for is perhaps an online vendor who sold rocks which came out of CO. I know that The Rock Shed will sometimes note in their tumbling rock where the rocks originated from. However, I think I may have found a solution. I run a book chat list on the internet and it occurred to me that two of the members live in CO. One of them writes a travel column for Fodor's, so he travels around the state quite a bit. I asked them if they would be willing to pick me up some rocks and they were quite happy to do that! So I think this request has been resolved. I just want a small amount to run through to polish and then send on to my sister.
Again, thank you both for your responses! I do appreciate it. Jo, I need to look up Yule Marble, what an interesting name.
Bonnie
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JEFFD
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2004
Posts: 242
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Post by JEFFD on Jun 19, 2009 17:18:37 GMT -5
I have lots of jasper and pet wood & agate from Colo.
Let me know how much you want and I'll send it to you.
JEFFD
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Jun 19, 2009 21:44:55 GMT -5
JEFFD, I sent you a PM. Thank you!
Bonnie
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Post by MyNewHobby on Jun 20, 2009 17:02:44 GMT -5
NatureNut ... very cool information!!
Jeff ... you are very nice to help her by sending her some rocks. Very Nice!!
FirstRune .... what is the link for your book chat list? What kind of books do you read?
As always ...
Julie
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Jun 21, 2009 11:01:36 GMT -5
Hi Julie, I can't really pin down any type of book I prefer, I'm a pretty eclectic reader. I do read primarily fiction, and haven't any particular genre I pursue, I just love a good well written story. I can be tough on authors, if an author hasn't hooked me by page 50, the book gets tossed. I feel there are way too many great books out there to be read to spend time struggling through a poor or mediocre one. You can get an idea of some of my reading tastes here: www.librarything.com/profile/cequilloThe link to our book chat list is www.thebarners.co.uk/We're a small group and have been together since around '97, but we can get very chatty.  We were kicked off another book list for "talking too much" ;D so I started our own list and we've pretty much been kicking around together since then. A member over in England maintains the website and though it's not been updated in some time, there are a great number of book reviews on it if you enjoy reading book reviews. Bonnie |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2009 17:26:40 GMT -5
Greetings Bonnie, my condolences during your time of bereavement, i cannot help with rocks or vendors, but i can help with information, 1st up is Colorado Geology Photojournals, this link is quite technical, but i believe that all lapidaryists should have a basic understanding of the geology of the stones they are working on & know how to do the basic testing methods in order to identify exactly what you have & not rely on someone else's word that the stones are a particular item. -- I hail from (The Barony of Seabegs) Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire, U.K, where aliens sometimes come for a visit & about 4 miles west from this monstrosity! Sticky's: Vendors worldwide, How to identify rocks & minerals!, FAQS: Add Tags:Save money on expensive grits & polishes! |
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bouldergal
freely admits to licking rocks
Glacier Meadow
Member since July 2007
Posts: 783
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Post by bouldergal on Jun 21, 2009 18:17:54 GMT -5
Hi Bonnie,
What a nice tribute. Maybe I can help a little. I made a trip to Colorado a few years ago and have quite a few rocks in boxes out in my garage. Please pm me with more of what you have in mind. If I have what you want, it's yours at no cost.
Susan
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Jun 22, 2009 10:38:08 GMT -5
Andrew, thank you for your kindness, and thank you for sending that link along! That's pretty fascinating reading (you find the neatest links!). That's such gorgeous country I wish I could go there and gather rocks myself. Part of the problem in wishing to do this was trying to find rocks that were "truly" from Colorado, that's the whole point of my quest. I do have a couple of people I know who live there who will pick up some rocks for me (though they're not rock hounds, so to speak) and also Jeff and Susan from here on the forum have offered to help, and I feel fully confident that whatever I receive will have come from Colorado.
Thank to you all of you have taken the time to respond and to help. You're such a great group of people and I'm honored to know all of you.
Bonnie
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Post by frane on Jun 22, 2009 21:11:45 GMT -5
Oh Bonnie, I am so sorry for your sister's loss! It is a nice tribute that you have thought of. I wish I could help but I have never been through Colorado but quite a few of our members seem to be in that area! If you end up getting any rhodocrosite, it is really too soft to be tumbled.
Fran
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rockdewd
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2007
Posts: 605
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Post by rockdewd on Jun 23, 2009 12:32:46 GMT -5
Hi Bonnie,
I'm from Colorado Springs, CO. I'll be happy to send you some smokey quartz, amazonite, fluorspar, and some pet wood. Just PM your USPS address.
Rick
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Jun 23, 2009 16:05:12 GMT -5
Fran, thank you for your kindness. My sister is coping, she has good moments and bad moments, and I think that shall be the way of her journey for a while now. They were married for over 40 years, and that kind of history with a person leaves a very large void. Thank you for the advice on the rhodocrosite, I had to Google that  as I had no idea what it was, but my goodness, what gorgeous rock! It looks as though it should be on the bottom of an ocean somewhere with all the corals. Bonnie |
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Jun 23, 2009 16:07:41 GMT -5
Rick, thank you so much for your kindness! I believe Colorado Springs is where Mark was raised. He grew up in an orphanage there, the Myron Stratton Home For Boys (I'm pretty sure that's the correct name) Are you familiar with that? He always wished to return to CO to live, but never did. They toyed with the idea over the years, but remained in Washington state.
Bonnie
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rockdewd
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2007
Posts: 605
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Post by rockdewd on Jun 24, 2009 19:38:46 GMT -5
Bonnie,
I'm not familiar with the Myron Stratton School for Boys but I've heard of a Myron Stratton Foundation. Myron Stratton was the father of Winfield Scott Stratton who was a key figure in the settling of Colorado. Winfield made his fortune up in the Gold Mines in Cripple Creek, CO. He was a noted philanthropist. Bob Womack was the one who discovered gold in Cripple Creek then sold his claim to Stratton for $50. Womack was quite a drinker but Stratton took care of him for the rest of his life. There were stories of Womack coming and going out of the alley entrance to Stratton's building in Colorado Springs. I know there is a statue of Stratton in downtown Colorado Springs. I'm not sure of any statues of Womack. I know there's a casino named after him in Cripple Creek when they got limited stakes gambling...
Interesting stories in them there hills...
Rick
Rick
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Jun 25, 2009 9:11:52 GMT -5
Rick, I think this is one and the same place. In talking recently with my sister, she told somewhat of the same story, in that Stratton developed a community of sorts there in CO and his wish was that young people and old people who had no one to care for them had a place to go. According to my sister, it was actually like a small town, with shops and other buildings. I believe nuns ran the orphanage. It sounded fascinating to listen to the story of how this came to be and how it developed. I'm sure we're talking about one and the same place as whenever my sister's husband talked of returning to CO, he referred to Colorado Springs.
Bonnie
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We were kicked off another book list for "talking too much" ;D so I started our own list and we've pretty much been kicking around together since then. A member over in England maintains the website and though it's not been updated in some time, there are a great number of book reviews on it if you enjoy reading book reviews. 
as I had no idea what it was, but my goodness, what gorgeous rock! It looks as though it should be on the bottom of an ocean somewhere with all the corals. 
