Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on May 31, 2011 9:08:43 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Have had this hunk of California palm sitting by the new saw for awhile. This stuff is hard and tough and about as big as the vice will handle so I wanted to wait till I had the saw cutting right before I tried this piece. Well, I got it cut yesterday, six slabs with about half the rock left over. Rock only tried to climb the saw blade once. Weird how Covington designed a vice hold down that has about 1/8 to 1/4 inch vertical play in it which allows the vice to sometimes bounce a bit and get that rock climbing up the blade. Will have to phone them about that problem. Anyway, this piece was kind of cool to cut so I slabbed it two directions. It's apparently from the trunk right where the roots began because it has both palm fiber and root. I've always found fiber to be rare in California as most the palms were burnt down by volcanic activity....Mel First, the root part: Palm root and fiber:
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Post by frane on May 31, 2011 9:11:27 GMT -5
That really looks amazing! I especially like the combination slabs! Beautiful! Fran
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Post by jakesrocks on May 31, 2011 9:14:32 GMT -5
That's some sweet looking palm. Looks like it's nice and solid. I'm surprised that you didn't find much palm fiber in California. I hauled a lot of it out from just east of the Calico Mts. Don
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on May 31, 2011 9:26:20 GMT -5
Don, I know. I have a little from Edison, a little from Sperry and a bit more from Yermo which of course is pretty close to Calico. Overall though, the bulk of my collection from California is root. Funny, now that I'm in Texas, root is fairly rare here and the fiber is the more common find.....Mel
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Post by frane on May 31, 2011 9:28:08 GMT -5
What really gets me is that as a kid, we always camped by Calico in CA.... I loved the rocks but never collected many as a kid. I could just kick myself now! Fran
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on May 31, 2011 9:38:10 GMT -5
Yeah Fran, Calico was one of the first places my pop took me hounding when I was a kid. And way back then it was an actual ghost town, not a tourist trap. Used to have a ball climbing around on the tailing piles from the old mines.....Mel
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Post by tandl on May 31, 2011 9:47:58 GMT -5
Very interesting , with the roots and trunk
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Post by jakesrocks on May 31, 2011 9:48:16 GMT -5
Mel, my first memory of rockin around the Calicos was the desert floor just below the mountains. There used to be a lot of old mines right at the base of the mountains. Many went straight down for 15 or 20 feet before leveling out. Took a rope ladder down into some of them. Lots of neat stuff in them.Then on one late winter trip we climbed down the ladder into a pit and found a nest of those buzz tail snakes just coming out of hibernation. Never climbed into one again. I think that shortly after that the forestry service went around and blasted all of the holes. Didn't find a single open mine the next time we went out there. Don
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on May 31, 2011 9:54:31 GMT -5
Yep, when I was a kid the Calico area was riddled with prospect holes. Know there are snakes around there but all my hunting was usually winter so in a lot of trips, I've never seen a single rattler in the area. The place I saw way too many was out by the Grandview Gold Mine near Lucerne Valley where the orbicular rhyolite comes from. Man, I went there in the spring and there were Mojave Rattlers everywhere. Really had to watch your step in that area. Was also thrilled to see a lot of Rosy Boas there.....Mel
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Post by stonesthatrock on May 31, 2011 9:57:55 GMT -5
interesting slabs...... mel i still think your crazy....... about the snakes.. mary ann
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Post by jakesrocks on May 31, 2011 10:10:16 GMT -5
Ah Mary Ann, snakes are cool. Respect them and their space, and they'll leave you alone. Doesn't hurt to wear a good pair of snake gaiters though.
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Post by jakesrocks on May 31, 2011 10:27:33 GMT -5
Hey Mel, back when I was first getting started as a rockhound, I had a neighbor in his 90's. In his younger years he had been a mule skinner hauling borax out of death valley. He told me that if I ever went into a mine shaft and smelled cucumbers, to get out quick. He told me that nesting rattlers give off a smell just like cucumbers. I didn't believe him until that trip into that shaft. There was a very distinct smell of cucumbers, and when I shined my flashlight down the shaft, it looked like the floor was alive with snakes.
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Post by tanyafrench on May 31, 2011 10:31:25 GMT -5
Wow, that's some pretty stuff. I really don't like snakes but I do respect them by keeping my distance. I love that you care so much about them and hopefully that will rub off on many others. But your rocks are wonderful and thanks for sharing.
Tanya
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Post by johnjsgems on May 31, 2011 10:35:15 GMT -5
Mel, nice palm. I wondered myself when I saw tons of TX palm wood fiber with the distinctive dots at the rock shop in San Antonio but no root. I've collected a lot of CA root but never found any fiber. As far as snakes, I've only met one sidewinder in all my collecting trips. It was out near Afton Canyon. He (or she) coiled and rattled at me. I was not afraid but the rocks WAY over the other side of the canyon suddenly looked a lot better. I've heard they can only jump the length of their body which isn't much so guess they are a better choice than the diamond backs around the LA hill areas.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on May 31, 2011 12:42:13 GMT -5
WOW!!!! Thats a looker!!!!!
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Post by gr on May 31, 2011 14:48:52 GMT -5
Love that combination piece Mel! Show me the cab! lol I know snakes have their place; as long as it's not around me! I was born and raised in Az and I guess I'm walking in all the right places because I've never seen a rattler up close and personal in all my travels in and thru the desert. 50 + years worth. I'll say this though, I'll take a rattle snake over a scorpion any day! I just do not like those things
gary
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on May 31, 2011 14:58:17 GMT -5
Gary: I like the snakes better than scorpions too. We're in prime bark scorpion territory here at the ranch and I kill some most every night. I tolerate scorpions everywhere except in and around the house as this species packs a real good whallop and the area crawls with them.
I've encountered a lot of sidewinders but much more common on the Colorado desert. Lots around Palm Springs and Salton Sea. Even saw a snake collector bitten by one once. Mostly they are a shy species though and can usually only strike about 1/3 to 1/2 their body length. Less toxic than most the rattlers too and with lighter venom load. I love the way they move over sand and they are actually quite a pretty snake.....Mel
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
|
Post by Sabre52 on May 31, 2011 15:02:57 GMT -5
Jake: Never noticed that smell myself though snakes do have a peculiar and very recognizable odor. The fellow I did snake shows with had quite a collection and I've got to admit they did not smell real nice and not like a salad either that's for sure *L*.....Mel
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