How long have you been a 'hound?

I carried my first rock home from the Smokey Mountains when I was 5 and on vacation with my folks. I've been interested in rocks ever since, but not with the fervor that I am now. Being semi-retired and kids on their own has afforded me oppurtunities that I did not have before.

Curt

Mom said "with all those rocks in your pockets you must have rocks in your head" lol,l'm not addicted l just like rocks "A LOT"

I`ve always been interested in rocks that were out of the ordinary,then about a little over a year ago i saw some knife handles that were made of stone and since i like making fixed blade knives,it sort of fell together,then i discovered RTH and you know the rest,I`ll be here as long as there`s rocks..Rocky

I guess I've been a hound for more than fifty years. My family always had rotten cars that broke down on the desert and while dad hitched to town for parts, I rock hunted. When he took me along deer hunting, I rock hunted! Pheasant hunting or quail hunting, fishing etc. I rock hunted *L*. Then in sixth grade had a rockhound teacher and the hobby really took hold hard.......mel

Officially, I have only been a rock-hound since March of this year when we started buying rock-hammers, picks, shovels, etc. and began planning a vacation to the NC Mountains. Now we also own two rock tumblers and a Work Force saw and are searching for a reasonably priced cabbing machine. We've joined a Rock CLub, have bought a bunch of small rocks and Thunder Eggs on eBay, and have been the lucky recipients of generously given stones and cabs from fellow RTHers.

Unofficially I started collecting stones and pebbles when I began toddling around a way long time ago. My parents not only had to check my pockets for found stones. They had to check my cheeks because when the pockets got full...UMMMM, there's nothing like the taste of a sun-warmed stone. ;D

I've been a very dedicated collector of shells, both current and fossil, for well over 50 years. Living here in Florida is rough on the Rock Hounding part of me but it's Heaven when it comes to fossils and shells. Wading in the Gulf and through some of the rivers or going down to Rucks' Pit is just an incredible experience for fossil-hunting.

All in all I must admit...I am addicted and I am not even hoping for a cure! ;D

Lady B

I have been a rock hound for as long as I can remember, my mother was a rockhound. When we were kids my parents got us a small starter tumbler and we did a few batches and ran out of grit and that ended the tumbling. It was either 2001 or 2002 that I started tumbling and finally bought a good tumbler.
Rock hunting 35 years, serious tumbler 5 or 6 years.
Tami

I saw a Herkimer Diamond when I was 7 or 8- then the next summer some kid at a state park had a polished agate chunk he claimed he had found in the river (I very very much doubt it- I think he was yanking my chain- as he also claimed to fill a glass with spit and drink it every morning) but seeing that agate really hooked me good- then I found some Petriefied wood chunks my mom had gotten as a kid from the Petriefied Forest in AZ- that was the icing on the cake!!! So for about 33 years.

I started rock collecting when I was 10 years old. My Uncle Thomas got me interested. I even met my wife in a Geology 101 class. We have been together now for 35 years. I tell folks Linda showed me her rock pile and I showed her mine and we have been together ever since. I have been collecting for 47 years now. Folks think I am nuts but they always want to know what new rocks I have found. I have piles of rocks everywhere in my yard, in my basement, in the house, and even on the dashboard of my car. I have it "bad" and it is getting worse. Still Diggin' n the Dirt, GaRock (Frank)

I grew up on the south shore of Lake Superior. Being a rockhound kind of comes with the territory. When I was a kid our little neighborhood "gang" pretty much lived at the lakefront during the summer. One of us would say "what do you want to do today?" and the answer was generally, "Let's pick rocks." We looked for L.S. agates, concretions, etc. My mom always complained about there being rocks in the washer or dryer when she did laundry, but never discouraged my "rock picking". It is definitely an addiction for me, but it is a whole lot better than some addictions I've had.

Ang