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Post by Cher on May 19, 2005 13:08:36 GMT -5
You sure know how to make the most of those flat rate boxes! ;D I wasn't sure if I should hide or not when I saw the mail truck pull up and the gal lugging this box up to the door. *smile* Fortunately, we've got a great mail lady. She just pipes up with ... "Let me guess, more rocks"? I looked at the box and went OMG! This thing was literally splitting at the seams, and the sides too.  And I mean literally ... it almost let loose. Peek a boo!  Looked like a good place to start since it had split further over on the side so I just ripped it open. Is this cool or what?  Gaetz, what are these neat little nodules? Do you have any idea? That big one is soooooo cool. I know I'm going to have to whack it, I wish I could get it slabbed to see what's inside.  Look at this color!! There's all shades of red and some are burgundy, like wine. Some are very dark, almost smokey and some clear.  Here's the lot, after it was safely moved into another box, all 29 pounds of it.  Last one ... the only pet I have ... worse than a cat, can't get near it but it thinks it owns my backyard. Gets very obnoxious when he doesn't find fresh carrots in the morning.  Gaetz ... your generosity amazes me. Thank you ever so much! I am humlbed by the generous nature of everyone I have met here ... what an awesome group of people. Cher |
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Post by Tweetiepy on May 19, 2005 13:16:43 GMT -5
Cher that is a mighty nice load - when I heard mentioned flat rate box, I was expecting something MUCH SMALLER - like a pizza box (I guess the flat part got me confused). That box is amazing - I couldn't get something that size to my place without paying about $75.00 Cdn and a custom fee - WOW, that is some load! What's the large orange rock in the closeup?
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phoenix1647
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2013
Posts: 186
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Post by phoenix1647 on May 19, 2005 13:20:29 GMT -5
nice haul Cher....I have three of those round knobby things and I can not break them with my chiesel and hammer at all....that will have to be slabbed.
I use the flat rate box too a lot...I can usualy get 20-30 pounds to a box. Sure is nice to be able to do that.
Pho
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Post by rockyraccoon on May 19, 2005 13:26:11 GMT -5
looks to me like the postal workers did some abusing of that package. wonder how many toes they hurt lol. you think that corner fell off or they said "what is in this thing" and took a peek lol. nice haul cher!
that bunny is so cute. i gave both of mine away to a lady who let them run free in a fenced in backyard. i still have lots of untamed ones running wild in the yard.
kim
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Post by krazydiamond on May 19, 2005 14:30:02 GMT -5
what a lil' cutie bunny! ;D i'd love to get a close up of the woodchucks in my yard, but they are real skittish and i can't get that close up. great shot tho, you should make Easter cards for next year with that. got to agree, Gaetz is the all time "Champ" for stuffing a $7.70 box full of choice rockage. my mail lady did a similar thing when she drove up my driveway, only my box full was in WAY worse shape than yours. i am tumbling some of his stuff in 60/90 now. can't wait to see how it comes out!  KD |
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Post by gaetzchamp on May 19, 2005 14:40:01 GMT -5
Cher- Holy Shmoly.....Are you sure you got all 29lbs, or did half of it fall out. I about blew my Pepsi all over the screen when I saw those pictures. The box was literally stuffed when I sent it off, so if the box was half full when you got it, we must've left a trail of rocks from Salt Lake to the Famous Hibbing International Airport!!! If any of you that live between those 2 points find anything cool out there you must forward them to Cher, they're hers!!!!! LOL, Too funny. Well, next time I send out a box, I'll know to wrap the WHOLE box in packing tape and not just the seams. That was a close one! As for the little nodules, I called them geodes, but have since been informed that they are called "agate nodules" You can tell what's inside them by the way the one that's split in half and sitting on the tip of your 2 middle fingers. They're really quite plain, but some have some agatized lines in them. I've got a bunch of pieces in the tumbler right now and we'll see how they turn out. I basically threw them in for yor for interest value. Find something cool to do w/ them, but I wouldn't bust that big one up, it's too cool. Have someone slab it. Flat Rate is the best way to go. It's $8.00 whether or not the box is full, so what the "hey" jam it full, right? The guy at the counter laughs everytime I bring in a box. He always says "man you're getting a steal, normally that would've cost you $55.00 bucks". Glad to see you got the box and thanks for sharing the pictures. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words and I'm glad you shared the photos. I would've never believed that box was as beat up as it was.....it was in such good shape when I sent it, what happened?  Ha, ha, ha. Well, get to work on that red agate and post picts of what they look like after your magic. Gaetz |
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Post by Cher on May 19, 2005 15:30:25 GMT -5
;D ;D ;D Nope, we didn't loose a single rock along the way. Take a really good look at that first pic, that box is just bulging ... I'm not even sure how you got the darn thing to close! Hahahaha *smile* The pic where the box looks like it's not quite full (3rd pic down) I'd already been digging a little and some had been moved to the new box. I'm surprised we didn't lose any since that corner was open and there was that tear on the side but I really think they all made it. I have to say though Gaetz, it's testing my patience! I have two more days to wait before I can empty out one of my 6# barrels and fill it with some of this gorgeous red stuff from you. Don't know if I can stand it!! LOL First thing Saturday morning, or maybe tomorrow.  Going out rock hounding on Sunday ... Yippeeeeeeee!! I need more rocks! Cher |
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on May 20, 2005 8:39:52 GMT -5
Sweet deal there- Those Agate Nodules look a lot like Bubble Gum agates! Hard as heck but they slab wonderfully and the fractures (if there are any) are healed pretty solid! Out of the 5 pounds I got (probably 35 nodules) onlt 2 or 3 were kinda vuggy- all the rest were very solid- anyway nice haul there - Gaetz when did you start selling rock? Did I miss it?
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Post by creativeminded on May 20, 2005 9:20:58 GMT -5
That big nodule just might be a geode, I would cut it open if I were you.
That is a great haul you got. Yes people here are very generous. I definitely got more than I paid for from Pheonix.
Tami
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Post by gaetzchamp on May 20, 2005 9:55:42 GMT -5
Stefan-
You are right on the money there with your desciption. Those nodules are "hard as a rock" ha, ha, ha, and don't come w/ fractures. I'd love to see them slabbed.
As for selling stuff, I really haven't, I've just been making little trades here and there. Cher sent me a gorgeous pendant in return!! I sent some to Sands and Cookie for winning my contest. KD sent me some cool necklaces and magnets in return too. I'm always up for trades. Lately I've gone out collecting and come back w/ a couple hundred pounds of stuff.
Gaeter
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Post by Cher on May 20, 2005 12:53:11 GMT -5
Well I done it! ;D Couldn't stand waiting so dumped one of my big barrels early. I kept the lakers that I had in there and finished filling it with gaetz rock. Now if I could just speed that baby up ... hahaha.
Man, that stuff is really something to break up. It's very hard and lots of it comes off in little razer blade shards. No, I didn't whack the big geode ... I'm saving that baby.
Gaetz, you look at the stuff that Tami got at ebersoles? Some of that fancy jasper looks a lot like the agates you sent me.
Cher
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flowoxsgarden
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2005
Posts: 196
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Post by flowoxsgarden on May 20, 2005 18:19:22 GMT -5
Nice stuff there. I never knew that there was such a thing as a flat rate box. I knew they had a flat rate envelope. I definately will have to look into the flat rate box but then I'm far away from having anything to send to anyone yet.......LOL
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ArkieRockhound
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since February 2005
Posts: 870
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Post by ArkieRockhound on May 20, 2005 21:53:47 GMT -5
Gaetz, it looks like you really know how to stuff a box. That looks like some fantastic rock. Are the nodules harder than the thunder eggs?
Trish
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Post by gaetzchamp on May 20, 2005 23:42:43 GMT -5
Trish-
I really don't know. I've never really done anything w/ thunder eggs (except wish I could have/find some). So I really don't know how they compare. We found 50 or 60 and I smashed some up (and found partial ones like the one pictured) and they're a milky white color w/ blue agatized lines in them. They're really rough on the outside and will take forever to smooth them out (I don't have a saw) but we'll see what comes of them. I'm sure they'll polish up nicely, it's just getting them to that stage.
If I get back down there anytime soon (maybe Memorial Day) I'll try to send you a couple.
Gaeter
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Post by gaetzchamp on May 20, 2005 23:47:24 GMT -5
Cher-
Ya, just took a look at them beauties and yes you're right, they look extremely similar.
Good to hear you're getting ready to start some of that stuff. Remember to take before and after picts of your load. BTW, what kind of tumbler do you have, again?
Good luck
Gaetz
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Post by Cher on May 21, 2005 7:25:13 GMT -5
I've got rotary tumblers, these went in to a six pound barrel. You know what that means ... be a couple of months down the road before it's done. Pics? Well, I'll have to use the ones here in this post, those will have to do for the before and you KNOW I'll take pics after. *smile* I tossed a couple of the smaller nodules in the barrel too. This is going to be a very "pretty" batch when it's done.
Cher
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tinman
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2005
Posts: 197
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Post by tinman on May 21, 2005 19:43:04 GMT -5
that is a good box i shipped a couple boxes the other day I took my 2 year old with me and she could only hold my pinkie
the rest of my hands were bissy with what turned out to be 58 lbs of granite the lady said she did not have any more boxes I think she just don't want to move them any more
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Ha, ha, ha.
