Gem Crafters & Explorer's Club Bulletin,

P.O. BOX 3091, Las Cruces, NM 88003

July-Aug. 2013 - Volume 55 Issue 7

EL GAMBRISINO

Affiliated with: Member of: Member of:

American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies Blue Ribbon Coalition

www.amfed.org www.rmfms.org www.sharetrails.org

2013 OFFICERS & volunteers:

President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Refreshments Historian Programs Field Trip DirectorEditorCookie Saathoff Sheri Gaines Pat Grace Brenda Gadberry Patti Pickert Don Saathoff Eric Fuller Eric Fuller Maxine Wyman 382-3464 526-7176 202-2862 202-0200 532-9351 382-3464 524-0204 524-0204 649-4900 imaginethattoo@comcast.net sheriagaines@gmail.com tony.nunez.pat@gmail.com brendagadberry@comcast.net wpickert@Q.com auagte2@comcast.net ghosthiker@gmail.com ghosthiker@gmail.com gambrisina@gmail.com

We meet on the third Friday of the month at Gardiner Hall, Room 118, NMSU campus, Las Cruces, NM at 6:30 pm for social and 7 pm for the meeting. There are no meetings in July and December. Dues are $10 per adult per year and each additional family member under eighteen is $2 per year. They are due Jan.1st of each year. A membership form will be emailed or mailed to you in December to be filled out and returned with your check to the treasurer. There are no regular committees or board meetings nor do we sponsor a show.

Our purpose shall be to gather knowledge and provide educational benefits to members on geological, archaeological, lapidary, and mineralogical topics of interest, to include assistance to members in all lapidary problems, the study and identification of minerals and gem stones in the rough, the field study of geological formations which produce minerals and gem stones, the collection of minerals and gemstones, and the exploration of any geological or archaeological topic or area which may be of interest to the membership.

NOTE: All articles and photographs are by the Editor Maxine Wyman unless otherwise noted. Any address or email changes must be sent to me at: gambrisina@gmail.com or 4680 St. Michaels, Las Cruces, NM 88011.
Permission to reprint is granted if acknowledgement is given. We reserve the right to edit all material submitted for publication

Info for the Newsletter: If you have information, articles, pictures or a website related to gem crafting, rock collecting or exploring and would like to share please give me a call at 649-4900 or email me at gambrisina@gmail.com If you have a good idea or story to tell I will be more than happy to help you write it up. Also if you have minerals, outdoor or camping equipment, etc. that you would like to sell please let me know for our FREE "Classifieds." Maxine Wyman, Editor

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club Meeting Minutes June 21, 2013

"EL Gambrisino"

July-Aug. 2013

-2The hunting images were in sequence as to when they were used. He started out with the Snares and Traps used. There were few images but

Submitted by Secretary Brenda Gadberry

Speaker: LeRoy Unglaub, spoke on SW Rock Art and Hunting Weapons. Treasurer's Report: $524.29 in the treasury (The club's 2010 treasurer's records were archived with the club's Historian.) New Business: The Blue Ribbon Coalition's membership fees are due. Their purpose is working to preserve access to public lands both locally and nationwide. You can visit their website at www.sharetrails.org . The club will vote on membership dues of $100 in August. Campout: After July 4th, Eric & Kathy Fuller will be planning a club campout in the Cloudcroft or Mogollon area. After details and the location have been decided, an email will be sent to club members. Mineral Meeting: Wednesday, June 26th, gates open at 6:30pm. The topic of discussion will be orthorhombic minerals. If you need directions, contact Don Saathoff. (Note: There will not be a meeting in July.) Club Raffle Party: Eric and Kathy Fuller will host the club's annual raffle party on July 27th. The pool party will start at 1:00 pm, potluck at 4:00 pm, and the raffle will begin around 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. (Be sure and bring swimwear, food, drinks, money, and items you want to raffle.) Field Trip: Mike Bromwell will lead a trip to El Paso to purchase minerals from a Mexican mineral wholesale dealer. Meet behind the Dairy Queen on University at 8:30 am on June 23rd. Announcement: Both Joan Beyer and LeRoy Unglaub were voted into and hold the title "Honorary Club Fossil". After over 30 years as members, they now have a lifetime membership with the club...CONGRATULATIONS!
LeRoy Unglaub

he told of some thirty snares found in the U Bar Cave site. Next came the Rabbit Sticks and Clubs with many samples shown. Most of the sticks shown were curved. Bolos were also shown being used. The Atlatls were next with again many images. I didnt know that an Atlatl could be thrown the length of a football field. The Bow and Arrow was introduced approximately 500 to 700 AD depending on who you believe. Again there were a large number of images showing bow and arrows, even some human figures with arrows in them. The Rabbit Nets were used extensively. One was found that was 151 feet long and 5 foot high and was made of human hair. It had some twenty thousand knots in it. It had to have been a team effort to use this one. The Spears and Lances came next and there were many images shown. Dogs appeared in later eras. They were apparently trained to kill as most had teeth showing. LeRoy showed up some images from a cave in the Guadalupe Mountains. These pictographs were very unusual in that they depicted a butchering scene. They are very small, about seven and a half inches high, with great detail and were done in red. Another cave in the Guadalupes has been recently discovered with very similar images. An unusual image was found in the Centipede Cave. There were twenty-four people all holding hands. As he has told us before, each culture had their own version of the human form, animals and such so there is much variety. There are no Apache hunting images. As always his presentation was very interesting and informative and the photography - superb. Thank you again LeRoy for stepping up and helping us out once more.

Program Notes June 21, 2013

LeRoy Unglaub (Honorary Club Fossil) came to the rescue again when our scheduled speaker had to cancel at the last minute. LeRoy did his presentation on Rock Art Hunting Images which he has recently updated with additional images and information.

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club Reminders and Gen. Info:

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Camp-Out Memorial Day Weekend, 2013

Report & Photos by Kathy Fuller
The club took a trip to Luna, NM, for a campout over Memorial Day Weekend. The camp site is called, Head of the Ditch and has running water beside it, tall pines and generally a beautiful campsite. No campfires were allowed and the local forest service guys came through each evening to check on things. Brecken headed up on Thursday to reserve a spot for us; posting a greeting at the campsite (mostly to scare off others!). Most arrived on Friday around noon, with others arriving late Friday evening. After setting up camp, those with ATVs took some trail rides scoping out the territory. Friday evening was our customary Happy Hour a.k.a. dinner time. Al Spencer brought a bottle of wine which was sent by Don and Cookie to enjoy since they couldnt make the trip. Seems it was a peach something or other. Tasted like a brandy to me and we toasted Don and Cookie. (Yum, Yum) As usual we had a variety of tasty dishes brought by the attendees. By the way, members present were: The Uhls, Fullers, Spencers, Rudins, Halls and Janette Hale, plus four canine members. Saturday we went to a secret location for Luna Blue agate. Al Spencer was seen digging away with a large spud type bar and Julie Uhl also tried her hand with the bar and shovels. Im not sure of the total weight taken home, but it was a lot! It was nice to see some water near the location where the collecting was done. Brecken showed the metal detectorists a couple of old homesteads. The damage from the fires of last year was evident as we traveled throughout the forest. We did a lot of exploring on the ATV's and found some beautiful country, nice trails, springs, elk and future sites to explore. Some of the group left on Sunday and a few stayed until Monday. Eric and I stopped at Camp Cody near Deming on the way back for some final metal detecting and had some good luck. Nothing super spectacular, but did find most of a pocket watch. Im looking forward to the next club trip in July that is if the forests are still open.

The next meeting will be as usual on the third Friday of th the month, Aug. 16 in Room 118, Gardiner Hall on the NMSU campus, 6:30 PM for socializing and 7 PM for the meeting. The speaker will be our own Don Saathoff who will speak on one of his favorite subjects Mindat. This photo is for Jon Stewart, one of our out of state members. He not only missed the last campout but he missed his favorite treat. We miss you Jon.......
Photo courtesy of Kathy Fuller.

By the time you get this the pool party and raffle will have been held but the details will have to wait until September. Several of us attended Buckys Birthday Bash in June. It was well attended as usual with over 170 meals served. The raffle sold all tickets and the proceeds ($2,500) went to the NMOHVA legal fund to assist in their legal fight with the USFS over the closures in the Santa Fe forest. There was a donation jar also and that filled fast with a lot of large bills showing. While there in Glenwood we discovered that the Catwalk was closed. The USFS has put up signs stating there was a rock fall, etc. but in truth they had come in and cut the Catwalk out and lifted it out of the canyon with a helicopter. The town of Glenwood whose economy depends on tourists is having hard times as a result. Businesses have closed and others are hanging on by a thread. This is because someone in the USFS decided that there might be a big flood some year and the catwalk would wind up all the way to Glenwood. Big Brother is looking after us again. This is not about politics, its about people and their lives, be it work or pleasure as in ranching, logging, motels and restaurants, rock hunting, or just being out for a scenic drive or whatever. Our roads are being closed and livelihoods being taken away. We need to get involved, either individually or preferably as a club. Sitting back and letting someone else try and fight the battle is not the way to go if we want to keep our land open to use and enjoy. The July issue of Rock N Gem magazine has an article by Richard Pankey titled Advocating for Access. If you can please read it. He details what and how we can help to get involved in the process to keep our roads open. Unfortunately it is not online.

Camp Welcome Sign

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club

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Ingredients of an Arrowhead
Author Unknown,
The American Indian wasnt fussy about what he used to make an arrowhead as long as the material would suit his need. Throughout the ages, the Indians choicest material for arrowheads was flint and flint related rocks such as chalcedony, agate, novaculite, jasper, opal, etc. He liked obsidian too. These are silicon dioxide glass rocks of nature and, like glass; they flake beautifully in conchoidal fractures and shape easily into sharp cutting edges. Quartzite, which is more granular silica, was used extensively, but was more difficult to shape. The Indians of the eastern seaboard were starved for good flint-like rocks and their arrowheads are the ugliest of all since they are made of slate, quartzite, trap rock, schists and other forms of rocks, which a Wyoming Indian would have written off as junk. There are rumors of Wyoming jade arrowheads but they probably arent true. The Indians of the Valley of Mexico made beautiful jadeite sacrificial knives, but they werent flaked. They abraded, honed and polished them into shape. Probably the most spectacular arrowhead ever found was a fabulous fluted early-man Clovis Point struck out of a large quartz crystal. This diamond clear point was found by a farmer in North Carolina, who then took it home and used it to strike against steel to start kitchen fires. The now damaged point rests in the Smithsonian. Some arrowheads and spear points were made of wood, especially the stunning arrow. Many were made of bone, antler and tusk. The Indian tribes bordering the Gulf of Mexico used Garfish scales extensively. Everywhere bottles, insulators and other glass articles were popular. Best of all, Indians liked the white mans iron. Barrel hoops were a favorite source. The Indians also traded fur pelts to the white man for steel arrowheads. Source the Petrified Digest, 07/03
Via Gneiss Times 09/06

The Luna Gold field

Als Big Rock (?)

A Petrified Fact
Happy Hour By Ed Wengerd in Gem Cutters News, Many pieces of petrified wood, especially those from the northwest, have a center that looks like wood, but with a layer of chalcedony or pumice between the center and the outside. This indicates that the tree was green when it was buried in hot ash. The water in the green wood evaporated making the wood shrink. The outside was made into a cast by the heat, so the areas left between the cast and the wood were filled with chalcedony, making beautiful pieces of petrified wood. Via Gneiss Times 09/06

Wonder Dog Ruby had no problem jumping into the tank but getting out was another story

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club

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HONORARY CLUB FOSSILS

There are several folks in the club that have been involved and active for many, many years, as in thirty to forty some. The Club officers have been thinking about it for some time and finally decided to resurrect the Honorary Club Fossil title and bestow it upon LeRoy Unglaub and Joan Beyer. This gives them a life time membership for the many years of leadership and time volunteered that they contributed to the Club. They have both served as officers in most categories throughout the years. LeRoy has been a member for forty-six years. Many of us have followed along in LeRoys dust when he led us on our quests for rocks as he was the Field Trip Leader for quite a few years. It was a trick keeping up with him as he tends to not waste time shall we say and we sometimes lost even his dust trail. Thats when I learned to track. Joan, who joined a few years after LeRoy, is a geologist and always had time to help all us newbies on trips in identifying our treasures. She, like Don Saathoff, is a micro mount collector and has been bashing rocks looking for those little treasures for years. She has been unable to attend meetings these past several years but has retained her membership and keeps abreast of what is going on. LeRoy has spread his wings and has been involved in documenting petroglyphs and pictographs these past few years. A lot of his time is spent on the go all over the west but he still attends meetings, his schedule permitting, so we were surprised when he showed up at the May meeting where we were going to plan how to do the presentation. As a result he got his diploma that night. Joan was another story. As she has a problem getting away from the house we had to wait until she could get free. Cookie and I asked her to lunch, which we do occasionally anyway, and so she set a date. Expecting to see the two of us, she was surprised when old friends Eric and Kathy Fuller, Brenda Gadberry, Don Saathoff and Lee Attaway showed up also. LeRoy wanted to be there also but was unable to make it. Cookie got right down to business and presented the diploma to her. She got a big kick out of it and we had a good time reminiscing about old times. There were a lot of funny camping stories told. How things have changed. Oh and the lunch was at Pisanos and was very good and NO those bottles in the picture arent our empties. Brenda did an outstanding job in hunting up this old document in the history files and then adding the El Gambrisino figure to it. I wish I could give credit to the author but no one now remembers who wrote it. It sure

is a piece of work as the saying goes and there is a copy of it on the next page so all can enjoy it.

LeRoy Unglaub

Joan Beyer (Just makes you want to get up and volunteer to become a leader in the Club so that one day you too can become a Honorary Fossil doesnt it?)

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club

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Gemcrafters and Explorers Club

By Jud Milburn

"EL Gambrisino"

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MARBLES

the luck of the cut, show white or yellow spots at one or both ends. These were called bulls eye agates. China marbles are made of mostly porcelain or pure white clay, the material of which fine dishes, cups and saucers were made, hence, the name china. Most of them were made in Germany. The glass consists of silicon dioxide, boric oxide, aluminum oxide, etc. Each marble was originally a segment of glass cane, which had been built up of colored rods embedded in clear or colored glass. One end of the cane was heated, one segment twisted in a spherical shape, then broken off. The pontils were ground down when the marble had cooled. The first glass marbles made by machines competed with the attractive agates and were called imitation agates or acro agates. The colors were dark red, brown, green, blue, and purple mixed with small streaks of white. There were also plain white mixed with clear glass. These first appeared in the l890s. Milk glass was a popular substance for Victorian bowls, water glasses, kerosene lamps, etc., so it is not surprising that it was used for marbles. Milk glass is opaque or translucent white glass made from silicon dioxide or boric dioxide mixed with stannic oxide. They are still manufactured. Opalescent glass marbles are a refinement of milk glass. These marbles are transopals. They come in various colors, mostly varying intensities of white.

Marbles are, without doubt, among the oldest it not the oldest plaything in human culture. Clay and stone marbles are found in Indian graves all over America. The ancient Chinese worked agate and Jade into marbles. Glass and clay marbles have been found in Egyptian tombs. The Romans introduced them into England. In modern times the production of marbles centered during the 19th century in the Austrian Alps and Southern Germany: stone, agate, alabaster, onyx and glass were the common materials used. Imitations in the U.S. and elsewhere followed. Hand methods of making marbles tended to disappear when marble machines were invented about 1900. Chalk marbles were used by poor boys of the 18th and 19th centuries because they were cheap, being rough molded and dried. They are generally gray-white or yellow- white, made of compacted calcium carbonate with varying amounts of silica, feldspar, and/or other material impurities. Clay marbles were very inexpensive and common in the 19th century. They are found in great numbers on Civil War battlegrounds, lost by soldiers who whiled away spare time playing games with them. They were rough-shaped from wet clay, some were left in natural colors, and others were dyed solid, mottled, spotted or marked with lines. Stone marbles were made in great numbers in the German provinces of Saxony and Thyringen in the 19th century. They were rounded mechanically by being rubbed between larger heavy plates of stone and wood. The common stone material was quarried out of local deposits of calcareous limestone. Agates are among the most beautiful of marbles, showing solid or banded colors of red, brown, white, and green chalcedony. Some agates, depending on

via The Rock-hound via MOROKs 01-2013

Rock Playing Cards.

Kingsley North www.kingsleynorth.com has a line of mineral and rock playing cards available. Very reasonably priced at $5.95 a deck, they look to be a fun way to spice up your Texas Holdem, Rummy, or how about Cribbage??? Look for items # 2-0126 and #2-0053 You can play all of your favorite card games while studying rocks and minerals. Each card in this standard deck features its own photo, helping you to become acquainted with the names of each rock specimen. Learning has never been so much fun. Via MOROKS 07-2013

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club We Need You!

By Shirley Leeson, President, ALAA www.president@amlands.org

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Monthly Bench Tips from Brad Smith

DRILL BREAKAGE Using a small drill is difficult for a beginner, especially if it is hand held in a flexshaft or Dremel. They are easily broken if you push too hard or if you tilt the drill while it's in the hole. Remember that drilling always goes easier with lubrication. A little wax or oil is all you need. Almost anything will work - Three and One, beeswax, mineral oil, injection wax, car oil, olive oil, or one of the commercial cutting waxes. The lubricant helps to move chips out of the hole and reduces friction of the drill against the side of the hole, keeping the drill cooler. FIND THE BALANCE POINT With odd-shaped pendants or earrings it's often difficult to find the right place to attach a bail or loop so that the piece is balanced and hangs straight. A quick way to make a tool for this is to modify a set of tweezers. Any set of tweezers will work. Spread the tips, sharpen them with a file, and bend the tips at a right angle to point towards each other. To use the tool suspend the pendant or earring between two sharp points to see how it will hang. FINISHING PIERCED PATTERNS After sawing patterns there's always a little cleanup to do, and the smaller cutouts can be a challenge. Needle files (7-8 inches) can get into the larger areas, and escapement files (4 inches) can get into some of the corners. But I often find myself looking for even smaller files. Couldn't even find them at a watchmaker tools supply company, so I had to try something else. I ended up grinding down the tip of a 4" barrette file using a separating disk (or cutoff wheel) in your Dremel or Foredom. Be sure to wear your safety glasses when using this tool. A flake of steel in your eye makes for a bad day. More Bench Tips by Brad Smith are at http://facebook.com/benchtips/ or see the book "Bench Tips for Jewelry Making" on Amazon

With the push by the ultra-environmentalists to close even more public lands, I am urging all rock hounds to join ALAA. If we are united in our cause, and can produce numbers large enough to impress governmental officials we might have a chance at getting our voices heard. We have been in touch with like-minded organizations all over the country in a loose coalition to hold back the tide of special interests and many of these organizations have taken the time to share their expertise and knowledge to bring us up to speed. What is happening to our public lands??? Sometimes its just a small, charming animal who desperately needs hundreds of acres of land to exist And has the clout behind it to make it happen. Other times its beautiful scenery that must not be sullied. Let the professionals take pictures, put it in a book and sell it to you to look at, instead of being there to see it yourself. And most recently its wind farms and solar panels.these are rising up like phoenixes all over the western public lands landscape. Why not use public lands, its there for them to take. All they need is an order to release public lands for GREEN (commercial) purposes.the government will get their money back. Well, the dirty little secret is many have gone belly up on more than one occasion. Many of the projects are now being run by foreign companies. And the public lands shrink to next to nothing. Question: when public lands arent there anymore, where will the special interests go? Eminent Domain? Recently there was news of a Congresswoman from New York, Carolyn Maloney, who was advocating for an additional 23 million areas of wilderness in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Tell me what she knows about these states and would she consider putting New Yorks Central Park in Wilderness.? This is why we need rock hounds from the Eastern states to step up and ask, What do you know about wilderness in the western states? Why is someone from the east advocating wilderness in the west??? But I digress. WE NEED YOU. First we need you to join to swell our ranks to a proportion that will make the government take notice. And then, we need you to get involved. Please go to <www.amlands.org> and look on the left side for JOIN-APPLICATION. Our membership chair, Colleen McGann, will cheerfully accept your checks and sign you up. Or we can sign you up at several of the regional shows throughout the year. I can tell you that in the 1970's and 80's, rock hounds were known by the BLM and Forestryin the Western States, then we faded away. With our ALAA Clean-up Program we are being recognized, and thats a good thing. Join Us and help us keep our public lands open for the public. Via AFMS Newsletter 06-2013

The gene pool could use a little chlorine. Well, maybe a lot of it.

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club MINERAL GROUP MEETING

June 26, 2013

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As it had been another HOT New Mexico day and it was cooler outside than in, tables were set up outside the lab where there was shade and a breeze. About eleven of us gathered and listened as Don explained and demonstrated the crystal orthorhombic form to us.

The following is an email I received from Charlie Christensen of the El Paso Gem & Mineral Society. This concerns new fossil collecting proposals that our Forest Service is proposing and that no one seems to have heard about. Maxine From: Sent: Monday, July 22, 2013 9:22 PM Subject: New Fossil Collecting rules Hello everyone, It has come to my attention that the Forest Service has put forth a proposal to restrict fossil collecting in the future. The new proposal includes that you may only collect up to 5 specimens of a particular fossil each year. They have this proposal open for public comment until today at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time which is only 40 minutes from the time that I am writing this email to you. I myself have been trying to submit comments on this proposal for the last hour and the website will not take my submission so even though I tried, my comments will not be viewed by anyone. It is sad that news of this only came out yesterday and we as collectors have no time to voice our opinions on such a matter. Nonetheless, I thought I would make you all aware of what was proposed. Here is a link to the Salt Lake Tribune Article online: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/5659899978/collecting-fossils-rules-fossil.html.csp Also, here is a link to the actual proposal: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/05/23/201 3-12173/paleontological-resources-preservation Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you might know that this would affect or who would have interest in viewing the proposal. Thanks. Reed Pendleton Wasatch Gem Society Webmaster/Newsletter Editor

Don holding a huge Barite crystal of orthorhombic form.

Most had brought examples and had a goodly assortment with Anhydrite, Aragonite, Danburite, Olivine, Topaz, and Sulphur to name a few. We were challenged to find the axes a, b and c and a challenge it was. The explanation that they are perpendicular to one another and all of different lengths helped a good deal. Of course some of the group had done their homework and already knew that. Others, including me I have to admit, werent so well versed this time. Finding the axis on odd shaped crystals comes hard for me but Don did a good job of explaining and it helped some that Lee had brought a paper orthorhombic crystal along. It was a good meeting and ended with a beautiful red sunset which was to the smoke from the Silver Fire.

Cloth Of Gold
Until the Middle Ages, underwater divers near the Mediterranean Coast line collected golden strands of the pen shell, which used the strands to hold itself in place. Called byssus, the strands were woven into a luxury textile cloth of gold and made into ladies gloves so fine that a pair could be packed into an empty walnut shell. Examples of this lost art exist in some museums, where the cloth retains its color and softness. Via Golden Spike News 11/01

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club Campout at Cloudcroft

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July 12-14 Report & Photos by Kathy Fuller

We had a total of eight campers and two day visitors for the campout. I, Eric, Doug and Alice Hall went up on Thursday, July 11th to secure a camping spot. We had a lovely candlelit dinner that evening of salmon, fire roasted onions and tomatoes, shrimp scampi and rice, broccoli and dessert. What fun! A fellow camper in a pickup truck advised us he saw two yearling bears just around the corner from our camp and suggested we keep our food put away. Friday we were joined by Jannette Hale and Mandy. That evening after dinner we went for a walk. About a mile or so from camp we came across a large meadow and Jannette spotted about four elk coming out of the trees. Over a period of 30 minutes or so we saw over 50 elk, including some babies who were playfully, running and jumping all over the place. Too bad no one had a camera or binoculars! We returned the next evening, but not one elk was to be seen. Saturday we were joined by Pat, Tony and Nancy. For happy hour we had some wonderful gazpacho made by Nancy. Some of us played dominoes after happy hour and the unsuccessful walk looking for elk. At some point when it was dark, Ruby, the wonder dog, let out a deep ferocious bark. Everyone came running and Jannette was able to see a bear run off into the woods. Needless to say it was an exciting evening. During the day, Dave and Joan Smith showed up for a few hours. The Halls and Fullers were off riding ATVs and missed their visit. Sunday morning the ATV riders ran across some deer not too far from camp and we were able to get some nice photos. Later in the day we discovered a new road back to camp from Bluff Springs. I was riding point on the ride and saw a bear in the road a couple hundred feet ahead. He squirted off the road so fast I was just able to see him. It was a busy weekend for bear! Later in the day, Eric and I did some metal detecting for a couple hours and had some good luck. Eric found a 1913 penny and I found a 1906 Barber dime and a 1915 Mercury dime as well as a few other items of interest. On the ride back to camp we saw four elk and were able to get a couple of photos. It was a nice cool campout. It poured down rain on Saturday night, with thunder and lightening. We left behind 100 degree temperatures for low 70s. The nights were in the low 60s.

Tony Nunez, Pat Grace, Eric Fuller, Alice & Doug Hall & Jannette Hale

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club UP COMING SHOW Dates:

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July-Aug. 2013

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AUG. 8-11BUENA VISTA, COLORADO: 30th Annual Contin-Tail Rock & Gem Show; Contin-Tail LLC; Rodeo Grounds; Gregg Dr. and Rodeo Rd.; Thu. 9-5, Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; more than 100 dealers, rocks, minerals, gemstones, fossils, beads, jewelry, lapidary tools and equipment, free rocks for kids, fluorescent mineral display; contact Carolyn Tunnicliff, 1130 Francis #7010, Longmont, CO 80501, (720) 938-4194; e-mail: ctunnicliff@comcast.net ; Web site: www.coloradorocks.org AUG 9-11HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN: Show and sale; Copper Country Rock & Mineral Club; Houghton Elementary School; corner of Bridge St. and Jacker St.; Fri. 1-8, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-3; free admission; silent auction, demonstrations; contact Norman Gruber, 1850 Clark St., Marquette, MI 49855, (906) 228-6764; e-mail: pres@ccrmc.info ; Web site: www.ccrmc.info AUG 16-17TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA: Annual show; Tahlequah Rock & Mineral Society; Tahlequah Community Bldg.; 300 W. 1st St.; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5; adults $3, children (under 18) free; rocks, minerals, fossils, jewelry, lapidary, demonstrations, educational exhibits, children's area, auctions; contact Sara Brasel, 14236 Cross Timbers Rd., Tahlequah, OK 74464, (918) 284-5770; e-mail: rockhoundsally@aol.com AUG/SEPT 31-2SILVER CITY, NEW MEXICO: 30th Annual Gem & Mineral Show; Grant County Rolling Stones; Business & Conference Center; 3031 US Hwy. 180 E; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5, Mon. 10-4; free admission; daily field trips, local geology and mining history trips, mineral displays; contact Lee Stockman, 16 McKinley St., Silver City, NM 88061; e-mail: rollingstonesgmsshow@gmail.com ; Web site: www.rollingstonesgms.blogspot.com SEPT 7TULSA, OKLAHOMA: 9th annual Indian Nations Artifact and Fossil Show; Harvey Shell, Willard Elsing Museum; Mabee Center, Oral Roberts University; 7777 S. Lewis; Sat. 8-5; adults $5, children free; contact Harvey Shell, 4320 W. 43 St., Tulsa, OK 74107, (918) 446-9278; e-mail: harvesims@hotmail.com SEPT 13-15DENVER, COLORADO: Annual show; Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council; Denver Merchandise Mart; 451 E. 58th Ave., I-25, Exit 215; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, seniors and students $4, children free with adult; Tourmaline theme, Colorado Fossil Expo, dealers, speakers, demonstrations, shuttle to satellite shows, free gem and mineral identification, Mr. Bones, kids' activities, gold panning; contact Larry Havens, Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council, c/o Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Box 4, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80205-5798, (303) 233-2516; e-mail: info@denvermineralshow.com ; Web site: www.denvermineralshow.com OCT 4-6ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO: Annual show; Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club; NM St. Fairgrounds, Creative Arts Center; 300 San Pedro NE; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; 65 dealers, gems, minerals, fossils, meteorites, jewelry, cut stones, crystals, books, equipment, tools; contact Amy Penn, 2324 Alvarado Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110, (505) 883-4195; email: amypenn246@gmail.com ; Web site: www.agmc.info NOV 2-3OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: Biennial Show; Oklahoma Mineral & Gem Society; Oklahoma State Fair Park; Modern Living Bldg.; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-5; adults and students (13 and up) $6, children (12 and under) free; displays, minerals, gems, jewelry, fossils, fluorescent room, children's activities, dealers, finished jewelry, beads, gemstones, rough rock, slabs, mineral specimens, geodes, equipment, supplies, demonstrations, silver smithing, beading, cutting and polishing rocks and gems, wire wrapping, jewelry making, flint knapping, metal engraving, silent auction, door prizes; contact Dale Moore, 12352 Spring Circle, Guthrie, OK 73044, (405) 834-0765; e-mail: halffull101-omgs2@yahoo.com DEC 6-8EL PASO, TEXAS: Annual show; El Paso Mineral & Gem Society; El Maida Auditorium; 6331 Alabama; Fri. 106, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults and students $3, seniors $2, children (under 12) free; gems, minerals, fossils, beads, jewelry, tools, books, equipment, geode cutting, silent auction, demonstrations; contact Jeannette Carrillo, 4100 Alameda Ave., El Paso, TX 79905, (877) 533-7153; e-mail: gemcenter@aol.com

For further information or shows please check: www.rockngem.com Who knows, there just might be a good rock show in the area of your travels.

A Thought to Ponder:

If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?

Please send me any of your favorites that you

Some Interesting Web Sites for you to Check Out

think others might be interested in and I will pass them along.

New Mexico Fire Information sites sent in by Fred Huff: Silver fire incident http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3414/ New Mexico fire information http://nmfireinfo.com/ Photos of the fire http://www.flickr.com/photos/gilaforest/page1/ National Weather Service http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/