Gem Crafters & Explorer's Club Bulletin,

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

Oct. 2013 - Volume 55 Issue 9

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 Sep. 20, 2013

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Submitted by Secretary Brenda Gadberry Speaker: Keith Austin with Austin's Fine Jewelry spoke on "The History of Rings". Visitors: Kathy Austin Treasurer's Report: Total $806.29 after "Blue Ribbon Coalition" membership dues are paid. Old Business: Club voted and approved $245.00 to supply club's radios with eight batteries. Nominating Committee: Lee Attaway, Eric & Kathy Fuller, and Mitch Mauer. Day Trip: Mt. Tunuco cancelled and changed to Orogrande on September 21st; meet at 8:00am at McDonalds on University. Email with details has been sent to club members. Campout: Eric and Kathy Fuller will lead a campout on October 11, 12, 13, & 14 in the Burro Mountains; details will be emailed to club members. Eric will provide details and discuss a November campout schedule at the October meeting. Mineral Meeting: Wednesday, September 25th, gates open at 6:30pm. Topic of discussion, hexagonal crystal system. If you need directions, contact Don Saathoff. Announcements: 1) Call Doug or Alice Hall at 575-644-2288 if interested in purchasing a 1990 TRS 300, ATV for $1600. 2) October 5th at the Beverly Hills Hall will be the 3rd Annual fund raiser by HSR. Buffalo roast dinner, lots of fun and entertainment. Tickets are $30.00 per person. Topic: Spanish Hunting Techniques of the 18th and 19th century. Call Kathy Fuller for tickets and information. NM Mineral Symposium: Mineral Symposium in Socorro, November 9 & 10. If you need more information visit their website at: http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/museum/minsymp/home.cfm Mineral Shows: Please check the back page of our "News Letter". General: Club's officers would appreciate input from the club concerning a venue for the club's 2013 Christmas Party. Keep in mind the size of our club and the cost of the venue.

Program Notes Sep. 20, 2013

Keith Austin

Our speaker in September was Keith Austin owner of Austin Jewelers and Ring Museum here in Las Cruces. Mr. Austin is a gemologist, an avid ring collector and driver of a cool 1956 Pontiac delivery van. He spoke to us about his unique Ring Museum thought to be the worlds only museum dedicated 100% to rings. The program got off to a rousing start with the playing of the Lone Ranger theme, a picture of the Lone Ranger, and the Lone Ranger rings including the Lone Ranger Atomic Ring. It was an auspicious beginning for a section on childrens rings from the early days of radio & Cracker Jacks. What a variety there was. It brought back many memories to a lot of us seniors. Shown was the first souvenir ring which is from the Columbia Expo and known as the Isabella ring dating back to 1893. This ring included the original box and paper work which is extremely rare. There was also a large selection of World Fair rings from height of the fairs in the 1930 & 1940s. One of the hottest collectables in the market today is anything that has to do with Superman and he has Superman rings from the 1940s. The Border Service Rings from Camp Furlong, 1916 to 1917, at Columbus, NM were very interesting. Troops were sent from Fort Bliss when Poncho Villa invaded Columbus. The soldiers were from mainly the Northeastern part of our country. Each unit had their own rings which were not supplied by the military but were purchased from individual companies by the soldiers. Many examples of these rings were shown. Native American Rings, the basic tribes shown were the Navajo from 1880-1920, the Zuni with their inlay work, and the Hopi which was all silver. This collection is awesome. He brought along one of the Navajo rings

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to show us. When he purchased it, it was billed as the largest Turquoise ring the world. The turquoise weighs in at 2,785 carats. (It must have been made for a giant maybe even an alien.)

JOANS TALL TALES, Chapter #1

By Joan Beyer

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

It takes a while for a newbie to learn the ins and outs of collecting and camping. I was still in that innocent state in 69 when we went on an overnight trip to the fabled Blanchard Mine. It was a small turnout, only five or six people. We set up camp right in the dirt parking lot at the Bingham Rock Shop. I suppose we paid a fee. I was still driving the family station wagon then, so asked Leroy for a ride up to the mine. As I crawled into the back of the station wagon to get my collecting gear, the seat of my jeans split from side to side. Hadnt brought another pair as we were going to be there only one night. What to do? Fortunately, had a long sleeve shirt which I tied around my waist so that it hung down in back and preserved my modesty for the rest of the weekend. The caretaker took us up to the main dig, stirred up the rocks with a dozer blade, and turned us loose. There was some wonderful fluorite there, beautiful translucent blue cubes, large and small. We all found big pieces; my best were two chunks, each about the size of my head, with cubes over 2 on an edge. Good luster, marvelous rich color, and little or no damage. Collecting doesnt get much better than that! Back at home there was a problem: where to put those two big pieces? Had no display space in the house at the time, and very little storage space. My solution was to put them outside under the trees thinking that theyd be okay in the shade. You guessed itin a short time those beautiful blue cubes were completely colorless. A small positive note to the disaster is that a lot of tiny little galena cubes included in the fluorite are now visible. And yes, I still have those pieces. And theyre still out in the yard. Moral of the Story:

Worlds Largest Turquoise Ring You must go to the Museum to see the pretty side.

There were school rings, cowboy rings, premium rings, glow in the dark rings (many of which would be considered unsafe in this day and age), Masonic rings, school rings, wedding rings and the list goes on. The Museum is two hundred square feet with cases on three sides. The cases hold only forty per cent of the collection so he changes the exhibit one case at a time every six weeks so there is always something new to see. The museum is located at the Austin Jewelry store at 230 E. Idaho. It is open during regular store hours and is free. For groups please call ahead. It was a fascinating talk and was enjoyed by all.

Reminders and Gen. Info:

The next meeting will be as usual on the third Friday of the month, Oct. 18th in Room 118, Gardiner Hall on the NMSU campus, 6:30 PM for socializing and 7 PM for the meeting. The speaker will be Has everyone sent in their comments to the BLM Tri County Management Plan yet? If you want to keep the roads open for rockhounding, metal detecting, sightseeing, etc. for us, our children and grandchildren then get involved. The HSR sponsored Buffalo Roast is this coming Saturday, Oct. 5th for your planning. They have been good to us supplying speakers occasionally so its time for us to show some support for them. The tickets are $30 each and Kathy Fuller has some to sell. Please contact her if you need one or more information.

Lesson 1. Better to store your fluorite under the bed than have it fade outside. Lesson 2. Always bring an extra pair of pants when camping.

To be continued... IF YOU DONT START THE DAY OF WITH A SMILE, ITS NOT TOO LATE TO START PRACTICING FOR TOMORROW.

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club Mule Creek Campout Report

By Brenda Gadberry
Photos by Alan & Brenda Gadberry

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was familiar with the area and would they take him there. Jannette Hale jumped into her truck with Alan and Dorian Rudin jumped on his ATV and headed toward the mill. About an hour later, Jannette and Alan returned to camp and reported that Dorian found our friend (Art Maya) in the streambed by the old mill and was taking him back to his vehicle. Alan laughed and said "Jannette is not afraid of driving that truck!" He added, when they got to the "narrow" streambed with large boulders on each side, Jannette pulled in her mirrors and was going in like she was Luke Skywalker navigating his ship through the narrow confines of the "Death Star". Alan put his seatbelts on and suggested to Jannette not to go any further, but allow Dorian to go in on his ATV...way to drive, Jannette! Art and Dorian returned to camp about an hour later. Art told the tale of following Julie Uhl off into the woods where she walked off and left him. He proceeded to step on a rattlesnake, panicked, fell down a hill, didn't know where the snake was, was not going back where he thought the snake might be, got turned around and walked for miles. After hours had passed, Art said he went into survival mode looking for shelter and gathering firewood. He had food in is pack, and a fire starter, but no water purification. I personally feel that getting lost could happen to me or anybody when exploring new areas. What would you do? I personally do not carry a gun, so communicating with guns are out. I will carry a club radio from here on out, if there are enough to go around. Communicating is something for all of us to think about. Maybe we don't get lost, but maybe we get hurt and need assistance. Maybe we don't walk very far, but our companions do. We need to all seriously think about a way to communicate long distances with others in case of emergencies. The next day, Al Spencer, Alan, and I found nice quartz crystals/scepters in a streambed in about a 20 foot area. Both Al and Alan think that somebody dumped a bag of crystals since they couldn't find them anywhere else...who knows? The next day, Spencer showed us a book with a map to the location where two inch apache tears have been found (obsidian nodules). So, Spencer, Bob & Wilma Hutson, Alan and I ventured out to find these two inch apache tears. We were successful, and came back with more than we should have picked-up. Everybody had a great time, even Art and we are all looking forward to going back soon. Thank you Eric and Kathy for leading us onward and outward! Photos on page 5.

August 30th through September 2nd, was a Gemcrafter's and Explorers Club campout at Mule Creek led by Eric and Kathy Fuller and joined by eleven other people who enjoyed beautiful scenery, exploring, nice hikes, campfires laughter, drinks, great food, friends and cool to warm weather. The Mule Creek landscape had beautiful rolling green hills with trees and tall grass with mountains in the background. The exploration site we were lead to by the Fuller's the first day had beautiful tall pine trees, a rocky terrain mixed with knee high grass, and water that had settled at the bottom of large weathered boulders and streambeds from the previous day's rainfall. On Saturday, the Fuller's took us to a place where there was an open field to our left and forest to the right. We were all excited to leave our vehicles and explore this beautiful green area. A couple of hours later, all but one explorer returned to the rondevu site, there was concern, but no panic that he might be lost. The Fuller's looked through the woods and we honked horns, but the hiker never returned to his vehicle. We left a note on his vehicle letting him know that we had moved on and where he could find us just in case he did return and wasn't lost. NOTE: There were no batteries for the club's hand held radios so communicating with our missing companion via radio was not an option. This turned out to be quit a day for this hiker who was lost for about five to six hours. After hours had past and no sign of our lost friend, the Fuller's sprung into search and rescue action. The Fuller's went back to the location where our friend was last seen. Eric used his only form of possible distance communications with our missing friend and fired his gun into the air. Eric and Kathy could hear return gun fire off in the distance. Eric fired another shot and could hear another gun fire off in the distance. With this repeated process, Eric determined this must be our missing friend. Meanwhile, back at camp, Alan and I had left our radio on in the truck and I happened to hear Eric ask for anybody at camp who could hear him, to please respond. Eric had determined that our friend was at the old mill in the direction of the abandoned school bus and asked that someone from camp go check it out while he waited by the missing person's vehicle. Alan, not knowing where the abandoned school bus by the old mill was, asked if there was anybody who

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ALS MULE CREEK ADDENDUM By Al Spencer

This is a little update to the end of the Mule Creek campout. As I was driving away from camp at about 9 am a large and beautiful Mountain Lion glided across the road about 50 feet in front of me. He looked like he was in his prime and rather uninterested in me.....or the jeep. Its nice to see that some wild life still lives. Then on to Turkey creek and the quest for green fluorite. I found the canyon??? and started walking up to the mine finding pieces of fluorite along the way....every half mile or so....just enough to keep me climbing. Then an impassible dam in the canyon???? WTF??? Wrong canyon!!!! But it was still rather cool and easy climbing so I decided to circumvent the dam by climbing up the side wall. Over and around! Continuing upstream I finally arrived at a different fluorite mine, and although it didnt have the clear green and purple vein inside, I didnt go inside the vertical shaft, it had lots more blue-green-mint colored fluorite lying around the dump. I loaded up and headed back. By now it is hot and of course I have a load and need to figure the route back around the damn dam! I finally made it back to the jeep and headed to Silver City. Near the top of the mountain I saw the oddest creature....a White faced Coati (Coatimundi). He looked like a monkey running, had a teddy bear face and hid behind a thin tree looking at me looking at him. We enjoyed each other's gaze and then he headed over the side and disappeared. Guess he didnt enjoy MY face that much!! So, I have a nice batch of Apache tears, some crystals and a few scepter want-to-bees, and a load of fluorite. Next trip I will focus on gathering amethyst scepters, fire agate, chalcedony ears, and large quartz crystals, and avoiding the large Mountain Lion at dinner time ! It was a great place to camp with trees and grass and ROCKS and of course good company. Best, al spencer

Liz & Dorian Rudin, Brenda Gadberry, Julia Uhl & Art Maya

Amethyst Quartz Crystal Pocket from Mule Creek

Kathy Fuller & Brenda

Another Case of Bad Judgment The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873

Julie Uhl, Alan Gadberry & Art Maya

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A SHORT VISIT TO THE SAN JUANS By Maxine Wyman

August and its Train Fest time in Durango and Silverton, Colorado and so Jim and I drove up from the heat of the desert to the coolness of the San Juans

the Black Prince Mine and Camp. There were numerous long vacant buildings to check out and photograph. The mining company had built them in 1915 as living quarters for its workers. There werent any mountain goats to be seen but while wandering around the site I kept seeing these cute little mouse like animals which I later learned were Pikas. The little guys were busy cutting grasses and plants and taking them to their stash. In the meantime some of them were letting go with their well-known high pitched whistle telling us to get out of there. How could

The Galloping Goose

to ride the steam train and the Galloping Goose. After two days of riding trains we drove back to Silverton where we planned on meeting up with some of the rock club that were up for the Big Band Bash which was going on in Silverton at the same time as the Train Fest. Instead we ran into two other friends from Las Cruces who were vacationing there. They like to drive the trails as well as we do and they suggested a trip to the Arrastra Gulch which neither of us had driven before and where they had seen some Mountain Goats the year before. Alas, we had driven my Grand Cherokee as this was to be strictly a road (cement roads) trip with NO off road driving. Well, you can guess how that went, so off we drove.

This little Pika is telling me to back off in no uncertain terms.

anyone not love them? I did get one shot of a Marmot but they were a lot more skittish than the Pikas. Then it was onward and upward to above the tree line to the Big Giant Basin/Contention Mine at the Little Giant Basin. All that was left of the Contention Tram House is shown in this picture.

The Giant Basin/Contention Tram House The Black Prince mine & camp area

It turned out to be a great ride and we wound up at the Little Giant Basin above the tree line. There were remnants of tram towers in the trees along the way (photo ops) and we stopped and did some exploring at

A short distance past the Contention we arrived at the Little Giant Basin which is beautiful with its black volcanic rocks and green grass and its lovely Gold Lake. The Lake at one time supplied the water for the mining ops. The Lake was calm and mirrored the

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mountain and clouds. We spotted one adit but didnt climb up to explore the elevation being over twelve thousand feet (pant, pant) which is about eight thousand feet more than home. Many more photos were taken all the while looking around for any interesting rocks. We gathered a few pieces of Quartz and Calcite for mementos.

breathtaking even though our trail book author said it was a boring drive. How jaded he must be. We arrived at the now reclaimed Sunnyside Gold Mine where there isnt much left of it to be seen anymore. The elevation at the mine was some twelve thousand four hundred feet. We looked around for a bit and while we didnt find any gold (: we did manage to pick up some small pieces of Rhodonite which were quite nice. I could have spent the whole day doing that but time was running out and everyone else was hungry so we headed back to Silverton and Handlebars for dinner.

The small but beautiful Gold Lake

Arriving back at the main road we found Pat & Tony from our Rock Club. They had rented a fancy side by side and were having fun until they couldnt figure out how to get to a fluorite mine (I didnt catch the name of) that they had read about. You know the routine; everyone had maps and the three men gathered, no women allowed, and spent some time in discussion. In the meantime Pat and I took pictures of the beautiful

Jim & WJ in front of one of the closed up entrances

It was a great day, we seen some beautiful country that was new to us, I took way to many pictures (well maybe not too many) and I must tell you that the Grand Cherokee handled the narrow, rocky mountain roads with no problem. We had to leave in the morning and we never did meet up with the Club group. Did I mention there is no cell service in most places up there?

Its all in the Spelling

This Amanita muscaria is just coming up CARAT - a standard unit of mass used for precious stones, especially diamonds, is equal to 200 milligrams. KARAT - a unit of proportion of gold in an alloy equal to 1 / 24 part of pure gold. CARET - a mark on printed or manuscript material to show where something such as a letter or word should be inserted. In the United States, the caret is usually made just under the line. Other cultures invert the caret and place it above the line. CARROT - Bugs Bunnys favorite food! Via Scribe July-Sept. 2013

but very deadly Amanita muscaria mushrooms which were growing beside their ATV. The men finally decided that the road to the mine was way back down the main road. We wished them luck and said our good-byes then headed for the Eureka Gulch and the famed Sunnyside gold Mine. The Eureka Gulch is one of my favorite drives, the high mountains, narrow valley, and many waterfalls are

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club Treasure of Victorio Peak By Jack Staley

pseudonym is John Clarence

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the highest levels of our government. Intrigue, documented thefts, lies, cover-ups, and murder are the underpinnings of this astonishing expos. Names, dates, places, photos, and documents prove the case against the government and others. Book 3, Executive Order, spans the years from 1979 to 2000 when Terry Delonas, Ova Nosss grandson, mounted an expedition to recover what remained of the treasure. This book separates the facts from the lies and meticulously details the corruption and the crimes committed by the military at White Sands Missile Range to cripple the expedition, including, but not limited to: lies and deceit, false and deliberate overbillings, and illegal changes to the expeditions agreed-upon license contract are cited. Many of the scholars and bestselling authors who have reviewed the books have urged us to submit the books to The Pulitzer Prize Board and Jurors for consideration. The books were delivered last week. We are scheduled to do a few radio talk shows in the near future and I will be glad to advise Gemcrafters and Explorers Club members on the dates and the radio stations involved.
The following is an example of a document record: 1.600 The First Agreement 1-9-74 - page 1 Endnote 410 Page 439 copy.jpg 103K View Download 1.701 The First Agreement - page 2 Endnote 410 Page 439 copy.pdf 141K View Download 1.702 The First Agreement - page 3 Endnote 410 Page 445-446 copy.pdf 245K View Download 3.300 The First Agreement - page 4 Endnote 410 Page 456 copy.pdf 120K View Download 3.301 The First Agreement - page 5 Endnote 410 Page 456 copy.pdf 110K View Download 7.000 McGregor Gate in 1974 Page 614, 615, 616 copy.pdf 792K View Download

Jack Staley spoke to us in October of 2009. He spoke on his research into the gold treasure supposedly found by Doc Noss. At that time he had spent five years researching the subject and was in the process of writing the first book of the trilogy. Eric Fuller sent us the link to the web site www.victoriopeak.com. . After 8 years of research and writing, the Victorio Peak saga is finally available in hardcover and EBook formats. The hardcover books are for sale and there are links to the eBooks, which are more reasonably priced. They are presented in a three-book sequel entitled the Gold House Trilogy. Reviews by prominent authors and scholars, who support the charges we leveled against the government, are overwhelmingly supportive. In addition to the trilogy, we are about finished with an interactive document record file compatible with the hardback books. Because of the formatting and page sequencing in the eBook versions they will not be useable. The document record file has never been seen before, but for those who have hardback books, they are extraordinarily helpful in seeing the proof of the allegations made in the books. I am attaching a sample of what you will see in the document record file. Please be advised that the interactive file relates to book 2 only. The proof is overwhelming that the Victorio Peak treasure was real and the military and other stole much of it. The Gold House books are packed with photos, endnotes, and an index. Each book is available on Nook, Kobo, Amazon-Kindle, iBookstore, and in a limited hardback first edition. Please go to the Victorio Peak website for complete information: www.victoriopeak.com Here is the subject matter of each book: Book 1, The Discovery, covers the years when Doc and Ova Noss lived at their campsite in the Hembrillo Basin, before and after they discovered the treasure inside Victorio Peak. The Discovery details the events that took place in that time period: the discovery itself, the turbulent lives of Doc and Ova, the sequence of events that led to Docs murder, Ova's removal from the Peak by the military in 1955, and events that occurred through 1958. Book 2, The Lies, The Thefts, is a highlydocumented account covering the years 1958 to 1978 when the treasure was being plundered by military and civilian personnel who were empowered by people at

Note:
The signed sets are not available from our website. They have to be ordered from me personally through my email address. Johnclarence@johnclarence.com

Some Wisdom from the Farm

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment. When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty. It dont take a very big person to carry a grudge. Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

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MORE BENCH TIPS FROM BRAD SMITH

JUST SAY NO TO OPTIVISORS . During his annual vision-check, a jeweler friend of mine wondered why not have his reading glasses made with bifocals that would magnify the same as the Optivisors? So he asked the ophthalmologist if he could add around +2.00 diopters into bifocals. The doctor checked with his supervisor and came back all excited. They all agreed that it was a great idea and even gave him a special device to measure how far he holds a jewelry piece from his eye, to get the focal distance exactly right. So if all goes well, no more sweaty, bulky optivisors! Anyone else tried this? MANDRELS Straight rod mandrels have a multitude of uses in helping to bend sheet and wire. Frequently we choose a round rod for winding jump rings. Common sources for different sized rods are knitting needles, wooden dowels and clothes hangers. Metal rods can also be found in hardware stores and hobby shops. But to get the right "look" in chain maile designs, you must have just the right size mandrel, and often they are not easy to find. Jewelry catalogs sell selections of straight rod mandrels for $50 or more, but my choice is from Harbor Freight. They have a set of 28 sizes, from 3/32 inch to 1/2 inch, for under ten bucks. It's called a Transfer Punch Set. The catalog number is #3577, and the price is $ 9.95. Plus, look for the 20% off coupon on any one item in their advertising circular. That cuts your cost to around eight bucks. I've bought four of these over the last couple years . www.harborfreight.com

Camping Hints
From " Petroglyphs: June 2001 (Source not identified)

When using a public campground, a tuba placed on your picnic table will keep the campsites on either side vacant. Get even with a bear who raided your food bag by kicking his favorite stump apart and eating all the ants. A hot rock placed in your sleeping bag will keep your feet warm. A hot enchilada works almost as well, but the cheese sticks between your toes. The best backpacks are named for national parks or mountain ranges. Steer clear of those named for landfills. While the Swiss Army Knife has been popular for years, the Swiss Navy Knife has remained largely unheralded. Its single blade functions as a tiny canoe paddle. Lint from your navel makes a handy fire starter. Warning: Remove lint from navel before applying the match. You can duplicate the warmth of a down-filled bedroll by climbing into a plastic garbage bag with several geese. Take this simple test to see if you qualify for solo camping. Shine a flashlight into one ear. If the beam shines out the other ear, do not go into the woods alone. A two-man pup tent does not include two men or a pup. A potato baked in the coals for one hour makes an excellent side dish. A potato baked in the coals for three hours makes an excellent hockey puck. In emergency situations, you can survive in the wilderness by shooting small game with a slingshot made from the elastic waistband of your underwear. The guitar of the noisy teenager at the next campsite makes excellent kindling. The sight of a bald eagle has thrilled campers for generations. The sight of a bald man, however, does absolutely nothing for the eagle. In an emergency, a drawstring from a parka hood can be used to strangle a snoring tent mate.

More Bench Tips by Brad Smith are at facebook.com/BenchTips/ or see the book "Bench Tips for Jewelry Making" on Amazon

Via The Rock Bag 8/01

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club FULGURITE

By Layna Palmer,
www.Wire-Sculpture.com
It is a Gem Profile on their Blog. Permission granted to use.

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Researchers have also found that lightning will strike the ground and then travel to the water table, sometimes branching out under ground for a few feet before it stops. In 1996, they found a very large Fulgurite that has set a world record for its size. Florida boasts the greatest number of Fulgurite since that state also has some of the highest number of lightning strikes with 10-15 strikes per square kilometer each year. Fulgurites have also been found on the tops of some of the worlds higher mountains like the Alps, Sierra Nevadas, Cascades, Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges. Fulgurites created in nature can range anywhere from a couple of inches to several feet with a thickness from that of a drinking straw to several inches in diameter. You can even create Fulgurite in a lab setting by passing (arcing) electricity an inch or two in length.

I love a good rain storm, and if you look at the weather reports for this region you already know how badly we need one. Im not talking about the gentle little pitterpatter rain or the drizzle for days type either. I mean a good ol booming desert storm that rolls in during the afternoon, dumps copious amounts of water for 20-30 minutes while making all the noise it can, and then just as quickly dissipates leaving everything greener and smelling fresh and new. I love watching the lightning flash across the sky, hearing the thunder roll and echo as it bounces off the mountains and seeing the rivers of water in the road as the earth soaks up the muchneeded moisture.

What is Fulgurite?
I think what gives these storms their impressive noise and power is the lightning that builds and discharges, creating an amazing show of Mother Natures might. When lightning strikes the ground, however, it can cause both destruction and also create something amazing as it becomes frozen in the ground as Fulgurite, which is Latin for thunderbolt. Lightning strikes at a temperature of around 3270 degrees Fahrenheit creating enough heat to instantly transform high silica and quartz soil to glass around the immediate area of the strike. These tubes are smooth on the inside and are surrounded by partially melted and fused soil on the outside. Though not very attractive in an aesthetic definition, they are beautiful nonetheless.
A single Fulgurite

Stereoscopic picture: a small tube Fulgurite and a more irregular one.

Wrapping it up.
Now, before you go out in a thunderstorm looking for lightning to strike the ground so you can dig up your own piece of it, remember that not every strike creates a fulgurite and not every soil is ideal for its creation. Lightning also travels at about 140,000 miles per hour and can reach temperatures rivaling that of the surface of the sun. It can also send you back in timeso be careful. As for me? Im going to sit back in my airconditioned home and hope those clouds on the horizon are here to give us some rain, some thunder and maybe a few Fulgurite. Resources: Floridas Fantastic Fulgurite Find A Complete study of Fulgurite Additional data on the creation of Fulgurite Via The Voice 09-2013

Why is it so unique?
So, is a Fulgurite created every time lightning strikes the ground? The answer would be, probably not. Researchers from the University of Florida Dept. of Electrical and Computer engineering have been studying the effects of lightning on power lines above and below the ground at their research facility at Camp Blanding near Starke Florida since 1994. Their findings have been that lighting will blow sand up; it will eat the soil, and will sometimes form a Fulgurite. They have found that the higher the silica and quartz content of soil and the more densely it is packed, the more likely it is to create a Fulgurite.

There comes a time in a mans life, and Ive had plenty of them. Casey Stengel

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club UP COMING SHOW Dates:

"EL Gambrisino"

Sept. 2013

- 11 -

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 OCT 12-13SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA: 39th Annual Show; Huachuca Mineral & Gem Club; Cochise College; 901 N. Colombo Ave.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; free admission; raffle, silent auction, gems, jewelry, lapidary supplies, fluorescent display, geode cutting; contact Maudie Bailey, 5036 S. San Carlos Ave., Sierra Vista, AZ 85650, (520) 249-1541; e-mail: gmbailey@msn.com ; Web site: www.huachucamineralandgemclub.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. 10-6, 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 JAN 1-28QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA: Wholesale and retail show; Desert Gardens RV Park; Desert Gardens RV Park; 1064 Kuehn St., I-10 Exit 17; Daily 10-6; free admission; Arkansas quartz crystals, rough and polished minerals, fossils, jewelry, gifts, lapidary equipment; contact Sharon (manager), 1055 Kuehn St., Quartzsite, AZ 85346, (928) 927-6361; e-mail: info@desertgardensrvpark.net ; Web site: www.desertgardensrvpark.net FEB 13-16TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show; Tucson Gem & Mineral Society; Tucson Convention Center; 260 S. Church Ave.; Thu. 10-6, Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $10, seniors and active military get $2 off on Fri., children (under 14) free; contact TGMS Staff, PO Box 42588, Tucson, AZ 85733, (520) 322-6031; e-mail: tgms@tgms.org ; Web site: www.tgms.org FEB 22-23LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO; 2nd annual show, Friends of the NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, New Mexico Farm & Heritage Museum, Las Cruces, Rock, Gem & Mineral Show, 575-522-1232, www.LCMuseumROCKS.com MAR 5-9--DEMING, NEW MEXICO; Retail show; Deming Gem & Mineral Society; SWNM State Fairgrounds; Raymond Reed Blvd.; Daily 9-5; free admission; contact Shirley Krasinski, PO Box 1459, Deming, NM 88031, (575) 494-5971; e-mail: nmbound@gmail.com ; Web site: www.DGMS.bravehost.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: THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO SUCCESS: DO IT. DO IT RIGHT. DO IT RIGHT NOW. Some Interesting Web Sites for you to Check Out
think others might be interested in and I will pass them along.

Please send me any of your favorites that you

HAS ANYONE TRIED THIS YET? I have heard of one unsuccessful attempt. Heres a survival technique for you How to start a fire with water sent in by LeRoy Unglaub. http://videos.komando.com/watch/3750/viral-videos-start-a-fire-with-only-a-bottle-ofwater?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=tvkim&utm_content=2013-08-07-article-title-a `