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The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS)
Rockhound Rambling
April 2010.

Rockhound Rambling Photo of the Month.
This month's photo is by Lowell Foster.

Sagenite Agate, Basin Road, N. Cady Mountains. See "Field Trips Are Fun.".

The Rambling Picture of the Month is photographed by a VGMS member and provided to the Rockhound Rambling. Images should be accompanied by subject documentation. Selection is at the discretion of the editor. Submit images to lowellfos@yahoo.com.

Two Local Rockhounds Pass.
For details see
     IN MEMORIAM - LOIS GLADYS ALLMEN;
     IN MEMORIAM - SHAWNE ELAINE LARDIN.
(Use your Browser's BACK button to return here.)

Table of Contents.

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE;
• UPCOMING VGMS EVENTS;
• WEBSITE OF THE MONTH;
• EAT WELL AT THE ANNUAL VGMS PICNIC;
• EDITOR'S CORNER;
• THE AMERICAN AGATE - JASPER INDEX;
• MEETING MINUTES;
• "DID YOU CATCH THIS?";
• VGMS CLASSIFIEDS;
• FIELD TRIPS ARE FUN;
• WHEELER GORGE OPEN HOUSE;
• IN MEMORIAM - LOIS GLADYS ALLMEN;
• IN MEMORIAM - SHAWNE ELAINE LARDIN;
• PROGRAM REVIEW AND SCHEDULE;
• COMMUNITY OUTREACH;
• AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR;
• VGMS BIRTHDAYS;
• SHOW NEWS;
• FEDERATION NEWS;
• LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT DEMONSTRATION & ROCKHOUND RENDEZVOUS;
• CHIPS AND BOULDERS;
• MEMBERSHIP;
• VGMS HISTORY;
• VGMS CONTEST;
• NOODLING FOR NODULES IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT;
• LET'S GO TO A SHOW.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.

I'd like to thank Ron Wise for a very interesting presentation on knapping for last month's program! Also, thanks to everyone who brought in and shared field trip finds and to the Cooks for the fluorescent minerals in the back room. All-in-all, a fun evening! I'd like each of us to consider putting on a program like Ron's so we can all learn more about one another and our individual strengths and interests in the hobby. Let's showcase and celebrate the unique talents each of us brings that, combined, make this such a neat club to be involved in. So put together a presentation, either on your own or with fellow club members, then call Mary and Deb to volunteer. (Meanwhile, let's all put pressure on Ron to start a knapping class so we can create and scatter arrowheads around construction sites...)

I look forward to seeing you at our April 17 club picnic (details outlined in an article below). Here's hoping for good weather, good food, and good times!

Finally, as you'll read later in the newsletter, the deadline quickly approaches to get display applications in for the AFMS/CFMS show taking place this June in Whittier/La Habra. I hope to see many of you there, as well as at the Conejo show toward the end of this month.

Jim Brace-Thompson.

Ron Wise indicates the steps of properly knapping material at our March meeting. - Photo by Jim Brace-Thompson

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UPCOMING VGMS EVENTS.

  Table of Contents.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH.

Rio Grande Learning Center - http://forum.riogrande.com/.
     This website is exactly what it says it is: a Learning Center. The fun part is its focus - which is jewelry making, and what makes it better than most is that much of its teaching comes in the form of YouTube videos. These short clips cover everything from choosing the right equipment to creating new jewelry designs. Under each video is a catalog of the supplies required for these projects.
     Obviously, this site is a front for an on-line store, but it's set up with so much additional information that the selling seems naturally connected with the teaching involved - much as text books are connected to classes.
     There are galleries of award winning jewelry, a glossary, a section on tips and tricks, and an extensive area covering projects. The project area is alphabetically arranged from beading to wood. Each title is a link to a list of expanded projects related to the desired topic.
     If you have any interest in jewelry making, check it out!
          Website referred by Jim Brace-Thompson,
          From South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society, April 2010.

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EAT WELL AT THE ANNUAL VGMS PICNIC!

We look forward to seeing everyone at the Spring Picnic starting Noon on Sat., April 17, immediately following the monthly open workshop at our clubhouse. Come early to do some lapidary work, then stay for food and fun! VGMS will provide the drinks (water, coffee and tea, lemonade), but we're relying on you to bring the good stuff, so break out your favorite recipe and cook up some goodies to share.

During the picnic, we'll hold a silent auction, and afterwards, we'll convene a show recap meeting to discuss ways to improve next year's show and to solicit committee chairs. Please come with ideas for next year's show and a willingness to take on a show position for 2011. Finally, we encourage kids to earn a badge or two in our museum room. I'll be at the clubhouse starting at 9:00 AM onward and will help kids earn badges on Earth Processes, Rocks & Minerals, and/or Earth Resources. So kids can eat well and then go home with a badge. We look forward to seeing you at the clubhouse at Camp Comfort on April 17!

Jim Brace-Thompson.

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EDITOR'S CORNER.

Passings.

     It is sad but unavoidable that eventually all those who we come to know through this hobby we share will, in time, move or pass away. Recently, most of the people we've had leave our presence have moved homes, such as Ed Clark, the Hixsons, and the Bromsers. Now, though, during this past month, we have lost two well known people who have been part of our local community for years: Shawne Lardin and Lois Allmen. You can read about each of them in later pages. Each made her own contribution to our hobby and our clubs. Each will be missed.
     In previous years, when members passed away, a simple poem was printed to honor their memory. As far as I can tell, this poem was first printed in the Rambling in 1964 without crediting an author. I believe it is fitting to reprint it again today.

"One by one we miss the voices
That we loved so well to hear;
One by one their kindly faces
In the darkness disappear.
No one knows the door that opens,
Through which they pass beyond recall;
Soft as loosened leaves of roses
One by one our loved ones fall."

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THE AMERICAN AGATE - JASPER INDEX.

     When you click on the link below, it should take you to a screen that shows the image of the specific Index's front. Above it is a blue box that says Download Now.
     Next to it is a green button that says DOWNLOAD 4SHARED DESKTOP. This you DON'T click on or download; evidently it has some other function. I haven't touched it, so I'm not sure.
     You click on the BLUE button that says "Download Now. No Virus Detected".
     This gets you to a screen that says "Thank you for downloading {Index Name}.pdf." There is short countdown (10 seconds) and then a link comes up that says "Click here to download this file". Hit that and the file downloads.

Current files of the Index:

• http://www.4shared.com/file/221879833/810dc669/Agate_Index_Vol_1.html - Utah and Colorado.
• http://www.4shared.com/file/224404408/51585e57/Agate_Index_Vol_2.html - Wyoming and Montana.
• http://www.4shared.com/file/229956030/cc07189f/Agate_Index_Vol_3.html - Idaho and Washington.
• http://www.4shared.com/file/242786005/91b2476f/Agate_Index_Vol_4.html - South Dakota, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

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MEETING MINUTES.

The following Meeting Minutes were respectfully submitted by Greg Davis, VGMS Recording Secretary.

VGMS Board Meeting;
April 1, 2010:
Present: Nancy & Jim Brace-Thompson, Lowell Foster, Kathryn Davis, John & Diane Cook, Ron & Jean Wise, Krishna Juarez, Shirley Layton, Donna Stephens, Andy Anderson, Rob & Deb Sankovich, Dave Mautz and Greg Davis.
     The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society Board Meeting for April 1, 2010 was called to order by President Jim Brace-Thompson at 7:00 pm, at the Brace-Thompson home.
Old business:
     A show wrap up meeting will be held in conjunction with and just following the workshop on April 17.
     An internet committee is being formed to assist with and enhance our web site. So far, Diane Cook, Rob Sankovich and Angela Brown have offered to work with Jim Layton and report back. Anyone else interested in helping? Contact a Board member.
New business:
Jim Brace-Thompson: April 17, work shop, picnic, show wrap up meeting and silent action at Camp Comfort starting at 9:00. Conejo Show, April 24 & 25. All are encouraged to attend and participate.
     49'er Days happening in Ojai May 21st. VGMS may be involved. More on that later.
     Wheeler Gorge event is scheduled for May 15 and the Conejo Show will be held on April 24 & 25 this year.
     Subject of fees for club machine use was tabled again pending more information and study.
Nancy Brace-Thompson/Diane Cook: The Treasurer's report was given. It was m/s/c to accept as written and to pay the ongoing bills. It was m/s/c to purchase a used UV lamp and collection of fluorescent minerals for club use. It was also m/s/c to allocate $100.00 toward purchase of rough material from the on-going Harris estate sale, for use at our next show.
     Thank-you notes were sent to Richard & Shirley Bromser for all their tireless work spent helping with our show again this year and all while living so far from us. It's greatly appreciated.
     A note was also sent to the Ventura Star in recognition of the fine article in their paper about our show and which we are sure drew people to the event.
Krishna Juarez: We have 89 members at this time. The new directory will be available at the next meeting.
     The subject of initiation fees for new members and the difficulty in managing it was brought up again, discussed and tabled pending further study.
     It was m/s/c to accept the membership application for Janelle Thompson, Richard Slyker, Ed Gafford and Doug, Hanna, Daniel & Audrey Dreier. Welcome all!
Andy Anderson: The 2011 show paperwork has begun and has been "roughed" in. 100 used red bricks were donated and delivered to the workshop for future use.
Diane Cook: It was suggested that a more complete first aid kit be assembled and made available at our annual shows. Greg Davis will see to it and report back.
     It was m/s/c to make a donation to the CFMS endowmentfund in the name of Shawne Lardin.
Deb Sankovich: April will be Sal from the Conejo club and a program on Antarctica, in May we're scheduled to see David Lynch discuss the San Andreas fault and possible future presentations include Cynthia Baumgardner from the Oxnard Club and another silent auction.
Ron & Rob: Fieldtrips include:
     Diamond Pacific will again demonstrate equipment on May 15 at our Camp Comfort location.
     Marble Mtns. - April 15,
     Somis - May 8.
Contact Rob or Ron for details and latest schedule changes due to weather.
Lowell Foster: All entries to the monthly club bulletin should now be directed to lowellfos@yahoo.com and be postmarked by the weekend following each Board meeting as has been done in the past. Bulletins will now be sent in both link and attachment form for the convenience of club members.
     The next general meeting will be on April 28, 2010 at 420 E. Santa Clara in Ventura and the next board meeting will be held May 6th, 7:00 pm at the Cook's home, 10098 Carlisle St., Ventura.
     There being no further business, Jim adjourned the meeting at 8:50 pm.

VGMS Regular Meeting;
March 24, 2010:
     The regular monthly meeting of the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society was called to order by President Jim Brace-Thompson at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at the Ventura Senior Recreation Center.
     Pledge to the Flag & Welcome. Everyone signed in.
     Guest, Richard Slyker, wants to learn how to identify rocks so he and his grandson can put together a rock box.
Old Business:
     Thanks to all for a superb show; round of applause for Andy! An award (etched meteorite slice) was given to Andy for a show so good it was out of this world!
     Kathryn Davis was recognized for her work with an award bought from one of her favorite dealers: a fossil walrus ivory acorn. Jim awarded this to Kathryn "because from small acorns grow mighty oaks (and hopefully, those oaks don't fall on the clubhouse....)."
     A thank-you to Patrick Cunningham, who won our $100 raffle but donated it back!
     A thank-you to Stuart Bloom for facilitating pearl & cut gemstone donations from Matthew & Marion Raio used in our raffle (& AFMS scholarship raffle) & for future silent auctions.
     As announced in the newsletter, our Potluck Picnic is Sat., Apr. 17, to coincide with our Apr. Open Workshop morning. There is a sign-up sheet to indicate if you'll be there & what you'll bring.
     Also at the picnic is a show recap meeting, a silent auction & Jim will be available all day starting 9:00 AM to help kids earn FRA badges.
     For community outreach, Jim gave a talk to Kerri Griffee's 2nd grade class at Monica Ros School, Ojai on fossils, rocks, & minerals. Last weekend, Nancy & Jim helped a Webelos scouts den earn Geology badges at our club museum, and this Friday, we'll talk about rocks, fossils, & meteorites for the West Ventura chapter of the Boys & Girls Club. We're getting more & more requests from teachers, scouts & community groups for talks but Jim can only take so many afternoons off from work, so Jim is asking for help; if you can volunteer time to talk to schools, please see Jim tonight. We have all the specimens & resources you need stocked in our club museum.
     For other community outreach, Andy and Jim will give a Rockhounding talk to the Ojai Valley Grange, Sat., Apr. 3 (begins 6:00 PM) about aspects of our hobby. If anyone else is interested in participating, see me!
     Rob Sankovich will be representing our club & the rockhounding hobby at the Wheeler Gorge Open House, Sat., May 15 (10 AM-2 PM). Jim encourages at least a couple other club members to help him out. Diane Cook has a sign-up sheet.
     We are now entered into the CFMS All American Club competition; a copy of the scrapbook binder we submitted is on the take-one table. Feel free to leaf through it!
New Business:
     A club vest for sale for the cost of the VGMS patch plus $1, or $7.00.
     Display at & attend Conejo Show, Apr. 24-25! See Rob Sankovich.
     Think about fundraising ideas for 2010.
     LA Rocks mentioned that BLM is reassessing public land in Horse Canyon (mentioned by Lowell). Stuart Bloom thought we should put our information on the LA Rocks website.
     Pictures from the show are on disk (on the front table) provided by Steve Mulqueen.
Committee Reports:
Programs: April - Sal Scarpato on the Antarctic, May - David Lynch on the San Andreas Fault.
Treasurer: Accounts are solvent. Think fundraising: t-shirts, pins and a vest for sale. Please take a look at the Café Press website for other VGMS items for sale.
Federation Director: Camp Paradise still has openings. CFMS president is meeting with a representative of Dianne Feinstein's to discuss land closures.
     CFMS/AFMS show in June in Whittier.
Field Trips:
     April 16,17 & 18 Marble Mountains.
     April 24 & 25, Conejo Show.
     May 8 Somis Fossils.
     May 15 Rockhound Rendezvous at clubhouse; if you're 50 or over join the "Ye Old Timers" rockhound club.
Recording Secretary: Nancy B-T is taking notes for Greg. Hope he's recovering well.
Bulletin Editor: Sorry the bulletin was a little late. Give Lowell feedback on likes and dislikes of the bulletin. Send him articles. Will send 2 emails on how to open the bulletin file. Will have more pictures at the end of the electronic bulletin.
Show: Andy not present. Reminder that there will be a recap meeting on April 17th after the potluck at the clubhouse.
Membership: 76 members plus new members to be voted on at the board meeting. Please take a look at a draft directory to make sure your information is correct.
     Kids step forward to receive a gemstone collection: emerald, sunstone, sapphire, peridot.
     A brief break.
Program: Mary & Deb introduced Ron Wise on "The Art of Knapping".
Meeting adjourned 9:05 pm.

In March, Webelos Scouts earning their Geology belt loops and badges learned how to cook up granite from mineral ingredients: Simply combine feldspar, quartz, hornblende, and mica in the yellow mixing bowl, stir, cook to magma for some 2 or 3 million years, and...beautiful pink granite emerges from the oven!
     jbt.

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"DID YOU CATCH THIS?"

Ocean Dead Zones.

     No joke. Not a Stephen King novel.
     Presently along the Pacific Coast off Oregon and Washington an oxygen-depleted zone of water is creating massive die-offs of fish and crabs. The mass of low-oxygen water is being driven towards shore, and the future results of this phenomenon are unknown.
     These dead-zones are places where the water is affected by hypoxia, a condition where the water is oxygen depleted. This occurs where fertilizers, sewage, and other contaminants spur algae growth. When the algae dies, the decomposition process reduces the level of oxygen in the water. The water becomes incapable of sustaining life.
     For the last five years these zones have materialized off the coast of Oregon. In 2006, the zone equaled Rhode Island in size and reached the coast. Thousands of dead crabs washed ashore. Fishermen noted strange phenomenon. In 2009, for the first time, the zone appeared off Washington. To read more about this see:
http://www.rosemerena.org/home/2009/04/06/ocean-dead-zones-of-the-pacific-northwest-january-62009/
and
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090128-ocean-dead-zones.html.

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VGMS CLASSIFIEDS.

Do you need a trim saw?
  Martin Daley has a Star Diamond 6" trim saw for sale;
    It is new and still in the box, no blade;
      Similar saws sell for over $550 he is asking $250 or your best offer;
        Telephone 389-1915 or 643-4215.
You should make arrangements to see the saw if you are interested.

Ron Wise.

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FIELD TRIPS ARE FUN.

Tri-Club Field Trips 2010. *
     The field trips listed below are tentative, they might change. All are Tri-Club field trips (exceptions noted) with either Conejo, Oxnard or Ventura leading.

* Please call your field trip leader to confirm that there is a field trip scheduled in the event of changes.

Field trips done:
     March 14, 2010 - Tajiguas Beach Santa Barbara.
     March 20th Sat. 10 am - Jalama Beach, Lompoc.
We had good turnouts for both these field trips, great weather, sunny but not too hot. Jalama Beach had no wind at all. It was the best I've ever seen there. We collected petrified whale bone at both sites, and at Jalama we found some plant, fish fossils. Jeff Miller found a fossil that might be a moray eel head; he's still researching it. I'll bring what I found into the next meeting.

Upcoming Field Trips 2010:
These dates are fixed and are the days we will be going.
     July 31st, Sat - Jade Cove-Nephrite Jade. Deb and I will be there July 28th, Wed-Aug 1st, Sunday.
     May 8th, Somis - Fossils, Sand dollar, Clams, Gastropod fossils.

The field trips listed below are tentative, they might change.
All are Tri Club field trips with either Conejo, Oxnard or Ventura leading. Each month there will be information in the bulletin, and a flyer/map at the club meeting.
     May - Road Trip-2010 was to be around early May and heading to Arizona, New Mexico, going to Petrified National Forest, Meteor Crater and collecting at several sites - Turquoise, Crinoids fossils, Petrified wood. I'm still researching this. This will probably not happen in May, it might be in the fall, or maybe next year. Things have come up and I can't go at this time. Sorry for any inconvenience.
     June - Independence/Bishop-Ammonites fossil, garnets, other minerals.
     August - To be determined.
     September - Acton-agate, small nodules, geodes.

Field Trips Upcoming:
     Please let us know if you're going to attend; e-mail or call us. The weather can change. If we don't know you're going we won't be able to contact you if the field trip is cancelled.
     There will be maps and flyers at the club meetings.
     There are still people who show up for the field trip without notifying Mike or me. You can still be part of the field trip, but it is important that you let us know you're going to attend.
     I have new truck, it's a white Ford F250 four wheel drive, crew cab. If you're looking for me, look for my truck.
Contacts: Robert Sankovich, Conejo/Ventura Clubs, 805-494-7734, rmsorca@adelphia.net; Mike Miller, Conejo Club, 805-498-9586, rockfmdr@att.net; Ron Wise, Ventura/Oxnard Clubs, 805-794-0737, clintwise@hotmail.com.

April 16th, Marble Mountains, Trilobite fossils.
     Deb and I are going on the CFMS Cady Mtns field trip. We will probably go Thursday, April 15th. We will set up our tent at the Cady Mountains site (see below) campsite and then check out the area. I will have a field trip Friday, April 16th to the Marble Mountains looking for Trilobites fossils.
Contact: Robert Sankovich, Conejo/Ventura Clubs, 805-494-7734, rmsorca@adelphia.net.
Tools: Rock pick/hammer, gad pry bar, hand sledge, large pry bar, shovel, pick, eye protection, newspaper to wrap your fossils in, collecting bags, wide brimmed hat, suntan lotion, lots of water, lunch & camping gear if you're going to stay overnight.
     Please let us know if you are going to go on the field trip. The weather can change. If we don't know you're going we won't be able to contact you if the field trip is cancelled.

April 17-18, 2010 CFMS Field Trip to Cady Mtns North.
     Adam Dean and Shep Koss, CFMS Field Trip South Co-Chairs - 2010.
WHERE: North Cady Mtns near Afton Canyon area, off Basin Road exit by I-15 about 45 miles east of Barstow.
WHEN: April 17-18, 2010.
MATERIAL: Adam Dean's favorite spots for agate, jasper, calcite, green and purple fluorite, sagenite, opalite and much more.
SPONSOR: California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS).
PARTICIPANTS: Open to all CFMS members and guests. This trip is an overnighter with dry camping near the railroad side tracks off Basin Road.
DIRECTIONS: Take the Basin Road exit off I-15 about 45 miles east of Barstow and turn right (south) for 1.3 miles to fork in road. Take the left road for 3.8 miles to the railroad tracks and cross the tracks to the campsite.
USE CAUTION. The campsite can accommodate RVs and tents. This is dry camping with no facilities whatsoever.
BRING: Water, firewood, clothing for any type of weather hot or cold, wet or dry, food and a full tank of gas.
HIGH CLEARANCE and 4WD recommended for all sites. 2WD OK to the camping area if driven with care as many spots may have windblown sand. Roads to some sites may have deep sand.
POTLUCK DINNER: Saturday night - bring a contribution.
     You must observe CFMS/AFMS Code of Ethics and sign a consent and assumption of risk waiver of liability form. Be aware that this is a remote and undeveloped area. Collect responsibly.
REMINDER: Please help preserve our deserts and pack out what you pack in. Let's leave it clean for future Rockhounds.

May 8th, Sat 9 am, Somis Fossils - Tri Club Fieldtrip, Sand Dollars, Clams, Scallop fossils.
     We have been able to work out an agreement with Gargiulo, Inc. for limited access to the digging area. With this agreement we will enter the site from Somis Rd. If you have been to the fossil site in the past you will not recognize the area. The entire area is planted with tomatoes. Because of the roads we will be able to drive closer to the collecting area and remember to use good judgment in the fields so we may return again in the future.
Directions: From Highway 101 take the Lewis Road off ramp and turn left on Lewis Road. Proceed north, for 3.4 miles. Note: Lewis Road changes into Somis Road.
     You will pass Gargiulo, Inc. on the right side of the road, do not stop there, and look for Ag RX also on the right side of the road. Somis Rd bends left and you will take a narrower road on the right for about .4 of a mile. Follow the road over the rail road tracks, past the house and over the bridge turn right and park.
Meeting: We will meet at the parking area by the bridge at 9:00 am, sign in and then proceed to the digging area. Please try to arrive at 9:00 am for instructions and then we will proceed to the digging site.
Fossils: We will be hunting for large sand dollars, clams and a variety of gastropod fossils. The fossils may be found up the hill from the tomato field. This is a great trip for the whole family, so come out and have fun.
Equipment: Digging tools, garden trowels, rock pick, pry bar, gloves, hat, eye protection, buckets, back packs, SUN SCREEN & DRINKING WATER. Consider bringing snacks or lunch and extra clothing. All vehicles can make this trip; the roads are good. The roads in the fields are dirt and could be a problem if it rains. Pray for a clear day.
          Please contact me if you plan to attend this fieldtrip.
          Ron Wise, 805-647-4393 or clintwise@hotmail.com.

May 8 - Geology and Mining History Field Trips,
Co-sponsored by BLM and Buena Vista Museum of Natural History.
     The Bureau of Land Management and Buena Vista Museum of Natural History have initiated a program of earth science field trips to points of mineralogic, geologic, paleontologic and historic interest throughout central California. These trips are designed for persons of high school age and older. It is not necessary to have a technical background to attend or benefit from the trips. These field trips are recommended for teachers and many of them can be taken for in-service continuing education credit through California State University Bakersfield. Each trip includes a full spectrum of environmental and land management topics. A field guide is prepared for some of the field trips which include maps and directions which can be used by anyone for self-guided investigation of the geology along the field trip route.
     California is ever-changing. The Geology Field Trip Program explores the changes that have occurred throughout California's complex and fascinating geologic history and focuses on the human interaction with this geology over the past 150 years. Since the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848, the landscape of California has never been the same. We live in an environment today with a range of social issues that are directly linked to our geologic past. Symposia and field trips of this interpretive outdoor program are designed to bring this message to residents of all parts of California.
     Visit our web site at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield/Programs/geology/fieldtrips.html.
     The Buena Vista Museum of Natural History web site is at www.sharktoothhill.com/.
     For additional information, comments or suggestions, contact Dr. Gregg Wilkerson at 661-391-6081 or at gwilkers@blm.gov.
     High-clearance vehicles are often required for trips.

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

WHEELER GORGE OPEN HOUSE.

May 15 - Wheeler Gorge Open House;
Volunteers Needed to Help Rob Sankovich.

     As noted in previous newsletters and club meetings, the past two years, the Wheeler Gorge Visitor's Center on Route 33 has sponsored an open house where we've shared a booth with members of the Oxnard club to promote rockhounding and to attract new members to our societies. This year's open house takes place Saturday, May 15.
     In past years, I've been able to take charge of coordinating our attendance and setting up our table, but this year I'm unavailable on that date. Thus, Rob Sankovich has stepped forward to lead our representation this year.
     But don't make Rob do it all on his own! We're seeking volunteers who can help out Rob in setting up a space with club flyers, rock samples, fossil casts from our club museum, our Treasure Chest of free tumbled stones for kids, etc.
     To volunteer your help, please call or email me (805-659-3577; jbraceth@roadrunner.com) or Rob (805-494-7734; rmsorca@adelphia.net), and we can discuss plans.

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IN MEMORIAM
-
LOIS GLADYS ALLMEN,
1916-2010.

Lois Gladys Allmen.

With great sadness, but also with great respect and admiration for her many accomplishments, I pass along news that Lois Allmen, 2004 CFMS President, passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday, March 28, surrounded by her loving family. Lois was born in Douglas Arizona, on May 4, 1916, moving to California in 1926 when her father was transferred by the Southern Pacific Railroad. (Lois, who became a physical education teacher, apparently learned to swim in the water tanks used to fill Southern Pacific trains as they stopped on their journeys across America.)

Lois discovered lapidary work relatively late in her long life while viewing displays during the 1970s in the gem and mineral building with her husband at the local county fair, then embraced it with a passion and remained active in our gem and mineral community to the very end. Just a few short weeks ago, we were helping her put an exhibit of her wonderful silver jewelry work into the Ventura club show, and despite failing eyesight and hearing, she continued attending and participating in the Oxnard Gem & Mineral Society membership and board meetings and was still teaching silversmithing classes for the Oxnard club and community just last year, well into her 90s, a class she had been teaching for the past 20 years. She loved working with silver and won many awards at gem and mineral shows, as well as Best of Show at the Ventura County Fair, where she frequently served as a volunteer and judge.

But lapidary work was not her only love. A teacher by profession, she taught both physical education and Spanish for over 20 years after earning degrees at Ventura College, the University of California-Santa Barbara, and California Lutheran University. She passed the love of teaching down the generations -- one of her sons became a teacher, and one of her grandsons was my son's math teacher and must have done a good job since my son is now an engineering major. She and her husband of 65 years, William Henry Allmen, Sr., also loved travel, journeying throughout Mexico, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, China, and Europe. I recently saw a photo of Lois, well into her 80s, atop an elephant in Thailand with Henry. And she loved music; whether playing the guitar or piano, she could often be heard singing in her home. A long-time member of St. John's Lutheran Church, she eventually served as choir director, and her soprano voice graced many a wedding and other events.

Finally, family was her greatest love. Nancy and I enjoyed a fond journey a couple of years ago, driving Lois to a CFMS Directors' Meeting while listening to stories of her family's colorful history and cast of characters, a cast that included survivors of the great hurricane and flood that swept away Galveston a century ago, Civil War actors on both sides of the divide, and even a pirate! Lois related it all with that characteristic smile and twinkle in her eye. That love of family extended from the past to the future, and Lois is survived by 6 children, 13 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren, who related loving memories during her celebration-of-life service. While CFMS members may remember Lois as always composed and the ultimate in grace, at her memorial service, I heard of the "evil eye" she could cast that would stop any misbehaving in its tracks. We also heard of the story of when Henry came a-courting at the unusually late hour of 8:00 PM one evening, asking if Lois was home. "Yes," she said as she came to the door. "And that's where you should be!" (She did, it turns out, let him in.)

Lois's family asks that any donations in her memory be made to either the St. John's Lutheran Church Memorial Fund (1500 North "C" Street, Oxnard, CA 93030) and/or the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies Endowment Fund. I'll always treasure the memory of that characteristic smile and twinkle in the eye that Lois perpetually maintained. Here's to the memory of a truly good soul!

Jim Brace-Thompson.

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IN MEMORIAM
-
SHAWNE ELAINE LARDIN,
1936 - 2010.

Shawne Lardin, long time member of VGMS, passed away on March 24.

Shawne's great love was for meteorites, which she began collecting in 1977. Back in November 2002, she gave a program about her passion and shared some of her collection with our club. Afterwards, she continued to both collect and share information about meteorites, and in 2008, she wrote up a tip for preserving meteorites for our newsletter. This piece of advice was later reprinted three times: the Golden Spike e-news (Feb 2009), West Seattle Petroglyphs (June 2009), and BEMS Tumbler - aka Boeing Employee's Mineralogical Society (Sept 2009). In 2008, she also provided information that led to one of our presentations that year. Shawne displayed specimens from her wonderful meteorite collection at our 2009 show, where it elicited much interest among attendees.

I knew Shawne from the kind words she shared at the meetings about the presentations I either booked or presented and from talking to her about her displays at our local shows. Though she wasn't the most vocal member, she was one of our most devoted and always interested in what people had to say.

VGMS will be making a donation to the CFMS Endowment Fund in her name. She and her kind words and quiet voice will be missed.

Lowell Foster.

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PROGRAM REVIEW AND SCHEDULE.

March Program Recap.
March's program was Ron Wise presenting "Knapping for Beginners". He explained and demonstrated the different steps for knapping to turn obsidian into points. Ron brought several different types of points made out of different materials including obsidian and glass. There were samples of in-progress knapped pieces showing the different steps making it easier to understand these steps. He has made many knives and brought in a finished one. Ron brought in many different tools he uses to knap, and explained the tools' purposes and how to use them by showing us the techniques. He also explained how to make your own tools. It was a very interesting presentation showing his artistic skill. Ron also suggested he will have a class demonstrating knapping in the near future.

April Program Preview.
Sal Scarpato will be presenting information on "Antarctica". Sal is a long time member of the Conejo Gem & Mineral Club.

The presentation will include the following:
     The Drake Lake / Climate / Geology / Geography / History / Flora and Fauna / Icebergs / Hurricane in the Drake Passage.

May Program Preview.
David Lynch will be the May VGMS speaker with a terrific presentation illustrated with PowerPoint slides on the San Andreas Fault, with info on how and where to visit and see the Fault up close at various places in the state and how to identify landscape features created by the fault.

David holds a PhD in astronomy from the University of Texas and has held research positions at Cal Tech, Berkeley, and elsewhere and has published over 150 scientific papers and 10 books. One of those books is the "Field Guide to the San Andreas Fault", which he can bring to the talk to sell, either in print form or on a CD.

Check out his web site: http://www.thulescientific.com.

Deb and Mary.

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

March proved to be a full month for community outreach for Nancy and me. In addition to the visit to Kerri Griffee's second grade class on March 8 described in last month's newsletter, we made three more outreach efforts. March 12-14, we journeyed north to the 44th annual show of the Mother Lode Mineral Society in Turlock. We had been invited to enter displays and to conduct a "Juniors' Activities Roundtable." We held a good question-and-answer session and discussion with about 15 attendees, with everyone sharing experiences and pointers on how to begin, enhance, or grow a juniors' group within a gem and mineral society.

On March 21, we met at our club's Ray Meisenheimer Memorial Museum with Marie McIntire and four boys from her Webelos Scouts Pack 3715, Den 2, along with several of their siblings, friends, and parents. We had fun with interactive presentations on the difference between a rock and a mineral, earth processes and the three rock types, mineral identification, uses of rocks and minerals, and fossils. At the end, they had satisfied requirements toward earning their Geology belt loops and badges, and each scout was given a bag to cart home their loot: samples of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; three fossils; and posters on uses of minerals in the home, all donated by VGMS.

Finally, on March 26, we met at the Westview Center of the Boys and Girls Club Ventura to talk with kids about the difference between a rock and a mineral, fossils (holding a vote between Ollie Nellus the trilobite and Smiley Don the saber-tooth cat for California state fossil--Smiley won again!), and rocks from space. Each child went home with a tumble-polished stone from our Treasure Chest, a pegmatite granite specimen, a collection of minerals making up pegmatite, and a fact sheet on the California state fossil, as well as a colorful handout on different forms of fossilization. We also left 60 posters on uses of minerals in the home and "paint-a-fossil" plaster casts for use by the center's directors and teachers, Jennifer Cross and Brian Hamilton.

If you'd like to participate in educational efforts like these, we have all the materials you need in the club museum to get you set with a fun presentation. Just give us a call!

Jim & Nancy Brace-Thompson.

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AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR.

VGMS still has Club T-Shirts for sale. Priced to all VGMS members at $12.00 and any club member associated to CFMS $13.00. Sizes S-M-L-XL-2X-3X. All profits go directly to the VGMS. See last month's cover for design.
     Contact Diane Cook at johndianedaisy@yahoo.com to order.

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VGMS BIRTHDAYS!!!

Please note that new members will have their birthdays updated and honored by next issue. Let me know if I am missing yours.

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SHOW NEWS.

The Mother of Club Shows,
A Visit to the Mother Lode Show in Turlock.

VGMS wasn't the only CFMS club to have a successful show in March. Nancy and I were invited to participate in the Mother Lode Mineral Society 44th Annual Show the weekend immediately following our show, and was it ever impressive! The Mother Lode club has more than 300 members, and their show completely fills two huge halls (each one bigger than our biggest hall) and spills over into a cafeteria, a lecture hall, and a courtyard connecting the two buildings. It was more like a statewide Federation show than a local club show in that they had on-going presentations and programs (for instance, lectures by Bob Jones of Rock & Gem magazine), more dealers and displays than you could possibly see in one day, and a whole tent city of RVs surrounding the building. An army of members cut geodes nonstop for kids and, instead of a silent auction, they had huge rock piles (reminiscent of the Harris back yard) where you could buy rough from the $1 pile, $5 pile, $10 pile, on up, with great stuff to be had at a bargain, like boulders of Clear Creek jadeite. In the exhibit hall, they also had a big emphasis on fossils with one person, in particular, bringing in museum-quality pieces in special display cases along with a life-size statue of a Spinosaurus dinosaur to greet visitors at the entrance. It's a long, 5-hour drive to Turlock, but boy! Was it worth it! See you there next year?
     Jim & Nancy Brace-Thompson.

Fearsome monsters were a big part of the Mother Lode show. Oh, yes - and there were dinosaurs, too!
     Jim Brace-Thompson.

Editor's Comment.
I love the expression on the little boy's face. It looks like he is thinking, "I bet I could fit my whole sister in there..."
     Editor.

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FEDERATION NEWS.

GET READY FOR THE BIG SHOW!

As I've been noting for awhile now, we have a unique opportunity rapidly approaching, namely, the AFMS/CFMS combined regional and national show June 17-20 in Whittier and La Habra. Seven regional federations, like our own California Federation, make up the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies. Each year, the national show cycles through each of the regionals. Thus, we won't have another national show here in California until 2017. That's a long time to wait! So I encourage one and all to both attend and participate this year. Consider entering either a competitive or noncompetitive display, but if doing so, you need to hurry and get your application in. Because of the facilities, I understand there will be limited exhibit space, so you should get your application in sooner rather than later. The deadlines are June 1 for competitive exhibits and May 18 for noncompetitive, but don't wait till then! I've been putting show packets on our take-one table during our monthly meetings and will continue to do so. You can also obtain info from the CFMS web site, www.cfmsinc.org, click on "AFMS/CFMS Show & Convention - 2010" on the opening page. Again, I encourage you to compete in this rare opportunity for national recognition!
     Jim Brace-Thompson.

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LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT DEMONSTRATION &
ROCKHOUND RENDEZVOUS.

2nd Annual,
May 15, 2010,
Saturday at 9:00 am.

You are invited to join us at the "New" VGMS facilities, at Camp Comfort near Ojai. Don Depue will be demonstrating some of Diamond Pacific's excellent equipment. You will be able to have a hands-on examination of equipment you might be considering purchasing for yourself or your club. Bring your check book if you are considering a purchase. Following are the machines he will be demonstrating:

• Titan (1),
• Genie (3),
• Flat Laps for Titan or Genie w/polishing pads,
• Wizard 6" Trim saw,
• 12" Flat Lap,
• Gryphon Band Saw,
• Taurus 3, Ring Saw,
• Foredom,
• Multiplex (cabbing, trim saw, carving, flat lap),
• Tumblers (to show only).

In addition we will offer a chance to share some of your great field trip finds and lapidary work. There will be plenty space for you to set up a table to display your wares for viewing and trading. Who knows, someone may want to buy something you display.

With the Camp Comfort just across the road from our shop is a great place for a picnic. We will provide coffee and hot water for tea and cocoa.

To find the VGMS facilities across from Camp Comfort take the 101 freeway to Highway 33 then turn right on Creek Road, continue until you see Camp Comfort and the VGMS facilities are on the left. Be careful with the left turn and if you get to Ojai you missed us.

If you need more information contact me at 805-647-4393 or clintwise@hotmail.com.

Ron Wise.

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

CHIPS AND BOULDERS.

Knapping and Cabbing Classes Offered.

Pending VGMS Knappers:
     If you are interested in learning to knap an arrowhead here is your chance to get started.
     On Saturday, April 17 after the picnic I will show interested knappers how to make your tools and collect the materials you will need to get started.
     Then on the next Saturday, April 24 we can start the knapping process.
     I know that is the week end of the Conejo Show, the arrowhead making process should only take a couple hours. I think we can go to the show and knap in the afternoon.
          Ron Wise.

Pending VGMS Cabbers:
     The first cab class at our Camp Comfort location is scheduled for the 5 consecutive Saturday mornings of May.
     Beginning at 9:00 am and lasting until noon each day, the classes are designed for beginners and especially pebble pups. Emphasis is on the basics and will start with proper material, layout, design, trim saw use and most importantly SAFETY. Proper use of the equipment is also important and a big part of the training.
     The goal is a completed cabochon worthy of an award.
     Ron Wise and Greg Davis will begin classes but assistance will be needed to oversee all the additional machines our club now owns. If any club members would like to help or train with Ron & Greg, please contact either of us.
     No sign up is necessary. We'll see you there on May 1.
          Greg Davis.

American Lands Access Association - Meeting at CFMS Show.
          I thought I should include a little about the ALAA as we are
          a member of it and some might attend the meeting below.
          Editor.

ALAA's goal is to maintain and ensure access to existing and potential collecting sites.
     The purpose of the American Lands Access Association is to promote and ensure the rights for amateur fossil and mineral collecting, recreational prospecting and mining, and the use of public and private lands for educational and recreational purposes; and to carry the voice of all amateur collectors and hobbyists to our elected officials, government regulators and public land managers. ALAA has become an organization that is present wherever there are hobbyist and recreational users of our public lands whose interests and concerns are not being heard or are being jeopardized by proposed policy, regulation or legislation at the local, state and federal level.
     The ALAA Annual Meeting will be held at the Anaheim Park Hotel, Fullerton, CA, the host hotel for the AFMS/CFMS show, on Sunday, June 20th from 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM. (We have the room until 4:00 PM). Stop at the ALAA information table at the show for directions. This meeting is open to all members and to the general public.

ALAA website.

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MEMBERSHIP.

Membership Total as of April 1st, 2010.

     Paid membership has jumped up since last month. Our totals have now reached the grand heights of 89!
     2010 Directories will be distributed at the April meeting.
     Any questions about membership can be sent to: vgmsmembership@gmail.com.

VGMS welcomes the following new members of 2010:

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VGMS HISTORY.

Should We Raise the Dues? (Part I).

From November 1958 Rockhound Rambling.
     This committee was appointed by your president to examine the need for raising the dues, and its relation to the 1959 budget of the club.
     We have examined the needs of this society for its fixed expenses such as rent, publishing of the bulletin and its mailing, California Federation dues, and insurance; and for the miscellaneous expenses current in all organizations. Also we feel that in order to maintain the continued interest of the members it is necessary to add into the budget a sum for procuring three or four speakers during the year who are specialists in their field and of interest to most. So we came up with the following list of minimum expenses, based on this year's outlay, exclusive to the purchase of new equipment amounting to $278.00. It is not only remarkable but it is most commendable for the club to have been able to pay for this expensive equipment of mimeograph and typewriter by means of the auctions which were so favorably received. It is to the credit of the donors and the officers that this was accomplished. We feel the club owes these men and women a great deal in respect and thanks.

     In considering the future it is obvious that the expenses will not diminish, but will increase. It is our opinion that some allowance for increase in expenditures should be made. It is also our considered opinions that any club or society, and more specifically the Ventura Gem and Mineral Society, should not depend on an intermitted and irregularly spaced solicitations for funds by auctions or door prizes to pay their fixed expenses. The reasons are very plain. We know there is no lack of enthusiastic buyers or contributors; but the material furnished has always been contributed by a few liberal and big-hearted individuals whose philanthropy may not hold out. This mention is not a reproach, nor a condemnation and by no means intended to stop further auctions. Only we want to re-emphasize that it is not a dependable source of income for fixed charges.

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VGMS CONTEST - April.

     The above article was copied to show that budgets and costs have always been a concern for our club.
     The contest is for you to guess how much each of the line items was adjusted for the following year. There are 10 items. There will be two winners - the person who guesses the most individual adjustments correctly and the person who gets closest to the overall revised total. Each winner will receive a prize - either a selection of polished stones or a variety of 3 rough whole agate nodules from 5 locations (Acton, Turtle Mtns, Cady Mtns, Corn Field, and Chuckwalla Springs). You get to chose.
     To enter, email me at lowellfos@yahoo.com with a list of each line item and your revised total for the year or bring it to the April meeting. (If only one person enters, he or she will automatically win both prizes.)
     Example submission - Rent $540, Bulletin $200, Insurance $40, Dues $75, (etc.). My example is obviously skewed so please don't think I am giving you a clue - just a format.

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NOODLING FOR NODULES IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT - PART III.

Noodling for Nodules in the California Desert
By Lowell Foster.

noodling: v. Australian term for amateur gemstone hunting; i.e. rockhounding Down Under-style. Often used for opal searching. See fossicking.

Part 1 of this article appeared in the May 2009 issue of Rockhound Rambling.
It began the story of a rockhunting trip to the California Desert.
Part 1I appeared last month and detailed the drive into the desert to begin the hunt.

Part III -First Destination.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain.

     Twenty-two miles after passing the husk of Desert Center, we rolled off the freeway at the Ford Dry Lake off ramp. We were closing in on our first stop: Chuckwalla Springs. To the left was the large dry lake. On windy days masses of dust kick up and fill the valley with dirty clouds making it look as if giant herds of dirty bison were roaming about. On this day, though, the forecast was for 65 degrees with little to no wind. We turned away from the ancient lakebed, and I began pulling out the guidebooks and magazine articles. To our right lay the path. Here the Chuckwalla Valley Road cut back towards Desert Center. We followed its weathered and beaten asphalt for three miles until Graham Pass Road ran up towards the Chuckawalla (or Chuckwalla - depending on who you ask) Mountains.
     (In 1964, in Gem & Minerals Magazine, Mary Strong lamented the change of the spelling of Chuckawalla to Chuckwalla. The original name had been in use for decades and originated with the pudgy, air-sucking desert lizard that is getting harder and harder to find. The name change had been initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey, and by 1964 many road maps carried the new spelling. Mrs. Strong felt history was being lost by the change. She wasn't alone. The editors of the magazine added a postscript in which they stated: "Why anyone wants to drop the middle 'a' is beyond us.")
     So if my spelling wavers, please forgive me.
     We turned left onto Graham Pass Road. This road wasn't paved. Alas, it was blessed with a quite vibrant washboard texture, and it took a few minutes for my dad to find the best speed so our teeth didn't rattle and our vertebrae stopped grinding together.
     Six miles down Graham Pass Road we turned right onto Chuckwalla Springs Road. Though the road wasn't as bad as it had been described during Mary Strong's (1964) or Darold Henry's (1957) time, you still had to watch for ruts and dips that seemed to spring out of nowhere to attack your suspension.
     About 8 miles up an inverted S-curve transected a wide wash. We stopped just short of here and got out to, uh, stretch our legs. Around us, scattered between the fist-sized rocks stained by desert varnish, brief bits of chalcedony and fragments of agate nodules lay. Nothing was overly exciting, but we spent twenty minutes canvassing the desert pavement just to see what was there.
     We piled back into the car and approached the wash. To our left, the hills rose up and piled up into the Chuckwalla Mountains. Nothing in any of the Gem Trail books indicated the hills had agate, but often places harder to reach are overlooked. Curious about the possibility, I had my dad stop the car and we grabbed our bags and started walking again. We dipped down and out of a couple deep washes, which didn't hold anything of note. It was the broad level areas between the gullies where we started finding agate nodules. After ten-plus minutes of hiking we came across a rolling expanse that was sprinkled with the rotund things. These were complete nodules of decent size. They appeared to be mostly clear, but some showed signs of blue and others showed banding where broken. We each collected for a while then headed back towards the Explorer.
     We drove on.
     Past the inverted S-curve, we dropped down into the wash, which directions told us to follow for a while farther. Each book warned that it could get pretty sandy, but the bottom was well packed and getting mired never worried us.
     Ahead of us lay a fork in the road. One part bore left towards Chuckawalla Spring and the collecting area. The other climbed out of the wash to the right and headed up a jeep trail towards Augustine Pass, a rugged route named after Martin Augustine who discovered placer gold in the gravel of the Chuckawall Spring wash in 1917 and then proceeded to mine the metal for 25 years. The remnants of Mr. Augustine's camp and the camps and abandoned equipment of other prospectors who hunted the gold here can still be seen lining the wash. These broken buildings and rusty implements are one of the landmarks on the trail to the springs. It's an interesting assemblage.
     Chugging up the wash, we pulled into a short canyon ending at a dry falls that marked the beginning of one of the collecting areas. Following a combination of directions, we climbed the falls (which are so short they ought to be called 'stumbles') and then worked our way up the canyon walls to get above the wash. We passed a junky outcrop of calcite and followed a path towards the west that balanced itself between the wash on our left and a deep gully on our right. I knew we had to cover a lot of space to get beyond the picked over portions of the region. Still, we found small yet tantalizing pieces of white plume agate here and there that whetted our appetite.
     We doggedly followed this route as it wrapped around a low set of hills, and over the next couple hours we picked up sub-par to average pieces of agate and nodules. A couple possessed lovely little yellow plumes, but no major specimen was found.
     Unknowingly, we were following the float to its source. It was my dad who discovered the lava outcrops first with their piles of stained agate nodules littering the ground like popcorn after a movie. He followed the trail up the hillside. Ron lagged behind a little, examining the pieces in hopes of finding something better than the debris that we had been picking over. I stayed on the low volcanic outcrop and crested its peak. It was only about 8 feet high but jutted twenty feet or more out onto the valley floor. On the other side, instead of the ragged golfball sized nodules I had been seeing, I found a slope covered in whole and broken nodules up to fist size. Many of the broken ones showed little color but contained masses of tightly packed quartz crystals that my students would like. I did find some that had fortification patterns, and others that were elongated and shaped like cigars or limb-casts. (One of these I have since polished revealing simple yet pretty banding - see photo below.)
     We collected for quite a while then high-graded our materials. The trek back to the car would take a half hour or more and I had loaded my backpack as much as I could. Much of it I knew I wouldn't be keeping, but the students at my school always appreciate a handout.
     On our way back, we passed the remains of a rocket's or other military projectile's tail fins piled together like a little teepee. I have seen military planes threading the peaks of these mountains in the past, so even though this location is not actively military, it apparently still receives stray armaments from time to time. Darold Henry's 1957 book California Gem Trails lists the Chuckwalla region as being part of a Gunnery Range that was opened to the public only on weekends. (It's funny - ol' Darold claims that people who say 'Chuckawalla' are mispronouncing the name of the lizard. So the whole controversy surrounding this name may just be a case of you saying 'toMAYto' and I saying 'toMAHto'.) I didn't go near it. I was tired and loaded down and the interesting assembly was off the path to the car by a hundred feet. I do wish that I had taken a picture of it though.
     Back at the car, we broke for lunch. It was about 3:00 or 3:30, and we were thirsty and hungry. After eating, we decided we didn't want to hike back above the falls again, as we were tired and it was getting late. Instead we drove back towards those low hills that held the agate nodules we had gathered at our second stop. Along the way I read through Henry's book and slapped my forehead. I had forgotten that he had included a map of the valley we had just come back from. Our volcanic outcrop was listed as producing both turtleback and iris agate. Mary Strong also mentions that this locality was known for its beautiful iris agates. But Henry's map also includes the location of a hill containing agate seams with sagenite: "It is mainly banded and clear with sagenite. There is quite a bit available."(pg.81.) This would have meant another 1/2 mile of walking, but for sagenite, I'd do it. He also lists places with matrix-less geodes and banded agate chunks. Que sera' sera'. Next time.
     On the way out of the valley, as we drove past Augustine's old digs, we passed a rumbling mass of jeeps all perched like desert bighorns on ledges and narrow paths. A trailer toting pickup hung back like a shy wallflower at a dance. We waved and they waved, and we drove on.
     When we stopped again for our last hunt of the day, we roamed in a slightly different spot and found the agates more spread out and less impressive than the earlier bonanza. Still, I stuffed my bag. We returned to the car in less than an hour.
     The sun was going down, we were hungry, and dirty, and smelly (at least I admit that I was), and tired. We drove the rest of the way into Blythe and checked into our Motel 6 rooms. An hour later, showered and unstinky, we drove over to Sizzler where Ron kindly bought my dad and I dinner. We ate, talked of the day, and ate Sizzler food. We were happy. The day's weather could not have been better: warm but not hot, scarcely a breeze tickling the desert plant life. The sky was clear and no clouds ever darkened the ground to hinder the hunt for agate. Best of all, our bags were filled with potential. All in all, it had been a perfect rockhunting day.
     When the chore of eating was done, we returned to the motel and crashed. I don't know about the others, but I had a hard time sleeping. I have been fortunate to hunt the Turtles twice before and I have found a couple first-rate stones up there, colored blue with fine banding and hosting dramatic sagenite sprays. With Mrs. Strong's article now clutched in my needy hands, I could scarcely contain my excitement.
     My wake-up call was set for 5:45 am. Bring on the Turtles!

          end of part III,
          Lowell Foster.

Agate.

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LET'S GO TO A SHOW.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHOWS.

Conejo Gem & Mineral Club 36th Annual Show,
"Pageant of a Thousand Gems".
Dates: Sat, April 24th 9-5 and Sun, April 25th 10-4:30,
Borchard Park Community Center, 190 Reino Road, Newbury Park, CA.
Fun for all ages with exhibits and sales of gems, jewelry, rocks, minerals and fossils.
Special youth activities. Lapidary & Jewelry making demonstrations.
Silent auction, door prizes, plant sale and snack bar.
FREE admission and parking.
www.cgamc.org.
Contact Deb or Rob Sankovich at (805) 494-7734.

2010 CFMS SHOWS.

Editor's Request: Please let me know if you attend any of these shows this year. I'd like to add notes regarding your opinion of these shows in later issues - Lowell Foster.

April 16, 17, 18, San Jose, CA - Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral Society, Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 334 Tully Road. Hours: Fri 9-5, Sat & Sun 10-5. Frank Mullaney, (408) 265-1422, Email: info@scvgms.org, Website: www.scvgms.org.
April 24-25, Newbury Park, CA - Conejo Gem & Mineral Club Show, Borchard Park Community Center, 190 Reno Rd. & Borchard Rd. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4:30. Robert Sankovich, (805) 494-7734, Email: rmsorca@adelphia.net, Website: http://www.cgamc.org.
April 24-25, Santa Cruz, CA - Santa Cruz Gem & Mineral Society, Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Church St. & Center St. (corner). Hours: 10-5 daily. Dean Welder, (408) 353-2675, Website: www.scmgs.org.
April 30-May 1-2, Bishop, CA - Lone Pine Gem & Mineral Society, Tri-County Fairgrounds (Robinson Bldg.), Corner of Sierra St. & Fair Drive. Hours: Fri. 6-9, Sat. 9:40-4, Sun. 10-3. Francee Gaham, (760) 876-4319, Email: franceem@quet.com.
May 1-2, Anaheim, CA - Searchers Gem and Mineral Society, Brookhurst Community Center, 2271 West Crescent Ave. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4:30. Marty Swiderski, Email: Martin.Swiderski@jacobs.com, Website: www.searchersrocks.org.
May 8-9, Reno, NV - Reno Gem and Mineral Society, Reno Livestock Events Center Exhibit Hall, 1350 N. Wells Ave., Reno, NV. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Ann Johnson, (775) 544-4937, Email: ann.johnson@gmail.com, Website: renorockhounds.com.
May 14, 15, & 16, Anderson, CA - Superior-Cal Gem and Mineral Society, Shasta Fairgrounds, 1890 Briggs St. Hours: Fri. 10-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4. Bob Davis, (530) 824-6214, Email: mcdavis@hughes.net.
May 15-16, Yucaipa, CA - Yucaipa Valley Gem & Mineral Society, Yucaipa Community Center, 34900 Oak Glen Road. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4. Bill Jochimsen, (909) 790-1475, Email: bjm2285@aol.com, Website: www.yvgms.org.
June 4-6, Woodland Hills, CA - Rockatomics Gem and Mineral Society, Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills. Hours: 9-5. Gary Levitt, (818) 993-3802, Email: Show@Rockatomics.org, Website: Rockatomics.org.
June 5-6, Glendora, CA - Glendora Gems, Goddard Middle School, 859 East Sierra Madre. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Bonnie Bidwell, (626) 963-4638, Email: Ybidwell2@aol.com.
June 18-20, Whittier, CA - AFMS/CFMS Show and Convention, Hosted by North Orange County Gem and Mineral Society, So. CA University of Health Sciences Campus, 16200 E. Amber Valley Rd., Whittier CA. Hours: 10-5 daily. Don Warthen, (626) 330-8974, Email: odwarthen@verizon.net, Website: www.nocgms.com.
August 6, 7 & 8, Nipomo, CA - Orcutt Mineral Society, St. Joseph's Church, 298 S. Thompson Ave. Hours: 9-5 daily. Wes Lingerfelt, (805) 929-3788, Email: Rocks4u@prodigy.net, Website: www.omsinc.org.
August 7 & 8, San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society, San Francisco Co. Fair Bldg. (Hall of Flowers), 9th Ave. & Lincoln Way, Golden Gate Park. Hours: Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5. Carleen Mont-Eton, (415)564-4230, Email: publicity@show.sfgms.org, Website: www.sfgms.org.
September 3-6, Fort Bragg, CA - Mendocino Coast Gem & Mineral Society, Town Hall, Corner of Main & Laurel. Hours: Fri-Sun 10-6, Mon 10-4. Don McDonell, (707) 964-3116, Email: ejwebb@mcn.org.
October 3, Fallbrook, CA - Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society, Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Facility, 123 West Alvarado Street. Hours: 10-4. Mary Fong-Walker, (760) 728-1130, Email: ikonmiming@gmail.com.
October 9-10, Trona, CA - Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society, Searles Gem & Mineral Show Building, 13337 Main Street. Hours: Sat. 7:30-5, Sun. 7:30-4. Jim & Bonnie Fairchild, (760) 372-5356, Email: slgms@iwvisp.com, Website: www1.iwvisp.com/tronagemclub.
October 16-17, Placerville, CA - El Dorado County Gem & Mineral Society, El Dorado County Fairgrounds, 100 Placerville Drive. Hours: 10-5 daily. Karen Newlin, (530) 676-1643, Website: http://www.rockandgemshow.org.
October 23-24, Los Altos, CA - Peninsula Gem & Geology Society, Los Altos Youth Center, 1 North San Antonio Road. Hours: 10-5 both days. Email: pggs50@yahoo.com, Website: http://pggs.org/.
October 30-31, Lakeside, CA - El Cajon Valley Gem & Mineral Society, Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, 12584 Mapleview Street. Hours: 10-4 both days. Carolyn Boland, (619) 561-7498, Email: carolynboland@juno.com, Website: ecvgms.com.
November 6-7, Concord, CA - Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society, Centre Concord (in Clayton Fair Shopping Center), 5298 Clayton Rd. (near Ygnacio Valley Rd.). Hours: 10-5 both days. Harry Nichandos, (925) 289-0454, Email: show9@ccmgs.org, Website: www.ccmgs.org.
November 6-7, Lancaster, CA - Palmdale Gem & Mineral Club, Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 2551 West Ave. H & Hwy 14. Hours: 9-5 daily. Susan Chaisson-Walblom, (661) 943-1861, Email: sichaisson@yahoo.com, Website: palmdalegemandmineral.com.
November 12, 13, 14, Sacramento, CA - Sacramento Mineral Society. Bob Johnson (916) 339-7007.
November 13-14, Yuba City, CA - Sutter Buttes Gem & Mineral Society, Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds (Franklin Hall), 442 Franklin Ave. Hours: Sat 9-5, Sun 9-4. Erik Anspaugh, (916) 567-9750, Email: inez_brg@yahoo.com.
November 20-21, Oxnard, CA - Oxnard Gem & Mineral Society, Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5. Frank Bouich, (805) 271-0538, Email: show_info@oxnardgem.com, Website: www.oxnardgem.com.

2010 AFMS/CFMS SHOWS.

AFMS/CFMS Show and Convention,
Hosted by North Orange County Gem and Mineral Society,
Southern California University of Health Sciences Campus,
16200 E. Amber Valley Rd., Whittier, CA.
Hours: 10-5 daily.
Don Warthen (626) 330-8974,
Email: odwarthen@verizon.net,
Website: www.nocgms.com.
See also the AFMS/CFMS Show Page (www.cfmsinc.org/shows/afms_cfms_show10/afms_cfms_noc_10.htm).

Source: http://cfmsinc.org/.

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

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