Monthly Newsletter of the Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club
www.cochisecountyrock.org
“Finding and
Grinding Rocks in
July/August 2007
This issue edited by Paul
McKnight
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Our
mid-summer field trip is going to be a tour of one of the
This
couple spent 6 years cleaning trash, dirt, and rocks out of the mine before
they opened it on March 15. It is
already becoming a nationally recognized tourist attraction. If you
have Internet access and want to learn more about the mine, Google:
“good
enough mine”
You
will find a couple of good articles and several pictures of mineral deposits
and old equipment in the mine. This is
our chance to see the inside of on of the mines that made
The
mine is at 5th and Toughnut. 5th crosses Highway 80 in
40th Annual Picnic included
Eurofresh Tour
On Saturday,
June 16 we toured the Eurofresh hydroponic tomato mine north of Willcox. It was a marvelous demonstration of modern
agricultural technology. We thank member
Henry Vandenbos, who is a manager in the maintenance department of the plant,
for organizing and leading the tour (and for ensuring that we could each take
home 2 pounds of those famous tomatoes).
About a
week before the picnic, we were informed by the Forest Service that our picnic
site at
No Meetings this Summer
Our next meeting will be Monday,
September 10 at 7 pm at the
Lapidary and Silversmithing
Interested in
lapidary? Irvin Pontious will conduct
Lapidary sessions during the summer on an as needed basis. Call him at 824-0110.
Club Calendar
July
22 Field Trip to the Good
Enough Mine in
August
Agate 2007
30 Board Meeting
September
10 Regular Meeting – Host
Ilse-Rose Edgett
15 Field Trip
27 Board Meeting
October
8 Regular Meeting
14 Field Trip
November
1 Board Meeting
12 Regular Meeting
17 Field Trip
29 Board Meeting
December
17 Christmas Party
Upcoming
Regional Events
August 25-September 3 Agate 2007,
October 6-7, 2007 Phelps Dodge Annual Turquoise Hunt, Bisbee Mining and
October 11-13, 2007 21st Annual Quartz Crystal Dig,
October 13-14, 2007 Huachuca Gem
& Mineral Show, Elks Lodge,
Club Officers for 2007
President Paul McKnight 520 824-4054
Vice-President Jack Weller 520-826-0625
Secretary Carol Pontious 520 824-0110
Treasurer Walt Sigel 520-826-1009
Delegate at Large Jack Light 520-384-4774
Hospitality
Coordinator Hanni Sigel 520-826-1009
A note from the President
The Board decided to take it easy this summer. We are having a combined July/August
newsletter. We are having only one field
trip – the July 22 tour of the Good Enough Mine in
As I put together this newsletter, I am reflecting on the fact that this club, which we resurrected from an almost certain death about 4 years ago, is a pretty successful organization. This success is due to the efforts of many members who volunteer their time and energy to participate, lead, organize, and contribute. The burden of running the club does not fall upon one or two individuals. It is shared by many. And I would like to publicly thank some of them.
It is always dangerous to start naming names when passing out praise. This is because it is easy to leave out someone who deserves praise and thereby cause disgruntlement. So I apologize in advance if I leave you out. My feeble old brain is not infallible. And newsletter space is limited.
I want to thank Bob and Barbara Fenner for their leadership in the area of field trips. Also Barbara launched our monthly rock raffle, which has been enormously successful in raising the fees we pay for our meeting hall.
I want to thank Walter Sigel for stepping up to the job of Treasurer. It is nice to know that our finances are in the hands of a professional. Hanni Sigel became our hospitality coordinator this year and has excelled in that crucial area, organizing our annual picnic and arranging the tomato tour.
Don Hammer has played a very important role in the leadership of the club and has been an excellent editor of the newsletter during his snowbird months.
Carol Pontious has done an outstanding job as Secretary and Irvin has assumed lapidary responsibility.
Our two Jacks (Weller and Light) have made important contributions as Board members.
My apologies to all I have not mentioned.
Remember as fall approaches and election time rolls
around: This club appreciates people who
step forward and assume responsibility.
I encourage all members to consider running for office and / or
volunteering for leadership roles.
We’re
head’en to
“AGATE 2007”
The “Chaparral
Rockhounds” of
We have very adventurous and interesting
fieldtrips every day from 50 to 200 miles roundtrip from our base camp. Each day we leave at 8:30 AM with a picnic
lunch to different areas in the region to collect a very wide variety of rocks,
minerals and/or crystals that can include: Agate, Banded Agate, Blood Stone,
Bytownite, Calcite, Chalcedony, Crystaline, Fire Agate, Geodes, Golden Luna
Agate, Halite, Hematite, Hypersthene, Jasper, Labradorite, Lava’s, Luna Blue
Agate, Obsidian, Perlite, Plume Agate, Quartz Crystals, Spotted Agate and
Thunder Eggs just to name only a few. A
couple of our fieldtrips might be into the eastern portion
The very small town of Apache Creek is
located in the central-western part of the state about 117 miles west of
Every afternoon about 4:30 or 5:00 PM,
most of the rockhounds get together and have a happy hour to socialize and talk
about the day’s findings. Then everyone
has supper on their own around 6:00 PM.
Afterwards, we sit around the campfire and tell TALL stories of old
mining, prospecting and Rockhounding glory days. If anyone can play a musical instrument,
(I.E. guitar, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, etc.) be sure to bring it along to
entertain everyone. The nighttime skies
at Apache Creek are breathtaking. With
no light pollution, one can see millions of stars. So, if you have a good pare of binoculars or
a telescope, be sure to bring them too for some spectacular stargazing. On both Saturday afternoons after returning
from our outing, we all get together for our traditional “Apache Creek Group
Photo” at 5:30 PM. On the first and last
Saturday afternoons, we all get ready for our traditional potluck supper at
6:00 PM. Everyone makes their favorite
camp dish and we share them while telling more stories around the
campfire. On each Sunday at 8:30 AM, we
have a Rollin’ Rock Club meeting.
Rockhounds that show up can camp-out
anywhere from a couple of nights to the entire campout. Some just come for the last weekend to visit
and see old friends. Some Rockhounds
camp out for over two weeks. Everyone
that comes always has a great time with all the camaraderie and collecting, and
everyone ALWAYS goes home several
pounds heavier. Each year, it only gets
better. We really hope that your club
members can join us this year to make some new friends and really have some
good old “Rockhounding Fun and
Adventure.” For the last 9 years, we
have averaged about 35 Rockhounds that have attended the campout from at least
half a dozen states. Just the right size
for a Rockhound get together. In addition,
if you have a CB Radio, bring it along.
We use CB Channel 15 on all our fieldtrips. And for local music and news, tune into
Reserve's local radio station, KNMA at 104.5 FM. When you arrive, just look for the “White
Framed Canopy”, that’s our HQ.
Saturday and Sunday on the last weekend
are open days. For those not interested
in going out rock collecting, there are several other things to see and do in
the area:
New Mexico Bureau of Mines Mineral Museum
is located in
Very Large Array (VLA) Radio Astronomy Telescope
is where the movie “Contact” with Jodie Foster was filmed. If you are interested in Astronomy, you
defiantly want to check this place out.
They have a very interesting, informative and education
Apache Creek South Mesa has some unique
600-year-old Petroglyphs located on the south side of the mesa. The site is only a two-mile roundtrip hike
from the campground.
Reserve, NM is the place to be on
the first weekend of the campout. On 25
August, the town will be having their County Fair with a Livestock Show, Arts
& Crafts and a Rodeo.
Mogollon, NM is an old historic and
famous ghost town in the
The Catwalk is a very beautiful,
tranquil and scenic canyon for hiking.
Therefore, if you love hiking, the Catwalk is for you. In addition, there are numerous places to go
hiking throughout the Gila and
Lodging: For
those folks who do not wish to camp out, or need electricity and water for
their RV, there are the following alternatives.
Be sure to make any reservations as early as possible due to Bow Hunting
season for Elk, which starts on Monday the 28th. The rooms and RV spaces fill up fast.
The Bunk House Bed &
Breakfast in Apache Creek is 505-533-6949.
Apache Creek RV
located near by is 505-533-6166
Rode Inn Motel
on
Village Motel & RV
Spaces on
Elk Country Café &
Motel in Reserve is 505-533-6615
Dining: For
those folks who wish to have a change of diet from camp food, there are the
following alternatives.
Antonia's Casita Café
in Reserve
Carmen's Restaurant
in Reserve
Ella's Café
in Reserve
The Chaparral Rockhounds and the Rocky
Mountain Rockhounds host AGATE 2007. If
you are planning on coming to AGATE 2007, please try to RSVP by mid
August. For any additional information
about Apache Creek or the camp out, please contact Yonis Lone Eagle, RMFMS New
Mexico/Texas State Director at 505-860-2455 or via e-mail at: rockymountainrockhounds
at yahoo dot com.
All rockhounds that attend Agate 2007 will abide by the American
Federation of Mineralogical Societies “Code of Conduct”.
The Chaparral Rockhounds
_______________________________________________
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Financial-Report January 1 - June 30, 2007 |
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BALANCE SHEET |
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Assets |
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Sunstate Bank; Checking Account |
1,980.45 |
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Sunstate Bank; CD 3.75% |
3,046.82 |
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Total Assets |
5,027.27 |
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Liabilities |
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Fortune |
-4,751.07 |
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Total Liabilities |
-4,751.07 |
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Profit(+) |
276.20 |
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STATEMENT OF INCOME |
Actual |
Budget |
Difference |
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bookings |
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Expenses |
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PO Box rental |
40.00 |
40.00 |
0.00 |
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Stamps, mailings |
23.55 |
80.00 |
-56.45 |
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Copying, office supplies |
49.66 |
75.00 |
-25.34 |
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State Corporation Commission |
10.00 |
10.00 |
0.00 |
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Refreshments & Supplies |
13.12 |
60.00 |
-46.88 |
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Picnic |
64.71 |
66.00 |
-1.29 |
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Lapidary Supplies |
80.49 |
1,100.00 |
-1,019.51 |
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Christmas party |
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100.00 |
-100.00 |
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Regional affiliation |
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275.00 |
-275.00 |
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Community Center / Rent |
120.00 |
90.00 |
30.00 |
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Speaker honoraria |
62.60 |
300.00 |
-237.40 |
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Web site |
65.69 |
100.00 |
-34.31 |
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Sunsites Chamber of Commerce |
25.00 |
25.00 |
0.00 |
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Sunsites Community Association |
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25.00 |
-25.00 |
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Field Trip Fees |