The Cochise County Rock
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Monthly Newsletter of the Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club
www.cochisecountyrock.org
“Finding and Grinding Rocks in Cochise County, Arizona Since 1962”
SEPTEMBER, 2005
This issue edited by Paul
McKnight
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September Field Trip
We are going to take shorter field trips this fall due to the price of gasoline. On Saturday, September 17 we will take a trip up Oak Creek Canyon into the foothills of the Chiricahuas. While this is primarily a trip for some beautiful swirled and layered yard rocks, there are some low-grade obsidian boulders in the creek bed and there is always the possibility that we will find something more exotic. And of course, there will be the usual wonderful Arizona outdoor experience and comradery. Meet at the Mustang Mall near the Intersection of 191 and 181 at 9 am. Get there early if you want to enjoy breakfast at Willi’s Deli. They make a delicious breakfast croissant. We will leave at 9:15. On the way back, remember that Willi’s deli has great home-made ice cream.
September Meeting
The
Sunsites Gem and Mineral Club will present an evening of songs about the miners
and cowboys of the Southwest on Monday, September 12 at 8 pm at the Sunsites
Senior Center. Club member Randy Stewart, who was the original guitarist
for The Carpenters, will perform numbers from his lengthy musical career.
The event will include opportunities for the audience to sing along with Randy.
As
a musician, Randy got to know and work with Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and the
Sons of the Pioneers. As a road musician for many years, he also got to
know and become friends with such people as Slim Pickins and Lionel Hampton.
Randy's
show will consist of some miner, cowboy, and western songs. As time
permits, requests will be accepted.
The concert will be
preceded by a Club business meeting at 7 pm which will kick off the fall schedule of
meetings, field trips, and lapidary classes..
August Field Trip Report
The free geode that everyone got made the drive up to Tucson for the tour of Harrison Yocum’s yard very much worthwhile. We were fascinated by his miniature mountain ranges, his books, and his plants. Harrison teaches a rockhounding class at Pima College that includes some fabulous field trips.
By the way, your editor forgot to thank Bob and Barbara Fenner for taking the lead on the July field trip up to Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher.
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Club Calendar
September
12 Regular Meeting at 7, miner and cowboy songs by Randy Stewart at 8 pm. Tell your friends.
17 Field Trip up Oak Creek without a paddle. Meet at 9 at the Mustang Mall.
October
8 Board Meeting
10 Regular meeting - demo
15 Field Trip
November
12 Board Meeting
14 Regular Meeting – elections, no speaker
19 Field Trip
December
5
or 12 Christmas Party – potluck
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Lapidary Classes! Silversmithing Classes!
Anyone who would like to get started with lapidary training or silvwersmithing should contact Larry Strout at 826-3991
You're probably a practicing rockhound if…
You lick a dirty rock to show off the wonderful colors, without stopping to realize that you are the only rockhound in the group.
Someone talks about cleavage and you don't think about women.
The USGS calls to tell you they've discovered a gravitational anomaly centered on your house and to ask if you might know the reason why.
Your family puts the birthday candles on a slab of amethyst instead of cake.
A truck throws a rock into your windshield and you examine the rock first.
Considering the purchase of a spectacular specimen at a mineral show, you wonder if all three of your kids really need to attend college.
Upcoming Regional Events
Sept 30 - Oct. 2 -
Annual Show and Sale
Yavapai County Fair Grounds, 10401 N. Hwy. 89A, Prescott Valley, AZ
Fri.10 - 6, Sat.10 - 6, Sun.10- 4; adults $2, children 12 and under free with
adult.
Contact Larry Jackson: P.O. Box 345, Chino Valley, AZ 86323, (928) 636-9188.
e-mail: lpjack65@cableone.net
Oct.
8-9 – Payson Rimstones Rock Club 8th Annual Gem and Mineral Show
Tonto Apache Reservation Recreation Center on Hwy 87 next to
Mazatzal Casino, Payson
Hand-crafted
jewelry, Gems, Minerals, and Lapidary Arts
Oct. 15 - Sedona Gem
& Mineral Club 4th Annual Rock Sale and Show
Posse Grounds Park, off Hwy 89A, Sedona, AZ
Sat.9 - 4; free admission; rock, mineral, and equipment sales, hourly raffles,
hand-made jewelry,
free kid’s rocks and games.
Contact: Pat McMahan, (928) 634-2404.
Oct. 15-16 - 31st Annual
Show - Huachuca Mineral & Gem Club
Elks Lodge # 2065, 1 Elks Ln., Sierra Vista, AZ
Sat 9 - 6, Sun 9 - 4; free admission; gems, jewelry, rocks, minerals, lapidary
materials and equipment, books, tools, demonstrations, field trips, hourly
prizes.
Contact Larry Nelson, P.O. Box 1596, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636, (520) 459-5211
e-mail: lnansv@c2i2.com; or Bill Jaeger, (520) 803-6590; e-mail:
billjaeger@hotmail.com.
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List of Club Officers for 2005
President Paul McKnight 520 824-4054 paulmc@vtc.net
Vice-President Curt Kelly 520 826-1136
Secretary Don Hammer 520 384-3105 dahammer@vtc.net
Treasurer Larry Edgett
Board Member at large Marie Sherman 520 826-4004
Do You know about this Rock Shop?
The Dah Rock Shop 3401 N. Dodge Blvd in Tucson has a good selection of rocks, specimens, lapidary equipment, and some fossils. A person could spend an afternoon just admiring all the piles of rock from all over the world out in the back yard.
Your editor was visiting this shop last month when he found a 65-cent piece of Turquoise that was an exact color match missing piece of Turquoise on his silver bracelet. He bought the piece and took it to lapidary class where, under the expert guidance of Larry Strout, he ground it down to precisely fit the mounting, thus restoring a valuable piece of jewelry to its original beauty.