Rock Swap #2

Thats a wonderful collection Pixy! I like the idea of spraying them for brightness.

Here is an id site. Click on the name and you will see a pic of the stone.

http://geology.about.com/library/bl/blrockident_tables.htm

That is an excellent resource, Jadajoy! Thank you! I could get lost on that side for hours. I am bookmarking it! I have already learned that a very cool rock I found downstream from Mt. St. Helens is a piece of scoria! It was obviously from volcanic activity, but I didn't know what it was called. I also found a nice piece of pumice, which I use on my feet!

LOL!
I'm glad it was of some use. I am gathering mine for pics, now that I have some time. Now we can look them up and see if any are valuable or not before we commit to swap them.The pumice for the feet would be valuable to me with these feet:-)

LindaTx8, where in Texas is Medina Co.?

Jusp popping in for a minute. Will have to come back later and OOH and AHH over those beautiful rocks! love, julie

jmorth, San Antonio is Bexar Co. and Medina county is just west of Bexar Co. I'm on the southern edge of what we call the Hill Country here...and I live on the side of a hill. Barely any soil, pretty much just caliche and rocks.

LindaTx8, I was checking if I had any resources to aid in identification of your recent pics, but alas, naught was found. Those are certainly some strangely shaped specimens you posted. I've collected some large slabs of fossils from new housing tracts west of Ft Worth, fool's gold north of Ft Worth, and giant clams from the Sulphur R east of Dallas but have never ventured into deep south central Texas. Pic is a fossil from the Sulphur River.

nice jmorth! It looks prehistoric :-)

Here is a site for fossil ID. Havent seen anything like your specimen yet, LindaTX8.

http://bassexpert.com/servlet/FwTourPage?kingdom=&phylum=&class=&order=&family=&genus=&species=&from=Pre-Cambrian+Eon&to=Pleistocene+Epoch&discoverer=&action=Search&country=&state=&site=&desc_search=&first_to_show=0&start_tour=Start+the+Tour&show_order=recent

Sorry for failure to identify my pic, it's an Exogyra ponderosa, an oyster from the upper Cretaceous. It measures 6X3X3.25". It's 65 to144 million years old, probably toward the lower end. Pic shows stack of them.

In the Boerne area (NW of San Antonio) there are known dinosaur tracks. So yes, I wondered if mine could be a print from a prehistoric animal. I also have what I call shell rocks...I will have to get a photo of one of those. Interesting sites! I'll have to look through them when I have time!

A s I've been reviewing pics of rocks from my collection, I've found some interesting ones that I'll post occasionally.
If I recall correctly, the previous thread noted thunder eggs, here's a Thunder Egg with drusy of quartz crystals from Oregon (possibly McDermitt or the Priday ranch area).

Dinosaur State Park is somewhere up there isn't it? It was featured in a special on one of the nature channels. I need to get my Texas road map out to pinpoint those Texas areas.

There is Dinosaur Valley State Park near Fort Worth somewhere. I haven't been to that one.

That is a beautiful Thunder Rock. How do they form? do you know?
I love it...Did you find it like that or did you cut one in half? It is so
interesting to see them and wonder how they were formed.

RRM, that particular thunderegg was given to me as a giftl. Regarding formation thereof, you might check out this link (scroll down to 2nd pic and read...http://www.summerfunandtravel.com/ghosttownsrockhunting.htm I liked the Indian legend explaination.

I read it. It is beautiful legend. I think they are beautiful. I haven't seen anything like them.
It is always fun to learn new things. thank you J for the infomation.

I love those fossils! I remember finding fossils in Texas, outside of Austin, when I was a kid. Don't ask me exactly where. I just remember visiting some friends on their property and finding arrowheads and fossils. I loved it.
Beautiful thunder egg!
Merry Christmas, all.

Merry Christmas to all my rocky friends!!

And from me in DC (until next Wed), I wish you all a blessing filled Christmas and New Year. We have so much to look forward to. : )
Lynn

Merry Christmas from the Rocky Southwest. Las Vegas is just one big rock covered with blow sand. Have a great day. My brother has an extensive collection of purple glass bottles and Indian arrowheads that he collected over 30 years ago while deer hunting. Now you are not suppose to pick up the arrowheads but I think the majority were picked up many year ago. The west is a fun place to walk through the mountains, looking down at your feet. You never know what you are going to see.

Again, Merry Christmas.

Just found your thread and be still my heart! I love rocks also and think I got it from ,uy dad as he was a rock hound in the 70's, Made the jewelry and tried running his own shop.

Well I went another way. We have 40 acres and rock piles and rocks in the fields and most of the time DH gives me first dibs on what he has picked. You know I can go to the same rock piles and find good rocks? This is what we have done over the last 7 years.

This was the first we did. Started as 2 levels and I took the top one and made another out of it. I think the hill is shifting. I would like to put another level along the bottom and make that one wider then the other. We now have better equipment and can maybe handle slightly larger rocks. Still have to talk to DH about it!

Welcome. We are all just a bunch of rock nuts. I was in my brothers front landscape a few years back and he had just had some rocks delivered to fill in one area. I asked if I could have some if I found anything I liked. I found one great one. Later in the week I will post. It is broke in half and I have one half and you can see so many different colors of green. Just hope the photo will show it.

What does the rock swap entail? I must admit I am intrigued!

Another of my little projects.

I am just an old retired lady, who loves rocks.
There is nothing wrong with your rocks. That is beautiful i love the two stages.
You found us, that helps. Just keep hanging with us and after the holidays
are over everyone should be back to help you out.
Looks like you have rocks and That helps too. Love the Doorway too!
I believe you belong.
RRM

Yes we have a few rocks! LOL

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Ves, welcome! All of us rock-lovers have much in common. Merry Christmas!

Most rocks I have I've painted. I LOVE painting rocks. Of course, I do find rocks that just make good for the garden design. My sister teases me that one day I'll get hit in the head by something because when I go walking I'm always look down for something interesting. A rock, drift wood, plants whatever.

Ves, welcome aboard. : )
We will be deciding how we will do the rock swap sometime in Jan. I think. We are taking into consideration all suggestions. Many heads make great plans. : )
I was hoping to bring some rocks back from DC but everything is covered in snow. : ( We don't leave until Tue. though, so might still be able to find some.

valleylynn, My daughter lives in Fairfax VA and commutes toDC every work day. She has worked in Dept. of Interior, mining and related. for 25 years. They had 21 inches of snow at their house just before Christmas, and predicted to have more, so I doubt you'll find any rocks.

I live in the desert area of Wash. state, North Central to be exact. Lots of rocky hills and mountains. Don't know if I can find a photo of good looking rocky hillside to send.

Donna

Looks just like Lincoln County, Nevada. I grew up there and I used to run up those small mountains or I think we called them hills. That was just a way to have fun in the old days. It would probably kill me know. I guess I will just have to watch you young folks.

It is beautiful. I have never been to Nev. Looks very promising to me.
We have Rocks down here andsometimes I want Hubby to stop and get me a rock , we just Breeze on by.
There is one up the road I'm going to get. One way or another.
What is Wrong with me, I'm getting too old to pick up mini-boulders??????

I'm with you ridesredmule I just now pick up smaller boulders. Or try to roll them to my car and than lift them in.

I think that is what I am going to do. Wouldn't it be nice for a bunch of us to get together and go explore? I know it is not really possible, but I think it would be great. That is what i have to do too. Use your knees not your back. But who can remember that in their excitement over a rock? Not me.

exploring sounds fun. I'm trying to find a place to get smooth river rocks. They don't have them here and need them for painting one.

In the Santa Barbara/Ventura area there are so many river rocks on the beach from the ocean. Every time we are there, I get a bag full. My Grandchildren always bring me ones they think are great. Last year we were at a ed and breakfast right on the beach. Out the door and there were more river bottom rocks from the ocean than you could decide which ones you wanted. I always take a box of large zip locks with me on any trip just for my rocks. I asked if they could be removed snd was told, take them all. There are so many they are a pain.

Marti, did you ever go to a landscaping place that uses rock in their landscaping? I think that would be a good place to start.
I have no idea as to the price but i sure hope this helps. Lowes has a new book on painting rocks that has an inguana on the front and I sure do want that book. Has some neat ideas inside too. Do you have it yet??? I used to paint on rocks but it has been awhile. I'll have to go find that cat I did and take a pic.
Sharon, should we all go there and relieve them of their misery of rocks? ☺

If you go there, you might want to have a truck. It is amazing how fast the grandchildren picked up on it. I showed them a few times a wet rock and all the many facets of color. They were totally hooked. I was really disappointed when I found out the river bottom rocks near LaJolla beach were dumped there by the county maintenance employees to help with erosion. I had all they ideas in my mind the journey they had Made and it was not being dumped from a truck..

It is amazing how Beaches can be made where there is no water, Mountains where there is no snow.
So I guess they can unload rocks and make whatever they want. HUH?

I used to find all kinds of good rocks for painting when I lived in Ventura/Santa Barbara. Everybody laughed at me because I always had rocks in my car I was hauling home. Now I wish I could of brought more with me when I moved here. At least they are free there, here I have to find a place to get them for free or pay for them. In the spring I'm planning a drive around the neighboring states to look for rock.