June 2015 WEST SEATTLE PETROGLYPHS. Monthly Bulletin of the West Seattle Rock Club, Inc. Seattle, Washington. Condor Agate

Transcription

1 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 1 Volume 50, Number 6 Monthly Bulletin of the West Seattle Rock Club, Inc. Seattle, Washington Website: Our Club: Practices the Rockhound Code of Ethics Meetings: Visitors are always welcome! WEST SEATTLE PETROGLYPHS Mike Wall, Editor P.O. Box Seattle, WA mike_wall@yahoo.com June 2015 Condor Agate

2 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 2 WEST SEATTLE ROCK CLUB, INC. Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 16145, Seattle, WA The purpose of this Club is to promote the study and enjoyment of the Lapidary Arts with good Rockhounding and good fellowship; and to further education and lapidary skills for all; to conduct field trips for exploration and collection of minerals, gems, rocks and fossils; to promote shows and displays; to publish a monthly periodical known as West Seattle PETROGLY PHS relating to club activities. **************************************************************************************** OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2015): President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Federation Director Director at Large Mineral Council Reps Seattle Regional Reps Newsletter - Editor Current Past President Bo Jeffers Richard Babcock Barry Nevin Diane Christensen Audrey Vogelpohl Audrey Vogelpohl Ken Schmidt Leroy Christensen Lyle Vogelpohl Mike Wall Michael O Clair (206) (206) (253) (206) (206) (206) (206) (206) (206) (206) (206) **************************************************************************************** COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS (2015): 2015 Show Chairperson Programs Refreshments/Hospitality Historian Field Trips Webmaster Leroy Christensen <Vice President> Donn Ullery (206) <Vice President> (206) **************************************************************************************** AFFILIATED WITH: Northwest Federation & American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Seattle Regional Gem and Mineral Show Committee Washington State Mineral Council ALAA American Lands Access Association **************************************************************************************** Meetings are held on the Fourth Wednesday of each month, except for November which is the THIRD Wednesday and no meetings in July and December The meetings are held in Adams Hall of the Tibbetts United Methodist Church st S.W. (corner of 41st S.W. and S.W. Andover Street) Seattle, WA 6:00 PM Junior Meeting 7:00 PM Adult Meeting Dues are: $20.00 first year (including name badge), then: $10.00 per adult member per year or $15.00 for 2 adults in same family, $3.00 per junior member per year VISITORS ARE INVITED AND ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL MEETINGS All material in this Bulletin may be reprinted if properly credited - Exchange Bulletins are most welcome.

3 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 3 CLUB CALENDAR June 24, 2015 Junior Meeting (6:00 pm) Program: Field Trip Badge General Meeting (7:00 pm) Program: Local Field Trips Show & Tell: What you got at your last field trip in the wilderness or at a sale July 22, 2015 WSRC Picnic: The picnic is on Wednesday, July 22nd at Mee-Kwa- Mooks park around 5 pm. The Club will provide hamburger and hotdogs and there will be sign up sheet for the rest of meal at the June meeting. PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Not Available At Press Time GREETINGS, JUNIOR ROCK STARS! Looking forward to seeing you at this month s meeting on June 24, 2015 at Tibbett s Church, st Ave SW in West Seattle. That s 6:00 pm for the Juniors and 7:00 pm for the general meeting, at which you are all most welcome. Parents - bring your calendars! We ll be talking about upcoming field trips, field trip etiquette, tools, and the potential for a field trip to the Klondike museum downtown together, if there s enough interest and availability. Kids - We will be working toward the field trips badge - and completing one of the three activities by introducing you to the AFMS Code of Ethics and other helpful hints when on a field trip. You can t earn this badge without becoming familiar with these rules (as well as going on a field trip), so we will reviewing at our meeting and having fun while doing so! Can t wait! Bring a little something for Show n Tell - maybe something you ve found already on one of your own field trips! See you soon! In Rock Solidarity ~ April Hichens Jrs WSRC Facilitator WHAT S INSIDE Club Calendar 3 President s Message 3 Greetings, Junior Rock Stars! 3 What s Inside 3 General Meeting Minutes May 4 June Refreshments 6 WSRC Member News 6 The Rice NW Museum News 6 WSRC 2016 Show Theme 6 Rockhounding on Flagstaff Mountain 6 Condor Agate 7 Kids Corner 8 Field Trips 10 Rock Shows 10

4 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 4 Business WEST SEATTLE ROCK CLUB GENERAL MEETING MINUTES May 27, 2015 The meeting was called to order by Vice President, Rich Babcock. Brooke Wagner announced there were 21 adult members, 9 junior members, and 5 guests present. The winner of the door prizes were members: Ken Schmidt, Carol Jennings, Lola Smith, Odessa Durante and guests Sam Jones and Chris Legler. April Hichens, Junior advisor reminded the juniors to turn in their paperwork for their badges. Audrey Vogelpohl said that 9 out of 20 juniors put in display cases at our show. Juniors had to put in a display case in order to get their Showmanship badge. Together, Audrey and April then awarded the juniors ribbons for the display cases. Cooper Legler, Odessa Durante, Ezra Babcock, Caitlin Gilman and Laura Jones all were awarded blue ribbons. Sophia Simpson Kahn and Molly LeBlanc shared a case and each were awarded a red ribbon. Lola Smith and Jesse Sheeran also got ribbons. In 2016 it will be our 50th show. Audrey reported that the attendance at our recent show was the highest we've had. We would like to have an advertisement in magazines three months before our show in April Lyle Vogelpohl reported that the Northwest Federation field trip near Vale, Oregon is July 2nd thru the 5th. They will be searching for petrified wood, Jasper and other materials. Lyle also reported that the Northwest Rockhound retreat near Fossil Oregon is now full, but they have started a waiting list. There are eight workshops offered, and the cost is $327 for food and lodging for the five day class. Lyle talked about the display cases. There are three clubs using them, and they are currently stored in someone s garage at this time. Susan Gardner looked into purchasing a trailer to store the cases in. They would also be handled less, they would be ready to be moved at any time and clubs would no longer need to rent a U- Haul to pick them up and take them back. All three clubs would have access to the trailer, and other clubs can use them, but for a fee. The trailer would be stored at the Maplewood club and in addition to the money that is already in the fund, each of the 3 clubs currently using them would need to pay $ for the initial purchase. Each club would then pay approximately $15 to $25 yearly for maintenance and license tabs. Lyle made a motion to pay the $550 for our clubs portion of the trailer. Rich Babcock approved the motion, and Diane Christensen seconded it. The vote was put to the members and it was approved unanimously. There will also be a work party to fix the display cases later this summer, and several of the 8 feet cases will be for sale. Mike Wall, editor reported that there will not be a newsletter in July and to let him know about any topics you would like to learn about so he can put the information in the Petroglyphs. Audrey then talked about our show. The rent is going up by $80 dollars (to $1,080) for There are $3, in receipts. The silent auction made $ , the extended auction items made approximately $300 and the junior s auction made $ The donation jar had $284 dollars in it. So far, the profit was $1, Also, our storage is now totally upstairs at the Masonic Hall. Rich then announced the upcoming shows and field trips. Audrey mentioned that Gary and Lajetta Atwood are selling their collection of rocks (that they have been collecting since 1968). The sale is Saturday and Sunday in Burien. Kat Koch said she will be selling wired-wrapped jewelry at the Puyallup show on June 5th, 6th and 7th. The next Board meeting will be on at 7pm at the Vogelpohl's. Mike Blanton said he is selling tickets for the AFMS endowment fund drawing. Tickets are $5 each, or 5 tickets for $ The drawing is in October in Austin Texas. In 2016, the AFMS meeting will be in Albany, OR. The raffle committee is hoping to get donation items worth $50 - $75 and they would like to collect at (Continued on page 5)

5 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 5 (Continued from page 4) least one raffle item from each club in the Northwest. Contact Mike Blanton if you have a raffle item to donate. Rich mentioned that there is a suggestion sheet for future programs. Program Kit Koch talked about wire wrapping. She discussed the tools needed and the wire she uses. You can use different gauge wire and different colored wire. She prefers using colored wire on copper with a tarnish resistant coating. The most common wire is the 22 gauge. She learned wire wrapping by watching You-Tube videos. Kat, Emily Brune and Sylvia Ewins passed around items that they had wire wrapped. Show and Tell Lyle Vogelpohl - brought a nice rutilated quartz, ammonite shell and a Boulder opal Ken Schmidt - brought some awesome books that were donated to the club Lola Smith - brought a beautiful geode, a gem-crystal book and some amethyst Annette Johnson - brought a lovely piece of Owyhee jasper Ezra Babcock - brought some gold (he panned), a gold pan and a crystal on a host rock Cooper Legler - brought some wonderful sulfur from Louisiana that smelt like rotten egg Ron Nims - brought some stunning cabs he made using some of the material he got at our show and other places Jim Ewins - brought some superb slabs he got from Ellensburg Audrey Vogelpohl - brought a delightful owl she painted and put on a slab Caitlyn Gilman - brought some striking quartz with a shiny bottom and a cab she made from agatized coral from Thailand Sofia Simpson Khan - brought a charming geode she got at the show Jo Ann Churchman - brought some desirable driftwood with a rock in it that her son found in Kalaloch Noah Lefkewicz - brought a tube of gorgeous sapphires and a tube of rubies he got at the Everett show Mike Blanton - brought some interesting rocks he collected in the desert with cool formations on them Diane Christensen - brought some cute urchin spine earrings that her son made Brooke Wagner - brought some pretty baculite with quartz inside Rich Babcock - brought a tip of a dinosaur tooth Kat Koch - brought some wonderful Montana agate and some coral she won at the show Peter Jennings - brought some lovely slabs he got in New Mexico and Arizona Mike Blanton won the drawing. The meeting was adjourned and refreshments were served. Respectfully Submitted, Diane Christensen WSRC Secretary

6 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 6 JUNE REFRESHMENTS To access the site and sign up for bringing snacks and/or drinks go to: go/4090c4aaeaa2daa8-snacks/ There are still spots left the latter part of the year Aug -Nov, so please signup if you have not already. Here is who has signed up for June: Snacks: Christina Gilman (30-40) Drinks: Joseph Moushey (30-40) June Birthdays WSRC MEMBER NEWS Pearl - Shows up how witty and eloquent you are. Pearls are also a symbol of youthful innocence and purity. 6 - Misty Tinsley 7 - Cheri Overman 18 - Shyla Durante 19 - Caitlyn Gilman Audrey national outreach program that develops long-term collaborative partnerships with museums and other educational and cultural organizations in order to enrich communities with Smithsonian resources. The long-term goal of Smithsonian Affiliations is to facilitate a mutual relationship among Affiliate organizations and the Smithsonian Institution to increase discovery and inspire lifelong learning in communities across the United States. The new relationship between the Rice Museum and the Smithsonian will bring great things to museum visitors in the Pacific Northwest. Not only will the Rice Museum be able to borrow objects and exhibits from the Smithsonian s collections, but the Museum will also gain opportunities to collaborate on research projects and to sponsor exciting programs from renowned visiting scholars. We expect the Affiliation to serve our community well, explains Julian Gray, Rice Museum executive director. It will help us increase awareness of our excellent museum and attract more visitors to the area, allowing more people to experience our own world-class exhibits, events, and educational programs. (via AFMA Newsletter, 6-7/15) WSRC 2016 SHOW THEME We are looking for ideas for the show theme next year, our 50th Anniversary. Happy 50th! THE RICE NW MUSEUM NEWS from Julian Gray, Executive Director The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals has been named as an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. This mark of distinction signifies the achievement of a goal long held by the Rice Museum s originators, according to co-founder Sharleen Harvey. Being a Smithsonian Affiliate confirms that our museum has the high caliber required to assist our schools and community in earth science education. It assures that visitors and supporters of the museum can have confidence in the quality and content of the exhibits, plus enjoyment in viewing fine minerals, fossils, meteorites, and lapidary specimens. Established in 1996, Smithsonian Affiliations is a Please suggestions to Rich Babcock at r.a.babcock@gmail.com. The cutoff date for suggestions is our August meeting. ROCKHOUNDING ON FLAGSTAFF MOUNTIAN Photos and trip report by N. Ross Earlier this summer I ran into a man who had been a grade school classmate of mine, Joe. He is very much into rocks and belongs to the Panorama Rock and Gem Club up in the northeast corner of the state. I was invited to go over there and go rock hunting with him. My husband and I took him up on that offer and drove to Kettle Falls in time to join the rock club s field trip to Flagstaff Mountain on August 29. (Continued on page 7)

7 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 7 (Continued from page 6) The view from the parking area at Flagstaff Mountain Mouth of the Phillips Ranch mine site (listed in Gem Trails of Washington) but that is another story. CONDOR AGATE Condor agate was discovered and named by Luis de los Santos in It is found in the mountains near San Rafael, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. This agate exhibits vibrantly colorful bands and patterns, and has become a popular stone among collectors and jewelry designers. The tailing piles where we searched for barite crystals We spent some time there looking for barite crystals and I found a few small ones. I also found what was identified as probably fluorite crystals. Joe knew exactly what he was looking for and came away with several lovely specimens of barite. After lunch at Flag-staff Mountain he took us to Phillips Ranch which has an abandoned mine on it. There we spent time looking for several different types of rocks. My husband, Jim, found a vein of selenite crystals that he was busy working on. They still need to be cleaned up to see if any of them are unbroken. I was busy gathering rocks with veins if pyrite in them that just plain looked pretty. We also found galena and poison oak. (via Wikipedia, Fortunately, Joe noticed how very close I was to that plant and pointed out to me that I might want to move a little further away. Joe is extremely knowledgeable about rocks and geology and gave a running commentary on what we were seeing. It was fascinating to listen to him even though he was telling us so much that only a fraction of what he said actually settled into my brain cells. He made me wish I had taken that geology course in college that I had thought about but then changed my mind. On the way back to our home, we stopped at Ruby

8 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 8 WSRC Kid s Corner Mineral Photography by Emma Fajcz Have you ever wanted to print off photographs of your collection to store in an album, put on greeting cards, or show to your friends in your local mineral club? This month, I ll give you some tips on taking pictures of your mineral collection to help you get started. First, you ll need a camera. This can be a simple point-and-shoot camera or even one of your parents cell phones. If your family has a really good camera, you might want to use that once you have some more practice with photography and your parents permission. Now, it s time to go through your collection and decide which specimens you d like to photograph. You could do it any way you like. Maybe you want to do all the green ones first or just your favorites. If you don t want to take pictures of your minerals, ask around at your mineral club to see if anyone is willing to let you photograph their minerals. Purple Cluster by Emma Fajcz, 2015 Amethyst Rainbow Treasure by Emma Fajcz, 2015 Rainbow Hematite The weather is another important factor to consider, especially if you re taking outdoor pictures. It s usually not ideal to take pictures outside on really sunny days unless you can make the light softer, since the bright sunlight creates harsh shadows. However, you can use shadows to create interesting effects if you like. Gray, cloudy days have softer light, which is generally better for photography. Even if you are photographing indoors, go near a window on a cloudy day for good lighting. Surprisingly, dirty windows make the light from outside softer, so try taking pictures near the window. Be sure you can t see distracting grime in your photo, though! Another aspect to consider is the time of day. At noon, the sun is at its highest point, (Continued on page 9)

9 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 9 (Continued from page 8) often creating sharp shadows. Towards the end of the day, usually between four and five o clock, or for the last hour the sun is up, the sun s rays get a golden tone and are more yellow. This also happens early in the morning, not long after sunrise. Since your camera records light information to create a photograph, it s vitally important that your lighting creates the effect you desire. You ll also have to think about what kind of surface you want to display the mineral sample on, and what background would complement the specimen the best. A fun surface to photograph on is a wooden deck, especially if the wood is cracked or discolored. The color and texture variations offer a multitude of different possibilities for backgrounds and surfaces. For example, a sample of malachite might look really striking on top of a deck that s been stained red. Try not to get distracting items like fallen leaves in your photo. Remember that the focus of the picture is on the mineral, so make it clear that the specimen is the focal point. Here s a neat way to get a professional-looking background for a mineral photo. Take a sheet of white, eight-and-a-half by eleven inch paper that s free from marks or tears and clip it onto something a few inches off the ground. Let the paper touch the floor or ground and bend towards you to create a seamless background. You can also lay the paper down on a flat surface and pose your mineral on top of that. Other places to position your specimens include a cement driveway or sidewalk, tree roots, an old flowerpot, or a glass-topped table. Experiment with shining a lamp or flashlight through a translucent slab of agate for another fascinating effect. Like with Boomerang above, experiment with sheets of white paper underneath the specimen while it s placed on a lamp. Throughout this article, I ve included three examples of mineral photography that might inspire you do some of your own this month. Maybe you can share your mineral photos with members of you mineral club by bringing printed copies of your pictures to the next club meeting or ing them to fellow member. (via Mini Miners Monthly, 5/15) Boomerang by Emma Fajcz, 2015 Agate

10 June 2015 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page FIELD TRIPS June All Rockhounds Pow Wow Club of America Madras, OR Fairgrounds Dues Required: $7.50 each or $15 for family Petrified Wood Agate, Jasper, T-Eggs, $1# contact Larry Vess vesse13@comcast.net July Hells Canyon Gem Club Field Trip Clarkia, Idaho One day travel each way from Western Washington Must join HC Club to attend Large garnets, quartz crystals Dig & Light hard rock tools - contact Dan Cease rockmangwem@q.com July 18 Darrington Rock Club Field Trip Darrington 11 Darrington Grange (Rock Show) Travertine Light hard rock tools - contact Ed Lehman wsmced@hotmail.com or Aug Northwest Opal Society Field Trip Greenwater 9 Enumclaw Ranger Station Agate & Jasper Dig & Light hard rock tools - contact Tony Johnson See WSMC for additional field trips and details 2015 SHOWS Jul 24 9am-6pm Washington Agate and Mineral Society Annual Show Jul 25 9am-6pm Parkside Elementary School, 301 Central Ave., E, Tenino, WA Jul 26 9am-5pm Jul 31 10am-5pm Far West Lapidary & Gem Society Annual Show Aug 1 10am-5pm North Bend Community Center, 2222 Broadway, North Bend, OR Aug 2 10am-4pm Aug 8 9am-6pm Maplewood Rock & Gem Club Annual Show Aug 9 9am-6pm Maplewood R&G Clubhouse, th St. SW, Edmonds, WA Aug 14 9am-6pm Aug 15 9am-6pm Aug 16 9am-5pm Port Townsend Rock Club Annual Show Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 4907 Landers St., Port Townsend, WA See the Northwest Newsletter for additional show listings and times. Available online at: How Can You Help Your Federation: Save stamps and give to our club treasurer. Your Hobby: Join ALAA. - Contact Lyle Vogelpohl Other: Volunteer to teach beginners what you are good at. To Learn More About... Cabbing contact Lyle Vogelpohl (206)