You must have thought I disappeared with no postings coming forth. As is the case every springtime, there are lots of things to do and clean up outside in our yard. Especially with this new acquired property of ours there will be much more time spent there. However, I got everything under control including inside our house and all is fine and in good shape. Got our income tax returns done, did lots of loads of laundry and have the travel trailer spick and span ready for more trips. Benno replaced the trailer’s two rear tires with new Goodyear Endurance pneus. The curbside tire was toast, but the roadside tire with only little wear (2000 miles) found a new place on the spare tire rim. And while I had Benno working on the trailer, he put a bigger heating duct into the bathroom, which is now toasty warm when we take our showers. He also relocated the sofa mounting in the slide 4 inches closer to the wall so we can now access the rear much better when the slide is in. Hey, every inch helps!
So now that I got a breather and start to relax more I will tell you about a new hobby of mine. While in the southwest this winter I became interested in rocks. I mean there were colorful and unusual looking stones and rocks all over the place wherever you looked. Every time when I walked with our dogs I would spot some interesting rocks on the ground that intrigued me and I started to pick them up if they weren’t too big for my pockets.
Many of the touristy shops in Arizona have barrels full of polished Agates in just about every color for sale. You just pick the ones you like into provided little cloth sacks until full and pay the price for the size of bag. Now these beautiful little stones or Agates as they are called, are not found that way. The rough stone doesn’t look like it at all and you would probably not even recognize one if you saw it. Only after a polishing process do those Agates become so beautiful.
We met a Geologist in the RV Park in Arizona where we stayed who had a rock tumbler under his trailer. That little machine rotated or tumbled nonstop a pile of rocks he had found. We got talking and I was shown his little treasures. Not only did he use the tumbler to polish rocks, he also extracted in this method gold flakes that were hidden in some quartz. He had me hooked!
For my birthday Benno got me a Rock Tumbler from the Harbor Freight store. They carry a variety of tumblers and also kits of polishing grit. Since this is all new to me, I started with a couple of kits that contain four varieties of grit and a polishing wheel. For sure I will find other sources where I can purchase grit for this tumbler and it is a learning curve that I am going through.
My rock tumber
The rocks I found and collected in Arizona are not Agates. They are for the most part Metamorphic and Sedimentary rocks, which are not suitable to polishing or will not change much after tumbling. I have tested some, using the coarsest grit and tumbled them for 48 hours. You can see the slush when I opened the drum afterwards. After rinsing the rocks and drying them this is what they look like now. Interesting and good enough for the garden but not for display indoors.
Apparently on the beaches of Lake Superior one can find many Agates. However, we live close to Lake Erie and I will have a look if any rocks will meet the criteria for tumbling. So stay tuned for my discoveries.
What a fun interesting hobby, nice to hear for you again , always keeping busy.
ReplyDeleteI'll give this new hobby a try. We'll see how it goes.
DeleteI always wanted to try this. Can't wait to see your pretty rocks.
ReplyDeleteThe idea is to get out and look what I can find, then see if I can improve the looks of the treasures. If not good, I guess we'll have more gravel on the driveway ;-)
DeleteGood to get the new tires and a couple of projects on the trailer done, all set to go on the next adventure, maybe to " the Ridge ". Like your new hobby, very interesting. Enjoy your days, don't work to hard and take care.
ReplyDeleteYou know we both like to keep busy and active. There are many things I'm interest in but have to hold my enthusiasm in check not to run over my budget. The Ridge will be a nice outing!
DeleteAs Bill said, it would be nice for your 'ready' trailer to find The Ridge. :) I love that you found a new hobby this winter while in the southwest. I also pick up little 'pocket fitting' rocks and put them in jars. I'm anxious to see what your rocks look like as your hobby takes shape.
ReplyDeletePatsy it all depends what I can find and how often I am able to get to places where nice rocks are to be found. Also I have to source the materials needed for a better price.
DeleteI love your bowl of colourful agates on the table. I hope that you have many hours of enjoyment with your new hobby.
ReplyDeleteOf course purchasing agates is easy but the satisfaction of finding some and then polishing them up is priceless.
DeleteNice to have interesting Hobbies like that.
ReplyDeleteNice that you are ready for more adventures.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
I love tackling new projects and are up to learning something new. Even better if it gets me out of the house.
DeleteThat's a pretty cool hobby and a good way to keep yourself out of trouble! It is also one that you can do while in all areas and can even plan your travels around it. Sounds like a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. Yes, I find it fun to fill my pockets with pretty rocks. Hopefully I will find the time this summer to go looking and yes, we should now plan our trips as to where I can go rock hunting ;-)
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