ROCKHOUNDING

The rockhounding area. Lots of prickleypear cactus. Very sharp. Barrel Cactus flower.

Yesterday, the 20th, we visited the Rockhound State Park. We were able to find it, even tho the directions we got were a little off. The park is on the side of a large hill (or small mt) and the area is covered with jasper, agate, parlite, rhyolite and other stuff including occasionally geodes and thunder eggs (like geodes, but solid inside). We spend about 1 1/2 hours walking and looking for rocks. We found lots. The whole idea is to figure out which rocks to take, since the ground is covered with them. Duane would have taken them all if he could (or I would have let him). He loves to have them in our front yard. We did find some pretty ones and 3 that might have been thunder eggs. So, after we sorted thru our find, and chose the best to keep, we drove to a rock shop to see about having the "thunder eggs" cut open and find out what kind of treasure lay in store inside.

Well, we found the rock shop, and found out that my 3 rocks were just that.....rocks. We also found about an abandoned florite mine in the area. Yes....off we went. We spent 1/2 hour to get there and at least an hour there and found NO florite. Duane found 2 beautiful pieces of copper pyrite.

Today, the 21st, we left Deming (and nothing nor noone followed us) and drove to Tucson and checked in to our hotel for the first day of our Mexico trip. Blog postings may be less often for while, depending on how much time we have free and if there is internet access.