Rockhound

Double yolk thunderegg: Macro Monday

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I call this a double yolk thunderegg because two of these round rocks formed together. Thundereggs are Oregon’s state rock. You never know what’s inside until they’re cut open, like this one, or already cracked open.

Double yolk thunderegg

This double yolk thunderegg is from Richardson’s Rock Ranch, north of Madras, Oregon. Though you can no longer dig there, you can purchase cut, polished, and raw rocks of many kinds from their large store.

Rough side of rock

If you want to dig for thundereggs, visit Priday Polka-Dot Agate Beds, about 9 miles northeast of Richardson’s. See my post about this amazing place if you want to uncover ENORMOUS thundereggs.

Macro Monday

Pickled herring fossil?: Macro Monday

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Could this be a pickled herring fossil? I got this fossil from my mom and don’t know anything about it’s history. It looks like the herring fish pictured on this Green River Fossil site. Though I was hoping it was something rare, fossils of this small fish are common.

pickled herring fossil

The Green River Formation, located in parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah, is one of the best places to find fish fossils in the world.

Macro Monday

This and that rock: Macro Monday

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This and that rock from Fischer Canyon, Oregon. According to the Central Oregon rockhounding map, published by the Bureau of Land Management, you can find petrified wood, jasper, and agate here. Other sources list calcite and quartz as being at this site.

This small conglomerate includes several types of rock that merged together.

this and that rock
conglomerate rock

Macro Monday

Jasper shown up close: Macro Monday

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This piece of jasper, shown up close, comes from Fischer Canyon, south of Prineville Reservoir. I liked this rock because the yellow lichen stood out in bold contrast against the red background.

Jasper shown up close

Macro Monday

Stilbite up close: Macro Monday

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This is a beautiful piece of stilbite up close. Specimens like these, from the stilbite subgroup, can be found near Mill Creek, Polk County, Oregon. The crystals on this mineral are gorgeous, but I also like the parallel lines surrounding the cavity in this piece.

Stilbite up close

Macro Monday

Labradorite up close: Macro Monday

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Here’s a picture of a piece of polished labradorite up close. This feldspar mineral has a unique appearance. Its iridescence catches your attention and is referred to as “labradorescence.” I like holding a piece with a lot of color and tilting it to see different colors in the light. The parallel lines of color within the stone, the twinning surfaces, reflect the light.

Labradorite up close

Macro Monday

An amazing collection – Baker City Rocks!: LAPC

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When I walked around a corner into a gallery at the Baker Heritage Museum a couple years ago, I didn’t know what to expect. Wow, what a special moment! As you may know, I like rocks and this is an amazing collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils.

One of the first pieces you see is a 950-pound crystal from Arkansas. I would love to have something like that in my rock garden.

Giant crystal from Arkansas

Two sisters in Baker City, Mamie Cavin and Elizabeth Cavin Warfel, collected specimens for 45 years and donated their collections to the museum in 1983. The 18-ton Cavin-Warfel Collection, together with other donations at the museum, is considered to be one of the best collections in the country. In fact, at one time the Smithsonian offered $500,000 to acquire it.

Cabochons and cut pieces of picture jasper cover one wall. Cabochons are gemstones that have been shaped and highly polished, rather than faceted. Billy Wyatt donated this collection.

  • An amazing collection in Baker City

Colorful specimens of green malachite and blue azurite are in this cabinet. Both are secondary minerals found in copper deposits. Malachite is one of my favorites and I have a few in my collection. The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries donated specimens related to mining to the museum.

Malachite and azurite
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Marvelous Malachite up close: LAPC

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Today I’m sharing close up photos of marvelous malachite. According to geology.com, malachite is a “green copper carbonate hydroxide mineral.” The site also refers to its striking green color and that’s why I collect it.

This first piece has a rough texture and interesting shape. For scale, it measures 1.5 x 1.0 inches.

Marvelous malachite up close January 2021
Rough green stone close up January 2021

The second piece is opposite of the first – rounded shapes and smooth textures. It measures 3.75 x 1.5 inches.

Marvelous malachite up close January 2021
Close up of green stone January 2021
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I like rocks!: LAPC

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The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week is Pastimes so I immediately thought of rocks. I have always collected them.

Here’s a still life of rocks in my collection. Some we found, some were purchased, and others were gifts.

I like rocks collection of various rocks in Oregon May 2020

A couple of weeks ago we visited Glass Buttes, one of my favorite places. Yes, there are several types of obsidian in this haul, but I also picked up ones that looked cool. I like the large one in the upper left in particular.

I like rocks collection of various rocks in Oregon May 2020

I try to incorporate the rocks we find at various locations into our landscaping. Here’s a few around a cholla cactus I started from a single “leaf.”

Rocks around a cholla plant, Bend, Oregon May 2020
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Glass Buttes obsidian field trip

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Glass Buttes Flint knappers camp 1May2018
Glass Buttes Flint knapper’s camp

I went on a field trip recently to one of my favorite places–Glass Buttes. Obsidian is everywhere you look! It’s like being a kid in a candy store. In fact in one of my previous posts, Glass Butte Dragonglass, I show a picture of some obsidian I have collected displayed in a candy bowl.

Obsidian at Glass Buttes, OR 1May2018
Obsidian everywhere you look!

Glass Buttes – Rockhounding and habitat

Located about halfway between the towns of Bend and Burns in eastern Oregon, this site is a rockhounder’s paradise. You can dig and crack open obsidian with a rock hammer, but you really don’t need to because it’s all over the surface.  The Bureau of Land Management oversees most of this site. Individuals may collect up to 250 pounds of obsidian per year.

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Canutts Gems and Rockshop – Lotsa rocks!

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Cool rocks – inside and out

Do you ever drive by a place a million times and think to yourself, “I’ve got to stop there one day.”  This rockshop, south of Redmond, Oregon, was one of those places for me. We finally stopped last summer.  The shop has hundreds of carefully labeled rocks inside and out.

Canutts Gem and Rockshop display room 31August2017

Canutts Gem and Rockshop display room

There are a wide variety of rocks in Central Oregon and this shop displays some of the beauties collected over the past 42 years by the owner. Owners Mel and Jerry Lindbeck obviously have a love of rocks. Mel shapes some of the rocks into spheres, bookends, and display pieces.

Canutts Gem and Rockshop 31August2017

Canutts Gem and Rockshop

Lovely displays of rocks

We have been to plenty of rock shops over the years but this one displays them in lovely ways. The front room has a couple display cabinets, a table with small rocks, and windows lined with slices of semi-transparent agate.

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Rock Show – Madras, Oregon

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We just got back from the Rock, Gem, and Mineral Show in Madras. I overheard someone say there were 135 vendors this year so it took a while to see everything. This is the 68th year of this event. It is sponsored by the The All Rockhounds Pow-wow Club of America, Inc. Prices for the rocks, gems, and minerals range from one dollar to hundreds of dollars. Parking, admission, and entertainment is free. The show takes place June 22-25.

  • Madras Rock, Gem, & Mineral Show 23June2017
  • Madras Rock, Gem, & Mineral Show 23June2017
  • Madras Rock, Gem, & Mineral Show 23June2017

Here are a few pictures I took today at the Rock Show in Madras. Do I know what the name is of everything I show in these pictures? No! I have always liked pretty rocks even if I don’t know what they are.  If you go to a big rock show like this, someone there can likely identify what’s there for you and tell you all about them. They may even tell a tale or two about the adventure they had when collecting them.

  • Madras Rock, Gem, & Mineral Show 23June2017
  • Madras Rock, Gem, & Mineral Show 23June2017
  • Madras Rock, Gem, & Mineral Show 23June2017

Rock Smorgasbord: WPC – Details

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Rock smorgasbord near Thermopolis, WY

Looking down at the details in a rock smorgasbord near Thermopolis, Wyoming. This site is a rockhounders dream! 😀