Rockhound Rambling

Lynn Varon Editor, Rockhound Rambling Ventura Gem & Mineral Society P.O. Box 1573, Ventura, CA 93002

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Rockhound Rambling Photo of the Month (See inside for details)

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Visit us on the web! www.vgms.org

The Ventura Gem and Mineral Society presents:

Rockhound Rambling The Official Bulletin of the VGMS

Our 75th Year In this month’s issue:

VENTURA GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY

Our 2019 Gem Show Quartzsite 2019 Is It Whalebone or Whale Bone?

Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse

Page 7 Page 12 Page 11 Page 15

Volume 65, No. 2, February 2019

Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS) P.O. Box 1573, Ventura, CA 93002 Purpose of the VGMS: In a welcoming club environment, VGMS encourages interest in the earth sciences, mineral and fossil collecting, field trips, and the lapidary arts, including jewelry making. Our monthly meetings feature interesting lectures by amateurs and experts. Via facilities in our clubhouse, we offer workshops and opportunities for crafting polished stones, in addition to maintaining a museum and library for educational use. We also sponsor an annual show for members to share their collections and jewelry with the community, during which we award a student scholarship in the earth sciences.

Club Central

2019 Elected Officers

2019 Committee Chairs

Club Email: info@VGMS.org

President Nancy Brace-Thompson

Ways and Means Dick & Phyllis White

1st Vice President-Programs John Cook

Museum Jim Brace-Thompson

2nd Vice Co-Presidents-

Library Angela Brown

Membership Dues $20 - Single $30 - Family (includes children <19 years) or Couple (1 bulletin) $17 - Students (>17 years + 12 units) Pebble Pups (<13 years) no charge

Regular Meeting 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at The Poinsettia Pavilion, Santa Paula Rm. 3451 Foothill Rd, Ventura, CA 93003

Field Trips Luther Brown, Adrian Ruiz rd

3 Vice President-Show Chair Richard Slyker

January through October: 4th Wednesday of the month

Treasurer Diane Cook

November and December: 2nd Wednesday of the month

Recording Secretary Laura Driskell

Anyone may attend and is welcome. The December meeting is normally a holiday party. The location is announced elsewhere in the bulletin and may vary.

Field Trips

Membership Secretary Shirley Layton Federation Director Kathryn Davis

Announced monthly in the bulletin and at the regular meeting. Members can access directions and maps via our website and fliers at the meetings.

Bulletin Editor Lynn Varon

Annual Show

Parliamentarian Terry Wilson

The Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Gem Show is held the first full weekend in March at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Workshop/Museum 11969 N. Creek Road Ojai, CA 93023 Open Workshop Day: 3rd Saturday of the month Certified Members Only Workshop Day: 1st Sunday of the month

VGMS Club Colors Blue and Gold

Board Meeting First Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Poinsettia Pavilion, Santa Paula Rm. 3451 Foothill Rd., Ventura, CA 93003

Website Terry Wilson Archivist/Historian Jim Brace-Thompson Hostess Jenifer Russell Pebble Pup Chair Lisa Batchelder-Hetrick

This Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cover Photo Taken by Jim Brace-Thompson Tajiguas Beach, Santa Barbara County, field trip destination for fossilized whale bone, agate and jasper.

All photographs are taken and submitted to Rockhound Rambling by members. Images submitted to the editor should be accompanied by subject name and location. Selection is at the discretion of the editor. Submit images to:

VGMSeditor@gmail.com

Rockhound Rambling

Volume 65, No. 2, February 2019

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

By Nancy Brace-Thompson, VGMS President

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club is only as good as its members, and I must say that VGMS has great members! We come together to make things happen and it’s wonderful! It’s now time to come together to put on a fantastic 2019 Show! We need everyone’s help, even if you can only volunteer for a couple of hours or can just get the word out to family, friends and acquaintances.

We set up on Thursday, February 28. Friday is when dealers and exhibitors set up. Friday night is our dinner, when we present our scholarship awardee with a $1,000 grant. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the show is open and FREE to the public. We need help manning all our different areas. We will also need help with teardown starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday night. Hope to see you at the fairgrounds!

The following weekend (March 8-10) is the CFMS show, hosted by the Pasadena Lapidary Society, at the Pomona Fairplex, Building 6, in Pomona, California. I hope you can make it!

PROGRAM REVIEW & SCHEDULE

By John R. Cook, 1st Vice President, Programs Chair

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or our February 2019 program, we will have our annual pre-show meeting for club members to review preparations for the upcoming VGMS show in early March, including scheduling, staffing and logistics for the various activities. Our show chair, Diane, will answer any questions and concerns, and individual chairs will explain the booths.

The club meeting on January 23 was our annual “Show and Tell”.

Club members were asked to get up and tell us of their recent adventures. Jeff Miller began the program by talking about jade he found off the central California coast. Stewart Bloom talked about rocks from Japan. Nancy and Jim Brace-Thompson showed us agates from Scotland, collected on a recent visit, and Quartzsite purchases. David Mautz

talked about buying fossils. Lastly, I talked about my field trip to the South Cady Mountains, California, in April 2018.

In all, we had eight club members explain where they collected and show us examples. It sounded like many club members went to a lot of exotic places to rockhound in 2018! I would like to thank all others who also shared their rockhound adventures with us.

March Program Our March program will be a presentation on Sterling Silver Jewelry Making: Favorite Tools, Techniques and Tips Learned from Experience Making Pendants, Earrings and Rings, by our very own Richard Slyker. Richard, a self-taught hobbyist, has been constructing jewelry for the past eight years and has won many ribbons at the Ventura County Fair, including Best of Show and Judges’ Choice awards.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Message .........p. 1 Program Review & Schedule ............................p. 1 Membership & Hospitality ........................p. 2 Editor’s Note .....................p. 2 Thank You.........................p. 3 Meeting Minutes..............p. 4 Our 2019 Gem Show .......p. 7 Pebble Pups ......................p. 9 Federation News ............p. 10 Thanks to the Quitorianos ....................p. 10 Is It Whalebone or Whale Bone? .............................p. 11 Rockhound Ramblings: Quartzsite 2019 ......... p. 12 Arroyo Burro Beach.. p. 12 Educational Corner: Fossick, Fossicking and Fossicker ..................... p. 14 Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse ......................... p. 15 Rock Pals Exchange .. p. 16 Bench Tips .....................p. 16 Club Calendar ................p. 17 Show Dates .....................p. 18 April Program The details of a scheduled program for this month will be provided at a later date.

If you would like to present a club program or have seen and/or know of any programs appropriate for our club, please let me know and I will be happy to include you or contact the presenter.

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MEMBERSHIP & HOSPITALITY

EDITOR’S NOTE

By Lynn Varon, VGMS Bulletin Editor

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he love of the hobby—that’s the motivation behind the flurry of activity that’s taking place among VGMS

By Shirley Layton, members these days. Perhaps it’s approVGMS Membership Secretary priate, then, that the big push toward New Members the annual VGMS show is taking place The VGMS Board has approved the following new in February, the month of Valentine’s memberships: Day, which celebrates the expression of affection.

• John and Mary Ann Hillyard from Santa Barbara, It’s certain that “love” is not too strong a word to use who have recently moved back to California and when describing the relationship between rockhounds wish to be involved in our hobby again. and their hobby. Just like a loved one, it dominates the • Lincoln and Jubilee Kugler, who reside in Port Hue­ hobbyist’s conversation, absorbs their attention, and neme, with Pebble Pubs Jeremiah and Laura. takes over their living space. Others may think it odd • Nina Parliar, from Santa Paula. that a rockhound prefers rocks to flowers as a romantic • Harrison Tasoff comes to us from Santa Barbara. His gift, but for the price of a dozen roses on February 14, interest is in collecting minerals and fossils. one might as well invest in a diamond—or at least an • Sharon Winnett, also from Santa Barbara, is interest- amethyst cathedral. ed in all facets of our hobby.

Rockhounds will travel great distances in search of • Nicole Sebring and Justin Reyes, with Pebble Pup the beloved object. Field trips are the favorite mode of Dylan Reyes, to take part in our Pebble Pup pro- searching out new loves, but no collector is above attendgram. ing speed-dating events like the Tucson and Quartzsite We welcome all our new members! shows. Lapidaries are not to be left out; they’re just as ready to play the field of rough rock offerings at a wellHospitality stocked show.

This is my first experience as Membership Chair When people put in the hours and effort it takes to and I hope to help make all our new members feel organize a quality rock and gem show, they must harbor welcome and a part of our wonderful hobby. We some pretty strong feelings. The enthusiasm of VGMS have many experienced members who are more than volunteers indicates that their interest in the hobby is happy to share their experiences. We encourage all more than just a passing fancy. new members to get involved in all the activities. Our When the show comes around on March 2–3, we upcoming show is a great place to get started, as there can be assured that love’s labors won’t be lost. are many areas needing help, and it is a good opportunity to get to know everyone.

FEBRUARY: Nancy & Jim Brace-Thompson

MARCH: Laura Driskell APRIL: OPEN

PIXABAY.COM

Refreshment Schedule

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Thank you! to everyone who gathered on February 3 for our final show planning meeting: Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson, Angela and Luther Brown, John and Diane Cook, Kathryn Davis, Laura Driskell, Shirley Layton, David Mautz, Richard Slyker, Lynn Varon, Terry Wilson, and Dick and Phyllis White. All signs are Thank you! to everyone who helped during our Kids’ “go” for a great show!

Booth Prep Day on January 26 for our upcoming show: Stuart Bloom, Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson, Angela Thank you! to all who helped install a display at E.P. Brown, Diane Cook, Kathryn Davis, Gary Leberknight, Foster Library to publicize our club and show: Jim Troy Schmidt, Richard Slyker, Dick and Phyllis White, and Nancy Brace-Thompson, Angela Brown, John and Terry Wilson, and rockhound Symon. Some members Diane Cook, Laura Driskell, and David Springer. The polished agates and petrified wood ends, while others display will be in place through February and might reorganized Kids’ Booth supplies. main through March, as well. Check it out!

Thank you! to Greg Davis, Luther Brown, and John Cook for helping to make the clubhouse usable on Saturday, January 19, by getting rid of all the leaves that had fallen in the front yard and in front of the saw room! Who knew there were still that many leaves still on the trees?

JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTOS

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Thank you! to Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson for rock Thank you! to Lisa Batchelder-Hetrick, Stuart Bloom, donations and to fellow club members for financial do- Jim Brace-Thompson, Cindy Martin, and Terry Wilson nations to help clubs affected by the Camp Fire. (Story for their donations of egg cartons for the Kids’ Booth. on page 10.)

Thank you! to all who gathered at the clubhouse on a Thank you! to Erin Valenzuela and the California Oil rainy February 10 to assemble grab bags for our upcomMuseum for some great activities at our January Pebble ing show’s Kids’ Booth: Jim and Nancy Brace­ThompPups Program! (Story on page 9.) son, Angela Brown, Kathryn Davis, Shirley Layton, and Dick and Phyllis White.

Thank you! to David Mautz for donating two bags of shark teeth for the Kids’ Booth. David also donated sev- Thank you! to Shirley Layton, Susan Slyker, and Angela eral gastropods from Florida and a book on Arizona Brown for getting together on February 11, to price more mines for the Ways and Means table. wonderful items for our Show’s Country Store.

Thank you! to Ray and CJ Quitoriano for a big donation to our club rock pile! (Story on page 10.)

Know of someone—even yourself—who has gone out of their way to help the club? Email a thank-you note to our newsletter editor so that a pat on the back can be passed along!

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MEETING MINUTES VGMS Regular Meeting: January 23, 2019 Meeting Minutes of the January 23, 2019 VGMS General Meeting, Poinsettia Pavilion, Ventura.

Called to order at 7:32 p.m., Nancy Brace-Thompson, Presiding. Nancy led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Recording: Motion to accept November and December meeting minutes, as printed in the bulletin, by Jared McGowan.

Motion seconded, approved.

Hospitality: 23 members, 2 guests (Amy Liest and Sharon Winnett) signed in.

President’s Comments: 1. Nancy introduced herself as the new President of VGMS. 2. Congratulations to Jim Brace-Thompson, 2019-20 1st VP, AFMS. 3. Nancy showed a can for donations of spare change, to donate to Paradise and Feather River clubs who lost all their collections and equipment in the Camp Fire.

The Board will discuss donating more to the clubs.

4. January 26: Show prep for Kids’ Booth at workshop, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

5. January 31: Foster Library display setup at 5:30 p.m.

6. Exhibitor Forms for the March VGMS show are available on back table. Richard would like them turned in tonight.

7. February 3: Show meeting at workshop, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

8. February 17: Field trip to Tajiguas Beach.

9. February 23: Show poster distribution in downtown Ventura, starting at 10 a.m.

10. The CFMS show and conference is coming up in March, and you must sign up now to exhibit.

11. Refreshment Chair needs volunteers to sign up for the year, sheet on the back table. Tonight’s refreshments were provided by Jenifer Russell.

Program: John Cook.

Tonight is our traditional Show & Tell, where members can share what they found on field trips, worked on at the workshop, or found at a show.

1. Jeff Miller shared two of the jade pieces he found at

his favorite spot near San Simeon. He collects Suiseki pieces, water- or nature-formed rocks.

2. Kathryn Davis showed us the piece of Japanese jade that she got from the Jade Festival.

3. Diane Cook shared her story of finding a rhodochrosite bowl at Quartzsite, walking away from it, and having it bought away from her. Her bowl case has been growing over the past year.

4. Nancy and Jim Brace-Thompson went to Scotland to see their first grandson last year, and went to a store in Edinburgh, Mr. Wood’s Rock Shop. Their rock hunting went well; they found coprolite and fossil fish. Nancy also showed an amethyst specimen that was polished all around, which she found in Quartzsite.

5. Stuart Bloom shared his story of going to Japan to visit his children’s new Jewish deli. He looked everywhere for rocks, and finally came to a bookstore. He asked about books about rocks and was directed to the rock store downstairs! He got some lovely specimens.

6. Sharon Winnett brought in some of the pieces that she found up north and on the Rincon beach.

7. David Mautz shared the year’s haul of fossils, purchased at shows or curated at museums. He traveled to several shows during the year, and showed us amber from the Miocene Era, ammonites, and other fantastic finds.

8. Harrison Tasoff showed us the small pieces of jade and serpentine that he found when he went out jade hunting with Jeff Miller. He hopes to get to Tucson next month.

9. John Cook shared information and specimens from two field trips he went on this year. The North Cady mountains trip, on which he accompanied Bill DePue of Diamond Pacific, had chalcedony and gorgeous jaspers. The second trip, to the South Cady mountains near Ludlow, yielded abundant agate and jaspers in many patterns and colors. Both trips are being considered by the tri-club field trip chairs this year, so if you are interested, preregister at www.whoscoming.com/VGMS. John also reminded us to be considerate of the land and the owners of areas where we rockhound.

Refreshment break (by Jenifer Russell) and Ways & Means drawing.

New Business: None

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MEETING MINUTES Old Business: Taxes are being worked on.

Officer & Committee Reports: 1. Programs, John Cook: February’s General Meeting is a review of the Show. March meeting is TBD. 2. Field Trips, Luther Brown: First trip of 2017 is Tajiguas Beach, Saturday, February 17, 9 a.m. This trip is for fossilized whale bone, with easy access to the beach.

Dress in layers. Sign up on www.whoscoming.com/ vgms so you can keep track of trips and get reminders. March: Castle Butte, Kramer Junction. April: Cady Mountains, near Ludlow.

3. Show Chair, Diane Cook/Richard Slyker: Show meeting is just before setup day on Thursday. Need donations for raffle (small, $25 retail value). Getting exhibitors signed up. Sign-up sheets will be out at the Show meeting.

4. Treasurer, Diane Cook: Working on taxes today.

Just took over the books, so ask if you want to know balances.

5. Secretary, Laura Driskell: Minutes from November and December 2018 were published in the bulletin. A spelling correction is required in the minutes for December: McKayla Mabry’s first name was misspelled. A motion was made to accept the minutes, with correction, by Jared McGowan, seconded and passed.

6. Federation Director, Kathryn Davis: Everything is

about the CFMS Show coming up at the Pomona Fairplex. VGMS sponsors the Novice Award, so it would be nice to see a Ventura member win that award.

7. Bulletin Editor: Deadline is 10th of the month. Please submit photos for cover. A PDF of the corrected club calendar will be sent out.

8. Ways & Means raised $73 tonight. Good job, members!

9. Website/Parliamentarian, Terry Wilson: Not present; Jim Brace-Thompson reporting. Nominations from SBCC have come in, and a student named Diana Valentino, a Geology major, has been selected as a good candidate. The Board will consider and vote.

10. Education/Outreach/Archivist, Jim Brace-Thompson: Pebble Pups had a great meeting with the California Oil Museum, about the effects of earthquakes on the local landscape.

11. Library, Angela Brown: List of library books is available on the website.

Next General Meeting will be held Wednesday, February 27, at the Poinsettia Pavilion.

There being no further business, President Nancy Brace-Thompson adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted on January 23, 2019.

Laura Driskell, Recording Secretary

VGMS Board Meeting: February 7, 2019 Meeting Minutes of the February 7, 2019 VGMS Board Meeting, Poinsettia Pavilion, Ventura.

Called to order at 7:30 p.m., Nancy Brace-Thompson, Presiding. Terry Wilson, Nancy and Jim Brace-Thompson, Richard Slyker, Shirley Layton, Diane and John Cook, Luther and Angela Brown, David Mautz (guest), Lynn Varon, and Laura Driskell were in attendance.

3. Property tax work will be continued by Diane and Nancy after the March show.

4. CFMS Show coming up on second weekend of March. Motion by Richard Slyker to purchase the Novice trophy (Diane to order) in anticipation of the CFMS Show award. Motion seconded and carried.

5. Nancy spoke about the Feather River and Paradise clubs losing their club equipment, show trailer, Old Business: rocks and tumblers. Tony Fender, of the CFMS, will 1. Discussion regarding purchase of new Genies with transport the donations from our show. Nancy asked larger motors, available in April. The question is wheth- about the donations that we can make to the clubs. er to reserve a couple of them as they are produced. Mo- The donation can that she had out at the membership tion to discuss multiple purchases with Don DePue, by meeting collected about $40. She asked for a motion Luther Brown, seconded and carried. to donate a round amount of $100 or more to both 2. Resale license will be pursued by Diane and Nancy, clubs. Motion made by Luther Brown, seconded and with changes necessary to the By-Laws. carried.

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MEETING MINUTES New Business: 1. Clubhouse Repairs: a. Porch roof repair is done, thanks to Richard Slyker. b. Floor in kitchen needs to be shored up. It will need to be opened and rebuilt or patched. c. Saw room roof needs repair for leaks. It has been patched in the past and will need to be repatched.

Shop stewards should look it over this Sunday.

2. Nancy called for members to volunteer for a ByLaws committee soon.

3. A former member has passed away and his family is asking for rockhound clubs to come purchase his collection. The offer will be published in the bulletin. (See page 17.)

Officer & Committee Reports: 1. 1st VP, Programs, John Cook: February, Show meeting. March, Richard Slyker on self-taught silversmithing tips.

2. 2nd VP, Field Trips, Luther Brown/Adrian Ruiz: Tajiguas Beach, February 17, 9 a.m., at low tide. An alternate date of March 17 is set, in case of bad weather.

Adrian will check into the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits and the L.A. Natural History Museum.

3. 3rd VP, Show, Diane Cook/Richard Slyker: Saturday, February 23, 9:45 a.m., will be poster distribution day before the Show. Posters have been printed, and more postcards have been ordered. The Gold Prospector Club is coming to demonstrate and needs two camping spaces. Girl Scouts will attend the Show to get their badges. Jim will purchase a ¼-page ad in the Ventura Breeze. Diane and Angela will promote a Facebook ad.

4. Treasurer, Diane Cook: Just getting into the books.

5. Secretary, Laura Driskell: Motion to accept January meeting minutes by Diane Cook, seconded and approved.

6. Membership, Shirley Layton: Application for membership, Nicole Sebring and Justin Rogers and their Pebble Pup, Dylan. Motion by Kathryn Davis to accept the application, seconded and approved. Dues are due for next year.

7. Federation Director, Kathryn Davis: CFMS show will be held in March 2019, hosted by Pasadena at the Pomona Fairplex. The AFMS show will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in April 2019.

8. Bulletin Editor, Lynn Varon: Deadline is the 10th.

Articles about the show are coming in.

9. Website, Terry Wilson: Website is updated, has show info and field trip sign-ups.

10. Library, Angela Brown: No report.

11. Refreshments, Jenifer Russell: (not present) Signup sheet is circulating and is filling up.

12. Educational Outreach/Museum, Jim BraceThompson: Science Night on Friday, March 22, at Topa-Topa Elementary, Ojai. Jim will present magnets and magnetic minerals. Request from S.T.E.M. Night at Florrie Elementary, Moorpark, 6-8 p.m., February 21.

For February 24, a request from an individual to take a field trip with his grandchild. David Andrews, from the Scottish Gem & Mineral Society will be visiting for the period around the Cady Mountain trip, so he might be able to attend that.

13. Parliamentarian/Scholarship, Jim Brace-Thompson/Terry Wilson: SBCC has selected a scholarship candidate for the VGMS scholarship. Motion by Richard Slyker to approve Diana Valentino as our 2019 scholarship awardee. Motion seconded and carried.

14. Pebble Pup committee, Lisa Hetrick/Jim BraceThompson: January’s meeting was about earthquakes.

February trip might be to Tajiguas Beach for whale bone and fossils.

15. Archivist, Jim Brace-Thompson: 2018 Binder is completed. Started a new binder for 2019.

16. Shop Steward, John Cook: The flat lap is in, and the equipment is ready to use.

Next Board Meeting will be Thursday, March 14, 2019, 7:30 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion.

Next General Meeting will be held Wednesday, February 27, 2019, 7:30 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion.

There being no further business, President Nancy Brace-Thompson adjourned the meeting at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, February 7, 2019 Laura Driskell, Recording Secretary

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OUR 2019 GEM SHOW ting up your case: liners or cloth, risers, masking tape, duct tape, your specimens, labels for identifying your specimens, a name label, and a lot of enthusiasm—it’s contagious!)

Lunch fixings will be available in the afternoon. Then we’ll have our annual Show dinner at the end of the day, between 6 and 7 p.m. If you would like to assist in preparCountdown to Showtime: ing and serving, call Laura DrisHow You Can Help kell. The club will provide the main

By Jim Brace-Thompson, course, bread, salad and drinks, Show Publicity Chair and we ask club members to donate desserts, so bring an appetite, along with something sweet to share (bee’re now counting the days play cases, arranging the Hospitali- sides yourself!). We’ll also present to our Annual Show. Here’s ty, Silent Auction, and Kids’ booths, our Scholarship Award to student what’s left in our timeline: setting up the Country Store and Diana Valentino (Santa Barbara City College). Join in applauding Plant Sale, etc.

Getting the Word Out: We’ll have lunch fixings for Diana!

Today through March 3 everyone helping. We have signTell friends, family, co-workers, up sheets for our Show stations, so Showtime! March 2–3 and people you don’t even know consider how you can best help and (Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; about the Show. Pick up flyers at come prepared to volunteer, or call Sun. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) our February meeting or call Jim Diane Cook to see where help is Diane has created sign-up sheets for Show jobs, and we’re also depending Brace-Thompson to get some, and most needed. on volunteers to help upon arrival post them at work or on public during the Show. See what hours bulletin boards, and give them to Move-in: Friday, March 1 are open at each station and fill in acquaintances. Do all you can to (all day and evening, until 10 p.m.) get folks to the Fairgrounds.

We’ll open doors to dealers, dem- where needed. Or pick an activity In addition to our postcard fly- onstrators and exhibitors to begin that interests you, then call the comers, we have posters that can be setup at noon. We need folks in mittee chair today to offer your help. taped to car windows to create mo- the morning to welcome and direct For instance: bile billboards. dealers and guests. This is also the • Hospitality. Welcome people to day for us to set up our own dis- the show, give them the show proSetup: Thursday, February 28 plays. If you haven’t yet signed up to gram, tell them a bit about our club, (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.) enter a display, check with Richard invite them to purchase raffle tickets Please, everyone who is able, take Slyker to see if space is still avail- for our Donation Awards drawing, a day or half-day off on Thursday able. We need an accurate count of and tell them about our Country to assist in setup and share the exhibitors to put together a layout Store, as well as other aspects of the workload! Some jobs are physical- and make sure we have enough club show. Contact Diane Cook. ly demanding, but many are not, cases to go around, and we need this • Teacher/Scavenger Hunt and we need all hands on deck. info in advance to print in the Show Station. In a corner of the HospiThe Fairgrounds will lay out program. You don’t need a big col- tality Booth, welcome teachers and tables. Still, we need help mov- lection to make an attractive display, give them free rock samples and ing supplies from Camp Comfort, so if you’ve never displayed before, educational packets, and help kids draping tables and assembling dis- don’t be shy! (What to bring for set- pick prizes after they complete a

JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTO

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OUR 2019 GEM SHOW “showy” stuff you would see in a store window. We want to entice people to enter our raffle, so please help by donating a truly nice prize.

Bring it to the Hospitality Booth during setup on Friday.

• Silent Auction: rough material for lapidary work, large petrified wood pieces, large mineral specimens, etc. The showier the material, the higher the bids will be. We’ll get much of this from our club rock pile, but we can always use donations. Bring them to the Silent Auction booth.

• Kids’ prizes: small pieces of jewelry, tumbled stones, polished slabs, fossils, mineral specimens, etc. are needed as prizes, along with plastic and paper grocery bags. Bring them to the Kids’ Booth.

• Country Store: garage sale sorts of items (but no clothes), as well as magazines and books, and grocery bags for people to carry away their purchases in.

• Plant sales: plants, cuttings, and related materials, as well as cardboard flats and plastic and paper

scavenger hunt. We also have some coloring books for sale to teachers, parents and kids. Contact Jim Brace-Thompson.

• Kids’ Booth. Help Dick and Phyllis White run activities for kids. We need help managing the spinning wheel, grab bag sales, egg carton collections, sand sifting, and other activities. This booth becomes especially hectic, so we need four to six people in it at all times.

• Silent Auction. Ron Wise, John Cook, Greg Davis, and their great team seek help running our silent auction. We’ll need folks to announce auctions each hour, take money for items, and set out new items.

• Country Store. Help with sales of “gently used” items! Check with Shirley Layton and her team to ensure yet another successful store this year—it’s one of our major sources of income!

• Plant Sale. Check with Terry Wilson to volunteer to donate and help sell plants.

• Security. Throughout the show, we ask members to circulate in yellow T-shirts to present a visible security presence and to watch for sticky fingers. Check with Luther “The Enforcer” Brown.

grocery bags for people to pack their purchases in.

Dismantling: Sunday, March 3, 4 p.m. until it’s done!

It ain’t over ’til it’s over! Please don’t pack up and run at the end of the Show. We need strong arms to reverse what we did on Thursday, packing everything and returning it to its place. To thank everyone, we’ll have our annual pizza party once everything is packed away.

Receipts

If you’ve incurred expenses for jobs you’ve done on behalf of the Show, submit all receipts to show treasurer Nancy Brace-Thompson within 10 days of the Show so she can balance the books.

THANK YOU!!

Finally, a big thank-you to each Show committee member for work done to date, as well as to each club member, dealer, demonstrator, and guest exhibitor. It’s shaping up to be a great show, and we’ll see you at the Fairgrounds!

We need everyone to bring donations. In particular, we’ll need your help with: • Desserts for the Show dinner on Friday evening. Bring them to the kitchen.

• Cookies, donuts and danishes to provide near the coffee area throughout the Show. Bring them to the kitchen.

• Raffle prizes: mineral and fossil specimens, lapidary work, and other

JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTO

Donations

You don’t need a big collection to put together an attractive display.

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PEBBLE PUPS Upcoming Activities for Our Pebble Pup Program in 2019

By Pebble Pup Program Committee

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e have tentatively scheduled the following activities for the remainder of 2019:

By Jim Brace-Thompson

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ids! Do you have a favorite rock or fossil in your collection? Have you been on a fun field trip lately to collect rocks? Have you visited a museum with mineral or fossil displays, and if so, what did you like about it? What’s your birthstone and what do you know about it?

We welcome a brief article (just a paragraph will do) about a topic that interests you for publication in our newsletter. If you have a related photograph, send that in, too! We also invite you to give a brief presentation at one of our monthly Pebble Pups meetings and/or at one of our regular club meetings as a show-and-tell.

Just bring a favorite rock and tell us why you like it!

Not only is writing an article or giving a presentation fun and educational, it will help you earn a Communications badge through the Future Rockhounds of America (FRA) program. Plus, your newsletter article just might get submitted to the statewide CFMS Bulletin Contest to win a trophy or certificate! What interests you most about our fun hobby? Share that interest with your fellow club members—and earn a reward or two in the process!

February 16: Show Prep/Field Trip Prep February 17: Field trip to collect fossil whale bone March 2-3: VGMS Show March 16: Field Trip to Upper Ojai April 20: Maps/Geocaching May 18: Wire-wrapped Jewelry June 15: Rockhound Rendezvous Picnic and Silent Auction July TBD: La Brea Tar Pits (tentative) July 13: Earth Resources and Hardrock Mining July 31-August 11: Ventura County Fair August 17: Dinosaurs

By Pebble Pup Program Committee

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ids had a rocking good time at our January Pebble Pup Program! Erin Valenzuela of the California Oil Museum in Santa Paula brought a whole host of hands-on activities, including fault blocks, liquefaction bowls, and frequency springs. Kids received cardstock sheets that they could take home to color and cut out to craft their own fault blocks to simulate strikeslip faults, reverse faults, and other types.

VGMS member Jim BraceThompson manned a table to provide a brief introduction to plate tectonics, a major underlying cause of earthquakes. All 16 participating kids earned the AFMS/ FRA Earth Processes badge.

We hope to see all Pebble Pups at our field trip to Tajiguas Beach in February to collect 15 millionyear-old petrified whale bone and earn their Field Trips badge!

September 21: Gem Hunt/ Birthstones October 19: Earth in Space/ Meteorites November 16: Santa Barbara Natural History Museum (tentative) December TBD: Holiday Party Please note that the schedule is subject to change. Current information will be published in the newsletter, sent via email, and posted to Facebook prior to events. RSVPs are greatly appreciated to assist us in planning.

JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTO

Seeking Articles and Presentations by Pebble Pups and Junior Members

Pebble Pup Program Tackles Earthquakes in January

Jim Brace-Thompson teaches Pebble Pups about plate tectonics.

Volume 65, No. 2, February 2019 ED .O CA LIF .F

AL GIC LO RA NE MI

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Rockhound Rambling

FEDERATION NEWS

SOCIETIES

If you can help with similar donations, please bring buckets or boxes of rocks to our VGMS Show to pass along to Tony, who will be participating as one of our show demonstrators. We also wish to thank all club members who gave to our donation jar at our January meeting to provide a financial offering to the affected clubs. We will pass the jar around one more time at our February meeting, and our VGMS Board is considering a donation on behalf of the entire club.

Helping Fellow Federation Clubs Affected by the Camp Fire

By Jim & Nancy Brace-Thompson

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PIXABAY.COM

he Camp Fire in Northern California proved devastating to members of the Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Club and the Paradise Gem & Mineral Club.

In response to a call for donations from the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS), Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson are donating three 5-gallon buckets of lapidary rough, plus two buckets of tumbling rough, which CFMS President Tony Fender Thank you in advance for helping out our fellow will pick up at our show to transport to our fellow rock- Federation clubs that suffered loss due to the Camp hounds up north.

Fire.

Augmenting Our Club Rock Pile, Thanks to the Quitorianos

By Jim & Nancy Brace-Thompson

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JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTO

n a blustery cold and rainy January 12, Nancy and I drove to Rosamond to the home of Ray and CJ Quitoriano. Ray and CJ have been fixtures at our annual VGMS show. Ray demonstrates sphere making, while CJ demos lampwork bead forging. They recently flew to a new home in Hawaii, with promises to return to continue demonstrating at shows.

Before departure, they had a backyard rock pile to dispose of—they’d already shipped seven 55-gallon drums of rocks to Hawaii—and they invited VGMS to pick through their pile for free. Thus, Nancy and I now have nine 5-gallon buckets of material to use for our Show Kids’ Booth, educational outreach, teacher station, and silent auctions.

As a bonus, our Australian shepherd, Symon, got a reunion with his mom, Roxie, at his birthplace. They enjoyed romping around as we picked through the rocks, and Roxie now shakes her tail feathers in hula dances as a Hawaiian dog. Anyone up for a field trip to visit Ray Picking through Ray and CJ’s rock pile for donations to VGMS. and CJ’s new home?

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Is It Whalebone or Whale Bone?

What you can expect to find on the field trip to Tajiguas Beach.

Field Trip Chair Luther Brown describes the whale bone at Tan February 17, members jiguas Beach as being somewhat of the VGMS, OGMS and porous, looking like the cross CGMC will take a field trip to section of a bone in a steak. “The Tajiguas Beach, north of Santa cell structure looks like bundles of Barbara, to collect the petrified reeds: a bunch of small holes in one remains of whales, among other end that might be filled completely things. Will we find whalebone or partially with quartz, and long or whale bone, though? Is there a structures along the sides. The difference? holes and tubelike structure are Around 33 million years ago, visible without a loupe.” whales lost their teeth. For about Color, he says, can vary de7 million years, they were reduced pending on the minerals present to gumming their food, until evoin a location. “Locally, the bone is lution fitted them with dentures grey/brown/reddish; at Jalama, it’s in the form of baleen, also called yellow/white; and at El Capitan, whalebone. it’s red/black.”

These giants of the ocean eat Pieces of whale bone can be tiny meals—tiny in the sense that The cell structure is visible in the petrified whale bone from Tajiguas Beach. any shape, especially when they the plankton that form the stahave been tumbled in the ocean. ple of a baleen whale’s diet reach “Sometimes,” says Luther, a maximum size of 1 mm. Baleen “vertebrae are found, minus the consists of hundreds of plates of upper and side projections, which keratin—the protein that also are rarely preserved. They are barforms the basis of hair, fingernails, rel-shaped, and have two or three horns and hooves—embedded in ridges running lengthwise where the whale’s mouth. Because keratin the projections were. has a fibrous structure, the plates “Ribs, lower jawbones, and fray into a dense mat of hairlike pieces of vertebral projections are fibers that serve to trap food. Like all flat. Vertebrae that are almost most soft tissues, baleen does not whole are the size of a basketball!” usually fossilize, so it is poorly repSome of the material comes resented in the fossil record. from the nearby cliffs, but some Whale bones comprise the of it erodes out of bedrock that is skeletal structure that support underwater. At Jalama Beach, says and protect the mammal’s soft tisThe frayed ends of the whalebone trap food, Luther, vertebrae embedded in sues. Bone is composed mostly of which the animal then swallows. boulders are visible at low tide. minerals like calcium and phosNow that you know, you’ll be able to label your phorus, with organic inclusions—blood cells, collagen and fat—filling the matrix (openings) between bone whale bone specimens correctly. What a difference a cells. After the animal’s death, the organic components space makes! decompose, leaving openings in the remaining mineralized material. When bone is buried in sediment, in- Note: Bad weather can result in the cancellation or postponement vading solutions deposit minerals like silica and iron in of a field trip. Be sure to preregister at www.whoscoming.com/VGMS these pores, resulting in fossilization, or petrification. to receive updates. If necessary, this trip will be moved to March 17.

By Lynn Varon

DAVID MONNIAUX PHOTO

LUTHER BROWN PHOTO

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Volume 65, No. 2, February 2019

Rockhound Rambling

ROCKHOUND RAMBLINGS In this section of our newsletter, we encourage articles from every club member. The intent is to provide a spot for sharing everyone’s rambles. Where have you rambled lately? Far and wide or close to home, we invite you to share your stories each month!

Quartzsite 2019

By Jim & Nancy Brace-Thompson

months as a result of its annual shows.

Basically, Quartzsite is one humungous tailgate, GMS was well represented at Quartzsite 2019. Sevwith 2,000 open-air booths spread across the desert. It’s eral members hauled trailers and pitched camp for something of a prelude to the international gem shows the long haul—for instance, Ron Wise, Shirley Layton, that are held each February in Tucson, but prices are John and Diane Cook, and Cindy Adams. Other memmuch more friendly to ordinary rockhounds than in bers made short-term trips of just a day or two. We were Tucson, where dealers test “what the market will bear” among the latter, heading out for the weekend of Janufor the coming year. At Quartzsite, you’ll find more ary 5-7 with our mom, who was visiting from Nebraska, mom-and-pop dealers offering reasonable prices, but and our sister Janelle, visiting from Pine Valley, along with Symon, the rockhound (emphasis on “hound”).

Our 87-year-old mom has had a Quartzsite visit on her bucket list for some time, and we were happy to oblige.

For those who don’t know, at the beginning of each year, Quartzsite, Arizona, near the California border, becomes a legendary gathering spot for all things rock-related, along with flea markets, bazaars, classic car and RV sales, and various festivities. (Camel races, anyone?) Snowbirds from across the United States and Canada flock there. Some camp on the desert floor for weeks at a time in RVs, and others take up residence in hotels. A word of advice: Blythe, California, is probably your best bet for finding a hotel, but book early! As we were checking out, we overheard the clerk tell a person checking in that rates had just increased for the remain- While in Quartzsite, check out the local attractions, like the der of the month. From a population of 4,000, Quartz- tomb of Hi Jolly. site balloons to over 1 million residents in the winter many don’t start rising until 9 a.m. and booths slowly begin opening at 10 or later. With an official closing time of 5 p.m., you have seven hours, max, to visit the dealers spread across several venues on both sides of Interstate 10. Then be prepared for long waits at local restaurants, since everyone hits them at once!

Some further advice: Figure out what you want to see and see it! Don’t dillydally. A helpful aid to pick up on arrival is the “Quartzsite EZ-Guide”. This pamphlet provides a list of dealers and maps of their locations.

We also recommend talking with club members who have been there and checking listings on the internet.

All this will help you reap the most from your time. We hit just two of the venues, and even with a little over two days, we never got to all the dealers at each one. Still, we made some great deals, especially Mom, who had a Perusing the offerings of one dealer’s wares at Quartzsite.

JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTOS

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ROCKHOUND RAMBLINGS

JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTOS

strict mandate: Pay no more than $2 for any individual item. I had no idea as to the bargaining power of an old lady with a cane who was fully prepared to walk away.

Kids! Listen and learn from your mom!

Once you get saturated by rocks and your eyes glaze over, take a break and check out local attractions. For instance, visit the pyramid gravesite of Hi Jolly (Haji Ali), the Syrian camel driver enlisted to help the U.S. Army start a short-lived Camel Corp prior to the Civil War. (The endeavor was headed by a guy named Jefferson Davis, who was then U.S. Secretary of War.) There are also collecting spots for quartz crystals, copper minerals, desert roses, and other minerals.

And you’ll find intaglios north of Blythe and Quartzsite. Intaglios are gigantic “ground drawings” etched into desert pavement and best appreciated from the sky.

Why ancient Native Americans inscribed these remains a mystery. Was it to appeal to the eyes of gods in the sky—or to aliens hovering overhead in spacecraft? Similar intaglios are found in South America, the chalk hills of England, and elsewhere. Those near Quartzsite are the only examples in North America. And for a weird and wacky experience on the way home, check out the Cabazon Dinosaurs off I-10. Next year, journey to Quartzsite! Revel in the rocks and enjoy the weirdness and the mystery!

A big attraction of Quartzsite is the mom-and-pop dealers, who offer great deals!

Geology on Display at Arroyo Burro Beach Park

By Jim Brace-Thompson

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hile seeking a new off-leash playground over the holidays for our Aussie, Nancy and I stumbled upon Arroyo Burro Beach Park (also referred to as Hendry’s Beach) in the Mesa district of Santa Barbara.

Not only did Symon have fun romping across the sand, we had fun observing a number of neat geological features as we rambled along the beach.

Cliffs there provide textbook examples of faulted and irregularly folded layers of the Monterey Formation, including small synclines and anticlines. The Monterey Formation is composed of siliceous siltstone, shale and diatomite and is a major source of oil in California. At Arroyo Burro, some fractures in the rock layers have been filled with tar mixed with pebbles, while other fractures have been filled with calcite minerals, producing beautifully layered travertine. Nancy and I would have been tempted to haul home a couple 200-pound samples for carving! For the sake of our backs, maybe it’s best that it is a public park, with no collecting allowed.

Despite the no-collecting status, this is a great spot to observe terrific examples of a number of geological features. You can access the park by taking the Las Positas Road exit from U.S. Highway 101. Head south on Las Positas to Cliff Drive, then turn right and you’ll come to the park entrance in a quarter mile. The beach and its features are written up in Sylvester and Gans’ Roadside Geology of Southern California (Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2016). This is a terrific book for anyone seeking to understand and appreciate the geology of our SoCal coast, mountains and deserts.

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Volume 65, No. 2, February 2019

Rockhound Rambling

EDUCATIONAL CORNER Definition of the Month:

Fossick, Fossicking and Fossicker Fos • sick – A verb of the English language used in the countries of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in reference to the act of searching or rummaging through anything in order to find facts, documents, or other material of substance or value.

Applies to the act of searching for gold, semiprecious metals, ore samples, gems, rocks, minerals, fossils, meteorites, treasures, or anything else of value that is hidden, buried, or widely dispersed on the earth’s surface or within the natural environment. The word has its root in the dialect of Cornwall, a county in South West England.

The word fossick is synonymous with these words and phrases: rummage, search about, scrabble about, feel around, forage around, fish about, poke around, scratch about, delve, grub around, dig, hunt, scour, look around, explore, sweep, probe, root about, and ferret about.

HTTP://WWW.GEMTREE.COM.AU

By Steve Mulqueen

“Fossicking” is the act of searching for naturally occurring, rock-related specimens as a hobby.

J.C. BURROW

reation, without intent to sell the samples or to utilize them for commercial purposes; an activity or hobby related to mineral collecting that is not affected by the Mining Acts and taxation laws of Australia, New ZeaFos • sick • ing – A verb that has the same meaning as land, or Cornwall. the American word “rockhounding”, as applied in Australia, New Zealand, and Cornwall. The act of searchFos • sick • er – A noun originally applied in reference to ing for naturally occurring, rock-related specimens as a miner working in placer gold deposits or in hardrock a hobby; the gathering of geologic specimens as a recmines. Also used to describe a rockhound who lives and applies his/her hobby, interests, search techniques, and extraction methods in Australia, New Zealand, or Cornwall.

The term “fossicker” is not to be confused with the term “prospector”. The prospector searches for precious metals and metallic ores for the purpose of making a profit and as the initial step in the process of mining.

The fossicker, in reference to rockhounding activity, is applying his/her search for a variety of naturally occurring rock/mineral specimens as a hobby, usually not for profit.

The term “fossicker” was originally applied to placer deposit or hardrock miners.

Definition of the Month features terms related to geology, paleontology, mining, and desert history. Refer to the Educational Corner pages of VGMS bulletins dating back to June 2001, available on the VGMS website (www.vgms. org), for other definitions.

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JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTOS

EDUCATIONAL CORNER

Sharon Winnett brought in some of the pieces that she found up north and on the Rincon beach.

Harrison Tasoff showed us the small pieces of jade and serpentine that he found when jade hunting with Jeff Miller.

What exactly do all these words mean? Well, I’ve just explained what an eclipse is. A “super” moon is when the moon’s orbit brings a full moon closest

By Jim Brace-Thompson to Earth, so it looks bigger and brighter than usulunar eclipse occurs when the moon and sun are al. During an eclipse, some light from the sun slips on opposite sides of our planet and Earth’s shad- through Earth’s atmosphere, which filters out blue ow briefly blots out the reflection of sunlight from the light, causing the shadow that spreads across the moon surface of the moon. While a total or partial eclipse to appear a coppery red; hence the term “blood moon”. of the moon is visible from somewhere on Earth on a A “wolf moon” is a full moon in January that causes fairly regular basis, a truly rare event hit North Amer- wolves to howl in hunger during a cold winter’s night. ica the night of January 20: a “super blood wolf moon The next full eclipse to be visible form North America eclipse”. takes place in 2021.

Did You Catch the Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse?

JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTOS

A

The eclipse of a Super Wolf Moon begins.

Earth’s shadow nearly completes its transit.

The “blood moon” in total eclipse.

Earth’s shadow begins to depart.

Earth’s shadow has nearly passed off.

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Volume 65, No. 2, February 2019

Rockhound Rambling

EDUCATIONAL CORNER Rock Pals Exchange with Alabama Club

By Jim Brace-Thompson

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JIM BRACE-THOMPSON PHOTO

he American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) Future Rockhounds of America program sponsors the Patricia Egolf Rock Pals exchange program, whereby junior members of one club can exchange local rocks with kids in other clubs across the country.

In January, Terri Wilson of the Alabama Mineral & Lapidary Society asked if we might be interested, and so I prepared and sent her a medium-size flat-rate box containing specimens of howlite, Apache tears obsidian, Pine Mountain fossil sand dollars, serpentine, and two different sand samples from local beaches.

Terri has sent her thanks and promises a box of goodies to exchange with our VGMS Pebble Pups. VGMS sends a Box o’ Rocks to exchange with the Alabama Mineral & Lapidary Society.

Watch for an update once their box arrives!

BENCH TIPS

By Brad Smith

Avoiding Buffer Mess

Find more Bench Tips by Brad Smith at Facebook.com/BenchTips/, or see all Brad’s jewelry books at Amazon.com/author/bradfordsmith.

BRAD SMITH PHOTOS

Buffing is one of the dirtier operations in jewelry making. If you work inside your home, buffer mess from lint and polish can be a problem.

One solution is to buy a dust-collecting system, but they can be large and expensive. I have a practical—and, I think, a more economical—approach.

I use the the 3-M Radial Bristle Disc system, specifically the 2-inch or 3-inch-diameter, 6-ply wheels. The blue disc (400 grit) does a nice job at prepolishing, the peach (6 micron) begins the polishing, and the lightgreen (1 micron) finishes it well. You’ll like the way these discs reduce the amount of dust and lint caused by buffing, and a side benefit is that you don’t have to wash off any waxy grime between grit levels.

Wheels can be mounted on a regular buffer or on an old motor from a yard sale using a tapered spindle adaptor. They can also be used in a Foredom with a ¼-inch shaft mandrel that matches the ¼-inch hole size in the brushes.

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Volume 65, No. 2, February 2019

CHIPS & BOULDERS

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CLUB MERCHANDISE

Got something to sell, trade or barter for? Send your brief articles to the editor at VGMSeditor@gmail.com by the 10th of the month.

VGMS has club T-shirts for sale.

The price is $12 for all VGMS members and $15 for any club member associated with CFMS.

ROCK SALE

Available in sizes S-M-L-XL-2X-3X.

March 9, 2019 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

No early birds, please.

Contact Diane Cook at johndianedaisy@yahoo. com to order.

All profits go directly to the VGMS.

1408 Norman Ave., Thousand Oaks, California Lots of high-quality rocks and geodes, self-collected over a lifetime of avid rock hunting. Includes gold sheen obsidian, mahogany obsidian, uncut septarian nodules, and Mexican coconuts. Sold by the pound at fire sale prices.

Our CafePress VGMS logo site also has many items available with the club poinsettia logo, as well as the popular “Rockhound” design. New items are available.

Visit www.cafepress. com/VtaGemSociety, or contact Angela at angeladbrown132@ gmail.com for more information.

Many rock/gem/mineral books and some equipment.

BRING YOUR OWN BUCKET.

Club Calendar for FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 Sunday FEBRUARY 17

Monday 18

Tuesday 19

Wednesday 20

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CFMS noncompetitive case forms due

27 Membership Meeting: 7:30-9:30pm

Happy birthday, Caleb J. & Jacob R.!

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4

5

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12

13 Happy birthday, Max S.!

CFMS Show, Pomona Fairplex

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28 Show setup at Fairgrounds: all day

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18 Happy birthday, Greg Davis!

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20 Happy birthday, Rebecca F.!

Saturday 23 Hand out show flyers, downtown Ventura: 9:45am

MARCH 1

2

Dealer/exhibitor movein, final setup: all day

VGMS ANNUAL SHOW

Happy birthday, Luther, Terry & Cena!

Show dinner: 6pm

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CFMS Show, Pomona Fairplex

CFMS Show, Pomona Fairplex

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Happy birthday, Miriam Tetreault & Martha Moran!

VGMS ANNUAL SHOW

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21

Friday

Happy birthday, Joe Randall!

Tajiguas Beach field trip: 9am-1pm

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Thursday

14 Board Meeting: 7:30pm

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Open Workshop Day/ Pebble Pups: 9am

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23 Tri-club field trip to Castle Butte

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Volume 65, No. 2, February 2019

Let’s Go To A Show!

Rockhound Rambling

Attending one of these shows? Please send photos and experiences to the editor at vgmseditor@gmail.com.

February 15–24: INDIO, CA San Gorgonio Mineral & Gem Society Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival 82-503 Highway 111 Hours: 10–10 daily Contact: Bert Grisham, (951) 849-1674 Email: bert67@verizon.net February 16–17: ANTIOCH, CA Antioch Lapidary Club Contra Costa County Fairgrounds 1201 West 10th Street Hours: 10–5 daily Contact: Brenda Miguel, (925) 301-6957 Email: brenda.miguel@yahoo.com Website: www.antiochlapidaryclub.com February 23–24: VALLEJO, CA Vallejo Gem & Mineral Society McCormack Hall, Solano County Fairgrounds 900 Fairgrounds Drive Hours: 10–5 daily Contact: Dan Wolke, (707) 334-2950 Email: dncwolke@sbcglobal.net Website: www.vjgems.org March 1–3: NEWARK, CA Mineral & Gem Society of Castro Valley Newark Pavilion 6430 Thornton Avenue Hours: Fri. & Sat. 10–6, Sun. 10–5 Contact: Beth Farmer, (510) 731-8664 Email: bethfarmer@aol.com Website: www.mgscv.org March 2–3: VENTURA, CA Ventura Gem & Mineral Society Ventura County Fairgrounds 10 West Harbor Blvd.

Hours: Sat. 10–5, Sun. 10–4 Contact: Diane Cook, (805) 312-8467 Email: info@vgms.org Website: www.vgms.org

March 8–10, 2019: POMONA, CA 80th CFMS SHOW & CONVENTION Hosted by the Pasadena Lapidary Society FairPlex, Building 6, Pomona, CA Hours: Fri. & Sat. 10–5, Sun. 10–4 March 8–10: VICTORVILLE, CA Victorville Valley Gem & Mineral Club Stoddard Wells Tailgate Highway 15/Stoddard Wells Road, off Dale Evans Pkwy.

Hours: 9–5 daily Contact: Brett Ward, (760) 243-2330 Email: info@vvgmc.org Website: www.vvgmc.org March 9–10: TURLOCK, CA Mother Lode Mineral Society, Modesto Stanislaus County Fairgrounds 900 North Broadway Hours: 10–5 daily Contacts: Bud & Terry McMillin, (209) 484-4416 Email: terry.mcmillin@yahoo.com Website: www.motherlodemineralsociety.com March 16–17: SAN JOSE, CA Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral Society Santa Clara County Fairgrounds 344 Tully Road Hours: 10–5 daily Contact: Sonia Dyer, (408) 629-5735 Email: sonia.dyer@sbcglobal.net Website: www.scvgms.org March 30–31: TORRANCE, CA South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society Ken Miller Recreation Center 3341 Torrance Blvd. (Madrona Ave. entrance) Hours: Sat. 10–5; Sun. 10–4 Contact: Kathy Polliard, (310) 533-4931 Email: kjpolliard@yahoo.com Website: southbaylapidaryandmineralsociety.com