Opalite glass pendant with a western boot charm made by Sherry.
Critical, but stable was the report for several days. About three weeks ago we reported a fellow rockhound and vendor friend, Al, that had fallen I’ll at a show and airlifted to another hospital. Al has been through heart surgery and a pacemaker and is off to rehab. We are thankful for his ongoing recovery and ongoing prayer support.
The same day Al fell ill, the wife of one of that club’s members passed. Life is short. Make peace with God, who is love, love your neighbor as yourself and have a forgiving spirit.
Today we are in Shoshone, California for the Old West Days celebration. Music, food, arts, crafts, history, tours and more. Ye-Haw!
Selenite we collected outside the Gypsum Queen mine.
The Gypsum Queen mine was in operation at the same time the Cubs won the World Series in 1908. Fragile walls of gypsum, mined to make plaster, collapsed, killing two men, contributing to the mines closure.
Selenite, crystal gypsum, forms in layers within the sediment of this ancient lake bed. This beautiful crystal gets it’s name from the Greek, seline, for the moon. Ancient people believed Selenite was frozen moonlight. Others believed Selenite allowed it’s owner to have clearness of thought or wisdom. We collect it because it is beautiful.
Ancient alluvial flows remain, sculpted by wind and rain.
Today begins the craft and art show as part of Old West Days celebration, here in Shoshone. As one of the gateways to Death Valley National Park, we expect a busy weekend.
We descended 1,000 feet from desert vistas, through hundreds of feet of alluvial flow to be greeted by a hidden oasis of date palms. The China Ranch Date Farm is a family owned business within a lush oasis of palms, cottonwoods and willows. Fed by natural springs, the harvest season has just began. Over a dozen different variety of dates are available for sampling. After a short hike along the Amargosa River and through the groves of date palms, we returned to the gift shop and purchased several pounds. Sampling fresh dates was like eating candy. Want some? China Ranch has a website.
We are here for the Annual Old West Days in Shoshone, a sleepy mining town, along highway 127, just outside Death Valley National Park. The weather is awesome. It’s not too late to plan a weekend in the Amargosa Valley.
Our hobby on the road: Stained Glass Art, Minerals, Crystals, Jewelry, Rockhounding
