On our last trip we hiked in the Red Rock National Conservation Area, just west of Las Vegas. We were surprised to see so many wild flowers at this time of the year. But, the area did have a rare late summer rain. Pictured here are some poppies that were in bloom.
Today is the start of the Gem and Mineral Show here in Lakeside, California at the rodeo grounds. At times I will make the claim to people who enter our booth that they will see something that they have never seen before. With 3,800 known minerals and an endless way that many of them can be displayed or used, I doubt anyone could attend this show and not see something new. There are a variety of dealers sure to delight any collector.
Join us this weekend for the Gem & Mineral show in Lakeside, California. It will run Saturday and Sunday, at the rodeo grounds and is hosted by the El Cajon Gem and Mineral Society.
The Kokopelli god of fertility and harvest, played a flute and also known to play tricks on the early American people. The stone is an agate we collected in Nevada and the kokopeli is made of pewter.
Come enjoy the best show with the best climate. We
Emergency ladder in the “Diana” gold mine, located at the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State park, Nevada
Bats fluttered past our heads as we walked deeper into the mine. The only light was that provided by the flashlights we held. We walked slightly stooped over and the hard hats we wore scraped along the ceiling of the tunnel of this gold mine hand dug and blasted over 100 years ago.
Our tour guide, “Smokey,”a certified miner and ranger for the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State park in Nevada, stopped along the tour to point out this escape route. “In the event of a mine collapse and I am no longer with you,” Smokey told us, “this ladder will lead you to the surface.” The surface was hundreds of feet up these ladders!
Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park is located in rural Nevada near the town of Gabbs. We toured the fossil beds, the ghost town and mine this summer. The gold mine and ghost town is “Berlin.” and the “Ichthyosaur” are the dinosaur fossils discovered nearby. Explore this site online and plan it as part of an exciting wild west trip soon.
We are visiting family in Vegas, among other things, then off to Shoshone, California for their annual Western Days celebration as part of the “Old Fashioned” Art & Crafts show.
Our hobby on the road: Stained Glass Art, Minerals, Crystals, Jewelry, Rockhounding
