Gem & Mineral show

Have you ever been to a Gem and Mineral show? I hadn't. My friend Kaye, whom I met in Colorado Springs when we boarded our horses together, is very active in the gem and mineral world. She and her husband Jack volunteer at the museum every week, classifying and cataloging the museum's contents. They also have their own fabulous collection, which they show (and win!) in shows all over the country! Who knew that you could show a bunch of rocks?

Kaye invited me to the show last Saturday. This particular show included fossils. She & Jack were hosts. I hadn't seen Kaye in months, so decided to spend some time with her, figuring that I could escape from the boredom to go riding after an appearance of an hour or two. I got there just before the show opened at 10a, and when we walked in, this is the first thing I saw. Yes, it's a walking, talking T-Rex (notice the guy).This is the second thing I saw...yes, it's a fossilized bird's nest, complete with eggs. It's real, and this is how it was found. Absolutely fascinating!
This is the third thing I saw, and I was HOOKED! Wow, this is a little fossilized dinosaur lizard, about 6 inches in length. I want one! Look at the expression on his tiny bony face!

It got better and better. One display of gems was a German crown! Diamonds, gold, pearls, sapphires...you name it, it's there!

This is one of the mineral displays.Close up of some of the fascinating mineral formations. I wish the colours had come out better--they were absolutely vibrant!

These little critters were found in sandstone. Yes, the antennae are intact--and standing!

Topaz is my birthstone. It's November's birthstone. My birthday is only 39 days away. Can't wait to turn 26...again!

Jack is not only a mineralologist, but also a silversmith and jewelry designer. Kaye also designs jewelry. Jack crafted the silver around the fossil, and Kaye etched the fish in the top. Isn't it lovely!

This was a salute to a squash blossom, with images of dinosaur footprints and skulls surrounding the stones.

This piece uses mineralized shells--real ones, not silver, in its design. I might like something like that for my birthday, which is coming up in just over a month.

I found a man selling geodes. I've always wanted one, and these were intact--you had no idea what you were getting until you cracked it open. I couldn't choose between two promising rocks, so I bought them both. The contraption uses a chain to crack the geode in half. That's Kaye next to me, watching to see what treasure we might find.

He's holding the geode steady in the chain, while I apply pressure.CRACK! My first geode had smoky quartz crystals with tissue-thin calciform "fans" crystalized during growth. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen--and so delicate that the slightest touch would disintegrate them! Amazing that they've survived inside the geode, through the mining and shipping--but once it's open, all protection is gone.My second geode had blue agate surrounding a light blueish-gray quartz, with another crystal -clear, with a dark brown mineral encapsulated inside, growing in the middle. It's almost like a birthday present!After the geodes, I found the gold panning display. I panned for about an hour, getting a small amount of gold and a lot of little stones, including periodote, quartz, agate, turquiose, and copper. Can't wait to go to a stream and try to find nature's bounty!Although I had planned to escape after only a few hours, I stayed until 6pm, when the show closed. I had a BLAST! Kaye was hoping to share her hobby and interest with me, and she totally succeeded. I'm planning to join one of the local mineral societies next week, and see if I can find my own fascinating collection!

Later that night, I went to see "Bella Gaia," which means "beautiful Earth." Kenji Williams, a Japanese film-maker and classically trained violinist, created the most amazing show by putting music he composed to space photos and film from NASA. The concert was at the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History, on the big overhead planetarium screen. The link is http://www.bellagaia.com/ . I know you don't have a lot of time, but really, this is worth looking at. It's about a 2-minute clip. If you ever have the chance to see this concert, go.

This was the Golden Gate Bridge this morning. I love the way it just barely juts out of the fog. Look at the way the fog swirls around the standards and up against the Bridge. Just like water currents, isn't it? By the way, my birthday is coming up.We were in Canada last night, and I picked up a tourism magazine. This is what they do in Alberta for fun. Wanna go??? Doesn't that sound like a good time?

Um, whatever you do today, don't get your head-smashed-in, OK? And in case you didn't know, I have a birthday coming up. You have 39 days to think of something special.