Friday, March 30, 2018

Apr & May 2018 Del Air Calendar of Events

Presidents Message:
Hello All,
We’re going to have a bit of a change in the layout of the calendar this month. Both April & May 2018 are combined into this one posting. 98% of the board members will be out of town at the Northwest Federation’s annual show in Yakima, Washington. We will be gone from approximately Tuesday April 24 returning on or about Sunday May 06…yes, we will be stopping at other exotic locales as well over this two-week period. Jeff & Emmy Silverman and Lavere Schmidt will be hosting the May meeting where Tony & Sandy Fender from the Pasadena Lapidary Society will give their presentation on Mount St. Helens. We will be back in time for the board meeting on Thursday May 19.                                    Chris Ward - President
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Del Air’s April 2018 Calendar

01: Easter Sunday: Colorful Eggs, Chocolate Bunnies & the Resurrection!  
05: General Meeting: 7:30 pm in our regular meeting room.
19: Board Meeting: TBD at the general meeting.
20: Starry Night Science Fair: 5:30 pm Chatsworth Park Elementary School
21: Lorne Street Elementary School Spring Fair: Volunteers…see Chris W. or Bob K.
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General Meeting: Thursday Apr 05, 2018
The meeting begins at 7:30 pm in our regular meeting room at:
Northridge United Methodist Church - 9650 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA        Guests are always welcome at our meetings and events however our annual Holiday Party in    December requires a prepaid reservation in advance.
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April 2018 Program:

“Geologic Wonders of New Zealand”
Presented By: Dick & Mary Pat Weber

Dick and Mary Pat Weber are retired exploration geologists who have worked and traveled extensively throughout North America, Australia and New Zealand. During these travels they have been granted special access to many mines and unique geologic areas. Along with active participation in local gem & mineral clubs, they have been avid agate and mineral collectors for more than 20 years.

When they say big things come in small packages they must have been referring to New Zealand.  With caves, glaciers, volcanoes, fiords, deserts, and geothermal features; it would be difficult to find so much geologic diversity packed within such a small geographic area anywhere else on this planet.

Dick & Mary Pat Weber, will take us on a tour of this fascinating country. In 2007 they spent four weeks exploring the two main islands of this tiny island nation that packs a big punch geologically.  

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General Meeting: Thursday May 03, 2018
The meeting begins at 7:30 pm in our regular meeting room at:
Northridge United Methodist Church - 9650 Reseda Blvd, Northridge,             Guests are always welcome at our meetings and events however our annual Holiday Party in December requires a prepaid reservation in advance.

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May 2018 Program:  
“Mount St Helens: A Before & After Look at the 1980 Eruption”
Presented By: Tony & Sandie Fender

In 1980 Mt St Helens erupted in a massive explosion. This presentation covers the mountain before the eruption, during the eruption and the aftermath of the eruption. The presentation also covers how nature has recovered with pictures of the mountain and wildlife today. Tony and Sandie Fender have traveled to the Mountain most years since the eruption to observe and document the regrowth of the environment. 

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Support Our Hobby...Attend a Local Show...

April 6, 7 & 8: VISTA, CA
Vista Gem & Mineral Society
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
2040 North Santa Fe Avenue
Hours: 9 - 5 daily
Contact: Kelly Hickman, (760) 622-6501
Email: kellyahickman@hotmail.com
Website: www.vistarocks.org
April 7 - 8: MARIPOSA, CA
Mariposa Gem & Mineral Society
Mariposa County Fairgrounds
5007 Fairgrounds Road (South of Mariposa off Hwy 49)
Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4
Contact: Meredith Meehan, (559) 868-3535
Email: mgmc@sti.net
Website: mariposagemclub.org
April 14 - 15: CHICO, CA
Paradise Gem & Mineral Society, Paradise
Silver Dollar Fairgrounds
2357 Fair Street
Hours: Sat 9 - 5; Sun 9 - 4
Contact: Carol Eggleston, (530) 343-0894
Email: cjeggy@chico.com
Website: www.paradisegem.org
April 21 - 22: THOUSAND OAKS, CA
Conejo Gem & Mineral Club
Borchard Park Community Center
190 Reino Road
Hours: 10 - 5 Saturday; 10 - 4 Sunday
Contact: Chuck Borchart, (805) 551-9946
Email: chuck.cgmctrips@gmail.com
Website: www.cgamc.org
April 21 - 22: PASO ROBLES, CA
Santa Lucia Rock Hounds
Paso Robles Event Center
2198 Riverside Ave.
Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4
Contact: Tina Clark, (805) 305-0246
Email: slrockhounds@gmail.com
Website: slrockhounds.org 
April 28 - 29: LANCASTER, CA
Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Society
Lancaster High School
44701 - 32nd Street West
Hours: 10 - 5 daily
Contact: Susan Chaisson-Walblom, (661) 406-0143
Email: slchaisson@yahoo.com
Website: www.avgem.weebly.com
April 28 - 29: RENO, NV
Reno Gem & Mineral Society
Reno Reno/Sparks Livestock Event Center
1350 North Wells Avenue
Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4
Contact: Daniel Ellis, (775) 359-6068
Email: sailondan55@aol.com
Website: www.renorockhounds.com
May 4, 5 & 6: YUCAIPA, CA
Yucaipa Valley Gem & Mineral Society
Yucaipa Music & Arts Festival
Yucaipa Blvd and Adams St: Fri 6 pm - 9 pm;                 Sat 12 noon - 10 pm, Sun 12 noon - 7 pm
Contact: Lee Peterson, (909) 794-0731
Email: res09ayd@verizon.net
Website: www.yvgms.org
 
Some Handy Tips & Helpful Hints

LIMB CASTS: Limb Casts are distinguished from petrified wood by the complete absence of any
structural appearances. No cells, rings of growth, etc. No doubt the cavity was formed by hot lava which destroyed all the wood, leaving a mold of the limb or trunk, to be replaced by agate or chalcedony.
Via Dinny’s Doin’s
DRY SANDING: A long but deadly word: Pheumonoultramicropicsillicovolcanoloniosis.
It is an ailment caused by inhaling very fine silicate or quartz dust produced by dry sanding. The word is long, but the cure is longer. So, remember when dry sanding always wear a filter mask.
Via Burro Express
HANDY TIP: Hydrochloric acid is good for testing lapis lazuli. A drop of it on the blue stone creates an odor of hydrogen sulfide. On the white areas it usually effervesces because the white is usually calcite. The test will distinguish lapis from sodalite and lazulite. To clean hydrochloric acid and abalone shell at the same time, pour acid to be neutralized over the abalone shells; let sit for necessary length of time. The acid takes off the outer rough shell and leaves a beautiful color on the abalone. Rinse off the shell with backing soda & water and the acid is then safe to dispose of.
Via Rocky Review
LICKING ROCKS CAN BE DANGEROUS: Field cleaning of rocks can be dangerous, even FATAL! ALWAYS use water from a squirt gun or bottle to wet stones. At least one death has been attributed to fungus contracted from licking a rock specimen. Materials containing arsenic, mercury, selenium, some of the boron and even phosp minerals can be deadly.
Via Rock Rollers
HOW THEY DID IT IN OLDEN DAYS: The first lapidary “How to do it” was written in 11AD by Theophilus. In it, he described the cutting and polishing of stones as practiced in India. Rock crystal was first cut into pieces with an iron saw that was charged with a slurry of sand and water. It was then
cemented to a stick and smoothed by rubbing it on fixed wet sandstone of increasingly finer texture. It was then polished with moistened brick dust on a slab of lead. Powdered rock crystal was used in cutting and polishing emeralds, jasper, beryl, onyx and other gemstones of that time                       Via Stoney Statements