www.Facebook.com/DelAirRockhounds
Member of the California & American Federation of Mineralogical Societies
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7618, Van Nuys, CA 91409
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
The Del Air Rockhounds Club Welcomes You!!
www.Facebook.com/DelAirRockhounds
Member of the California & American Federation of Mineralogical Societies
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7618, Van Nuys, CA 91409
April 2025 Del-Air Rockhounds Calendar of Events
Thursday April 3: General Meeting
7:30 pm in our regular meeting room at Northridge United Methodist Church.
Saturday April 12: Passover Begins at Sunset
Thursday April 17: Board Meeting
Sunday April 20: Easter
Tuesday April 22: Earth Day
Saturday & Sunday April 26 & 27: Lavic Siding Field Trip - Paid Members Only
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April 2025 Program:
Here and There in the Solar System: Driving and Flying on Mars
Presented by Neil A. MottingerNeil grew up in the 50’s on a small family farm southwest of Chicago, near Joliet, Illinois. During his junior year of high school his mother arranged for him to look through a neighboring farm lad’s home-built telescope. Unknowingly, that set the course for an interest in space that ultimately found him at JPL in deep space navigation in 1967. He worked in a group dedicated to improving the accuracy of deep space navigation. He supported many of the missions to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune as well as Lunar unmanned and manned missions, starting with NASA’s Apollo 8. He’s also supported international navigation teams in Europe, Japan, and India, including the 2023 Indian south pole lunar lander. Also supported at JPL were the first US Mars Orbiter, Mariner IX November 1971, and the first successful landings on Mars by the Viking the more recently Mars Rovers Curiosity (2012), Perseverance (2021) and InSIght lander (2018) navigation teams. Neil and his wife, Debbie, live in La Crescenta. He is active in the La Canada Presbyterian Church as a 42-year (charter) member of the hand bell choir and a practicing Stephen Minister for 28 years. He was an astronomy major with a math and physics minor at the University of Illinois, Urbana, 1966, with a master’s degree in systems Analysis from West Coast University, 1971.
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April's Rock of the Month is Jasper
Courtesy Geologyln.com Jasper is a form of micro-granular quartz (Silicon Dioxide - SiO2) and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases. It's typically opaque and comes in various colors like red, yellow, brown, or green, with red color often due to iron inclusions.
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Welcome to our Newest Member
The Del-Air Rockhounds wish to welcome our newest member, Phylis Wheeler, who was voted in unanimously at our March 2025 general meeting. Welcome Phylis to the Del-Air Family!
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April Field Trip - Lavic Siding - Paid Members Only
Saturday & Sunday April 26 & 27, 2025 Sign up Sheet at the April Meeting
Courtesy Google ImagesLavic Siding is an old railroad siding and associated hamlet in San Bernardino County, California, known for its alluvial deposits of volcanic rocks, including jasper and agate, that are sought after by rockhounds. If you ask any rockhound where the Mojave's most colorful jasper can be found, Lavic Siding will be on the short list. For decades, rockhounds have driven across the tracks and down the Lavic Lake road to access this remarkable location. Red, yellow and orange jasper with blue and white quartz stringers is still found in profusion as float in this spot. Have your rock hammers and spray bottles at the ready. More details as well as a sign up sheet at the April general meeting.
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May 2025 Field Trip Teaser -CFMS Show & Convention
Friday, May 9 – Exhibit Set-up & Judging (not open to the general public) Saturday, May 10 - Show Open: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM Sunday, May 11 - Show Open: 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Antelope Valley Fairgrounds - 2551 W Avenue H, Lancaster, CA 93536
Join us for the 2025 CFMS Convention, held at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds from May 9-11, 2025. We are holding this alongside the Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Club’s annual show. The CFMS portion of this event features exhibits, Cracker Barrel with a Silent Auction and a banquet for CFMS member attendees. The Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Club's portion of this event will include vendors, exhibits, kids activities, demonstrations and more. Don’t miss this chance to connect with fellow rockhounds and mineral enthusiasts!
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EMERY BOARDS
I feel the key to getting a lustrous polish on your jewelry work is having a good selection of sandpaper handy for pre-polishing before going to the buffer. I generally start around 400 grit and then go to 800 and 1200. While some projects do require sheets of sandpaper, my favorite way of sanding small jewelry items is to use emery boards, the ones you use for doing your nails. I like the ones with a thin foam
core. They have enough resistance to sand the high points off a flat surface and yet give a little when you're trying to smooth off a curved surface. These nail boards are inexpensive and come in a variety of grits. Some grits are so fine they give an almost finished surface. Pick up a few at a beauty supply company, at your local drug store, or from Amazon.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Del-Air Rockhounds March 2025 Calendar of Events
Thursday March 6: General Meeting 7:30 pm in our regular meeting room
Saturday March 8: Field Trip - Stoddard Wells
Sunday March 9: Daylight Savings Time Begins
Monday March 17: St Patrick's Day
Thursday March 20: Board Meeting & First Day of Spring
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Del-Air Field Trip to UCLA Meteorite Museum, Sunday February 23, 2025
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Match's Special People
Happy Birthday - March 8 - Diana Durfee; March 26 - Maxine Dearborn
Happy Anniversary - March 23 - Brad & Laurie Tanas
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March 2025 Program: Tektites
Presented by: Paolo Sanchez
Tektites, glass blobs formed from the melting and/or vaporization of terrestrial rock from a meteor impact, have been known for over a century and are common. The 790,000 year-old Australasian tektites, which are commonly seen in gem shows, are found all over Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific and Indian Oceans covering 10% of the Earth's surface. However, the proposed source crater for these tektites remains elusive. From stratigraphic and geophysical data, a recent study in 2019 found a potential crater buried under lava flows and jungle vegetation. This presentation focuses on what tektites are, the importance of studying them, and delves into a recent geological expedition I went on to the jungles of Laos looking at the geology and many tektites from the proposed source crater.
March's Rock of the Month is Calcite
Calcite is fluorescent so bring in your UV lights. We ask members and guests to bring in your specimens of Calcite to share with the group. Look to this page each month to learn what the featured rock will be. An enlightened club member will provide a brief, informative talk on the selected rock each month.
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March Field Trip - Stoddard Wells Tailgate - For Paid Members Only
Saturday March 8th, 2025 - Sign up Sheet at the March Meeting Meet-up at 11:00 am at the entrance to the Tailgate
Our field trip will be on Saturday March 8 but, if you are so inclined, you are welcome to attend the entire event as there are dry camping spots and restrooms available. VICTOR VALLEY GEM AND MINERAL CLUB Invites you to their 49th Annual Stoddard Wells Rockhound Tailgate Victorville, California, Friday through Sunday, March 7, 8, and 9th 2025 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Daily Come visit us for Handcrafted and Faceted Jewelry, Slabs and Cabs, Findings and Equipment, Minerals and Fossils, TONS of Rough Material and lots of surprises.
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April 2025 Field Trip Teaser - For Paid Members Only
Lavic Siding - Saturday & Sunday April 26 & 27, 2025
Lavic Siding Jasper
If you ask any rockhound where the Mojave's most colorful jasper can be found, Lavic Siding will be on the short list. For decades, rockhounds have driven across the tracks and down the Lavic Lake road to access this remarkable location. Red, yellow and orange jasper with blue and white quartz stringers is still found in profusion as float in this spot. Have your rock hammers and spray bottles at the ready. The plan is to spend Saturday morning and early afternoon roaming the little mesas and gullies to the east of the brooding Pisgah Cinder Cone, and then move further south to explore the north part of Lavic Lake. More details in the April bulletin and at the March & April general meetings.
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Upcoming Gem & Mineral Shows
Come support our sister clubs, the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, the Conejo Gem & Mineral Club & the Pearblossom Gem Show by attending their annual shows in March & April respectively. Always a fun time!
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
February 2025 Del-Air Rockhounds Club Calendar of Events
Thursday February 6: General Meeting-7:30 pm in our regular meeting room
Friday February 14: Valentine's Day
Monday February 17: President's Day
Thursday February 20: Board Meeting
Sunday February 23: UCLA Meteorite Museum Field Trip
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January 2025 Program: Presented by Kai Kalma
Marine Monsters in the Mesozoic
Come join us in February and learn about the different marine species that evolved during the Mesozoic period such as the pakicetus, mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs, early whales and other coastal environments during that time.
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February's Rock of the Month is Agate
Beginning in February and continuing throughout 2025, we will be showcasing a 'Rock of the Month'. We ask members and guests to bring in your specimens of the rock of the month to share with the group. Look to this page each month to learn what the featured rock will be. An enlightened club member will provide a brief, informative talk on the selected rock each month.
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February Field Trip - Paid Members Only
Sunday February 23, 2025 - Meet-up time 10:30 am in Parking Structure 2
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March 2023 Field Trip Teaser- Paid Members Only
VICTOR VALLEY GEM AND MINERAL CLUB invites you to their 49th Annual Stoddard Wells Rockhound Tailgate Victorville, California Friday through Sunday, March 7, 8, and 9th 2025 - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. Come visit us for Handcrafted and Faceted Jewelry, Slabs and Cabs; Findings and Equipment; Minerals and Fossils; TONS of Rough Material and lots of surprises.
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Upcoming Gem Shows
Come support our sister clubs, the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society and the Conejo Gem & Mineral Club, by attending their annual shows on March 1 & 2, and April 12 & 13 2025 respectively. Always a fun time!
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Saturday, January 11, 2025
January 2025 Del Air Rockhounds Calendar of Events
Thursday January 9: General Meeting - 1 Week Later Than Usual
Monday January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Thursday January 23: Board Meeting - 1 Week Later Than Usual
Saturday January 25: Annual Del-Air Whale Bone Trip - For Paid Members Only!
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January 2025 Program:
Presented by Maxine Dearborn & Bob Knox
Come join Maxine Dearborn and Bob Knox as they explore the wonderful world of poop! Fossilized poop, that is! Or, more accurately, Coprolite. See the many different specimens they have collected and learn about their origins, sizes, shapes and more. Also on display will be a very large specimen owned by club member Kai Kalma that he found in Green River, Utah which contains fossilized dinosaur bones that tells us this coprolite came from a meat eating predator. A fun presentation not to be missed.
*************************************************************************** January's Rock of the Month is Agate
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Congratulations to our 2025 Board of Directors President: Jeff Dengrove
Vice President: Aileen Beckers
2nd Vice President: Dan Farber
Secretary: Bob Dearborn
Treasurer: Shellie Van Winkle
Federation Director: Bob Knox
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Upcoming Club Events:
March 27, 2025 - Apperson Street Elementary School - 10233 Woodward Ave., Sunland, CA 91040 Classroom Talk - 3rd Grade 8:30 - 9:25 & 9:30 - 10:25
April 4, 2025 - Vintage Magnet School - NASA Steam Night 15848 Stare St, North Hills, CA 91343 setup 4:30 pm - runs 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm - Spin a Wheel, pre Dino Animals, sellable stuff, touch & feel, edu. game and more.
April 10, 2025 - Apperson Street Elementary School - 10233 Woodward Ave., Sunland, CA 91040 Classroom Talk - 5th Grade. 9:30 - 10:30 & 10:55 - 12:00
May 9, 10, 11, 2025 - CFMS Show - Antelope Valley Fairgrounds - set up May 8; Runs May 9-11 Volcano & Sedimentary Displays, touch and feel rocks and edu. game.
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Del-Air Field Trip Information and Rules
The field trip leader is in charge of your safety. Please follow directions! To be safe, stay in view of the vehicles when possible. Do not wander off from the group without the leader knowing. Do not depart from the field trip without informing the leader. Be sure your gas tank is full prior to arriving at the meet-up location. Gas is not available in the desert. Sign liability release upon arrival at the meet-up location. Please include emergency contact info, name and phone number. Arrive on time, no one wants to wait for late arrivals. Call the leader if you are running late. What to bring: Water Food, if you want to eat, Collecting bag or bucket Gloves Rock hammer or similar tool Sunscreen. Dress in layers. Be aware, many collecting locations have NO cell service. Stay in caravan order while proceeding as a group to collecting sites. Generally, a time period for each location is decided by the leader. Listen for a car horn to know it is time to get back to your car. If you are not sure, ASK!
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2025 Quartzsite Info:
Desert Gardens - Jan 1 to Feb 28 Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show - Jan 3 to 12
Pow Wow Show - Jan 15 to 19
Tyson Wells Sell-A Rama - Jan 17 to 26
RV Show - Jan 18 to 26
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Come support our sister club, the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, by attending their annual show on March 1 & 2, 2025 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
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