Thursday, July 29, 2021

Del Air Rockhounds August 2021 Calendar of Events

Thursday Aug 05: Silent Auction/Pot-Luck in the Park @ 6:30 pm 

Thursday Aug 19: Board Meeting; 7:30 pm.          

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My Field Trip to Thornhill Broome

By: Rockhound Dennis Miller

I left home early. Had to go via Decker Cyn Rd just so I could get “curvy road crazy”. So, I had enough time to prowl around Nichols Cyn Beach (Wow!), tour the sea caves at Leo Carillo Beach and a coupla’ other scenic beach stops.

We all found from pebble to “too big” sizes of Coquina in the low tide intertidal berm face boulder field. After lunch, everyone left but then I saw Eric, Kim, Jeong Oh, Angela Oh, Alicia Oh and Emmy Silverman. We found better, fantastic specimens the others missed. Emmy filled her SUV with grey sandstone favorites then everyone left except myself. I remained and watched a cormorant, pelican flyovers, and a bobbing sea lion. I fed a seagull a cookie and read a book through the crashing waves, incoming tide and sunset/nightfall events.

Y’all, I told the lifeguard about the smelly, rotting dead sea lion with bones sticking out. She got the park people to bury it right there. What? Right by the guest tables? “That’s what we do here” they said. At 9:30 pm a park person rousted all the day users out. I left to appease them but felt the need to return around 11:30 pm. I noticed the 2-day past King Tide had washed past our lunch table. Others were previously flooded and half buried. I guess that’s why camping is not allowed on this part of the beach.

I also monitored fairly abundant bio-luminescent creatures in the damp sand and in the glowing waves. At midnight, I drove north through the Point Mugu roadcut but u-turned and parked ½ mile north of Thornhill Broome for the night. Apparently, camping is legal there. Below, in the darkness, big crashing waves were brilliantly lit up with a blue/white glow. On Sunday, I returned again to see the 1.3 foot lo-lo tide had re-exposed our collecting area plus 50 feet of boulder covered sand and another 50 ft of green algae and tidepools giving way to the far-out waves and a stratus fog bank on the horizon.

Y’all missed the weird little 3-inch transparent worm things that washed ashore.  Later in the day, I drove the glorious 101 coast highway with a stop in the Solvang area and then returned home on Monday evening.   

Cheers,

Del Air Dennis

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!! ATTENTION !!

We have been given the go ahead from Northridge United Methodist Church to resume our in-person meetings in our regular meeting room on our regular meeting day and time beginning in September 2021. Providing, of course, on how the pandemic progresses between now and then. We will be monitoring the situation closely and will notify the membership accordingly as we get closer to our meeting date of September 2, 2021. Currently, the CDC and the Los Angeles County Department of Health have mandated the wearing of masks in all indoor situations even if you have already received the vaccination. The Del Air Rockhounds will follow all mandates regarding the wearing of masks while participating in indoor activities. So, let’s all do our part and, if you medically can, please get vaccinated and follow the mask mandates so we can turn this thing around and move closer to a return to our normal way of life. Stay well!

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In Memorium - Richard G Doyle, MD

September 8, 1925 – July 8, 2021

Dr Doyle was a long-time member of the Del Air Rockhounds Club. He passed away on July 8, 2021 from heart disease. He is survived by his wife of 64+ years and 4 adult children and many grandchildren and a great granddaughter. Dr Doyle was a kind soul who shared his interests and acquisitions at each and every Del Air Rockhound meeting that he and Theo attended. He will surely be missed by all that were lucky enough to have known him.

Chris Ward - President

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