Thursday, December 29, 2022

January 2023 Del Air Calendar of Events

Sunday January 1: New Years Day                                                                                                          Happy New Year to one and all.

Thursday January 5: General Meeting                                                                                                         7:30 pm in our regular meeting room at Northridge United Methodist Church             

Monday January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day                                                                                          We should all have a dream!

Thursday January 19: Board Meeting                                                                                                             At Shellie Van Winkle’s home.

Saturday January 28: Del Air Annual Whale Bone Trip                                                                                See Article

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January’s Special People - Happy Birthday to:    

05: Jeff Silverman                                                                                                                                          09: Jeff Dengrove                                                                                                                                          16: Kai Kalma, Junior Member

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General Meeting Thursday January 5, 2023 - 7:30 pm                                                                          Magical Rainbow Obsidian of Davis Creek

VGMS member Terry Wilson will recount a fun CFMS trip to Davis Creek, where the group sampled all of the rainbow obsidian collecting locations currently allowed in this remote corner of California. She will also show you how to slab and cab this special type of obsidian to bring out the best of its optical properties. She will have a table display of rough, slabbed and cabbed material to show you in person what pictures alone cannot do. Terry is Program Chair of the Ventura County Gem & Mineral Society. Her main interest is slabbing and cabbing, and sometimes silversmithing to give her cabs a place to land.

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The Rockhound Dennis Miller Show

Dennis will fill us in on January’s birthstone; Garnet. Dennis asks all members to bring in something for Show & Tell each month to share with our members and guests.

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Del Air Rockhound’s Annual Whale Bone Field Trip

It’s that time of the year again. Time to get into your cars and travel about 100 miles down the 101 Ventura Freeway to the Refugio Beach exit in Santa Barbara. We’re hunting fossil whale bones, beach agates, the beautiful San Franciscan Shale and many other colorful rocks. Low tide begins just a few minutes after 10 am. Dress in layers and don’t forget to bring yourself a picnic lunch and beverages. There are no stores in the immediate vicinity of the beach. This is a hugely popular trip every year and we regularly enjoy a big turnout. Bring your rock hammer and a sturdy canvas bag or bucket to carry your found treasures. If you’ve never been before, our Field Trip Chair, Jeff Dengrove, will be there with samples of previously found whale bone to show you what to look for. There is a fee to park at California State Beaches, usually $10, but the parking pass can be used at as many State Beaches you wish to visit that same day and there are at least two more within a couple of miles in either direction from Refugio. Save the date! Hope to see you all there.

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WHITE BUFFALO TURQUOISE 

As you all may know Maxine is very fond of Turquoise, among many other things! In our shopping here and there we see more and more of this White Buffalo Turquoise and thought you might like to know a little more about it. White Buffalo Turquoise is found in only one mine worldwide, the Dry Creek Mine in Nevada. The mine is located on the Shoshone Indian Reservation near Battle Mountain. It was discovered only recently, in 1993. It is said that its name comes from Native Americans in the area, who believe that the stone “is as rare as a white buffalo.” It is believed to form like “normal turquoise,” with the exception of the absence of copper (which makes the turquoise blue), iron (which makes it green), or zinc (which leads to yellow-green turquoise) Because of it rarity, it is also believed that white howlite is sometimes sold as white buffalo turquoise, perhaps by accident by the uniformed, or perhaps intentionally. We know at times we have questioned a piece of “White Buffalo Turquoise” for sale and the seller has said “ Sometimes this is called Howlite“. So be careful out there and look closely at your rocks.                                                    Submitted by: Bob Dearborn

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QUARTZSITE SHOW DATES 2023

Desert Gardens ShowGrounds - Jan 1 - Feb 28, 2023

Prospector’s Panorama - Jan - Feb  2023

Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show - January 6 - 15, 2023

57th Annual QIA Pow Wow  Gem & Mineral Show -  Jan 18 -22, 2023

Tyson Wells Sell-A-Rama - Jan 20 -29, 2023

Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show - Jan 21 - 29, 2023

Tyson Wells Arts & Crafts Show - Feb 3-12, 2023

Gold, Treasure & Craft Show QIA - Feb 10 - 12, 2023

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