William Holland 3

Thursday night after supper there is a "tailgate" show in the dining room where students and instructors can sell their creations.  It only lasts and hour, but I sold 9 cabochons that evening.  The day before I sold a nice flat top ruby zoisite stone to a student in the Silver I class........

.........and two nice rutilated quartz cabs to a fellow student in my Cabochon class.  She had both of them wire wrapped by the Wire instructor, Dawn Thornton of Dawn's Creations in Welaka, FL.  Dawn's web-site is: dawn-n-mack.com

Wm. Holland School 2

Tuesday night there is an auction of donated items to help pay the costs of equipment and supplies at the school.  Not all items are lapidary or jewelry related, but most are.  It's for a good cause and some of the items are bid up well beyond all expectations...... how 'bout a chocolate bar for $10.  The best item in the auction was a gorgeous slab of old stock blue Biggs Jasper that was phenomenal.  I think it went for $60

The auctioneers are well known to the regulars and do a great job getting the bids from the crowd.  Everybody's favorite is the Opals instructor Joe DePietro, who has very poor hearing..... you'll say $5 and he'll recognize the bid as $7.... ask for $10....recognize a phantom bidder in the back of the room at $10...return to the previous bidder.....'what?  whad chu say?? (silence) $12??... you said $12....I have $12..... who'll give $15??       I not really sure how deaf old Joe really is.......   What a riot.... It was a hoot.

Joe Depietro

Wednesday afternoon is free time.  I drove through the mountains to Franklin, NC., visited the gem and mineral museum, drove some nice narrow curvy roads and returned to Young Harris after dark.  Great day.

Wm. Holland School of Lapidary Arts

Today was the second day of classes.  Excellent instruction, good facilities, beautiful North Georgia mountains, fall foliage, perfect weather.  What a deal!!

Cabochon Classrom and classmates

Six 'Genies' and all the extras needed..... trim saws, dop pots, buffers, etc.  It is really nice to meet new people and chat with folks who have the same interests you do.

 Past Otto's Lodge, up the hill in the trees, is Spark's lodge

Otto's Lodge is essentially a motel for students.  Wow!  better than name brand motels I stayed in on my cross country road trip to get here.  Sparks Lodge, also has rooms for students as well as the dining hall and most of the classrooms.

"Mystery Agate"

OK - does anybody know what this stone is --  or might hazard a guess?

This is not a trick question.  I don't know what it is.  I got the small slab remnant from the scrap bin at the Old Peublo Lapidary Club cabbing lab about two years ago.  I don't have it listed for sale on my Etsy on-line shop, because I don't know what it is.

I think it the pattern on it looks like a tornado.  Hey - what can I tell you - I used to see all kinds of things in the clouds  as a kid while lying on my back in the cool grass down by Sackett Brook........

TEXAS!

Note to my Lone Star friends:  I like country music.... really I do..... but contrary to popular Texas belief, as judged by the number of country stations on the radio dial, ....... THERE ARE OTHER KINDS OF MUSIC Y'ALL!!!  (I get to say -y'all- because I lived in North Carolina for the biggest part of my adult life).  Now that I got that of my chest - I am at the end of my second day on the road and doing my duty as a guest of this BIG country - watching the Texas Rangers beating up on the Yankees!!

I have stopped at a couple of rock shops and bead stores along the way from AZ, through NM and TX.  It is always fun to chat with store keepers and I always see a few cabs I am envious of.

I waved when I was going through Fort Worth and passed the road that takes you toward Trophy Club......

On to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia...... the weather has been perfect.

Road Trip!!

In the morning I am hitting the road.....heading for northeast Georgia for two weeks of classes at the William Holland School.  Week one - Cabochons.  Week two - Opal cutting.  The weather should be cool and maybe I will get to see some fall color in the Appalachian Mountains while I am there.  I hope there is some left by the time I get there.  I wish I had lots of time to travel the Blue Highways, but this is going to be a green sign, I-something-or-other, what state am I in now, trip.

I have plenty of slabs and a bag of Lightning Ridge black opal rough to work on........ I can't wait!!!!

Turquoise Hunt

Yesterday I went to Bisbee, AZ for the annual turquoise hunt sponsored by the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum.  Once each year the museum has access to the mine dumps from the famous copper mining operations in Bisbee.  Organized and coordinated in conjunction with Freeport McMoran Copper, the current mine owner, rockhounders who purchase tickets for this event are transported by bus from a lot across the street from the museum past the original Sacramento pit and the famous Lavender pit, onto and through the mine property to dump #7 where the mining company generously 'rips' (turns over) the tailings on a broad flat area known to yield some nice turqouise, including some of the brilliant deep blue 'Bisbee Blue'.  The company provides drinking water, water for washing your finds, port-o-john facilities, stand by first-aid capability just in case, and a few polite mining company employees to remind us when we have wandered past the designated collecting area or onto the steep slopes and berms, which is verboten, for good reason.

I did not have much luck, but a few nice pieces were found by others, as always, which keeps us eternally hopeful and coming back again.  I was looking for material that would produce at least a 10 x 8 finished cab, and although I found many nice chips with great color, I left them behind hopefully to be found by one of the many first time novice rockhounders or children whose day would be absolutely made by finding even a small piece of 'Bisbee Blue'.  I suspect that there are many small treasures being proudly shown to family and friends today.

Despite not finding a monster chunk of some of the rarest and most beautiful turquoise in the world, it was an awesome day.  Great Arizona fall weather - clear blue cloudless sky, mid to high 80's - good conversation with old and new friends, giving a little advice to eager novices, getting a bit of sage advice from the old timers who really know their stuff.  There is not a better way to spend a day.