[Rockhounds] Calcite

[billtompkinscccc at comcast.net]

The photos Jon took were with a video camera.  The photos I took were with a very early digital camera (Kodak 1 megapixel) and they are stored on Macintosh formatted floppy disks.  Does that tell you about how many years ago it happened?  I still have an old MAC G3 with a floppy disk drive around here somewhere, I'll see if I can fire it up.

 Things were different back then.  Like Tim said, we just showed up at the office and signed in and were allowed in a couple days a year.  The people in the vug in the photo were secretaries from the office who didn't believe us until they saw it for themselves. (they had to put on sunglasses)  Apophyllite is very shiny in direct sun.

 I have a sequence of 3 or 4 photos showing Jon directing a trackhoe operator on where to knock down a ledge for us.  They used to be that helpful.  Now, we can't get past the gate.  New owner, lawyers, insurance.........etc.........

 In the old D.O.T. quarry on the east side was where Lloyd Staples found and wrote about cyclic twins of analcime in sheroidal clusters.  I have that article around here somewhere, too.  Fascinating reading.  I've found 4 there myself and gave one to Rudy Tschernich.  The old quarry is now a bird viewing site and people are actually welcome there.  I found 2 plates of analcime 10 inches across in the blackberries.

 It's amazing to me how some places go full circle and some just close.  About 10 years ago I was escorted out of the old quarry by Benton county's finest.  In retrospect, I earned it.  I parked right next to the No Parking sign, walked right past the No Trespassing sign and was actively stealing State of Oregon rocks when the fat donut boy caught me.  Now, folks are invited in to see the migrating ducks and geese.

 Oh well.  Can't wait for Price Creek to open up again.

 Bill Tompkins

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Pmodreski at aol.com 

> That's an awesome description of that pocket, Bill. Do you know if anyone 
> has a copy of that picture, posted online or ever published anywhere? 
> 
> I just searched on mindat and, interestingly, no one has posted any calcite 
> or stilbite images there; the only pictures (4) posted there for Coffin Butte 
> are analcime and apophyllite. 
> 
> P.S., I did quite understand what was funny (?) about prismatic calcite; 
> sounds fine to me. High cirrus clouds that show rainbow colors near the sun 
> are 
> commonly called "prismatic clouds" in meteorology. 
> 
> (of course, prismatic referred to a mineral would be confused with meaning a 
> prism-shaped crystal habit; parallel-elongated faces, which is something that 
> calcite can form.) 
> 
> cheers, 
> Pete 
> 
> 
> 
> In a message dated 12/6/2008 11:07:36 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, 
> billtompkinscccc at comcast.net writes: 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> John- 
> 
> I can't help myself. You must be drinking "Light" beer. :) 
> 
> 
> Actually, I was with Jon Gladwell when he broke into a huge pocket at Coffin 
> Butte. How big was it? We stood two people in the pocket for a photo 
> because we felt no one would believe it wasn't just another fishing story. The 
> vug was about 8 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, lined with inch long 
> stilbites and 2 inch calcite cubes about every 6 inches. It was blinding in 
> the sunlight. 
> 
> The next weekend, the entire area was gone, crushed into gravel by the owner. 
> 
> They've since filled the entire mountainside with garbage, covered it with 
> thick plastic, and now convert the methane gas to electricity. 
> 
> Too bad they did it so fast, there were areas with 2 inch tall apophyllites, 
> inch long stilbites in plates 6 inches across, half inch analcimes, calcites 
> by the dozens....... ah, yes, I miss that place. 
> 
> Bill Tompkins 
> 
> -------------- Original message -------------- 
> From: "John Siebel" 
> 
> > I've got a handsome calcite on stilbite from Coffin Butte, OR (one of 
> many). 
> > In the proper light it shows a rainbow. How should I label it? I'm 
> thinking 
> > prismatic perhaps? 
> > 
> > John 
> > 
> > 
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