[Rockhounds] RE: Field Collecting Journals and My 2008 Year End Statistics

Tue Jan 6 14:26:02 PST 2009

Hi Kris,

Wow! Thank you for the kind words, they are very much appreciated! I enjoy this hobby/passion/business so much, sharing my stories is one of the ways I get to clear my head and make room for more adventures. It isn't always easy to write and at times, it's a real chore... still, it's nice to know I can share a smile! For the last several years, I've posted my papers pretty much exclusively at... 

http://www.mcrocks.com

(... and more recently at http://www.mindat.org )

This is a good site. Friendly. And the folks, they're like an extended family. I've been made to feel at home by everyone there. In addition to this, to my knowledge, mcrocks has the largest online accumulation of Field Trip Reports I've yet found and it's been a real pleasure adding to this always growing repository (well over 100 papers dealing with both the US and the World!). The field trip page can be found here...

http://www.mcrocks.com/page18.html

If you'd like to read my older papers, please consider going through the US listings and look for my name. There are papers in AZ, WA, CA, NV, OR, CO, etc.

If you still want more, I've assembled a mailing list which you and everyone else can join by simply writing me at... cornish at tfon.com  and requesting to be added to the list. Some of my papers, not being Field Trips, but rather mineralogical, paleontological musings or specials, are only offered to those on the list (I'll give an example of one of these below).

Again, thank you for being so kind! All the very best,

John

Winter, Ice As A Mineral, Cirrus's Crystals and Snowflakes

1/15/2008

John Cornish

cornish at tfon.com

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to share a few websites where this postings theme can be explored. Ever since seeing my first book on snowflakes (Nakaya's, Snow Crystals), I've been fascinated by ice as a mineral. The following links I've included with this writing share this common thread. As the extremes we often face this time of year mount (it's Winter here in the United States as I write)... as the temperature drops a little more... as the power outages grow a bit more widespread, thank goodness there exists this special opportunity to enjoy the unique relationships which exists between Winter, the Atmospheric Sciences and Mineralogy. 

The following are a small fun grouping of websites where I hope you'll find a bit of something special to explore and enjoy! Stay warm everyone! All the very best,

John

This first, Cirrus's Crystals...

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060619-rainbow-fire.html

... and Cloud Crystals and Halos

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/crhal.htm

The good side of ice as a mineral...

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals (For this link, make sure you check out the Snowflakes Photo Galleries and the Designer Snowflake movies of growing snow crystals!!!)

... and finally, the beautiful bad!

http://pic.bestpicsaround.com/swiss-ice-storm.php

Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2009 16:00:10 -0800
From: "Kris Rowe" <lapidary.specialties at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Field Collecting Journals and My 2008 Year
End Collecting Statistics
To: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem
collectors" <rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Message-ID:
<831c9ad10901051600o51baf2cfl3acc7afd74b7b035 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Howdy John! Happy New Year!
                                                   Thanks for the stats on
your collecting year. You've wet my whistle for more detail, and I hope that
you'll post all of those 13 other papers AND your collecting journal, or
give us a link to the site/s upon which we can read them. FYI, I'm one of
those die hard, field time deprived rockhounds who rely on well published
collectors such as yourself to keep us from taking our rock picks to our
garage foundations!

Personally, after all of the years that I've spent reading articles in 50+
years of Rock & Gem, Rocks & Minerals, Lapidary Journal, etc. I still find
myself pawing through my (ever growing) library looking for that one long
lost issue that I've not read 10 times!  *grin!*

So, perhaps you'll be kind to me, and post links where your papers and
journals can be found. I know that modesty might make you reticent to "toot
you own horn," but those of us who are more home bound truly appreciate the
chance to vicariously enjoy your journeys, and see these places through your
sage eyes.
My Google search of your name led me to realize that, if you're the John
Cornish I hope you are, you've seen and done collecting and mining of which
I've read of for years. You've lain your eyes, picks and shovel on sights of
which I can only dream.

Whether or not you like it, you're one of those "Lucky Guys." You're one of
those guys who've inspired my own dreams, and kept me from quitting when
life became too impossible. You're one of the fellows who kept me always
looking to the hills, and dreaming of what might await me beneath them. You
are, like Sinkankas, Pough & Desautels, like Kunz & Ream, Rose & Jones, one
of my heroes. You're one of those guys who've not given up, not given in,
and who've triumphed when others quit.

Memories of the tales of the Bunker Hill mine and other great and storied
sites with names like Oxford, Mt. Mica, and Bisbee fill the heads and hearts
of we who read of your exploits. The years may pass, the specimens fly from
our hands, and our heroes may fall, but those accounts continue to inspire
those of us who aren't amongst "the Lucky Guys."

So, please accept my heartfelt thanks for the efforts you've made, the
pictures and accounts you've given us, amd most of all, for never giving up.
I may not have the resources to own one of your specimens, but I can own
your words and pictures, and visit the vugs, open cuts and tunnels in my
dreams, and through your kind and colorful accounts.

 Be Well, Sir!
                     Kris
                     Lapidary Specialteis
                     Fresno, California, U.S.A.On Sun, Jan 4, 2009 at 7:17
PM, John Cornish <cornish at tfon.com> wrote:

>
>
> Hi Everyone and Happy New Year! I've very much enjoyed many of the recent
> posts here and just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time.
>
>
>
> The Snowbird presentation was great Nathan!
>
>
>
> All the very best, take care
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> PS, here is my most recent paper, I hope you all enjoy!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 1/3/2009
>
> Field Collecting Journals and My 2008 Year End Collecting Statistics
>
>
>
> By John Cornish
> cornish at tfon.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi All,
>
>
>
> For over sixteen years now I've written a Field Collecting Journal which
> documents all of my mineral and fossil collecting trips during this period.
> Currently these adventures span four separate volumes with over 1000 pages
> of text, drawings, maps, etc. I've compiled my statistics for this last
> years collecting, 2008, and have included them following if you've an
> interest. For me, my journals are constant sources for reference and smiles
> and for this reason more then any other I hope that you'll consider starting
> a Field Collecting Journal of your own.
>
>
>
> As the days pass and our grasp of information becomes more encumbered, we
> risk losing the details of some of our most extraordinary collecting
> moments. For me, this was unacceptable. With this decision made, next
> followed several rounds of internal debate as to how to proceed, after all,
> I'd been collecting for some time now and what of those trips made prior to
> my beginning journaling? And so I pondered and all the while other
> collecting trips memories were lost. In frustration I decided I had to act.
> No more being wishy-washy, half here and half there, if I was going to start
> it was time to start. So that's exactly what I did, I started. I went out
> and purchased a nice looking, inexpensive Shaws Account Book from our local
> Stationary store which has 300 lined pages and is hard bound. To clarify my
> thoughts, my first entry introduced myself and explained my reasons for
> starting the Journal (some of which I've mentioned above). Following this I
> summed up some of the highlights from past collecting trips and then I was
> ready for new adventures and new entries. So, armed with all the excuse I
> needed, I headed out to collect!
>
>
>
> As I sit here in momentary reflection, a half smile flickering across my
> lips, that's exactly what I did too, I hit the hills and with a vengeance!
> As an example, as documented in 1996, that year I hit 113 localities! Just
> try remembering all of your trips from 1996 and you'll see the obvious
> benefit of starting your own Collecting Journal! But, for those of you who
> need additional reasons, I've come prepared with more positive arguments and
> the best of these is simply curation. We should all strive to curate our
> collections to some extent or another if we hope to have our collections
> attain any lasting relevancy. The documentation and histories of our
> specimens is of utmost import and we should strive for perfection and grace
> in this regard. Of course if your like me, perfection and grace are often
> replaced by incompetence and bumbling, still, I aspire!
>
>
>
> These are just some thoughts, which ever way you go and wherever your path
> may take you, I wish you fare adventuring each and all!
>
>
>
> Happy New Year,
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> 2008 Collecting Statistics
>
>
>
> 30 Trips/Localities visited total
>
>
>
> 12 different Localities ---- 9 Minerals, 3 Fossils
>
>
>
> Most Frequented Locality ----- (a fossil locality)  5 trips
>
> New Mineral Localities ---- 1 (in Nevada)
>
>
>
> Shows I participated in --- 5
>
>
> Territory Covered ---- Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, California,
> Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah
>
>
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> Longest Trip ---- 48 days
>
>
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> Journal pages recorded --- 81
>
>
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> Papers written --- 14
>
>
>
> Have a great year everyone and all the very best,
>
> John

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