Thursday, July 31, 2003

Greetings,

Today's weather much as it has been all week, cool, drizzle to light rain and overcast but no wind today so the midges and flies have been give a chance to breed and succeed on your blood.

Yesterday was frustrating and as the old saying goes sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. It was my turn today. I made a few stops in Stanhope prior to going to the mine, primarily to get a battery for the child's helmet; tomorrow Alistair Ward's sons Harry and James are scheduled for a tour and a chance to dig a few crystals mid-afternoon. Then a stop at the Durham Dales Center for lodging information in the Whitby area, we plan to go over midweek next week or the week after for a few days.

I got to the mine about 10:40 a.m. and spent the rest of the day, except for the lunch break, in the flat between the two West Crosscuts. I moved some large blocks in the floor to give me access to an area not reached last summer and then got into a zone which produced hundreds of small gem twins from 1/4" to 3/4" so many that I filled two gallon sacks full of crystals. Toward the end of the day I was able to pull out a couple of sweet miniatures and one very fine 8" sized cup shaped piece scattered with gem twins to 3/4" with some very sharp but anglesite covered octahedral galenas to about 1/2". I was going to come home quite early but decided to hose down a small support column and found one side to be covered with some wonderful plates of gem twins of fluorite to 1" associated with galena octahedra. At that point I decided to call it quits and leave something to show on Friday; we also have Ralph Sutcliffe and Simon Harrison coming up for dinner and I want to take them underground Saturday morning for a brief tour.

Byron spent the entire day working just about 8' from me in the original West Crosscut (the most southern one) and was pulling out some very large crystals without white centers but not of the gem quality that I was getting just a few feet away; nevertheless, he had specimens stacked about four deep when he decided it was time to start wrapping. He did produce a couple of very attractive stalactites and has exposed a 3" on edge green cube of fluorite which has some possibilities even though it is not a twin.

Kerith spent the day getting a Mexican feast prepared for Friday's night dinner with Ralph, Simon, Byron & Jonina. This evening Dave Rennison is due by and I am late for my eagerly anticipated hot shower so that's it from this place way north of Lake Woebegone.

Best Regards,

Cal & Kerith

Go Back