At Our Meeting:
Monday, January 9, 2006
Program: Eric
Meier's North American Collecting Locales
Program Review: Eric treated us to a grand
slide show encompassing his collecting adventures around North America!
From Canada, Mexico, and the U. S., he unveiled familiar and exotic
collecting sites, some of which required special permissions and connections to enter.
He even shared with us some of his behind-the-scenes Tucson Show buying trips,
encouraging us to feel more comfortable in purchasing from a world of specialty dealers.
Eric took us to the Amelia Mine in Virginia for massive, green Amazonites,
to New York State for some 'herks', and to the Wise Mine in New Hampshire. He
recounted the reward of his wisdom to aid the mine owner in diving into a water-filled
pit, thus extracting a superbly large fluorite crystal that now graces the Smithsonian's
collection!
He led us around the midwest for Indiana geodes, famous Illinois calcite
and fluorite locales, and some Ohio fossil-laden quarries. We virtually visited
Elmwood, Tennessee for sphalerites, and Arizona for bright red Vanadinites. (Ask him
about his wildlife adventures on his AZ trip.)
In Canada, we were shown some Bancroft, Ontario fluorichterites, and he
had us pondering on what prime mineral specimens lie over the Mexican border.
Meanwhile, back in Tuscon, Eric had us awing over the frozen-jello-like
red rhodochrosites on sale at the show, selling for the price of an average home.
Many of us joined in the identifying of some the slides of each locale,
from our own personal experiences. The interaction with Eric was enjoyable.
[Ken Casey] |
