Bob(AK)

looks like jasper

Strange for sure. I have seen some real dark amber and amber is quite soft

Good chance that is wood. Should be quite heavy and like Steve said, cut a chunk off. If then it is all solid black, you don't see the grain of wood, soak it in Clorox for a week or however long it takes. Sometimes soaking does nothing but usually it will work. Here is an example that was all black. There are small crystals also

Hibby, look like nice Madagascar fossils, good chance that the light materials on your fossils will fluoresce if they are polished. If they have been sprayed with clear they will not. I don’t know what the host rock is but looks man made

Thanks for your help Jim. Yes, my 60 watt short wave cost me $750 several years ago

What Marx said, Pudding rock and conglomerate kind of are similar. As far as lights, black light is a type of ultraviolet but not much good for use with minerals. There are three wave lengths used on minerals, short, med and long. For where I'm at short wave works best on most Alaskan minerals that fluoresce , but long does work on some. Medium I have never used.

I only use the Inreach for sending and receiving messages, costs $15 a month. You can suspend service if you won't be using it for a period of time for instance winter

Get a Garmin Inreach, my 2 cents

I like the "mashed scorpions" here is "Goldfinger"

For those of you down Arizona way, the big show starts soon. Thousands of vendors at numerous hotels and parking lots across Tucson, have fun, http://www.tucsongemshows.net/coming.html

That is a great job of writing Jim, and a great tale. Watch out for that bear spray it can get you. And by the way, bear spray does not work on big foot

Jim, that jasper specimen is in the house, so is the "bog". Dick, I knew you would recognize that piece. Jasper is Alaskan from the Talkeetna Mts. Some big chunks there that are to big to haul out. What does the haul road jasper look like?? Kanayut conglomerate is probably what you found in the Brooks-has various colors of chert. photo of Kanayut chert

Nice mix of jasper and petrified bog

Jim Idaho, I actually see quite a bit of blue which is mostly calcite and some agate. Don't know much about rocks from your part of the country. I do have some stromatolites I think from Montana or Wyoming, Bob

sounds good Jim, I would like to see more of your minerals, Bob

Guys, I'm just trying to wake up this minerals forum a bit. Here is a thunderegg with short wave light. Love these eggs

A couple of my finds from this summer, a tube shaped piece filled with quartz and calcite and an ammonite with and without shortwave light Both about 8"

I think Si Tech has it along with others. Don't remember what brand I have but looks like the picture, B

I use this type inner and outer ring, never had a glove come off. Glove just fits tight over outer ring and I do add a rubber band but probably not needed. I have latex seals but should work on either.

Been ther done that as far as no sun in the canyon. Tough this time of the year when you get out of the cold water and into the colder air. Have you ever tried a dry glove set up, works great, no cold hands. Something that happened to me late Sept last year on Alfred Creek my foot valve kept freezing up with ice and slush. Temp was in the 20's so not that cold, had to quit, B

Thanks,I am familiar with that site. The camera there has been all crazy lately like the wind blows it around, B

I use the same USGS site, very helpfull

I have two of these cameras, fun to play with. Here is black sand and garnets 250x

Glenn, great report on the Denver show. Thanks for all the photos

thanks for letting me know I have such a valuable shovel. I had never seen anyone mention it so wondered where it came from. New never used--for sale 1/2 price--half million