It's still Friday is'nt it??

[Richard Flanders]

This was my July 4 fun trip. I spend a lot of time on an airstrip over behind the tree line and shown by the white arrow. I set up and shoot there and collect butterflies for the university. Today I hiked through the burn, which is a very tough go, and climbed one of the buttes to see what kind of rock it is made of. I was pretty bushed and was having some serious leg cramps by the time I got back to the plane but it was a great day. The hazy look to the sky is wildfire smoke.

[Dean Romig]

Jerez Richard, you're leaving us in suspense.... What kind of rock is the butte made of?!?!?

[Richard Flanders]

Sorry Dean! It's a serpentinized ultramafic of some kind - peridotite, I think. It's pretty altered so is hard to ID without chemistry and thin sections under a microscope.

[Dean Romig]

Speaking of serpentinized rock, my kitchen countertops are a great example. Thanks Richard.

[John Dallas]

Ah, Yes! The ol' snake rock

[charlie cleveland]

looks like you had a great 4 th richard..i ate to much at dinner time and wiped down a few parkers and vacumed out the rat nest in the old 57 chevy till a big rain sent me to the house....charlie....

[Richard Flanders]

I was going to go back out today and pick blueberries in the burn but the smoke came into town today and you can't see far. Damn!

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Richard, You live in a great place! Gary

[Richard Flanders]

Roger that. I'll be back out there picking blueberries by 0900 this morning. It's less than 20min south of town. The smoke cleared away and it's gorgeous. I'm outa here...

[Thomas L. Benson Sr.]

Richard: My wife use to carry a Smith & Wesson 44 when she went out to pick berry's because we were not the only one that likes them and some of those critters get pretty good size. :)Thomas

[Mike Franzen]

I was wondering if you carry a side arm while you're out like that.

[Dean Romig]

What is the smoke coming from Richard?

[Richard Flanders]

There are 302 wildfires burning across the state right now. East wind kept the smoke away today but tomorrow it's supposed to come from the SW so the viz will be down to 1-2miles at best, maybe less. Today was great. Got 3 honest quarts of blueberries, but it was a grunt. I carry a S&W Lew Horton .44special full of hot handloads down there because it's primarily black bear country. I'd carry a shotgun or my shorty 1886 Win .45-90 if there was much chance of a grizzly happening by. They are down there but not often.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

I looked at your bio and saw that you are a minerals geologist. My Aunt Elizabeth was supposedly the first woman in Ohio with a college degree in geology( Univ. of Chicago), but later got a teaching degree and taught high school--probably tough for a woman to get a job in geology back then. She lived to be 104.
I play tennis frequently with a retired geology professor from Univ. of Pittsburg, and often bring in some interesting rock I pick up while hiking around for him to identify.
I always enjoy your pictures and posts

[Richard Flanders]

I do a lot of rock ID for folks who have rocks they've picked up somewhere and bring home. Everyone likes "cool rocks" it seems.

[Dean Romig]

I do a lot of rock ID for folks who have rocks they've picked up somewhere and bring home. Everyone likes "cool rocks" it seems.



Some of the prettiest and most interesting rocks I've found were from the Kvichak and Talachulitna Rivers in AK.

[Richard Flanders]

Had I had room I would have brought a number of cool rocks from the beach at the landing at the head of the Kvichak home with me two years ago. Out of character for me to not have brought at least one small one out.

[Jack Cronkhite]

I find the cool rocks don't last too long

[charlie cleveland]

richard i have a rock i got as a kid no body has ever been able to identify it...it is bright orange in color with yellow streaks thru it..i myself have never seen such a colorfull rock...charlie

[Richard Flanders]

Can you post a picture of it?