1. science
2. geology

At our May 4 meeting—
The Prez Says
WHAT LIES BENEATH EGYPTIAN SAND?
With warmer weather it is a good time to go down
to the river. The City of Llano has been trying to get
the sand out of Town Lake. They opened the maintenance gates and drained the water out of the lake.
The open gates and all the digging in the sand have
allowed the heavier material that had settled in the
sand to flow down the river, making gold panning
and rock collecting better below the dam than it has
been for many years. There have also been a couple
of rises in the river due to rain west of Llano. This is
the best condition for exposing rocks because it
washes and exposes thing that have been coated in
mud and sediment.
Only 1% of ancient Egypt has been discovered
and 99% remains hidden—UNTIL NOW!!
Please join us as we will be watching a DVD of
the discoveries that Sarah Parcak has found by the
use of using infra-red satellite imaging to reveal
this ancient land as it actually was 4,000 years
ago. Sarah is an American Archaeologist, a space
Archaeologist and an Egyptologist who has
shocked the world with all the hidden pyramids,
tombs and vast cities which has been revealed using this technology and unseen
by human eyes. Who knows
what treasures await discovery! It is mind-boggling to
watch all that remains hidden
in the Egyptian sand!!!
Hope to see you there,
Karen Anderson
As usual, we encourage members
to bring snacks to share.
Fredericksburg Rockhounds News!
Saturday May 23rd Earl Theiss will be at our
rock shop to do gold panning demonstrations. He
is the best person to talk to about finding gold in the
Llano River. We will have lots to do throughout the
day.
If you can make it up this way, Grenwelge park below the bridge still has a lot of rock stacking to look
at, and we will be here at the store all day to help
with rock identification and any other information
you need.
I will see you at the meeting.
Frank Rowell
[If you haven’t been to the rock
shop, Enchanted Rocks and
Jewelry, it’s in downtown Llano
at 805 Berry St.]
May 2015!
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Fredericksburg Rockhounds Minutes for April 2015
Frank called the meeting to order and read a poem
about Rockhounds that was rather cute. New
members and guests were introduced. We had one
from Kerrville and an Osborne from Arizona. (I'm
sorry I didn't get your names, please let us know
who you are if you can!! It was nice to have you
there)
Karen Anderson then introduced Jim Gedeon and
his presentation on arrowheads and places in Texas
and New Mexico that he visited. It was a great
presentation, lots of information and good photos.
We broke for door prizes and snacks after; door
prizes are as such [see below]:
An announcement of Audrey Landry had passed
away. Her obituary will be put into the club’s
scrapbook for preservation.
A field trip to Santa Ana was mentioned for the
19th of April, did anyone go??
Andy Anderson then announced to the members
that the Constitution Committee had been working
on changes to the current Constitution and that it
would be shared with members soon. He also
brought forth the need for a Membership
Committee/Chairperson to help with memberships. Nominations are being accepted as well as
volunteers!!!!
Treasury March 2015:
Expenses
Income
Checking
Cds
Cash
Total
$623.74
$78.00
$11,797.91
$8,026.19
$30.00
$19,854.10
Respectfully Submitted,
Shelly Verstuyft
April Meeting Door Prizes
Item!....................................................Donated by !.....................Won by
Petrified Bog ............................................The Posts...............................Don McDonald
Chapinite ..................................................The Posts...............................(?)
Brescia......................................................The Posts...............................Judy Adams
Ouyhee Jasper ..........................................The Posts...............................Jim Gedeon
Celestite ...................................................Frank & Patti ........................Sue Burkhardt
Amethyst ..................................................John Crone............................John Roup
Misc. Cabs................................................Lee Adams ............................Claudette Holly
Arrow Point .............................................Ed Beauford..........................Glen Thompson
Arrow Point .............................................Ed Beauford..........................John Crone
Bola ..........................................................Ed Beauford..........................Frank Rowell
Stony Creek Jasper ...................................Don McDonald .....................Bill Morgenstern
Audrey Landry (photo on next page)
Audrey Lee Dupre Landry, 79, passed away at her
residence in Mountain Home, TX February 24,
2015 after a long illness.
Audrey was born August 26, 1935 in Washington,
LA. She worked as a telephone operator for a short
time before meeting her husband of 56 years and
becoming a stay at home mom and wife. She loved
to collect bears, to take photos and taught herself to
Fredericksburg Rockhounds News!
paint. She was an avid rock collector, traveling all
over the country with her husband and family hunting for gems and minerals. She loved making jewelry and running the Marfa Rock Shop in Mountain Home where she and John would enjoy teaching others about gems and minerals and their hobby
for rock hunting. She was an active member in the
Fredericksburg Rockhounds until her illness con-
May 2015!
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fined her to her home. She and
John were frequent vendors at the
club’s annual Gem & Mineral
shows until John’s health failed.
Family would like to thank all the staff
of Peterson Hospice for their support
and care.
There will be no services, so in lieu of
flowers, memorials can be made in her
name to Peterson Hospice or the organization of your choice.
Audrey is preceded in death by
her husband, Edman John Landry;
parents, Robert Eugene Dupre
and Mary Ellen Simmons Dupre;
and several other close relatives.
Condolences may be sent at
<www.grimesfuneralchapels.com> by
selecting the “Send Condolences” link
(or by scrolling down her obituary
page).
She will be missed by many but
has joined John. Both are angels
in heaven and are looking down
on those they have left behind.
Did You Know?
The state of Kentucky lists coal (a rock) as its official state mineral, and Kentucky Agate (a mineral)
as its official state rock.
List of State Rocks, Minerals & Gemstones at
www.netstate.com/states/tables/state_rocks_all.htm
Also thanks to Livermore Lithogram 11/14 via The
Rollin’Rock 2/15 via The Rock Collector 4/15
P.S. Kansas, wanting to avoid the whole thing, is the
only state which has NO state rock, mineral, gemstone or fossil.
From Stoney Statements 4/15 (Clear Lake G&M
Society)
Texas got it right: our state gem is Texas Blue Topaz; our stone, petrified palmwood.
[See the Junior Rockhounds article on next page].
Nebraska names Prairie Agate (a mineral) as its state
rock.
Ohio names Ohio flint as its official state gemstone.
These designations were all voted in by state politicians—none of whom were rockhounds, we assume.
Fredericksburg Rockhounds News!
May 2015!
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Rocks vs. Minerals: Same or Different?
How are rocks and minerals different? First, a rock
is composed of one or more minerals and sometimes
mineraloids but do not have a crystal structure.
Rock: sedimentary sandstone, by USGS
A mineral is a chemical substance made up of one
or more chemicals having a definite crystal structure.
oxides, etc. Another difference between the two is
that rocks can be found abundantly on the surface of
the Earth in many different regions, but minerals are
not as commonly found just anywhere, making it
sometimes useful for people to extract minerals
from rocks. Finally, rocks are often found containing fossils of plants and animals within them
whereas minerals do not contain any such remains.
[Coal, for example, is highly compressed rotted
vegetation and therefore a rock, even though it has a
high percentage of the mineral carbon.]
Although there may be many differences between
rocks and minerals, there are only a few similarities
between them. Rocks as well as minerals are found
in the Earth's crust (the outer layer of the Earth).
Another similarity between the two is that rocks as
well as minerals both have commercial value. Rocks
are important for the minerals they contain while
minerals are used widely in all areas of the manufacturing industry. Finally, both rocks and minerals
serve as raw materials in the industrial process for
manufacturing products used for everyday purposes.
There are many interesting and fun facts about rocks
and minerals. Here are some of them:
Mineral: gypsum desert rose, by Didier Descouens
Rocks do not have a definite chemical composition
whereas minerals do. Sometimes a rock may contain
organic remains in it. A mineral, on the other hand,
will never have any organic material present within
it. Rocks do not have a definite shape whereas minerals will usually have one. Rocks are classified as
igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Minerals
are classified as native elements, halides, sulfides,
Fredericksburg Rockhounds News!
• The oldest rocks on Earth are the igneous rocks
which are formed due to volcanic activity within the
Earth.
• The most common mineral is quartz. Quartz is further classified into various types such as smoky
quartz, rosy quartz, etc.
• Pumice is a rock that is igneous, and is formed
when lava solidifies. It is also the only rock known
to float.
May 2015!
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• Gemstones are considered to be minerals and not
rocks.
• The most popular gemstone is Ruby.
• During the Earth's formation process, the very first
type of rock that was formed was an igneous rock
followed by sedimentary rocks and then metamorphic rocks.
• Sedimentary rocks are often found containing the
fossil remains of plants and animals.
• All rocks go through the rock cycle where they are
constantly eroded and transformed from one rock
type to another.
• Beryl is a mineral that in its pure form is colorless.
• Green Beryls are more commonly known as Emeralds.
• A diamond is a mineral that is known to be the
hardest substance known to man.
• Feldspars make up over 50% of the Earth's crust.
• The properties used to identify minerals include
luster, hardness, color, streak, cleavage, crystal
shape and magnetism.
• Marble is formed from carbonate rock, mostly
from limestone.
• The rock Lapis Lazuli is a treasured gemstone today which in the ancient times was used by the
Egyptians as eye shadow.
Chromite is used for making chromed parts of
automobiles. Ores of copper are used in making
coins, jewelry, cooking utensils and wiring equipment used for electrical devices, televisions, computers, automobiles, etc. Halite, more commonly
known as salt, is used in cooking and food preservation. It is also used as a water softener and for deicing on highways. Limestone is used as a component of cement which is used in the construction of
homes, sidewalks, bridges and buildings. Fluorite is
used in the production of hydrofluoric acid, but its
main use is in toothpastes to help protect your teeth.
Lead is used in making batteries and as a protective
shield in the doctor's office from X-rays.
The above story is based on materials provided by
Bright Hub.
Text from The Hounds Tale 5/15 (Arlington G&M
Club); public domain photos from Wikipedia
Diamond Danʼs Book Sale
Diamond Dan is trying to clear the shelves. Our books are better in your hands than in ours!
The titles shown below are now 75 cents/copy (this is a 25% discount from the usual price). You can place
an order by phone or email and, as always, an invoice will be emailed to you after the shipment is on its way.
Darryl Powell, aka Diamond Dan
Diamond Dan Publications
585-278-3047
www.diamonddanpublications.net
Fredericksburg Rockhounds News!
May 2015!
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Now thru June 1: World Rock Tumbling Contest; Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Society: 1st place
$250, 2nd $100, 3rd $50. Submit an application with $30 by June 1, receive your rocks (3 pounds of rough
obsidian), then mail 5 tumbled rocks by Aug 15. For details and application form go to
<www.FeatherRiverRocks.org>
Now thru Aug—Kerrville TX: “Hill country Rocks” exhibit at Riverside Nature Center; huge exhibit of
rocks and fossils, including illustrated geological info; see the article
on page 5 of the Fredericksburg Rockhounds April newsletter, or go to
<www.riversidenaturecenter.org/>
May 2-3—WACO, TX: Annual show; Waco G&M Club, Extraco Events
Center; 4601 Bosque Blvd.; Sat. 9:00 am-6:00 pm, Sun. 11:00 am-5:00 pm;
Adults $5, Students $1, Children $1; contact Andrew McDonald, Stephanie
Robert, 3039 Spring Valley Rd., Lorena, TX 76655, (254) 366-3846; e-mail:
<babydocmac@aol.com> (They have a Facebook page, but it wasn’t up-todate when we checked)
May 2-3—LUBBOCK, TX: Annual show; Lubbock G&M Society, Lubbock Memorial Civic Center; 1501 Mac Davis Lane; Sat. 10:00 am-6:00 pm,
Sun. 10:00 am-5:00 pm; Adults $4.00, Seniors $3.00, Students $2.00, Children Under 6 Free; contact Walter Beneze, (806) 797-5832; e-mail: walt@lubbockgemandmineral.org; Web site:
<www.lubbockgemandmineral.org>
May 9—ARLINGTON, TX: Arlington G&M Club’s Swap Meet; Arlington Gem and Mineral Clubhouse; 1408
Gibbons Rd, behind the mosque, on the Rd to Six Flags; Sat. 8 am-1 pm+; admission is Free; outdoor swap meet with
all things lapidary/metalwork related. Bring your own tables/awning; anyone is welcome to set up, or just buy, swap or
look. Setup starts at 7 am. Potluck available at lunch in clubhouse. Call Jack Spinks at 469-515-6358 or email
jlspinks@sbcglobal.net; <www.agemclub.org> or <agemclub.com> (see their May 2015 newsletter).
May 23—LLANO, TX: Gold panning demonstrations by Earl Theiss.; Enchanted Rocks and Jewelry
rock shop near the courthouse; lots to do throughout the day. <enchantedrocksandjewelry.com>.
Jun 13-14—GRAPEVINE, TX: Annual show; Arlington G&M Club, Grapevine Convention Center; 1209 South
Main ; Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun. 10 am-5 pm; Adults $6.00, Seniors $3.00, Students $6.00, Children $3.00; Active Military and Scouts free admission; contact anastasia chaparro, 2817 Hunter Street, Fort Worth, TX 76112, (817) 7393833; e-mail: anastasi.chaparro@att.net; Web site: www.agemclub.org
Sep 25-27—HUMBLE, TX: Annual show; Houston G&M Society, Humble Civic Center; 8233 Will Clayton Parkway, ; Fri. 9:00 am-6:00 pm, Sat. 9:00 am-6:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am-5:00 pm; Adults $8.00, Seniors $7.00, Students
$7.00, Children 10 and under Free!; Scout program for merit badge; Girl Scout program; contact Scott Singleton,
Houston Gem & Mineral Society, 10805 Brooklet, Houston, TX 77099, (281) 530-0942; e-mail: show@hgms.org;
Web site: hgms.org
Oct 23-25—AUSTIN, TX: “Gem Capers 2015” gem, mineral and fossil show and AFMS/SCFMS show;
Austin G&M Society; Palmer Event Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd; Adults $8, Seniors $7, Ages 13-18 $2,
Age 12 and under free. Because the Formula 1 race is happening at the same time, hotel rooms are going to
be few and expensive, so make your reservations early! For details, including hotel suggestions, go to
www.austingemandmineral.org/
For more shows at later dates, or outside Texas, visit: <www.rockngem.com/>
Fredericksburg Rockhounds News!
May 2015!
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Jane Crone, May 5
Steven Day, May 6
Susan Olson, May 12
Sebastian Williams, May 18
Beth Boelman, May 30
The May birthstone is Emerald; the flowers are Lily of the Valley & Hawthorn
Lapidary Equipment for Sale
Sharlet Sizemore has these 2 rock saws and jewelers workbench for sale. If interested, email her at
sharlet2012@gmail.com
CLICK
CLICK
CLICK
Fredericksburg Rockhounds News!
May 2015!
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Purpose of the Fredericksburg Rockhounds:
To share knowledge and appreciation of gems, minerals, fossils, and
other natural wonders, and the art of jewelry making. We do this
through educational monthly meetings, field trips, an annual gem, mineral, & fossil show, and donations to schools. We’re affiliated with the
American Federation of Mineral Societies, and the South Central Federation of Mineral Societies.
Membership and Meetings:
We meet at 7:00 P.M. on the first Monday of each month at the Golden Hub Senior Center, 1009 N Lincoln,
Fredericksburg, Texas (except in June, when we have our annual picnic). See map, below.
Annual dues are $3 for juniors (under 19 years), $8 for individuals, and $15 for families; due in January.
Newsletter correspondence, membership lists, and newsletter advertising: Bill & Cheryl Wildfong,
342 West Water St, Kerrville, TX 78028; phone: 830-896-8940, email: wildfong@windstream.net
All other correspondence: Fredericksburg Rockhounds, 110 N. Milam PMB 197, Fredericksburg TX 78624
Check our our website at fredericksburgrockhounds.org for more club info, field trip news, club
photos, and lots of interesting hobby-related website links.
Club Officers for 2015:
President: Frank Rowell, 325-247-1987
1st Vice President: Tom Carswell, 830-792-2160
2nd Vice President: Karen Anderson, 830-792-3560
Past President: Jim Gedeon, 830-685-3342
Treasurer: John Roup, 830-896-4955
Secretary: Shelly Verstuyft, 830-998-7350
Committee Chairs:
Programs: Karen Anderson, 830-792-3560
Field Trips: Patti Felts, 325-247-1987
and Sam Rodgers, 210-240-7721
Hospitality: Susan Olson, 830-997-8516
Membership: Frank Rowell, 325-247-1987
Historian: (vacant)
Media Equipment: John Crone, 830-669-2639
Annual Show: Jim Gedeon, 830-685-3342
Newsletter: Bill & Cheryl Wildfong (see above)
Newsletter Articles and Club Info
Articles for next month’s newsletter must be received by the 20th of this month.*
A copy of the Club MEMBERSHIP LIST is available via email in PDF format, or via paper mail.
* Contact Bill or Cheryl Wildfong at wildfong@windstream.net or 830-896-8940.
The Club CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS are posted on our website: fredericksburgrockhounds.org
Fredericksburg Rockhounds News!
May 2015!
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