# Lil Mikie needs to see this.



## Nubsnstubs (Jan 30, 2021)

@Mike Hill sent me a PM asking about if I've ever stumbled upon any interesting rocks, like Turquoise, Agates or Pet Wood. Well, I worked at Pet Forest for 1039 hours back in 2005-6. I literally did stumble on Pet wood. It was all over the place. And, I was pretty damned honest about leaving that stuff where it lay. Only once did I take a piece off the park. It had one more rain to go before it eroded or slid onto private property, so I figured I'd go ahead and grab it now. Large enough to make two 3" points. I broke it in half and gave one piece to one of the best flintknappers I've ever known. His turned out pretty darn nice, but the piece I kept was angry that I lifted it from the park. All I ended up with was debitage, defined as waste flakes. 

Now, for Lil Mikie. Here is a piece of wood you might like. Unfortunately, it's not for sale or trade, but maybe one day. 

Pet Forest only has about 10% of the Petrified Wood in the surrounding area. Most of the land is private, with some BLM land interspersed with State, National Forest, and private lands. You are allowed on BLM land to collect in a years time 250 pounds plus one rock. So anyway, while working in the park, on my days off I explored a lot of countryside. I found all kinds of wood deposits including this piece. I don't know the species, but it might sound like "areyuocarryingyouraxalong". That's as close as I can get to the Latin name. Picture below is the flat grain.



This picture is from the inside, or pith side.



This is an endgrain shot. Check out those growth rings. Gorgeouse.



There is still a little bark on this shot. The tree is estimated to have died about 225 million years ago, many years before the dinosaurs evolved in the Petrified Forest. Now, a dino older than Gertie has been discovered elsewhere and the PF lost it's designation as being the birth place of dinosaurs.




It is about 3 pounds, 2" thick, 5" wide, and 7" long at the taper. 

So, Lil Mikie, what do you think?? ............ Jerry (in Tucson)
.

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## Mike Hill (Jan 30, 2021)

That's what I'm taliking about!!! That's downright drool-worthy!!!! If you ever.............
There are times i like to gaze forlornly while facing the west. This is one of those times!

Reactions: Sincere 2


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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 30, 2021)

here's some petrified wood i collected out of ely nevada

small limb cast first
2nd is a small piece with what i assume is pith

3rd a larger piece agatized

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 30, 2021)

some more from that same area

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## Mike Hill (Jan 30, 2021)

Amazing colors! Don't get the opportunity to see much less but petwood with that much color

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 30, 2021)

wife and kid and i have done a lot of rockhounding since covid hit last year

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 30, 2021)

a couple of non petrified wood pieces from or last desert trip. about 4 weeks ago

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## FLQuacker (Jan 30, 2021)

Cool stuff!


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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 30, 2021)

and while i'm showing off, some actual wood with color that is kind of unbelievable, 

blue stain spalting in chamise burl

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 30, 2021)

you've been officially hijacked, 

thanks for the start up of this thread

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## Mike Hill (Jan 31, 2021)

Amazing! Never have seen anything like that chamise! Only time I get to see rocks like that is walking on a roof and studying the ballast. And unfortunately the weighted roofs are getting very rare now. I don't know where the river gravel came from, but not around here.


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## Nubsnstubs (Jan 31, 2021)

vegas urban lumber said:


> *you've been officially hijacked,*
> 
> thanks for the start up of this thread


Trev, don't stop now......... Never been that far east into Nevada. I usually stay on 95 up to Wadsworth, then straight up 447 until I get to Cedarville, California, then further north to Glass Buttes, Oregon. Have never stopped to look for any rock other than Obsidian but have found a bunch of Agates along the way. Mostly debitage from the Abos making their cutting tools. That's a nice looking piece you have there. It looks just like my quality of knapping like the tail being missing? What I have found funny in some of the places I'v been looking for rock is the natives actually imported rock for knapping rather than using the local rock in most cases. It doesn't make sense to me. 

Folks, Petrified wood can be found in every state if you know where and what to look for. Not all is as nice looking as what has been shown. There are 2 types of PW. One is the Agatized stuff Trev and I showed. the other type is called Permineralized Wood. It might have a tiny bit of color, but most just looks like sandstone in log form. 

My use of the word Abo above is not demeaning Native Americans. It is meant to describe the method of knapping they did prior to European contact. Antlers, stone, bone and wood were their primary tools. Today in the knapping community, there a some who are Abo Knappers only, meaning they use only those tool described earlier. Then, you have the Lowlifes like me that uses copper instead of antler. It's just like woodworking using hand tools from the past, or using things that have a cord and use electricity. I prefer copper because it's so easy to get, unlike having to poach an antlered animal out of season because in season, they are extinct except for a lucky few.... ......... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## Mike1950 (Jan 31, 2021)

cool Country around Ely- Middle of nowhere

Reactions: Agree 1


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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

Can I playYour pet wood is much nicer than anything I have found! When I was in Green Valley, AZ. at the public library there was a log round approx., 18" x 2' tall of agatized pet wood that was amazing!
So around here this is typically what I find as far as wood when hunting Lake Superior Agates.

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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

A few of my many favorite Lakers rough.

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 31, 2021)

rob3232 said:


> A few of my many favorite Lakers rough.
> 
> View attachment 201695


i'd glady rather hunt for lakers than petrified wood

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## Nubsnstubs (Jan 31, 2021)

That's some good looking rock, Rob. Any size to them?? ........... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Rob. Any size to them??


Working on pictures and sizes. I'm computer slowwww.


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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

Couple of peelers

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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

Couple polished

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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

My biggest agate with no sugar and a garage sale buy ( petrified palm??)

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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

Ruler for reference. Most of the larger rocks are buried in the snow right now.

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## Nubsnstubs (Jan 31, 2021)

It's terrible having two passions using different natural items. One is a rock, and the other is wood. When you open either, it's amazing what is hidden.
Rob, those tumbled pieces look like candy. Thanks posting, and hope you have more........ Jerry (in Tucson)

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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

Literally 5 gallon buckets


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## Nubsnstubs (Jan 31, 2021)

rob3232 said:


> Literally 5 gallon buckets


Just buckets. My rock is in tons.... Mostly flint/chert and Obsidians, but at least a thousand pounds of agates from all over. My rock saw needs to be put back together, a twenty minute job, and I'll have to cut some rock for Lil Mikie. I have some Flower Agate from up near Saint Johns, Arizona that the deposit was discovered in the early '50's by a now deceased rockhound. I can take to his house in St. Johns, but can't remember his name. If there is anything left in his yard, what I have and what might be in his yard might be the only raw stuff left in the world. Rare, but never really caught on as a good looking Agate. I'll get a picture in a day or two. I have it for flintknapping, not have as a specimen. 
@Mike Hill, pm me again about rock sizes and stuff you might want. I will see what I have and then we can haggle. I don't have Turquoise. ....... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## Nature Man (Jan 31, 2021)

Here's a picture in the Petrified Forest National Park that I took back in 2016. Pretty amazing stuff! Chuck

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## rob3232 (Jan 31, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> It's terrible having two passions using different natural items.


Here is a picture to prove how bad my sickness with the two is

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## Nubsnstubs (Jan 31, 2021)

On Christmas Day every year, the Park is closed. In 2005 when I worked there, my Babe and I were the only two people in the Park plus one Ranger. We had the place to ourselves, and a bonus was the day was absolutely a beautiful Arizona day. No clouds, warm and no wind. 
Anyway, somewhere near the road in The Rainbow Forest, there were a bunch of logs at least 40-60 feet long with cracked sections like shown in the above picture by @Nature Man. I just happened to have my chain saw with me, and for grins, I found a log I could insert my saw into to look like I had been cutting the log into sections. So, I had my Babe take a picture. 
Later, I was exploring several spots, and got to a place that looked interesting up by Chinde Point. Since I was the only vehicle in the park, plus the Ranger's, I just stopped, got out and started walking towards a cliff that gave a nice view of the Chinde Valley. I was probably about 30 minutes and about a 1/4 to 1/2 Mile from my truck when I heard from a speaker to get back to my truck and move it off the road. I was blocking traffic. Me, Deb and the Ranger were the only 3 people in the park and I was blocking traffic. Of course, the Ranger went around my truck and headed to the south end of the park. We laughed about that for a few days, but I wasn't done exploring. 
The Park has some beautiful specimens of Petrified Wood. 

Most people who visit national Parks don't know this, but all those signs indicating that you must stay on trails is misleading. I know why they are there, but the Park belongs to the Public. If you want to explore further out from a certain designated spot, all you need to do is go to the nearest office, get a free permit, and then walk anywhere you choose to explore. As far as I know, Pet Forest only has one location that is off limits even to Park personnel. It' s a cave system near Peurco Ruins that has a lot of Native American pornographic petriglyphs. I got the description from an Archeologist and it was hearsay from another Arkie that had seen it. Nuff of this. time to eat........... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 31, 2021)

found this big red one east of valley of fire about 28 years ago, it weighs about 250 lbs, and mostly red and grey with some black

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 31, 2021)

these are from our last trip to tonopah area

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## vegas urban lumber (Jan 31, 2021)

here are a few rocks i've collected and polished from various areas around the southwest over the years,

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## Mike Hill (Feb 23, 2021)

Rob ever find any Petoskey's or some of that fancy smancy Leland Blue?


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## rob3232 (Feb 23, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Rob ever find any Petoskey's or some of that fancy smancy Leland Blue?



Unfortunately not yet. Lots of other interesting pieces though. Here are a couple of pieces with concentric banding and a piece of MaryEllen Jasper. (a two billion year old fossil)

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## Mike Hill (Feb 23, 2021)

Love those ringed stones. I always thought it would be fun to walk the GL beaches and look for stones where the layers, inclusions, lines form letters and numbers for a complete collection. I've seen a number of collections of those. Around here what we have is gray limestone and holes in limestone. Occassionally there will be a small void in the gray limestone - quarter sized thereabouts that has some sort of crystal growth in the void - sorta like a geode, but in solid rock. I'll find them in loads of gravel at jobsites. Most loads none - but at times I'll walk around and find a few. Oh, we also in some places have what I'll call Young Limestone - in that there is a thick layer of small fossil bivalve shell fragments all concreted together. Dig down about 10" in some of my yard and you can find that. Oh also have numerous places where you can find Indian Money (crinoid segments) in between some rock layers. Occassionally some complete bivalves in the occassional layer. You go out from Nashville, you can find other things. I miss the times in North San Antonio and picking up loads of complete bivalves and univalves. And over Northwest of San Antonio finding arrowheads and framents. Even found a couple of places, it looked like arrowheads were knapped because of the flakes and unfinished and broken heads. I think there is a name for the knapping detritus (if I could use that word for that). My great aunt and uncle's ranch had a cave on it, and she would bring up stalactites and stalagmites from it and made her a rock garden of sorts.

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## DLJeffs (Feb 23, 2021)

Just a reminder that those smaller 1 -2 inch polished rocks make nice decorative finials. You can get the threaded metal base with a multi prong clasp that you glue the stone into. Makes a nice way to match the room decor.


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## gman2431 (Feb 23, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Rob ever find any Petoskey's or some of that fancy smancy Leland Blue?


He's gotta sneak into Michigan for our Lelands and petoskeys... the company I work for has a place in Charlevoix also, whenever I go there I walk the beach with a "pop" and find all kinds of cool stuff


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## Nubsnstubs (Feb 23, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Love those ringed stones. I always thought it would be fun to walk the GL beaches and look for stones where the layers, inclusions, lines form letters and numbers for a complete collection. I've seen a number of collections of those. Around here what we have is gray limestone and holes in limestone. Occassionally there will be a small void in the gray limestone - quarter sized thereabouts that has some sort of crystal growth in the void - sorta like a geode, but in solid rock. I'll find them in loads of gravel at jobsites. Most loads none - but at times I'll walk around and find a few. Oh, we also in some places have what I'll call Young Limestone - in that there is a thick layer of small fossil bivalve shell fragments all concreted together. Dig down about 10" in some of my yard and you can find that. Oh also have numerous places where you can find Indian Money (crinoid segments) in between some rock layers. Occassionally some complete bivalves in the occassional layer. You go out from Nashville, you can find other things. I miss the times in North San Antonio and picking up loads of complete bivalves and univalves. And over Northwest of San Antonio finding arrowheads and framents. Even found a couple of places, it looked like arrowheads were knapped because of the flakes and unfinished and broken heads. I think there is a name for the knapping* detritus *(if I could use that word for that). My great aunt and uncle's ranch had a cave on it, and she would bring up stalactites and stalagmites from it and made her a rock garden of sorts.


Sorry Lil' Mikie, it's *debitage*. French for, hell, I don't know, but it's usually the waste flakes. ........... Jerry

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike Hill (Feb 24, 2021)

Danged, it sometimes sucks not to be a frenchie. I always wanted to sell everything and go buy a place in Provence - does that qualify me as a Frenchie?


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## Nubsnstubs (Feb 24, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Danged, it sometimes sucks not to be a frenchie. I always wanted to sell everything and go buy a place in Provence - does that qualify me as a Frenchie?


In my opinion, the only real Frenchies are Cajuns, and since you were living in Texas at one point, I would qualify you as a near distant almost wanna be part Frenchie. those people living in the other part of world i don't what to call them

BTW, do you know what "outre passe" is? I hope I spelled it correctly....... One guess is all you get. If do guess it correctly, I'll send you one. 

Also, being a Frenchie isn't great. Being called a "Frog" is really demeaning to the real critters called frogs.

Just got a phone call from the guy that I got my carbide bandsaw blade from that was supposed to be here today to show how to use it won't be here today. So I'll use that time to put my rock saw back together and start cutting some rock for you since I won't be able to cut up that TE you want....
.......... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Mike Hill (Feb 24, 2021)

Hey, I took a knapping class! I think it is in one of the books I got as part of the class ( I read books too)- I wish I knew where the book was now, but I think it had to do with large flakes - maybe from edge to edge?


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## Mike Hill (Feb 24, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> lso, being a Frenchie isn't great. Being called a "Frog" is really demeaning to the real critters called frogs.


Frog doesn't sound all that bad! One summer job was on a construction crew. One older mexican steelworker and I got along pretty good - he could climb columns, but I as a big white guy couldn't. One lunch break we were talking about the super and his facial hair. The super had a goatee and thinking I was being smart - I thought I said that he looked like a male goat in spanish - I used the word Cabron. He laughed and explained that that word does mean male goat, but has many other insulting meanings. Then when we were going back to work, he called me something that started with pend..... None of my spanish classbooks had the word - nor the first english-spanish dictionary I looked at. Finally found one that had it.


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## Nubsnstubs (Feb 24, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Hey, I took a knapping class! I think it is in one of the books I got as part of the class ( I read books too)- I wish I knew where the book was now, but I think it had to do with large flakes - maybe from edge to edge?


You are almost entirely correct. It does travel edge to edge, but also takes out some of the other edge thereby causing an unplanned loss of width. English translation is "over pass". At least that was what I was told as I had no Frogs nearby to verify it........ Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Nubsnstubs (Feb 24, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Frog doesn't sound all that bad! One summer job was on a construction crew. One older mexican steelworker and I got along pretty good - he could climb columns, but I as a big white guy couldn't. One lunch break we were talking about the super and his facial hair. The super had a goatee and thinking I was being smart - I thought I said that he looked like a male goat in spanish - I used the word Cabron. He laughed and explained that that word does mean male goat, but has many other insulting meanings. Then when we were going back to work, he called me something that started with pend..... None of my spanish classbooks had the word - nor the first english-spanish dictionary I looked at. Finally found one that had it.


So, he called you pubic hair, huh?? I've been called worse, and like the saying about a ducks back and water, it just slides off my back because my skin is really thick. ........ Jerry (in Tucson)


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## rob3232 (Feb 24, 2021)

Most of what I have was picked out of sand pits. Cement companies screen sand from rock for many different applications. Rocks delivered via glaciers.Here are some concretions I have. The large piece has some cool fossils.

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## rob3232 (Feb 24, 2021)

A couple of bivalves.

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## rob3232 (Feb 24, 2021)

A few more fossils.

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## rob3232 (Feb 24, 2021)

Nicer piece of MaryEllen Jasper and my darkest Amethyst. Almost Purple!

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## rob3232 (Feb 24, 2021)

And some polished lakers with eyes.

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## DLJeffs (Feb 24, 2021)

What is a "laker"? Some kind of jasper agate?


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## rob3232 (Feb 25, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> What is a "laker"?



Lake Superior Agate. Here is a nice book that has many pictures of variety if you get a chance to look through it sometime.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Mike Hill (Feb 25, 2021)

My back would be all permanently stopped over if I lived near the GL beaches, - well beaches of almost any kind actually. 

Rob, you might have posted before but do you have a polishing tumbler?


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## rob3232 (Feb 25, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Rob, you might have posted before but do you have a polishing tumbler?



Yep, I have a rotary and a vibe. Haven't had them going for a couple of years though.


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## Mike Hill (Feb 25, 2021)

rob3232 said:


> Yep, I have a rotary and a vibe. Haven't had them going for a couple of years though.


I've got a big rotary - well actually it is a concrete mixer ----- and actually never tried polishing anything, just tumble glass pieces in it to make fake sea glass. Had to rebuild the starter box on it so haven't used it lately - but have 2 trash cans full of purdy colored glass to tumble. Been wanting to ask someone, if they like the rotary or the vibe better. I will eventually buy one or the other. I had a small rotary, but eventually gave it to a kid down the street that looked like he really wanted it - then they moved.


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## rob3232 (Feb 25, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Been wanting to ask someone, if they like the rotary or the vibe better.



I prefer the rotary for shaping. The vibe tends to flatten and miss shape pieces if not kept full. So, I use the rotary for the course grits then move to the vibe. For me it was a long learning curve. Get pieces shaped with course grit in the rotary then move on to medium and so on in the vibe. Hope that helps!

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## DLJeffs (Feb 26, 2021)

rob3232 said:


> Lake Superior Agate. Here is a nice book that has many pictures of variety if you get a chance to look through it sometime.
> 
> View attachment 203976


Thanks for the education. I'll have to check those out. There's a beach on the coast called Agate Beach and you can find small agates that got washed down the rivers during runoff. The surf tumbles them around and then flushes them back onto the beach. The beach isn't sand, small pebbles. Kind of a fun day to go down there. I have a couple agates from there somewhere. No way to polish them up tho.

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## vegas urban lumber (Feb 26, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Thanks for the education. I'll have to check those out. There's a beach on the coast called Agate Beach and you can find small agates that got washed down the rivers during runoff. The surf tumbles them around and then flushes them back onto the beach. The beach isn't sand, small pebbles. Kind of a fun day to go down there. I have a couple agates from there somewhere. No way to polish them up tho.


central oregon has some of the best rockhounding in the country

gem trails of oregon and rockhounding oregon are two good books to het you started

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