thefinder
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Nature amazes me!
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- Thread starter thefinder
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Nature amazes me!
Here is a nature shot......
just small nature! HA HA
Over the past 60 years, KT has visited many mine sites across the great state of Arkansas. The story of the collection of this specimen is perhaps more fascinating than the photo itself.
In Polk County, near the community of Mena, Arkansas, is an old abandoned manganese mine that was developed into a patented claim by the last owner. During WWII an adit was drifted back into the hillside in search of high grade manganese ore, some of which was produced and shipped to further the making of steel for the war effort. However, after the artificially high price of manganese was dropped by the Federal Government in 1955, the mine became inactive and has been ever since. Traces of native copper were found on the dumps by my supervisor shortly before KT went to work for the Arkansas Geological Survey in 1974. A collecting buddy and I decided to go visit the mine after my supervisor took me to it. The North Mountain Mine consists of an adit trending north into the hillside and large enough dump piles downhill from the adit to know it went a ways back into the hillside.
When we visited the site in the mid-1980s, the adit had begun to fill with water. We waded up to chest deep to get to the back of the mine, and fortunately we found that the adit floor trended uphill so we finally managed to get out of the water! At the back of the adit was a vertical shaft, partially filled with railroad ties and scrap metal, pretty dangerous spot. Above the shaft in the ceiling, we could see traces of mineralization with our headlamps. KT stood at the side of the shaft and extended a cardboard box out towards the ceiling, while my partner poked at the ceiling above my box with a 4 foot prybar he had brought in the mine. We chipped all around, until the box was about half full and KT could not hold the weight any longer.
We just divided the box evenly by weight and he took his half and KT his. On the chips were thin veins of native copper, some reddish octagonal cuprite (copper oxide) crystals and these pale blue crystals. A few pieces of the pale blue crystals KT sent off for identification and they came back as Turquoise crystals, first report of them from Arkansas. Realizing His Majesty had never photographed them, today was the day. The image was taken at 60X magnification with KT's Chinese USB led microscope.
KT hopes you all enjoy seeing these microcrystals. This is the reason KT loves to photograph specimens and show the photos, otherwise no one would ever have a chance to see them! And crystals are part of nature, too!
just small nature! HA HA
Over the past 60 years, KT has visited many mine sites across the great state of Arkansas. The story of the collection of this specimen is perhaps more fascinating than the photo itself.
In Polk County, near the community of Mena, Arkansas, is an old abandoned manganese mine that was developed into a patented claim by the last owner. During WWII an adit was drifted back into the hillside in search of high grade manganese ore, some of which was produced and shipped to further the making of steel for the war effort. However, after the artificially high price of manganese was dropped by the Federal Government in 1955, the mine became inactive and has been ever since. Traces of native copper were found on the dumps by my supervisor shortly before KT went to work for the Arkansas Geological Survey in 1974. A collecting buddy and I decided to go visit the mine after my supervisor took me to it. The North Mountain Mine consists of an adit trending north into the hillside and large enough dump piles downhill from the adit to know it went a ways back into the hillside.
When we visited the site in the mid-1980s, the adit had begun to fill with water. We waded up to chest deep to get to the back of the mine, and fortunately we found that the adit floor trended uphill so we finally managed to get out of the water! At the back of the adit was a vertical shaft, partially filled with railroad ties and scrap metal, pretty dangerous spot. Above the shaft in the ceiling, we could see traces of mineralization with our headlamps. KT stood at the side of the shaft and extended a cardboard box out towards the ceiling, while my partner poked at the ceiling above my box with a 4 foot prybar he had brought in the mine. We chipped all around, until the box was about half full and KT could not hold the weight any longer.
We just divided the box evenly by weight and he took his half and KT his. On the chips were thin veins of native copper, some reddish octagonal cuprite (copper oxide) crystals and these pale blue crystals. A few pieces of the pale blue crystals KT sent off for identification and they came back as Turquoise crystals, first report of them from Arkansas. Realizing His Majesty had never photographed them, today was the day. The image was taken at 60X magnification with KT's Chinese USB led microscope.
KT hopes you all enjoy seeing these microcrystals. This is the reason KT loves to photograph specimens and show the photos, otherwise no one would ever have a chance to see them! And crystals are part of nature, too!
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~Alan~
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~Alan~
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What a great story, thanks for sharing it.
just small nature! HA HA
Over the past 60 years, KT has visited many mine sites across the great state of Arkansas. The story of the collection of this specimen is perhaps more fascinating than the photo itself. >>>
<<< KT hopes you all enjoy seeing these microcrystals. This is the reason KT loves to photograph specimens and show the photos, otherwise no one would ever have a chance to see them! And crystals are part of nature, too!
Thanks, ~Alan~! You are most welcome!
thefinder
Full Member
jimther
Elite Member
It's been a while since I posted a photo here, but we encountered a couple of Turkey Vultures earlier this month that were not soaring 1000 feet above us.
Here's a few shots taken from about 150 feet away with my Canon SX60 HS super-zoom.
Here's a few shots taken from about 150 feet away with my Canon SX60 HS super-zoom.
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~Alan~
Forum Supporter
~Alan~
Forum Supporter
jimther
Elite Member
Thanks Alan… in the U.S., we have Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures, which are larger than Black Vultures and have a six foot wingspan.
achaios
Forum Supporter
The closest I ever saw a Turkey Vulture was when my grandfather turned over his compost pile, and I think they got a whiff of it and one came down to investigate. VERY inexperienced hunters have been known to mistake one for a Turkey. I wouldn't ever attempt to eat one.
-- Tom
Sven
Elite Member
I see them all the time gliding in the thermals around the tall apartment high rises. Pretty cool. The pigeons are dwarfed by them.
jimther
Elite Member
Nice “from behind” shot of that daffodil, Minelab Pilot !
~Alan~
Forum Supporter
What is the bird with the black and white rings around its neck ?
I like the Muskrat, I was watching one on the live stream at Lake Hood last week.
thefinder
Full Member
A member of the Plover family Alan...Killdeer.
~Alan~
Forum Supporter
Some more photos from our garden.
Nothing special, but it was a nice day to sit outside
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HfxLtJrmWsB7jM6o9
Nothing special, but it was a nice day to sit outside
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HfxLtJrmWsB7jM6o9
~Alan~
Forum Supporter
Some photos from Abberton Reservoir in Essex (UK)
Egyptian Geese, a Tern and a Goldfinch, plus a few other.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1BCp3XXFwYt3Luqu9
Egyptian Geese, a Tern and a Goldfinch, plus a few other.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1BCp3XXFwYt3Luqu9
thefinder
Full Member
I came home from fishing and opened the back door and saw the neighbors cat fly by with this gray fox right on his tail,I startled him and he just kept looking at me as he moved back into the woods.
GOD Bless America ONCE again
Chris
GOD Bless America ONCE again
Chris
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jimther
Elite Member
Nice photos of the Gray Fox. You got lucky that it stayed around long enough for you to grab a few shots.
Interesting clouds tonight. I don’t have a real camera, just an iPhone.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
