Ishpeming Rock Show and More

On Friday after I closed the museum I jumped in the car and drove straight to Ishpeming, MI.  Since the rock show started early Saturday morning and because the weather was good -- I set up most of my booth Friday night.  The weather on Saturday was perfect, which is not usually the case.  Many years in the past we have had thunderstorms.

Here are some photos of my booth.  I had some of my usual mineral art, polychrome, labadorite, and other rocks -- but I also had a rock collection that I recently purchased for sale.

Of course, I had lots of Lake Superior agates for sale, too.

The view from my seat.

After packing up the booth, I went out to dinner with friends, Gerald and Jill.  Then we visited for a while with my friend, Jim (his wife, Helen, was out of town), before we went out to see a movie.  Thanks, Jimmy, for letting us stay at your Trowbridge property and for feeding us breakfast the next morning!  Here are some pictures I took of their property.  Shown below is the vegetable garden, greenhouse, and potting shed.

Flowers and garden ornaments....

The photo below shows the view from the back of the yard.  You can see part of the Fifth wheel in the center of the photo.  It was a pleasure to stay in their, as compared to my very full car.  Thanks again, Jimmy!

Beach Fire Picnic

Well sort of.  It was a beautiful evening in Grand Marais on Wednesday, so we headed east of town and had a picnic on the bluff.  We would have had the picnic on the beach, but this section of shoreline has suffered enormous erosion due to the now frequent Lake Superior storms.  I enjoyed the evening spent with friends Jamey, Lois, and Logan, who was visiting from out of town.

Jamey collecting down wood...

 Lois found this patch of lichen broken free....

Below the bluff and to the west there is no more beach.

East of the bluff there is a bit more beach.

Lois collected some wild peas.

Sunset....

A fishing boat went by, heading back to Grand Marais.

Rockhounding Class

For today's blog posting you are invited to go on a rockhounding class.  As many of you know I offer a rockhounding class at the Gitche Gumee Museum.  Anyone interested in a class can call 906-494-2590 in the evening or 906-494-3000 during the day.  The class is $30 per hour per group (1-6 people).  The class starts at the museum wherein we use rock and mineral specimens and a microscope to learn to classify rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic.  We also use other specimens to review agate characteristics and learn about the agate want-to-be rocks.  Then we go down the beach where participants compete in a rockhounding exercise and collect, display, and present specific rocks.  Then we go back to the museum where participants select a free agate and see the "wowser" rocks.  The entire class takes around two hours.

The photos below show the beach segment of the class and also show the foggy morning.  In Grand Marais we have had several foggy days this week.  

With my camera's zoom, I captured the photo below showing lots of people on the beach over by the boardwalk.

The class participants included parents and two kids.

After the class I headed over to the post office and captured the photo below of fog over the bay.