Minnesota for a Few Days Off

After Cranberry Festival at Eagle River, friend Jill and I headed to Minnesota for a few days of agate hunting and meeting up with friends. We usually go to a friend's gravel pit in Carlton County. This was one of the last ones that allowed you in during the day. Now even this pit is off limits while the crews are working, mostly due to enforcement of regulations due to agate pickers who didn't respect the privilege.

While in the area, We visited with Bob and Sue Davis. Here is a couple of shots of an agate found by them as well as a shot sitting with some of the huge pumpkins that they grew this summer.





After the gravel pit's operations were closed for the day, we headed over with Kat Thomas and Sharon Smith from the Cuyuna Gem and Mineral Club, who had driven up to Carlton to spend some time with us. It was a beautiful evening.




After talking with several of the people who loaned rocks for my recently published agate book to the photographer, Tom Shearer, I've decided that when possible I'll take pictures of the rocks and their owners. I made a decision when producing the book to not include information about the size or dimensions of the agates. The purpose of the book and the photographs is to help readers to think like an agate. The sizes of the agates included in the book are irrelevant. However, it is kind of nice to show those who are interested how big the stones actually are.

Below is a picture of three agates donated by Sharon Smith, as well as a shot of Sharon holding the treasures. The agates, as pictured below, are used in Figure 78 (Mexican agate), Figure 45 (Eagle agate), and Figure 121 (Don't Worry agate). Sharon also donated the agate for Figure 82 (Crop Circle agate), but she sold the agate to photographer Tom Shearer.