El Gambrisino 2009-12

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  Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 51, Issue 12 December 2009 - 2 -

Program Notes:

Wilma Hutson, one of our own, was the speakerfor the evening. She spoke on a working trip that sheand hubby Bobbie had made to Borneo to work at anOFI (Orangutan Foundation International) OrangutanCare Center.

This care center has only orphans and is run byDr. Birute Mary Galdikas who started her work with theOrangutans in the 1970s. She has quite a resume andhas made the Orangutans her life's work. They mether when she spoke at NMSU and Wilma asked her ifshe had a work program in place. The answer was yesand after a lot of red tape, etc, they flew to Borneo thissummer for a three week work program. Their missionat the OFI was to make walkways in the jungle. Thewood used was Iron Wood, a very heavy and hard to

work with wood and they worked in the jungle heat andhumidity. Fortunately for them it was the dry season.

The Orangutans are very friendly and intelligentand they both fell in love with them. Orangutans have96% same DNA as humans compared to Chimps 98%but scientist argue that the Orangutans are closer thanchips to humans because they make nests and when itrains they make umbrellas over the top. Their facialfeatures are also much more human like than are theapes. They are solitary creatures and do not live ingroups in the wild.

The orphans arrive as a result of poaching andhabituate loss. They are in the nursery until they areabout 3 years old and are cared for much like humanbabies; i.e. diapered, bottle fed, live inside and areplayed with. After the nursery they go to a Pre-adolescent site until they are about 8 years old andfrom there to the adolescent site until they are releasedinto the jungle at about ten or eleven. In the wild theyoung are with their mother until they are about ten oreleven years old. It is the goal of Dr. Birute to teach

them how to live and survive in the jungle withouthuman aid.

While working, three of the work group became illand had to be hospitalized. The swine flu was blamedand the group was pretty much quarantined and had to

wear medical masks, etc. and as it was feared that itwould spread to the orangutans they were off limits.Until the patients were released the group wasbasically hidden and assigned to other tasks. Onenight they spent in a Hotel which they found out wasthe local brothel. The OFI had a zoo site which hadbeen closed down and was in disrepair so they setabout getting the house in shape (Bobbie's talentswere put to work here) and then worked on walkwaysand a crocodile pit for the three resident crocs..

Basically their living quarters consisted prettymuch of a raised platform with a roof and a 1" pad tosleep on and most of their meals consisted of boiledvegetables and rice, not the Hilton by any stretch of theimagination. Once in a while they got to go to townand eat but from the pictures of the food there it didn'tlook much better.

The many stories of the intelligence of theseorangutans and photographs were pretty awesome. Itwas quite an adventure and we thank you Wilma forsharing it with us.

Photo from the OFI website.

For further information and reading you can checkout the OFI web site: www.orangutang.org 

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  Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 51, Issue 12 December 2009 - 3 -

Reminders & General Info:

There is no regular meeting in the month ofDecember. The next meeting will be the third Friday ofthe month, January , Room 189, Breland Hall on theNMSU campus at 6:30 for social and 7 PM for themeeting. The program speaker will be Earl Burkholder,PS, PE. He is the Associate Professor of Engineering

in the Surveying Engineering Program at NMSU.Briefly his talk will be about how the land of NMbecame divided and changed into its many differentland status types (Forest, Public State, Private, etc)from the end of the Mexican American War till morerecent times. We should find out how this mess cameall about

Dues are due in January. The membershipapplication is attached, please fill out and mail withyour check to the Treasurer.

Mineral Meeting News:

There was not a Mineral Meeting in November due tothe Thanksgiving Holiday

Field Trips & Such:

FIELD TRIP - ALEMAN NORTH -NOV, 7, 2009

On a sunny but cool very early Saturday morning,eleven of us and two dogs headed north up the I-25corridor to the Upham exit and on to Aleman. The roadwas in good shape and we made pretty good time

although we had to spread out for miles because of thehanging dust, no wind this trip which was both a goodthing and a bad thing. Upon arrival everyone gearedup and spread out in quest of concretions and petrifiedwood. Those of us that roamed the furthest found themost, and best, p. wood a lot of which came back inthe form of photographs thus saving our poor backs. Ithink all found concretions, most of which were in theform of round ironstone balls.

We explored some areas that were new to uswhich were both exciting and productive. Ruby, theFuller's dog, found a water trough at the windmill and

cooled off while getting a drink. She was a happycamper.

We ended the day at Ruby Tuesday's for dinnergrimy as we all were from the busy day. All in all itwas another great day in beautiful New Mexico.

Petrified Wood found in placeEric Fuller photo

Doug & Nancy McDonald checking out the grindholes

Ruby getting a drink and cooling offEric Fuller photo

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  Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 51, Issue 12 December 2009 - 4 -

ADEN CRATER FIELD TRIP-NOV. 21, 2009

It was another sunny beautiful day in southernNew Mexico as nine of us headed out for Aden Craterand the bombing sites. It was an adventure for sure,an adventure being "what happens when theplanning fails" and so went our day.

The roads were in good shape until we got to the

two- tracker up to the crater and then it was the usualrough and bumpy, oh and did I mention it keptdisappearing road. There were several exploratorystops to find it again but we finally had to backtrackuntil a spot was found where we could park and take ashort hike to the top. This is one of the roads that areslated to be closed in the future. I, in all my wisdom,decided not to try the hike to the top but the others allmade it fine. They checked out the fumarole, etc.

Can you see why the astronauts practiced for theirmoon walks here? Photos by Dorian Rudin 

After regrouping at the vehicles we took off to findthe old WWII practice bombing site that our fearlessleader Eric Fuller had looked up. We drove on nicelevel ground for some distance, thru a set of corralsthat were full of really nice looking cattle and then ondown the "road" with Eric checking his GPS and mapsevery so often. We ran into a man on horseback who

 just happened to be the ranch owner, Dudley Williams.Eric had met him before so we had quite a chat andquite a few pictures were taken. That's me with Dudleyand his horse. Photo by Valice Raffi.

Dudley told Eric about another bomb site just avery short ways from where we were. Did we go thereyou ask? Well of course we didn't, we went forward onour quest for the original. We drove and drove anddrove; well guess it wasn't that far but we wereclimbing higher and higher and the roads were prettymuch lava which "ain't" like driving in sand.

It was finally determined that the bombing rangewas "about" 3 kilometers (what's that) back of us so allmanaged to turn around and head back with Ericmaking several stops to check his GPS. He finally didfind the spot and then were told that we would have towalk a half mile (an Eric half mile?) in very brushycountry. At that point Joe and Valice decided to leaveand we took a vote and decided to try and find the sitethat Mr. Williams had told us about. It was only acouple of miles until we found the right road but then itimmediately forked. Needless to say we took thewrong fork and had to turn around again - at least therewas plenty of room to turn around this time. Anothermile or so of lava roads and we found the site. There

were all kinds of metal parts lying around a very largearea and we all took a souvenir or two home with us.Our group was getting smaller by this time as anothercouple had taken off for home.

It was an adventurous day all right; we got to see alot of new territory, practice our driving skills and justplain have a good time. We final four stopped fordinner over which the day's events were rehashed andlaughed about..

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  Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 51, Issue 12 December 2009 - 5 -

30th Annual New Mexico MineralSymposium

By Don Saathoff

Maxine has asked me to write a report on theMineral Symposium at New Mexico Tech earlier this

month. This was the 30

th

  annual symposium but,actually, the 31st  year. During the year following thefirst symposium no symposium was held. Reasonshad to do with funding and venue…..we’re really gladthose issues are settled!!

As usual, all of the “usual suspects” were inattendance and, as always, it was really great to makecontact with people of like interest even if only once ayear. Several of our club members were there…. Eric& Kathy Fuller, Brecken & Julia Uhl, Cookie & I, RobKosnick, Lee Attaway, and Al Spencer. Conspicuousin their absence were Joan Beyer, Maxine Wyman,Kristine Kitchens and, of course, Denney & Judi Keith.

Other Las Crucens in attendance were Kay Walker,Chris Cowan and Fred Hurd.

This year, for the first time, the Mining ArtifactCollectors Association also had a series of fourpresentations dealing with mining history and the toolsused in the past. Since the first of these did notinterfere with Symposium presentations I attended andenjoyed Hal Post’s history of miner’s lamps andcandlesticks.

The Symposium proper consisted of twelvepresentations – all very interesting. The featuredspeaker this year, one of the “founding fathers” of the

Symposium, was Albuquerque collector Ray DeMark.He gave a retrospective of 30 years of presentationshe has made at the Symposia. Also of interest was apresentation by Fred Hurd & Chris Cowan on LunaCounty Agates. Mr. Dale Wheeler of Missouriappeared on stage at the podium in full hard-rockminer’s regalia to tell us about underground mining inthe Tri-state lead mining district. Although I’d like tomention all the presentations, I’ll just have to say theywere all excellent – both educational and entertaining!!

The list of attendees reads like a who’s who in themineral world in the Southwest. Colorado, Arizona,

Nevada, Utah, California, Montana, Texas, Wisconsin,Kansas, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Alaska and, ofcourse, New Mexico were all represented byautomobile license plates. The total number ofregistered attendees was 287!! We are truly lucky tolive in a state with a mineral and mining heritage suchthat we have the people and venue to make our NewMexico Mineral Symposium possible.

Don Saathoff

MURPHY'S OTHER LAWS....Original source unknown

Light travels faster than sound. That is why somepeople appear bright until you hear them speak.

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

No matter which line you get into, the other line movesfaster.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those whodon’t.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chanceof getting something right, there’s a 90% probabilityyou’ll get it wrong.

If you lined up all the cars in the world end to end,someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them,five or six at a time, on a hill, in the fog.

If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

The things that come to those who wait will be thethings left by those who got there first.

Flashlight: A container for dead batteries.

The shinbone is designed for the special purpose offinding furniture in a dark room.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doingwell.

From AFMS newsletter, Dec 06/Jan 07  

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  Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 51, Issue 12 December 2009 - 6 -

Upcoming Show Dates:

JAN. 1-10 QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA: Show, "Tyson Wells Rock & Gem Show"; Tyson Wells Enterprises Inc.; Tyson Wells ShowGrounds, 100 W. Kuehn St.; 9-5 all days; free admission; contact Kym Scott, P.O. Box 60, Quartzsite, AZ 85346, (928) 927-6364; e-mail: tysonwells@tds.net ; Web site: www.tysonwells.com JAN. 1-28--QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA: Wholesale and retail show, "Desert Gardens International Gem & Mineral Show"; DesertGardens RV Park; 1064 Kuehn Rd., south side of I-10, along frontage road; 9-6 daily; free admission; crystals, minerals, rough,polished, jewelry; contact Sharon or Sandy, Desert Gardens RV Park, 1055 Kuhen St., P.O. Box 2818, Quartzsite, AZ 85346, (928)927-6361; e-mail: info@desertgardensrvpark.net ; Web site: www.desertgardensrvpark.net 

JAN 1-31 LAUGHLIN, NEVADA: Show, "Clouds Jamboree"; Richard Cloud; Avi Resort and Casino - Outdoor RV Park, 10000Aha Macav Pkwy.; 10-5 every day; contact Richard Cloud, P.O. Box 284, Quartzsite, AZ 85346, (866) 558-7719; e-mail:cloudsjamboree@tds.net ; Web site: www.cloudsjamboree.com JAN. 8-10 MESA, ARIZONA: 38th annual show, "A.L. Flagg Gem & Mineral Show"; Mesa Community College, US Hwy. 60 andDobson Rd.; free admission; Peralta Stones display, more than 100 dealers, local clubs and organizations, displays, free activitiesfor children, kids' egg carton kits; contact Ray Grant, (480) 814-9086; e-mail: raycyn@cox.net ; Web sites: www.azminfun.com  andwww.flaggshow.info JAN. 20-24--QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA: 43rd Annual POW WOW, 928-927-6325JAN-FEB 30-13--TUCSON, ARIZONA: Show, "Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show"; Martin Zinn Expositions LLC; The InnSuitesHotel (475 N. Granada), The Mineral & Fossil Marketplace (1333 N. Oracle Rd.), Quality Inn (1025 E. Benson Hwy.), and RamadaLtd. (665 N. Freeway); 10-6 daily, final day 10-5; free admission; more than 400 dealers from all over the world, Artists' Gallery(InnSuites Hotel); contact Martin Zinn Expositions, P.O. Box 665, Bernalillo, NM 87004-0665, fax (303) 223-3478; e-mail:mzexpos@aol.com; Web site: www.mzexpos.com FEB. 5-8--TUCSON, ARIZONA: 9th annual show, "Westward Look Show 2010"; Fine Mineral Show; Westward Look Resort, 245E. Ina Rd.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-6, Mon. 10-5; more than 25 of the world's top dealers, "Collector Day" Sat., featuring WillLarson's private collection, Sun. evening cocktail hour, mineral art gallery, and artist panel, including Eberhard Equit, HildegardKOnighofer, Susan Robinson and Wendell Wilson; contact Dave Waisman, P.O. Box 8543, Spokane, WA 99203; Web site:www.finemineralshow.com or www.westwardminerals.com FEB. 11-14--TUCSON, ARIZONA: Main Show at the Convention Center. The theme this year is "Minerals of California".Admission $9.25. Tucson CC Ticket Office 520-321-1000. For more info: www.tgms.org/2010show.htm MAR 11-14--DEMING, NEW MEXICO: 45th annual show, "Rockhound Roundup Gem & Mineral Show"; Deming Gem &Mineral Society; SWNM Fairgrounds, Raymond Reed Blvd.; Thu. 9-5, Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; more than100 dealers, demonstrations, displays, field trips, jewelry, rocks, drawings, cash raffle, silent auction Fri., live auction Sat.;contact Jerry & Carolyn Abbey, P.O. Box 1459, Deming, NM 88030, (575) 543-8916; e-mail: the DGMS@gmail.com ; Website: www.dgms.bravehost.com MAR. 19-21--ROME, GEORGIA: Show, "Valley and Ridge Gem & Mineral Show"; Rome Georgia Mineral Society; The Forum, 2Government Plaza; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; free admission; minerals, gems, fossils, jewelry, crystals, demonstrations,exhibits, lectures, door prizes; contact Tim Biggart, (706) 232-7143; e-mail: tbiggart@berry.edu 

For further information or shows please go to www.rockngem.com  Who knows, there just might be agood rock show in the area of your travels. 

Thought for the Day:

"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything.

They just make the best of everything they have."

Classifieds:

Sorry, no goodies this month. Surely someone has an item they want to get rid of. Use this feature.

Some Interesting Web Sites for you to check out:Members occasionally send me web sites to check out and pass on plus the ones that I run across. Please send meany of your favorites that you think our members might be interested in.

www.familyhack.com/2007/08/29/drain-tip  Tip on retrieving something you drop down the sink. Must see! http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sectors/newmexico.php#tabs  New Mexico weather

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  Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 51, Issue 12 December 2009 - 7 -

Gemcrafters & Explorers Club, P.O. Box 3091, Las Cruces, NM 88003

Member of: American Federation of Mineralogical Societies www.amfed.org  Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies www.rmfms.org  Blue Ribbon Coalition www.sharetrails.org  

2009 OFFICERS:President

 – Dave Smith 521-3103  joandaves@msn.com Vice President – Kathy Fuller 524-0204 truthfinderpoly@gmail.com Treasurer – Lee Attaway 523-4017 leeretired@comcast.net Secretary - Susan Banning 532-9612 skstauffer@aol.com Refreshments - Pat Mauer 526-4939 mpmauer@comcast.net Historian - Don Saathoff 382-3464 auagte2@comcast.net Programs - Eric Fuller 524-0204 ghosthiker@gmail.com Newsletter - Maxine Wyman 649-4900 max4680@fastwave.biz 

We meet on the third Friday of the month at Breland Hall, Room 189, NMSU campus at 6:30 pm forsocial and 7 pm for the meeting. There is no meeting in July or December. Dues are $10 per personper year and each additional family member is $2 per year. They are due Jan. 1st of each year. A

membership form will be emailed or mailed to you in December to be filled out and returned withyour check BY MAIL to the treasurer.

Our purpose shall be to gather knowledge and provideeducational benefits to members on geological,archaeological, lapidary, and mineralogical topics ofinterest, to include assistance to members in all lapidaryproblems, the study and identification of minerals andgem stones in the rough, the field study of geologicalformations which produce minerals and gem stones, thecollection of minerals and gemstones, and theexploration of any geological or archaeological topic orarea which may be of interest to the membership.

NOTE: All articles and photographs are by theEditor Maxine Wyman unless otherwise noted.

Info for the Newsletter: If you have information, articles, pictures or a website related to gem

crafting, rock collecting or exploring and would like to share please give me a call at 649-4900 or email me atmax4680@fastwave.biz. If you have a good idea or story to tell I will be more than happy to help you write itup. Also if you have minerals, outdoor or camping equipment, etc. that you would like to sell please let meknow for our free "Classifieds." Maxine Wyman, Editor