Moving to Tennessee

[Azurerana]

Thanks,Jon, but those are Internet prices, too. Even nice Hardin Co. specimens are only going for a tenth of that at local rock shows.

There is also a little prevarication going on in the specimen market about the condition of the mines. In my fluorite guide, your mine complex is shown as not only closed (very probable at the time of writing) but also as collapsed and flooded (i.e., unrecoverable without amazing amounts of work.) I suspect this is just to inflate the specimen prices.

If you are interested in that sort of thing, the American Fluorite Museum in Rosiclare, IL can kill a couple of hours if you are in the area May to October ($3 adm., by appt. other times of the year.) The lady there told me the Ben Clement Museum in Marion, KY is also a neat, and very impressive fluorite museum. We went by Rosiclare on the way back from Convention, and didn't have time for the other one that trip. Rosiclare has a good miner's light collection; the cutest thing was a 'rope' display of a couple of a couple dozen fluorite octahedrons from 1/4" to about 3" in size, and some big fluorite slabs displayed on mine handcarts, because they were too big for th shelves.

[jonsdigs]

A buddy of mine, Chris McMichael, (on the far left) took a good picture of some of the guys and me
600' below sea level by the lights of a pickup. I'm the short one in the middle with the earmuffs around his neck.

If you use a flash the reflective material would overwhelm the image. We all had to stand still for a few seconds to avoid blur. He delayed the shutter so he could duck in the shot himself. Chris is NSS.

[madratdan]

Great picture Jon. Looks like your back to using your favorite light again. Nothing works like a wheat lamp! I've been stashing your tools and Bar BQ grill inside the car by your house. Nobody's working on Moby's this year.

[L Roebuck]

jonsdigs said:

I'm the short one in the middle with the earmuffs around his neck.

I'd know that face anywhere. ;D

[jonsdigs]

I'm still here and it's still great. I don't get out caving much now but I get underground everyday. Here's a rare shot of me on the surface.



The parent corporation took one of my poems and made the poster you see behind me.



I'll see y'all in the dark yet.

[Brian Roebuck]

We hope to see you underground CAVING soon instead of working!

[paul snook]

man im sorry ive been missing out on this thread, welcome to TN, im insainly jelious of your job, you LUCKY dog, getting payed to be underground, how cool is that, and you get to collect mineral samples, if i had the chance id pass it up for construction any day,,,,,,,,,, NOT! yha right,,, still want in on some digging ?

[jonsdigs]

Thanks Bull! I've found a few local holes but would like to get together with you in the fall when it is cooler and the hoard of ticks slacks off. PM me your Ph# and we'll get together then. Meanwhile, get a load of this rose I got to smell yesterday from a pocket big enough for both of us to fit in.
and this view

[jonsdigs]

Moving Back to Colorado

With zinc at less than half the price of what it was a year ago the mine was put on standby with all the Geologists laid off. Having a job interview, I drove back to the Springs yesterday and last night. They sure will be surprised at the SOCOMOGRO tomorrow night unless Madratdan sees this first. I have been interviewing with companies all over the world.

[L Roebuck]

Oh man! Sorry to hear you got laid-off but I do hope you can find employment.

Madrat Dan just might see this.

[madratdan]

Jon.......your just in time to save us.......Elections Are Tonight!!!

[jonsdigs]

Just for the record, I'm hardly down and out, and it's nice to have a break to play!