tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63385357085383613962024-02-20T12:10:26.538-08:00South African Mineral SpecimensPierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-69727624575629013762021-10-15T08:26:00.001-07:002021-10-15T09:03:40.794-07:00My Recent, Unforgettable Experience<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It
is spring here in the Western Cape of South Africa, so all around us
the flowers are blooming, and it's really invigorating to be out in
nature. We enjoy the fresh air, beauty and tranquility, while at the same time we look for crystals. Pierre does this on a weekly basis, and I sometimes join him. I want to share a very recent experience I had,
something which I'll never forget. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But first, images of some of the flowers we came across
in the mountains, in an area that has burnt down several months ago:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Flowers alongside the road, on our way to the farm.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoqhoaqD3Oi_RRw8eZLWzM-JQUwJg68ObNBp_1-yV-IU7cdkepsZlyLUdUDGTeJY7J52ETgujKDtAqwYZC-qXtia7EoPRVUtjN3T379vz9C4HTcUtBbYkSPtv2QGBIusc2iT8WKGH1SM/s1200/110_4663.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoqhoaqD3Oi_RRw8eZLWzM-JQUwJg68ObNBp_1-yV-IU7cdkepsZlyLUdUDGTeJY7J52ETgujKDtAqwYZC-qXtia7EoPRVUtjN3T379vz9C4HTcUtBbYkSPtv2QGBIusc2iT8WKGH1SM/w400-h300/110_4663.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1200" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgphzgVC3_xWm2_8iUEsuF8kXCnEUJZ21bkmSC5mJPXAqPhrWrd7HSafOPOselLmcePDUvtKoPCn8Y6joGUAQtqJA8dqZ62pxJiuf0Ig3ZrPwDuslZ0ghboHgqzzn4SdDAkgYZTvmD4WU/w400-h297/110_4661.JPG" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Below, close-up of the above</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="1200" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIv1tugOPjwMHWANZ7DqNkL6s4G3mYlpSCnagA1WQLpD4-CJg0riWZMSNFxUbR4Q0ha7R0LD-h-sJSPhxC-oydkq4_5TXNHOmSe4o3o76Rpv9nkSeNDSCFiXVpPpWeZ6B0xAauklcmP4/w400-h316/110_4660.JPG" width="400" /></div><div><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Flowers
on the farm</i></span></p>
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="917" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6S-hRF8nKxdSwun9oKg8_oOVWqfb7JqKSyNmtIKcJpUofGC8FPRozeiIjNM8LHjg_roAkMQbbTyRF3eKKHaTlasrQibeWwEPWFnQLrmE_-10yZwV8vF_2YJMuZAH53O2eatr3qhyphenhypheny5y4/w391-h400/110_4669.JPG" width="391" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFGDH-m_jn02qeNIH3sGe92l9TGdAVWe0kUU1JTt92cgpyhMjPTNg_xmmOCHV8X8W4sTvvXoJFoHbs-OT1yg9D1J0SsxBXwst4JGmQJxiATQTYJffHydHAqZULY0gHipkhDEuVE5fJJ4/w355-h400/110_4676.JPG" width="355" /> </div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Beautiful purple flowers in front of a burnt shrub</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /> <img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1199" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-K_VxUYfPosvB1TUyCizOwvB2DuVyV2XYKZqPNhAzGLbb8YBZcbYQY-5GOZZX-mVL5hbIQn5sz8FPx9TOt___6AdXKH5EOWnohzJybZRoY0ZCmMWptxLiwtRpYk4DVda-59G5RV2-0Y/w400-h356/110_4677.JPG" width="400" /> <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><i>Above: These
small, green flowers look so shy, their little heads are always hanging
down. </i></span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><i>Below: To see its face, one needs to turn the flower's head upside down.</i></span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidW8s0Rz7BLg5ZmtnxLff2WMNdY7OaA71GRyOkDVSzrQE3AaISEogIuu5_meo4tWUyFGWJTM01SWkVtJkg5CInU1qFU__X42yjeNNW_W4YryPzS2QKKNA2euJZYcMqIDmFl2JANg1PJw4/s763/110_4678.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidW8s0Rz7BLg5ZmtnxLff2WMNdY7OaA71GRyOkDVSzrQE3AaISEogIuu5_meo4tWUyFGWJTM01SWkVtJkg5CInU1qFU__X42yjeNNW_W4YryPzS2QKKNA2euJZYcMqIDmFl2JANg1PJw4/w380-h400/110_4678.JPG" width="380" /></a></span></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidout8WgVG1SEOq1Yaa1MqVF6AE_t4ujvfBnu-VGnppFALSpKc1pTbXDnnhWCwmCuX8ce27S_6d3nNfENgFKGKoaGGY2wk1O2EE71UCMb4yMrdq0hy2F9CpOFibXQ3cISboS1nI6xZv98/s1200/110_4682.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="1200" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidout8WgVG1SEOq1Yaa1MqVF6AE_t4ujvfBnu-VGnppFALSpKc1pTbXDnnhWCwmCuX8ce27S_6d3nNfENgFKGKoaGGY2wk1O2EE71UCMb4yMrdq0hy2F9CpOFibXQ3cISboS1nI6xZv98/w400-h350/110_4682.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Small, pink flowers growing in abundance</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXSQQ0u9SOXQ2yWSZHLCKeutHaLdMZ746cybLeEMINUuUqXwVmiVywHzD0s48JRjrvIvRW2JbE8N5g9uaWcckNq1G4Zgu_kezdyDINXVKyMe5e_NVKkuwPBfqnVOZrmNequYydEvKH-M/s1200/110_4689.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1094" data-original-width="1200" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXSQQ0u9SOXQ2yWSZHLCKeutHaLdMZ746cybLeEMINUuUqXwVmiVywHzD0s48JRjrvIvRW2JbE8N5g9uaWcckNq1G4Zgu_kezdyDINXVKyMe5e_NVKkuwPBfqnVOZrmNequYydEvKH-M/w400-h365/110_4689.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><i>A lovely, bright orange flower</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><i><br /></i></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTVzPwy7hFmjCKwYqA5_07McajtaV5iyCHrhjOKCnpdu9jFnKFfn53wqAABX_jCGkBxcnxKSodw9KBnT46rh7ivb7UnqFPg4__gZOUCL3zo3NbY24kU_8wB6wfdW3yVGk-giGaxV2bVY/s1200/110_4690.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1200" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTVzPwy7hFmjCKwYqA5_07McajtaV5iyCHrhjOKCnpdu9jFnKFfn53wqAABX_jCGkBxcnxKSodw9KBnT46rh7ivb7UnqFPg4__gZOUCL3zo3NbY24kU_8wB6wfdW3yVGk-giGaxV2bVY/w400-h386/110_4690.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A small cluster of flowers, partially sheltered by two rocks</i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiT2UvLP28GJ6GTGeRB6EwLCP4JUXwFsgn_vPYact15AE2iM_PSxhMQjiV5fD7dF5hpNAbXT2q4P-pTG9-ECrPzbSUv2K0X4T_9ivEhB2R1OVI-905zmRBhRv8ah0kVc1ijbdDN89-TY4/s705/110_4692.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="693" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiT2UvLP28GJ6GTGeRB6EwLCP4JUXwFsgn_vPYact15AE2iM_PSxhMQjiV5fD7dF5hpNAbXT2q4P-pTG9-ECrPzbSUv2K0X4T_9ivEhB2R1OVI-905zmRBhRv8ah0kVc1ijbdDN89-TY4/w394-h400/110_4692.JPG" width="394" /></a></span></div><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><i><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Some of the few taller flowers</span></i></span><p></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">My
unforgettable experience</span></b></u>: </span></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was the 2<span style="color: black;"><sup>nd</sup></span><span style="color: black;">
</span>of October 2021, and I was out in the mountains with Pierre on the
farm of a friend, looking for crystals. After having sat on my
cushion, scratching around looking for crystals in a small pocket I'd
found, I got up to stretch my legs, and walked around for about 15
minutes. When I got back, I sat down on the cushion again, had
something to eat and then decided to continue. I thought that
perhaps I should open the pocket more in the direction of where I was
sitting, because the best crystal I had found that morning was in the
opening closest to me, so perhaps the pocket extended in that
direction.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Instead of getting up again to move backwards, I
simply stretched my left hand backwards, lifted myself off the
cushion and simultaneously pulled the cushion backwards with my right
hand, before sitting down on it again, my feet apart so I could look
for crystals in the pocket right in front of me. Looking to the
front again, I saw a small snake lying in an s-shape, right between
my thighs, about 10 cm from my body, and it started sailing towards
me. It was a mountain adder! They're quite poisonous, and
people bitten by them usually go through agony for about 3 weeks, and
often end up on a ventilator for a while. I really cannot
remember how I got up and moved away ...!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While I was walking
around, it was probably disturbed (unknowingly) by Pierre who was
moving rocks, looking for more crystal pockets, about 10 meters from
me. It had probably taken refuge under my cushion, and I then
sat down just behind / in front of it (because it was not injured)
but the pressure of the foam cushion (with me on it) possibly
immobilized it while I sat on it. </span></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I thank God for His mercy,
because I could easily have been bitten after I'd moved the cushion.
Although it was only a small / young snake (about 1 cm in diameter
and roughly 20 cm long), it was still poisonous. So easily it
could've gone into the outer casing of my cushion, ending up in
either our vehicle or home! Below is a picture Pierre took just as it slithered over the quartz rock,
and the other one is an image we got from the internet, confirming what it was. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I believe one day we'll be astonished
to see how often God had protected us, even without us being aware of
it sometimes! God's grace is unfathomable!</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuxHTojVoqlJgbPMS2ME2wslp7M0EyTiTkxnR2nk2S661vF9E81xHoMv_2BrywExycnEqcLFh_BzYPe829vp3Nd6uqaJb3IPQTJ89K15xyGy5hgCWiO_aW6y_E6LoMOJwnxc0uM7SrF0/s374/2021-10-01+-+GROOT+GENADE+-+die+bergaddertjie+wat+onder+my+kussing+was..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="366" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuxHTojVoqlJgbPMS2ME2wslp7M0EyTiTkxnR2nk2S661vF9E81xHoMv_2BrywExycnEqcLFh_BzYPe829vp3Nd6uqaJb3IPQTJ89K15xyGy5hgCWiO_aW6y_E6LoMOJwnxc0uM7SrF0/w391-h400/2021-10-01+-+GROOT+GENADE+-+die+bergaddertjie+wat+onder+my+kussing+was..jpg" width="391" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Above: The venomous snake that was under my cushion ...</span></i></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">Below: An image we got on internet, confirming it as a mountain adder</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="242" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu95xlZwynwUNVqxZoi-qXVeQ-Qt3ASocy4SpGMm_6NAoHyoErAxsCcKJMbHixBqHe_TzddtJsOyasdERmWy9EaRZvoXnhguTonnmuFEFkB9La46Kabna5lmRWUWHsmXKx7F8PyTv1c_k/w400-h344/2021-10-01+-+GROOT+GENADE+-+die+bergaddertjie+wat+onder+my+kussing+was.jpg" width="400" /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although we found quite a few crystals that day (nothing spectacular), this is one outing I'll never forget!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Riana Joubert </span></p><br />Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-87027431168790148732020-11-23T01:50:00.002-08:002020-11-23T01:50:28.390-08:00USEFUL LINKS TO ARTICLES I HAVE WRITTEN<p>Here are a few interesting and useful links to articles I wrote on FMF Mineral Forum.</p><p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Quartz
collecting in Southern Africa:</span></p><p><a href="http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=2520" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=2520</a><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">How to find a
pocket:</span></p><p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=44505#44505">http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=44505#44505</a></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Blesberg:</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=3311" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=3311</a></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">Oddities from
Brandberg:</span><br />
<br />
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=3621">http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=3621</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gEpfKmijdOnNxjvb3JfzivYYV6KUKBtd05VwygDJ8Rv9VlPc2fGxrwzFhP9cU6bp2jvEcpkDqU0jtVzT6aEU1ZEJBs27PT9OK8GfiuRT-ZyxtEfxgIUzDXo83BIISzF3DJWWsZPp0u8/s800/Art+33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="726" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gEpfKmijdOnNxjvb3JfzivYYV6KUKBtd05VwygDJ8Rv9VlPc2fGxrwzFhP9cU6bp2jvEcpkDqU0jtVzT6aEU1ZEJBs27PT9OK8GfiuRT-ZyxtEfxgIUzDXo83BIISzF3DJWWsZPp0u8/s320/Art+33.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Xdgtr53f65o6Ib1l0Ue2ZBzlWq4qKjYn3EUX38Upcskpw6BxarrQ3MQn5J9zg0FbzSjPrNv7Lcpju8UpvGh2RZ3keFzvstqryFHuCtKD21_wSRum53qhOJOoRr2_M55PwxHNcM1KwY/s800/Art+30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Xdgtr53f65o6Ib1l0Ue2ZBzlWq4qKjYn3EUX38Upcskpw6BxarrQ3MQn5J9zg0FbzSjPrNv7Lcpju8UpvGh2RZ3keFzvstqryFHuCtKD21_wSRum53qhOJOoRr2_M55PwxHNcM1KwY/s320/Art+30.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVlsmhn7rnf7YY958DulIrKU8G7KY1-olQ_5u2xf2JBPCXBnbFYpKIcL1eN4jqiZylOi4BuFzJYBZ9qIrz64RKOfQIKZz7TnWeGooBkwkdOe3FcuTl4Lr3g-113wjsFJyVYlqZ9fN3MA/s900/Art+24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="716" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVlsmhn7rnf7YY958DulIrKU8G7KY1-olQ_5u2xf2JBPCXBnbFYpKIcL1eN4jqiZylOi4BuFzJYBZ9qIrz64RKOfQIKZz7TnWeGooBkwkdOe3FcuTl4Lr3g-113wjsFJyVYlqZ9fN3MA/s320/Art+24.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGjrBKsClOD6iNNHnMFc_ruDH_lb6aztggBgw2oOoOjT4AhpWp2CeRemy6tqdBAcE3S55puAj6RLN95r_iJ-SeGMy_1O9vZp_vge1Xinzpodz_R0x8aUY7EeEI6AJgYvYMLt1ULPU1jA/s800/Art+22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGjrBKsClOD6iNNHnMFc_ruDH_lb6aztggBgw2oOoOjT4AhpWp2CeRemy6tqdBAcE3S55puAj6RLN95r_iJ-SeGMy_1O9vZp_vge1Xinzpodz_R0x8aUY7EeEI6AJgYvYMLt1ULPU1jA/s320/Art+22.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhsTW6zveEqvRNYMp50ZQcjw9V6i4gx_7prD2x76pUmWcKNgO2O0k1_9LAtWafvNCFORVeJp2bGToTl6eLHUCKvIiAtHn1VLUcOQsUD8GBAmvHQFEM0pOeub0nvFBG8wEIT_KwwY4YlA/s813/Art+18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhsTW6zveEqvRNYMp50ZQcjw9V6i4gx_7prD2x76pUmWcKNgO2O0k1_9LAtWafvNCFORVeJp2bGToTl6eLHUCKvIiAtHn1VLUcOQsUD8GBAmvHQFEM0pOeub0nvFBG8wEIT_KwwY4YlA/s320/Art+18.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbN8l-GASusE06GOR7RpMEOE9gJdPhA4jc1H2wQoffyEnAhJU0W-awclZ0wp_SYZBtCCpD6sLIuU7MlG0LjkNjHI84RadBtCRuzBsBY-zdpZ42jemCl0wTzdmuK-1zac8zEM680BO47o/s700/Art+14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbN8l-GASusE06GOR7RpMEOE9gJdPhA4jc1H2wQoffyEnAhJU0W-awclZ0wp_SYZBtCCpD6sLIuU7MlG0LjkNjHI84RadBtCRuzBsBY-zdpZ42jemCl0wTzdmuK-1zac8zEM680BO47o/s320/Art+14.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSIp71j6226TaJ4z9J_xY49ngu0WoZniYTNDc46_lZQDIbYTV1LOuEQYwXbFQd1JJv3LMz5To9nvDhBnP7LiFb2edBkzAwH_CeQoFIJR-2LrD3yFStJ2XTP-3IBfmkRydyWctlFQciWE/s600/Art+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSIp71j6226TaJ4z9J_xY49ngu0WoZniYTNDc46_lZQDIbYTV1LOuEQYwXbFQd1JJv3LMz5To9nvDhBnP7LiFb2edBkzAwH_CeQoFIJR-2LrD3yFStJ2XTP-3IBfmkRydyWctlFQciWE/s320/Art+12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmSPw5kpjoVgZdwYcfBmI5acorcN2McAV4VRUnU1g86sjz87wWO6WR7xrDBJ1zP8fRfv1nxQU7AcQZb6r3AABdvJlu2dGyYsuxaIusB9swgjHLTcvQbCUjVDs7ZJ05kkV9W22NfBLTt8/s600/Art+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmSPw5kpjoVgZdwYcfBmI5acorcN2McAV4VRUnU1g86sjz87wWO6WR7xrDBJ1zP8fRfv1nxQU7AcQZb6r3AABdvJlu2dGyYsuxaIusB9swgjHLTcvQbCUjVDs7ZJ05kkV9W22NfBLTt8/s320/Art+9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqKqN7EcMDoXmoc36-gzySYn53muiTnG2GFC6siduEvaTvfJLemfgUaAjuqlwd4GWuO5Z87EfM__bSwfAK95DuYv-Ozn5JaT5BKJH2xEElJsThWhY7TslDQd4gD5EYezx3ZBBStKEn4o/s750/Art+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="702" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqKqN7EcMDoXmoc36-gzySYn53muiTnG2GFC6siduEvaTvfJLemfgUaAjuqlwd4GWuO5Z87EfM__bSwfAK95DuYv-Ozn5JaT5BKJH2xEElJsThWhY7TslDQd4gD5EYezx3ZBBStKEn4o/s320/Art+7.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXZ1ENh9Q9v_CSJ-17SufuvTygiwsH13gRA_DmzwFtfN41aTUOzI-wsbtWsE9nlXuvF_omVjxlvPpsSZKGCKTT7gukV5xM4FBdYk5AmHKMK8BFzKGqc4L6cmvij72V6bIwfjDnxFPZlE/s750/Art+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="693" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXZ1ENh9Q9v_CSJ-17SufuvTygiwsH13gRA_DmzwFtfN41aTUOzI-wsbtWsE9nlXuvF_omVjxlvPpsSZKGCKTT7gukV5xM4FBdYk5AmHKMK8BFzKGqc4L6cmvij72V6bIwfjDnxFPZlE/s320/Art+1.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-23060422717845875812012-11-02T00:24:00.003-07:002012-11-02T00:34:59.296-07:00Beautiful Time of the Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About three weeks ago Pierre and I drove out to a farm, quite some distance outside of our home town, Ceres. This year Spring came quite late, but in full splendor. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and sheer bliss to be outside, drinking in the quietness of our tranquil surroundings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcORRT5AV-alThRAPhil87ZGDY1oyVQldNu6wifNVDzuzimpI2Q4j_90X2c5FFtSxSfYUhLk0sKhn2i7qjtYW38ZY9UchKSIIAbwoNomADqUpRfHX5q5iLkCSDJ_0aQ5iPdF4NlanymXs/s1600/100_8926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcORRT5AV-alThRAPhil87ZGDY1oyVQldNu6wifNVDzuzimpI2Q4j_90X2c5FFtSxSfYUhLk0sKhn2i7qjtYW38ZY9UchKSIIAbwoNomADqUpRfHX5q5iLkCSDJ_0aQ5iPdF4NlanymXs/s400/100_8926.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Colorful and lovely</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRM1-iUlIbmuwejvIbfDJxc8Us0CsX-yScxOpKW1ycBgluhyPY6itIW44OuMiX44lYAVGw55tVuclo9aXZ3ATPe92BUjvhg4CwkjFv9tufVc2DfRzjpz-X18gENTf35iD-t5wB8RwCWI/s1600/100_8929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRM1-iUlIbmuwejvIbfDJxc8Us0CsX-yScxOpKW1ycBgluhyPY6itIW44OuMiX44lYAVGw55tVuclo9aXZ3ATPe92BUjvhg4CwkjFv9tufVc2DfRzjpz-X18gENTf35iD-t5wB8RwCWI/s400/100_8929.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Intertwined petals </i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSS7aJSa5uVonJzeq1sNwxSUhQczNy6o8Cv6Bg4zqpVHFBoHW4_VLlIdwV48FylE5FJ3lvss5MjnFlTfVLe1fyNOMRvT4E4VqKqnhqLRtoIl1fZFagnGQGFE8Et0XDJjqJDi2qhlmlyA/s1600/100_8976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSS7aJSa5uVonJzeq1sNwxSUhQczNy6o8Cv6Bg4zqpVHFBoHW4_VLlIdwV48FylE5FJ3lvss5MjnFlTfVLe1fyNOMRvT4E4VqKqnhqLRtoIl1fZFagnGQGFE8Et0XDJjqJDi2qhlmlyA/s400/100_8976.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This color combination in flowers is not so common.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although we found only a few crystals, we had a most enjoyable day, and even had the privilege of seeing a Blue Crane dance with outstretched wings. Unfortunately, by the time I had our camera ready, the dance was over! They were quite some distance from us, so I had to zoom in the camera to photograph them. The Blue Crane is South Africa’s national bird, and is currently on the list of vulnerable species. Until several years ago, it featured on South Africa's 5c coin. For that reason I often referred to these birds (especially when speaking to my children) as 'the 5-cent birds'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTG5Y6IKRE8mAEle2p50iXa5vC2s50SY7vYXn7UORyTMFK-hy6UnCAwjzewSlh5p1F3uALAwlQ_no7rjiUwVSEc0EHf-36ecmlDlDSD0Mn78x50tlAs-MLUz_QKuYq2k0pFuFcWwzyTU/s1600/100_8948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTG5Y6IKRE8mAEle2p50iXa5vC2s50SY7vYXn7UORyTMFK-hy6UnCAwjzewSlh5p1F3uALAwlQ_no7rjiUwVSEc0EHf-36ecmlDlDSD0Mn78x50tlAs-MLUz_QKuYq2k0pFuFcWwzyTU/s400/100_8948.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Blue Crane is South Africa's national bird.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While looking for possible crystal deposits, Pierre came across a snake, which was lying motionless on the hard ground. It was so well camouflaged, he could easily have stepped on it! It was a horned adder. Fortunately for us, the soil was very hard, because these snakes often wiggle themselves down in loose, sandy ground, until they're just beneath the surface and virtually unseen, where they can lie waiting for their prey! Pierre pinned it down with a stick, then took hold of it behind its neck to have a closer look (when he was younger, he often caught snakes as a hobby). I was quite a distance away, so he called to me to bring the camera. It moved its head around quite a bit - the exposed fangs moving very close to Pierre's fingers - too close for comfort! So he put the snake down again, and restrained it with the stick until I got there, and we could take some photographs. After a successful photo session, he released it into the field again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYy97Ii2q7O8QCRNwe17zXt7AodqbnNdsoF0k3EknJW2hDogR71ehQE2JAY7cUJyVu4E22cFjGlNII5l6n_INtBYm4uFHNTTbekXTC4SkBcTCuyirWQn7qdQEUV-wLnAWILknj_QoRyPY/s1600/100_8892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYy97Ii2q7O8QCRNwe17zXt7AodqbnNdsoF0k3EknJW2hDogR71ehQE2JAY7cUJyVu4E22cFjGlNII5l6n_INtBYm4uFHNTTbekXTC4SkBcTCuyirWQn7qdQEUV-wLnAWILknj_QoRyPY/s400/100_8892.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Pierre pinned down the snake with a stick.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrO3Ld6kTOlSN52sTmJpu1kmdnOy0wcSfabZRImB6Xt7fvrZMlip_XuzbdDdK0AVnr8oWyxEovb3XfgbAYucGLJOb3gQFW9sHxH9X63HE5tTBZqld2n7_HzBMWlLV3cVtcXRnF2of8QQ/s1600/100_8894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrO3Ld6kTOlSN52sTmJpu1kmdnOy0wcSfabZRImB6Xt7fvrZMlip_XuzbdDdK0AVnr8oWyxEovb3XfgbAYucGLJOb3gQFW9sHxH9X63HE5tTBZqld2n7_HzBMWlLV3cVtcXRnF2of8QQ/s400/100_8894.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The horned adder at a safe distance.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3B9PCgLXhlotBficDVUWpvfTNKPZjUen6XYoAMir_csf2JPYyg8sTFL34mXbOgYDnro2cHEeGSX0ui2eyje-_MMxj5XezWr0fqKR55_rhKfH8XoBQQx_vcbSuZdEIjr3Xg6PttxO6Do/s1600/100_8904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3B9PCgLXhlotBficDVUWpvfTNKPZjUen6XYoAMir_csf2JPYyg8sTFL34mXbOgYDnro2cHEeGSX0ui2eyje-_MMxj5XezWr0fqKR55_rhKfH8XoBQQx_vcbSuZdEIjr3Xg6PttxO6Do/s400/100_8904.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">... posing for a photograph, head twisted back towards its tail, showing its red tongue.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8Kuj4g65qXlZckGiUE5tph983gyUXi1pETGkGYTjB0uOFVsqJSPFj5k-4rDd3S5IAtok0KX5TtqZ2Z2xrvDtqmyw_dzEO2PM-DnH4nGOZeXRsmHY9Tmui0EnazUi9YD_9Dcje-9MKWk/s1600/100_8917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8Kuj4g65qXlZckGiUE5tph983gyUXi1pETGkGYTjB0uOFVsqJSPFj5k-4rDd3S5IAtok0KX5TtqZ2Z2xrvDtqmyw_dzEO2PM-DnH4nGOZeXRsmHY9Tmui0EnazUi9YD_9Dcje-9MKWk/s400/100_8917.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Many flowers grow in seemingly barren ground.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CjO7-VANlQO9a1wSAkRBHGNKcLNdzdwMgw6lw6Fy79XpmucffqNimBfmEEGI1h3LgImiSdI6h0KaN72jAnv4Mpk8ppDvM2Rn4AukLNI4Bxp52ivFOMHbDn9AylU9wiT6SkPM5G5XadI/s1600/100_8932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CjO7-VANlQO9a1wSAkRBHGNKcLNdzdwMgw6lw6Fy79XpmucffqNimBfmEEGI1h3LgImiSdI6h0KaN72jAnv4Mpk8ppDvM2Rn4AukLNI4Bxp52ivFOMHbDn9AylU9wiT6SkPM5G5XadI/s400/100_8932.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Close-by, there is lush growth.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbe6kWRGUtthFI1BMSAcV0e3vtv3ib8njCdSnYIPfeddoGXzpT1fDCl4c_Bgc_tyZ4kAfu8DRp33xVngM1LzVP5gmXmFkqyqmNC-KpG0ZRYCHzEt_h90bsJnQyMcQblH2Pie73kq9PkqE/s1600/100_8884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbe6kWRGUtthFI1BMSAcV0e3vtv3ib8njCdSnYIPfeddoGXzpT1fDCl4c_Bgc_tyZ4kAfu8DRp33xVngM1LzVP5gmXmFkqyqmNC-KpG0ZRYCHzEt_h90bsJnQyMcQblH2Pie73kq9PkqE/s400/100_8884.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMVs1rYvYGS4oFx-wa8fcq8g5LRTqJw9yO3DxePJ5_k9EF7ghbcPFndLMAPdfumuZCpKyG_TAKK_JHENOz4eA2G3T6NwQ8Ww28fR7uzDCP1pj2etGJSjHZSJ74on5CAssneZCZsHrDio/s1600/100_8918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMVs1rYvYGS4oFx-wa8fcq8g5LRTqJw9yO3DxePJ5_k9EF7ghbcPFndLMAPdfumuZCpKyG_TAKK_JHENOz4eA2G3T6NwQ8Ww28fR7uzDCP1pj2etGJSjHZSJ74on5CAssneZCZsHrDio/s400/100_8918.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lovely, sunny color.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We found some crystals, and a few pockets that were nicely encased in large rocks, so we only photographed them, and did not attempt to remove any of these. They were prettier there, in their pockets, than what they'd be as single, removed crystals. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXlS4DqBMynhWfOtbHm4n3BJ9esYI4SJdgZVT7kKFFYHHigdOHHxjtLAgL-udOKw61vJVuiyzgotFSEZue26CwFFOfxIsSnhjCu28oLV5vCah7o48-PICWUxK40lJEqhiB8iqkmVTPR8/s1600/100_8965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXlS4DqBMynhWfOtbHm4n3BJ9esYI4SJdgZVT7kKFFYHHigdOHHxjtLAgL-udOKw61vJVuiyzgotFSEZue26CwFFOfxIsSnhjCu28oLV5vCah7o48-PICWUxK40lJEqhiB8iqkmVTPR8/s400/100_8965.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Some crystals looked better, just left in their pocket.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found a small pocket with crystals that I thought were part of a cluster, but as I gently worked the soil loose around them, I saw that they were all double terminated crystals. Although they were a good size, and with bits of manganese coating, they weren't very clear, but will still look good once we've cleaned them properly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQ4_hPCNVUXQ2AvILhjoPOy57hJUCwFQn2lk59DOD73LOryI-f8b6uxUl6pX9PkOCTsGUR-wcJFs8iFMLrNDNhhAT2mrYAbiFBDDS315KbuOqcQlJrsFV5BKzGaCA5qS-jH3OVEoA2Ug/s1600/100_8981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQ4_hPCNVUXQ2AvILhjoPOy57hJUCwFQn2lk59DOD73LOryI-f8b6uxUl6pX9PkOCTsGUR-wcJFs8iFMLrNDNhhAT2mrYAbiFBDDS315KbuOqcQlJrsFV5BKzGaCA5qS-jH3OVEoA2Ug/s400/100_8981.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A beetle is getting away from my mining spot, the one that yielded ...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1V1-I6qKK30FvpOj_IvAKNjUXDl0uyfJ5IIJufxdSOuNHpJWpplBeZOq8u7Se5vqAyCZDfOY3WoUOdUoNTcFfGuabAHWhszA6qg8BUku3yaZJxVJM6CEtsAxJOhQ8rjRYjD5dIH2TqQ/s1600/100_8986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1V1-I6qKK30FvpOj_IvAKNjUXDl0uyfJ5IIJufxdSOuNHpJWpplBeZOq8u7Se5vqAyCZDfOY3WoUOdUoNTcFfGuabAHWhszA6qg8BUku3yaZJxVJM6CEtsAxJOhQ8rjRYjD5dIH2TqQ/s400/100_8986.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>... a few double terminated crystals, yet uncleaned.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnYycpbHvfccgPDGgSKrfPUA0mqNXvgHxdPaFM4skaK3c788s7V8Q2mKbtfyQ_nwQwWTiXXVbPJcG3IUxCYqlZ2qD7Ue9AHGd3Fhb8QFw_AoGlRFFyAs62XfPqEbwbXZr6-96lmz3mx4/s1600/100_8920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnYycpbHvfccgPDGgSKrfPUA0mqNXvgHxdPaFM4skaK3c788s7V8Q2mKbtfyQ_nwQwWTiXXVbPJcG3IUxCYqlZ2qD7Ue9AHGd3Fhb8QFw_AoGlRFFyAs62XfPqEbwbXZr6-96lmz3mx4/s400/100_8920.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Beautiful flowers grow in seemingly barren soil.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-3a_ipV-0QdbWdnDoYxcMvlVtIpWYxpUk3OqI_ZNdoVNWM7Y9lNdqLktOW6LqGTga2UPIPVf8YITOPBCpWnsUBMW62uCf-R23bUbYkWcOyuIwv2ZzY4UQvv6vLJYlsQTwnwbDOy4Bpk/s1600/100_8921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-3a_ipV-0QdbWdnDoYxcMvlVtIpWYxpUk3OqI_ZNdoVNWM7Y9lNdqLktOW6LqGTga2UPIPVf8YITOPBCpWnsUBMW62uCf-R23bUbYkWcOyuIwv2ZzY4UQvv6vLJYlsQTwnwbDOy4Bpk/s400/100_8921.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Floral beauty</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RdXHvVkDEjF7nVYKHZfJV5bUGDPJS59CokhrDroSWv2oRfGwSSpx-Rk6zZNiBIGBvuLNK5oFClNl4YOmd42dlpoe1-qPLx7uHFYE9cjs0m-vTNthqaJHaMGCH1Ba3ogVbVP91B7CVZQ/s1600/100_8958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RdXHvVkDEjF7nVYKHZfJV5bUGDPJS59CokhrDroSWv2oRfGwSSpx-Rk6zZNiBIGBvuLNK5oFClNl4YOmd42dlpoe1-qPLx7uHFYE9cjs0m-vTNthqaJHaMGCH1Ba3ogVbVP91B7CVZQ/s400/100_8958.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpapqNrDsz8lphxUvkttsu91CYlxK5d-z7JdlG5KOGBcISIrAjg49Wa1EaRSMeta3q44sd7v22hNjM7EfGTOtNbw61EOezr-VtFnKiVz3EvWUuFl2Iwwy42ZZoWXjjU1y8IERul3pIxY/s1600/100_8966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpapqNrDsz8lphxUvkttsu91CYlxK5d-z7JdlG5KOGBcISIrAjg49Wa1EaRSMeta3q44sd7v22hNjM7EfGTOtNbw61EOezr-VtFnKiVz3EvWUuFl2Iwwy42ZZoWXjjU1y8IERul3pIxY/s400/100_8966.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMzhbLrfzSjfyHyisazTp5masMPm6qeCi3orv4WEy0k6DMftqjtBIWzhf_a2S2iaTYqEFBSsUduLsXw8RB32QiMDJHDuG81DT5D6-VG8zWZBod5gthN4HeWNgqeodo0t_oZI5sDkBsdU/s1600/100_8973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMzhbLrfzSjfyHyisazTp5masMPm6qeCi3orv4WEy0k6DMftqjtBIWzhf_a2S2iaTYqEFBSsUduLsXw8RB32QiMDJHDuG81DT5D6-VG8zWZBod5gthN4HeWNgqeodo0t_oZI5sDkBsdU/s400/100_8973.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Succulents growing among bits of quartz rock.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUnho4NoWxca38zl-Q1JD05YuRIzRDVH3KQgKHadzOsN8RIw4B7WsV-k_-UwGSeJYLNbJTRJT843qWWfMKVkYQT7ZKXEXBMhLf-mYcoCcHwprQ6E1JEh9Nmr77FxLw2e_6T7YpfoH02w/s1600/100_8924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUnho4NoWxca38zl-Q1JD05YuRIzRDVH3KQgKHadzOsN8RIw4B7WsV-k_-UwGSeJYLNbJTRJT843qWWfMKVkYQT7ZKXEXBMhLf-mYcoCcHwprQ6E1JEh9Nmr77FxLw2e_6T7YpfoH02w/s400/100_8924.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28t-JxGNLUJh0zljj_chWg6XU7n0xIrJEip8McJyobhQeHam41JHNjiZ6A1zZT1ynk7d3Fzjihtw9RdZpQm7IeU78LCYkY4PAWn8oodH_FaCkcU0De-9eQtxS-c6lLfrSH1-94L3WkCM/s1600/100_8978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28t-JxGNLUJh0zljj_chWg6XU7n0xIrJEip8McJyobhQeHam41JHNjiZ6A1zZT1ynk7d3Fzjihtw9RdZpQm7IeU78LCYkY4PAWn8oodH_FaCkcU0De-9eQtxS-c6lLfrSH1-94L3WkCM/s400/100_8978.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A beetle looking for a bite to eat ...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">We got to a pocket where Pierre uncovered a lovely cluster with fairly big crystals, located about 30 cm beneath the ground surface. In total we spent several hours trying to loosen it, but found it impossible. We gently cleaned away all the (very hard!) soil, but eventually realized that they were set on solid rock, too big for us to get out. So I guess one can say that this cluster was a big one that 'got away'. At least we have a photograph of it, one we took before we realized that we couldn't remove it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYMKXAEi565_SwNGQM8IZsiahLvnW0RuMhw_w4CmXwWFbDNWDbYaU2KJTtRAt9MsO7e0vP6qyWKz91_kQB96IcO9-4He-Eix2o2IUBf1byWLX_d5J7Z28qRJs0mnJ32rXg4ZrczFV4jA/s1600/100_8960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYMKXAEi565_SwNGQM8IZsiahLvnW0RuMhw_w4CmXwWFbDNWDbYaU2KJTtRAt9MsO7e0vP6qyWKz91_kQB96IcO9-4He-Eix2o2IUBf1byWLX_d5J7Z28qRJs0mnJ32rXg4ZrczFV4jA/s400/100_8960.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Pierre at the pocket that yielded a cluster on solid rock.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCF8UIoUEtGlXocrRX76IMBedNGgY5vkk51RVMuJ88MQzL9oJicZzOY7FxSk7SZaxqhKALKxlW3RQ3OMYlnRs5j5zjbu96VjTN2yKcnQs-wHJR4_Tuy4QdU7qU_dlHOm5hQnx7f6-kBGk/s1600/100_8957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCF8UIoUEtGlXocrRX76IMBedNGgY5vkk51RVMuJ88MQzL9oJicZzOY7FxSk7SZaxqhKALKxlW3RQ3OMYlnRs5j5zjbu96VjTN2yKcnQs-wHJR4_Tuy4QdU7qU_dlHOm5hQnx7f6-kBGk/s400/100_8957.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The cluster that 'got away' ...</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We came across several strange, reddish plants, many of them growing where there didn't seem to be any plant growth possible. They appear to be some type of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">succulent</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and some of them have seeds/flowers that remind me of toenails protruding from an octopus's tentacles ... Some grew on dry, flat soil among other plants, others grew on hard, rocky ground, and some protruded out from rocky, vertical overhangs. South Africa has the largest variety of indigenous wild flowers in the world, and we're </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">privileged</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to see so many of them in our part of the country.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHppSaaQKKfJnQ7jdxJZR4k0I4RluMRC-M2lsYCCVbuRT8Gp7rvRZb56Ld0nkUa1Lmy_FdUQ-HzHF3LC21F11dnh1UzUy1b98aRbUnz-dP7yiemOZuwMKwojdZHafIZXw7pZkVS8udX1E/s1600/100_8876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHppSaaQKKfJnQ7jdxJZR4k0I4RluMRC-M2lsYCCVbuRT8Gp7rvRZb56Ld0nkUa1Lmy_FdUQ-HzHF3LC21F11dnh1UzUy1b98aRbUnz-dP7yiemOZuwMKwojdZHafIZXw7pZkVS8udX1E/s400/100_8876.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Unusual plant ...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0b3P44B_N6zevLdr_Cs6as7U-ysEJU3-iim32g1bMYtNYO9WJkhr1BnAmCOse5w3lT2VUqbOHCJuLRgc6Hl2wokh6Zp6OSuTDJjU3gdQ8k4R3H4Gj0-rir0zfRrvQ_6lyrvpZNK-z0Fo/s1600/100_8947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0b3P44B_N6zevLdr_Cs6as7U-ysEJU3-iim32g1bMYtNYO9WJkhr1BnAmCOse5w3lT2VUqbOHCJuLRgc6Hl2wokh6Zp6OSuTDJjU3gdQ8k4R3H4Gj0-rir0zfRrvQ_6lyrvpZNK-z0Fo/s400/100_8947.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"><i>Many grow on hard, rocky ground.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklxoDRhyDrzSPkzl2Xl1_Mur-mEcqPkFZCl5Lk4yGN3JuFiZNxI0ERDhW6iixDbOhOKurk16WKnd2hXU8aQ_0C8h2GOsiKYco3ysd84BtNuK57I52EY7lzmJHm-UGsZDnk8a-ww7CsCw/s1600/100_8943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklxoDRhyDrzSPkzl2Xl1_Mur-mEcqPkFZCl5Lk4yGN3JuFiZNxI0ERDhW6iixDbOhOKurk16WKnd2hXU8aQ_0C8h2GOsiKYco3ysd84BtNuK57I52EY7lzmJHm-UGsZDnk8a-ww7CsCw/s400/100_8943.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Octopus's protruding toenails?</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jl0MpQ59aBK4mPZWol4Bpxf27mFe9ICIH_BYszcDF-JTbZ64y9sEAmPEKZoCNdBYE8f0uWW-l4M4gjyQzZdQygLED6XI-CvgbFi0N46x86I0HESX6kjSkiij-7OxgJY9kn49fungMJ4/s1600/100_8945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jl0MpQ59aBK4mPZWol4Bpxf27mFe9ICIH_BYszcDF-JTbZ64y9sEAmPEKZoCNdBYE8f0uWW-l4M4gjyQzZdQygLED6XI-CvgbFi0N46x86I0HESX6kjSkiij-7OxgJY9kn49fungMJ4/s400/100_8945.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Some grow from vertical overhangs.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We enjoyed the splendor of all the wild flowers, and there were some patches that had us wonder where to tread, because of their abundance. Although our main aim of the outing had been to find crystals, which this time was not very rewarding, we had a full, lovely day!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD7cgVfSZPnFfd9_QuovT64Ub2KMZA1XUlsfGINDDKmlWEhFaK_do_8FIQhH-skvUN5TiKGg0XU-AkbyhQqmRC0x1wQf_MMG3C8DnexBO6AA7TCEz-j0f19FjWZFtl3pJnafOESnr5rg/s1600/100_8936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD7cgVfSZPnFfd9_QuovT64Ub2KMZA1XUlsfGINDDKmlWEhFaK_do_8FIQhH-skvUN5TiKGg0XU-AkbyhQqmRC0x1wQf_MMG3C8DnexBO6AA7TCEz-j0f19FjWZFtl3pJnafOESnr5rg/s400/100_8936.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Flowers in abundance!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope that you enjoyed our outing with us!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Riana</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-62754133856435136952012-06-08T07:12:00.001-07:002012-12-13T01:46:46.420-08:00My Recent Crystal Collecting Trip up the Mountains.<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago I started making plans to visit a remote place up in the Western Cape mountains, where I had discovered an amazing source of fine quartz crystals years ago. Due to the steep ascend, careful planning had to be done as one can only carry so much up the mountains: tools, ropes, sleeping gear, food etc.. Finally, on Monday morning 28/05/12, I left, driving the 80 km or so to the farm, with the kind permission of the farmer. Once at the farm, I drove up to the mountain </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">as close </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">as my little Toyota car would allow, and then hiked up a gorge for about 10 km to a convenient place which would serve as my home base. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I arrived at my destination at about midday, rested for an hour or so and repacked my rucksack with only the bare essentials. Once again, I started up a steep slope to a cave which would serve as my second home base. After a very strenuous climb, I reached the cave and, after making myself at home, climbed down a treacherous, very steep ravine, through very dense ferns and shrubs, to fetch some drinking water. I made a welcome fire and after having a meal, sat for hours, just staring at the flames. What a difficult day it had been! </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBehm0pg_t_gzkhyphenhyphenqUqLqOemho_agdfvDPOHeXNME8mtcB3RN50IpfSaCrt05sPKpAJBNl6bV7AaEGZEIObj5bWQFzEJWMXW9B8gpCV2HOyiIW-_cwgNHl1V_ifXXbqjMvNoOUvWFsR8/s1600/view+from+the+cave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBehm0pg_t_gzkhyphenhyphenqUqLqOemho_agdfvDPOHeXNME8mtcB3RN50IpfSaCrt05sPKpAJBNl6bV7AaEGZEIObj5bWQFzEJWMXW9B8gpCV2HOyiIW-_cwgNHl1V_ifXXbqjMvNoOUvWFsR8/s400/view+from+the+cave.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>My view from the cave.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdefDeeEotl-nuXB8INzu9H-SsxkAcQ4BJhUu_7V8UqR1tUnw7x3NS11-iTkLoRITmusEnF0RAOTrGuS7TJWEqQSSmyigp0aEa4WuXfAxhjEG6ayPyOeXCL7pLLCKizGjeVslV3HvXH-I/s1600/scratched+legs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdefDeeEotl-nuXB8INzu9H-SsxkAcQ4BJhUu_7V8UqR1tUnw7x3NS11-iTkLoRITmusEnF0RAOTrGuS7TJWEqQSSmyigp0aEa4WuXfAxhjEG6ayPyOeXCL7pLLCKizGjeVslV3HvXH-I/s400/scratched+legs.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Legs full of scratches.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglxcIZ48dPXFy5uouu8goDyaUZQnE7r3yOQaLUSs4d95963kUmpwTz5y_OpyZSZV_gCxVlN0bU2Pw_LveBxYZD9RpivD_My4cQkWo3kEF5VL6QXVLwHl0C98ukNpi6gEhbxCNLqEch6Q/s1600/Lovely+coals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglxcIZ48dPXFy5uouu8goDyaUZQnE7r3yOQaLUSs4d95963kUmpwTz5y_OpyZSZV_gCxVlN0bU2Pw_LveBxYZD9RpivD_My4cQkWo3kEF5VL6QXVLwHl0C98ukNpi6gEhbxCNLqEch6Q/s400/Lovely+coals.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Lovely coals to keep the cold away.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tuesday started out a beautiful morning. I had breakfast and prepared myself for the climb to the crystal destination. An hour or so later, I reached the place that I had come for. It was a cliff with many small to larger pockets of crystals, as well as a few small caves, which I am certain, have many crystal plates inside. Most of these small caves can only be reached by a very experienced mountaineer (which, by the way, I am not). </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few years ago</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I removed a fairly large pocket at the foot of the cliff and I hoped to find a few more specimens there. I did find some more, but not nearly as much as I had hoped for. Not far away from this, now empty, pocket, I found the remains of a leopard kill, in this case, a rock rabbit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From there I walked about 30 m to a small cave (accessible and just big enough to sit in) and started removing a heap of rock rabbit dung, rotten vegetation and soil at the bottom of the small cave. Suddenly I found a loose crystal, then another and another ... and then the first plate of crystals. Before long, I had far more than I could carry and there still appeared to be many more. I wrapped what I intended to carry down, with the largest plate about 20 cm long. Due to the steep decline, I only took about 7 kg of crystals and as it was getting late, I started off back to the cave. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The trip down was very difficult and rather dangerous. One slip, and you could lose far more than crystals. I reached the cave just before dark, and after unpacking, made a fire and had supper. Once again, I sat in front of the fire for a good while and thanked my heavenly Father for protecting me and allowing me to remove such beautiful treasures of nature. That night I slept much better than the previous night.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0dkgxpwzr3pWPmX4syLnC3FGIhKl6acSayd-Ifhxv62QausXX5v_cZf1Sa5wvnjj-qSSKbJLzI1L4mzmRPZ1ZEZRbkxASDnun1ah-D-Vmvj_z3lmumIxY_80z4g1k60oBUfiinRmLRg/s1600/a+cluster+of+crystals+fresh+from+the+earth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0dkgxpwzr3pWPmX4syLnC3FGIhKl6acSayd-Ifhxv62QausXX5v_cZf1Sa5wvnjj-qSSKbJLzI1L4mzmRPZ1ZEZRbkxASDnun1ah-D-Vmvj_z3lmumIxY_80z4g1k60oBUfiinRmLRg/s400/a+cluster+of+crystals+fresh+from+the+earth.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A small cluster of quartz crystals, fresh from the earth.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsz2ASqoCvbbVWnsOgtNnChYXbJgUohve1WPiLXdYv_CTYva3JxEyTTR6zH1TVeihwnB6NGTO9sWowpeyGqMUBhRSCSAGGCAxOrpNJFqOBYLBc-KxNwjnwW6okg8g3688zqeJWytcMTs/s1600/Pocket+of+crystals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsz2ASqoCvbbVWnsOgtNnChYXbJgUohve1WPiLXdYv_CTYva3JxEyTTR6zH1TVeihwnB6NGTO9sWowpeyGqMUBhRSCSAGGCAxOrpNJFqOBYLBc-KxNwjnwW6okg8g3688zqeJWytcMTs/s400/Pocket+of+crystals.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A pocket of crystals - one of many - beyond my reach.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9n4E7M9E9uN1AYvwpDN9Wd9k2Xivh7Ebx_xZD59ghVa1YxxQXnk4YihO791TGhvP4_PBkC0zpmjEZ7UEnqdHVhLAdfnJkb-YPgoLWY_7XuzoYVmZUcim-g5jyaelvEITSpev_emoMLk/s1600/nearly+at+the+bottom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9n4E7M9E9uN1AYvwpDN9Wd9k2Xivh7Ebx_xZD59ghVa1YxxQXnk4YihO791TGhvP4_PBkC0zpmjEZ7UEnqdHVhLAdfnJkb-YPgoLWY_7XuzoYVmZUcim-g5jyaelvEITSpev_emoMLk/s400/nearly+at+the+bottom.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Nearly at the bottom!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wednesday morning was yet another beautiful day, with a few clouds that disappeared later on in the day. Then I had a problem. To walk down a very steep slope with about 25 kg of weight, was nothing to look forward to, especially not if there were sections of loose rocks to negotiate. Everything progressed fine and after a difficult, but successful walk, I reached the home base. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I washed in a river that flowed close by, and had something to eat and rested for a while. About 10 minutes away (an easy walk) was yet another crystal deposit beneath a small cliff, where we have found many lovely crystal specimens over a number of years. It wasn't long before I reached this familiar and welcome site. I spent the rest of the day working through a heap of loose rocks and found many single crystals and two nice small clusters. Back at home base, I once again made a fire and after having had supper, enjoyed a welcome cup of coffee. I sat next to the fire until the coals had all turned to ashes, then climbed into my sleeping bag for a very welcome and much needed sleep. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thursday would be my last day of digging and I planned to take it easy and take what I could get. It ended up being a really successful day. I discovered a small, but high quality, pocket of small plates of quartz crystals, as well as another small pocket of well formed single crystals, all loose. I thoroughly enjoyed removing these lovely treasures and took what I could carry and left the rest for next time. Back at the camp, I sorted my baggage out and placed all the wrapped crystals (some 12 kg), tools and other things that I would not need again, in my rucksack and carried it halfway down the gorge. I did this because I feared that the weight would be too much for me the next day. The total weight of my bag was about 42 kg. When I arrived back at camp, I made supper and this time I sat next to the fire till the last heat of the coals were gone. It had been a good day and would be the last night's sleep. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCHoLq91p-A0vJ_1mRfI0xVqBBYYFGYsle0rs8IjUDg5nNDccu-G6Ke9Tt4EB9kJzPJwh6PV5t_OWSa2ual9WFSe5YPD3Itkyo5oOkSbTMQUGqltidrpbEwra-A6jrDwyj2_1D5oWJMw/s1600/a+stunning+cluster+waiting+to+be+removed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCHoLq91p-A0vJ_1mRfI0xVqBBYYFGYsle0rs8IjUDg5nNDccu-G6Ke9Tt4EB9kJzPJwh6PV5t_OWSa2ual9WFSe5YPD3Itkyo5oOkSbTMQUGqltidrpbEwra-A6jrDwyj2_1D5oWJMw/s400/a+stunning+cluster+waiting+to+be+removed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A stunning large cluster waiting to be removed.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsEHf2bxffnmq4Mcf_kINF2aV_kf1Eevr6pCnQeG4GUM2TgIolvagN4JSKXrjsk4iudnoaGKSN-kO9-4L98kP_zpAqmRYt4YxBvrEG_RKZlH8SGTo5yyaMukkYe5T7WrOaPJe9srK1KI/s1600/loose+crystals+with+two+washed+from+the+same+find.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsEHf2bxffnmq4Mcf_kINF2aV_kf1Eevr6pCnQeG4GUM2TgIolvagN4JSKXrjsk4iudnoaGKSN-kO9-4L98kP_zpAqmRYt4YxBvrEG_RKZlH8SGTo5yyaMukkYe5T7WrOaPJe9srK1KI/s400/loose+crystals+with+two+washed+from+the+same+find.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A few loose crystals with two of them partially cleaned.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9_axUp0c4WJyWgvd0eBjssVCR7otu6PxoeF1UYJPrxlo9ixe_QR-eVPXTrorXBbiRLVX3jLUagHGGTA6G6J7reJKENncYQ7MrwNyXBbjLTpgk07wxsT1yOEp2ABa9UJdZ8-TNDQlOGc/s1600/Partially+cleaned+quartz+specimen+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9_axUp0c4WJyWgvd0eBjssVCR7otu6PxoeF1UYJPrxlo9ixe_QR-eVPXTrorXBbiRLVX3jLUagHGGTA6G6J7reJKENncYQ7MrwNyXBbjLTpgk07wxsT1yOEp2ABa9UJdZ8-TNDQlOGc/s400/Partially+cleaned+quartz+specimen+1.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A partially cleaned specimen</i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZN58-905wLfUOmw9W31YPMIqTXaSR8rXZWfg-x_Q8Sh_OA_vYvUkMe-hutnZ1l54vE1YIO5Ux09pMb3TM7f6IZ2TdKi6GcpU_zcLpoguF70OK2uheAklDS6uVY81lVr3UkkHHrilwZg/s1600/100_1430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZN58-905wLfUOmw9W31YPMIqTXaSR8rXZWfg-x_Q8Sh_OA_vYvUkMe-hutnZ1l54vE1YIO5Ux09pMb3TM7f6IZ2TdKi6GcpU_zcLpoguF70OK2uheAklDS6uVY81lVr3UkkHHrilwZg/s400/100_1430.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cleaned Cluster</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkfbD8RCLfoPNfjQ2LQGlxbXXKQy98CMn3Ykfmtxp-3Hb6mx5MMZzm391O43v84NlVbRmiKeF8THFiACeUWVV6PhSdNw5uWzAgZhJ_5n7ZTfKfiyCu7T9Zh_6C7tzQTInk3kugzQJXUc/s1600/100_1428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkfbD8RCLfoPNfjQ2LQGlxbXXKQy98CMn3Ykfmtxp-3Hb6mx5MMZzm391O43v84NlVbRmiKeF8THFiACeUWVV6PhSdNw5uWzAgZhJ_5n7ZTfKfiyCu7T9Zh_6C7tzQTInk3kugzQJXUc/s400/100_1428.JPG" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Cleaned Cluster (same as above)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFzRlVjSp4yUlKw_QAA_jlaLK47FrwAa5ze6cnlf1SpG3PMjHbwrWL0D0i4jmw2p0X3dzsupjLZXeFTgMZkH9OvS6PpKDKtV7VuGE9Cskf6_gPM0NDMS72YxnsyGWRrAL1N3y7Jw8mu8/s1600/Partially+cleaned+specimen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFzRlVjSp4yUlKw_QAA_jlaLK47FrwAa5ze6cnlf1SpG3PMjHbwrWL0D0i4jmw2p0X3dzsupjLZXeFTgMZkH9OvS6PpKDKtV7VuGE9Cskf6_gPM0NDMS72YxnsyGWRrAL1N3y7Jw8mu8/s400/Partially+cleaned+specimen.JPG" width="381" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A partially cleaned specimen</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJe1Tl6cVpYyRIiUzL5lWpP-p0y5okD4-nTLkYpk12JxeHOH3-4SyHN15nkIzI_7qmfcdCrW7i17Vhgyt425-7hLGnOX4XQh-wokreL0kznUi3IaiLIYuGaGgbz84AWBot_A9f4MtVLHY/s1600/100_1408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJe1Tl6cVpYyRIiUzL5lWpP-p0y5okD4-nTLkYpk12JxeHOH3-4SyHN15nkIzI_7qmfcdCrW7i17Vhgyt425-7hLGnOX4XQh-wokreL0kznUi3IaiLIYuGaGgbz84AWBot_A9f4MtVLHY/s400/100_1408.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Cleaned Specimen (same as above)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgNXJvsPtQrMnvBgNWllgXcjP6rkGLJKhXlzs1qdLtd5hIXK8HvemqhXC8MB_UfDK8z9Pq8Zle3If6mTiQBSpe3QGwoWslJjdym5LFj8MnMGDRN_8g0WGWf53oLOiBDGa3xfnPhvPM1g/s1600/100_0131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgNXJvsPtQrMnvBgNWllgXcjP6rkGLJKhXlzs1qdLtd5hIXK8HvemqhXC8MB_UfDK8z9Pq8Zle3If6mTiQBSpe3QGwoWslJjdym5LFj8MnMGDRN_8g0WGWf53oLOiBDGa3xfnPhvPM1g/s400/100_0131.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few of the single crystals, cleaned.</span></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day I rose early and hiked down to where I had left the rest of my crystals, tools etc.. After loading it into my rucksack, I walked down, carrying 42 kg on my back. I must say, I was very pleased to see my car in the distance and even more so upon reaching it! Not too long afterwards, I was home safely, with Riana waiting for me with a nice, home cooked meal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All in all it had been a tiring, bruising, but very fulfilling trip. I am grateful to my heavenly Father. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The quietness of unspoiled nature, with the only sounds being that of running water, birds and rock rabbits, is very, very rewarding on its own. Add to that a few crystals and last, but not least, a gratitude towards God for the privilege of being able to enjoy all that.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I do get the chance to clean some specimens, I shall add a few more photos. Some specimens clean easily, whilst others may have to soak for weeks.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you for taking the time to read this entry. I hope that you enjoyed the journey with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pierre</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-91397539972411045602012-04-13T03:40:00.001-07:002018-04-22T00:59:36.915-07:00The Amazing Brandberg and its Stunning Mineral Specimens<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Please visit our website </span><a href="http://www.namibianbrandbergcrystals.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.namibianbrandbergcrystals.com</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> to view numerous Brandberg mineral specimens and crystals.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It is commonly accepted that the most beautiful quartz and prehnite specimens come from the Brandberg and nearby hills. Lately topaz, in a variety of colours (some weighing several kilograms) have been discovered, as well as aquamarine and tourmaline. In addition to these, beautiful calcite, epidote, green garnet and a number of lesser known mineral specimens are found in the immediate vicinity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even though the Brandberg mineral specimens are fairly well known, I do not think that most people have fully come to realize just how special they really are. I have seen quartz specimens from all over the world and even though there are many really nice specimens, none can match the best from Brandberg. The Brandberg area is quite a vast area and in this article I want to concentrate on the South Western side of the Brandberg where the quartz, prehnite, calcite and epidote specimens are mined. This area, a range of hills and small mountains, are known to collectors as Tafelkop and Goboboseb, and lies about 15 km from the Brandberg itself. The closest town, about 80 km to the Eastern side of Tafelkop, is a small mining town called Uis (the Damara word meaning 'bitter water', referring to the quality of water at Uis). The road from Uis to Brandberg is a sand road and mostly not fit for standard vehicles. The local mineral specimen miners, comprising of Damaras, Hereroes and Ovamboes as well as a few Europeans, mostly live in Uis and travel to and fro and sometimes live in the desert in makeshift shelters for weeks at a time 'till they have enough specimens to sell, either to mineral dealers or tourists.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A regular miner, Lori Raaths (the famous Namib cowboy), one of the very first to mine for the beautiful Brandberg crystals, told me that when he started mining the crystals, he found them lying on top of the ground. He and his wife, three sons and daughter, lived in the desert for a number of years, but now reside in Uis. When I visited Goboboseb in 2003, there were already over 200 mineral specimen miners just in that area alone. Because of the increasing difficulty of mining in that area, the number of miners have dwindled considerably. Besides the scorching heat (often over 40º Celsius), there is a shortage of water, no guarantee of success (you can mine for weeks without getting anything worthwhile), and the mining method is extreme: 10 pound hammers, large masonry chissels and hard basalt rock. Being a quartz miner myself, I know what drives them. To open a pocket of Brandberg crystals must be an addiction second to none, and you stand the slim chance of finding a pocket of crystals worth several thousands of dollars. I remember one December, while visiting the mining area at Goboboseb, I gave an Ovambo man a lift back to Uis. His foot was swollen from a mining accident. He was discouraged and have been mining for weeks without success. I dropped him off at the clinic at Uis and left. About a week or so afterwards, I had a surprise visit from this very same person. He had quickly recovered from his injury, gone back to the diggings and found a lovely pocket worth quite a few thousand dollars, and that just before Christmas! He offered me some really nice crystals at very good prices. My dollars were getting a bit thin so I bought a few crystals and declined a beautiful large, double terminated specimen that, even though he offered it to me at about half price, was still above my budget. We have since occasionally had the chance to buy really top specimens, but they can be very expensive and we are not in that retail bracket yet. Brandberg crystals of quality, that are large, are rare and usually very expensive. We have seen a few crystals that would easily retail for US $ 20 000 +! Next time when you see a nice quartz or other mineral specimen from Brandberg, and you wonder why it is relatively expensive, you will know that they are not just the best, but are also not easily found. There are a few European miners that are using dynamite and digger loaders, but they are destroying pockets and those quartz specimens that do survive, are often cracked. I am not in favour of this method. Even this method is very costly and, thank goodness, limited.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The very first Brandberg crystals that I ever purchased were from a fellow dealer, Reine Ackermann, and I have never looked back. We still get just as excited today while viewing Brandberg crystals, as then. The appreciation of Brandberg crystals and other mineral specimens from this area, should be accompanied by one's appreciation for those who make a living in providing us with these beauties. There are those who exploit these miners, but in doing so they show no respect for these hardworking and often, poor, people. When I first visited Uis, I stayed there for a good while and spent most of my time in the location, befriending the local miners. Getting to know these lovely people, has aided Riana and I in purchasing specimens (which are not always easy to buy) on the last number of visits to Uis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pierre</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7T5ccgfrX62Fb5TuqbVtzozuQYkDoeHx3unChL3tIsqZfLShhxCXmWWetrzTNB6KP9SieYy00VaDtXCyyUSvfT22DYp4JJgCc94JWPv0wmzalbGX_MfAnb9Mlyld-SEnOn2np5kbJEA/s1600/100_1402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7T5ccgfrX62Fb5TuqbVtzozuQYkDoeHx3unChL3tIsqZfLShhxCXmWWetrzTNB6KP9SieYy00VaDtXCyyUSvfT22DYp4JJgCc94JWPv0wmzalbGX_MfAnb9Mlyld-SEnOn2np5kbJEA/s1600/100_1402.JPG" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A large quartz specimen weighing more than 3 kg. (Sold)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVdUSPg1krmwWtyzwsDrTLXsFvXrL9JcHyePLJWbAeDi89TFPA5xnBZPJuQT8pTMOOmCtYFUUKmvLsRv8W0ewaPjXQ1s6n3CWzoCOmnH5nomHm7RMVeF_vkPDWq-PBzCjYgNOXW9TcZU/s1600/NBB002b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVdUSPg1krmwWtyzwsDrTLXsFvXrL9JcHyePLJWbAeDi89TFPA5xnBZPJuQT8pTMOOmCtYFUUKmvLsRv8W0ewaPjXQ1s6n3CWzoCOmnH5nomHm7RMVeF_vkPDWq-PBzCjYgNOXW9TcZU/s1600/NBB002b.jpg" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A stunning sceptre. (Sold)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i></i><i></i></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluSQPmonL-PS1-wix080zvxYW0CzidPB0Xmgez4Rw7hrRUlfrKDEdiS7HRT7_EqoIqKZs0LqMJuTz8yUbhx4KIWHKzMyNmxnoUehlkdLtmYh8HQC38wQ6Hxm472EXS0FadmSFZnEL43I/s1600/100_2045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluSQPmonL-PS1-wix080zvxYW0CzidPB0Xmgez4Rw7hrRUlfrKDEdiS7HRT7_EqoIqKZs0LqMJuTz8yUbhx4KIWHKzMyNmxnoUehlkdLtmYh8HQC38wQ6Hxm472EXS0FadmSFZnEL43I/s320/100_2045.JPG" width="240" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A large quartz crystal offered to us for sale and </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>even though it was a very good price, </i><i>it was outside our budget.</i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDn0MxK0LHojvC_2VoS1bD594TU71AjGjx_qGnn1k3JFt0H0Hv8w48ODhS54_T0_PpCUOETC_uWounKtyPQQqKRGQ8ms6vH1LtDQbrK4YrZr4OmRQFAi4DggTlGtcb4SRwCH-dyITmVEM/s1600/100_2056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDn0MxK0LHojvC_2VoS1bD594TU71AjGjx_qGnn1k3JFt0H0Hv8w48ODhS54_T0_PpCUOETC_uWounKtyPQQqKRGQ8ms6vH1LtDQbrK4YrZr4OmRQFAi4DggTlGtcb4SRwCH-dyITmVEM/s320/100_2056.JPG" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Me on the right, with the famous Namib cowboy.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdzz-JXFQzt9Ze2Tm14oNYz0Vp2-4NSqlBKfiN60_eCVW2a8_HvE5GztzHq3VdPWPTAorPE232ff7xFHaEqSY1-Y26uy-U-9YZQMfqZQzAn0ZULNzyckYLYWsnpoz-DQ6jSuOm-wvf8Q/s1600/100_0367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdzz-JXFQzt9Ze2Tm14oNYz0Vp2-4NSqlBKfiN60_eCVW2a8_HvE5GztzHq3VdPWPTAorPE232ff7xFHaEqSY1-Y26uy-U-9YZQMfqZQzAn0ZULNzyckYLYWsnpoz-DQ6jSuOm-wvf8Q/s320/100_0367.jpg" width="205" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">A very peculiarly shaped quartz crystal; part of our personal collection.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuvLaVUE-Ox3LD8F5ggbhnlcMGqvdkheOkS4P2j8ApfQKW9vXIQJfAcvWByIAn1GizE26qQ2M85FabHb65sbN1zcOdFltQxCDnMN-p0d61Nke9g_UYzHZzXiWg2LBoMOxRid6QSE_50M/s1600/NBB003b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuvLaVUE-Ox3LD8F5ggbhnlcMGqvdkheOkS4P2j8ApfQKW9vXIQJfAcvWByIAn1GizE26qQ2M85FabHb65sbN1zcOdFltQxCDnMN-p0d61Nke9g_UYzHZzXiWg2LBoMOxRid6QSE_50M/s1600/NBB003b.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of our best Brandberg crystals, part of our personal collection.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRf1XhU5JOelhV9Vvd6T2EnwMkEa_ebCXc4pdFF-BdajwRCi92gZ2zZFGASQnslff9E5pnAB5hnpxg0B55WOw-nJS5prw0YjwikuA0kmjzoQfI6GYzQQrNDibZ14gauyQvQYLmIOwL0A8/s1600/100_3103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRf1XhU5JOelhV9Vvd6T2EnwMkEa_ebCXc4pdFF-BdajwRCi92gZ2zZFGASQnslff9E5pnAB5hnpxg0B55WOw-nJS5prw0YjwikuA0kmjzoQfI6GYzQQrNDibZ14gauyQvQYLmIOwL0A8/s320/100_3103.jpg" width="288" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">A beautiful large smoky quartz crystal that forms part of our private collection.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJFzn1lYt642LUdeQo1DR2HxOwG3Rru8KEhl0x2dAoeZJ55bFORwH9wl-KxAlaOOJc5TxPhKUKNzX-LVPTIlkNgWZsDoE1fZsAhmYJMf67vpO91j89l3MTgVqGnDsugeAJJdNM_znSvY/s1600/100_3645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="284" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJFzn1lYt642LUdeQo1DR2HxOwG3Rru8KEhl0x2dAoeZJ55bFORwH9wl-KxAlaOOJc5TxPhKUKNzX-LVPTIlkNgWZsDoE1fZsAhmYJMf67vpO91j89l3MTgVqGnDsugeAJJdNM_znSvY/s320/100_3645.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A stunning, rare, amethyst quartz crystal (Sold)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE9znptYmYeTrwVA3YcwDuIyGFgcpRzxYzLlOUJPjdN0qObyhjIHOlhIjtb1xf6kouxIjdreqFv-K786KGHf6WhG53W7EUiDJ81_1-zFbzf8a_Yq9BSJjPOsUG5SNkKHioX-Tc3BTDjA/s1600/100_3760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE9znptYmYeTrwVA3YcwDuIyGFgcpRzxYzLlOUJPjdN0qObyhjIHOlhIjtb1xf6kouxIjdreqFv-K786KGHf6WhG53W7EUiDJ81_1-zFbzf8a_Yq9BSJjPOsUG5SNkKHioX-Tc3BTDjA/s320/100_3760.jpg" width="294" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A beautiful amethyst semi-sceptre (Sold)</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgco4XgSwfMI6TzMvVm9wDbbGXNsrnZMhM_NOJW9PG_rsk2DgCz9MkfKv1kFVgQw_vbA3G6pz6uzQlwvct6lKw7SUQUFbAGx3ZOSbvOp57A_0iDHsJnLALoeMsgThePhMOJoGFntCT0SIM/s1600/2April2007+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgco4XgSwfMI6TzMvVm9wDbbGXNsrnZMhM_NOJW9PG_rsk2DgCz9MkfKv1kFVgQw_vbA3G6pz6uzQlwvct6lKw7SUQUFbAGx3ZOSbvOp57A_0iDHsJnLALoeMsgThePhMOJoGFntCT0SIM/s320/2April2007+024.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">An aerial photograph of a famous beacon on the Brandberg.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUB-J9PfWKsi3EsAbbQEHpsai2ZgX7i4IqwXzA5MEdedhbi1qB85CupdpbvBpBV36Ly7-E_v0PVlmQEwVs4VNE-D_a-L-YBD9CefFoIRnjNdullM0oqUxPpfuNLmhewIDXOPI2qlwQa_U/s1600/03Jan2007+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUB-J9PfWKsi3EsAbbQEHpsai2ZgX7i4IqwXzA5MEdedhbi1qB85CupdpbvBpBV36Ly7-E_v0PVlmQEwVs4VNE-D_a-L-YBD9CefFoIRnjNdullM0oqUxPpfuNLmhewIDXOPI2qlwQa_U/s320/03Jan2007+003.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">An aerial shot of the Brandberg, facing West.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcGaxdwajdWrre9cWQKd7QGpp_8CZ05kj572cfSZ-82WPICd7cz0bDlnJfqRBGwBg-hETIswpAz5Iaot5c-cj4rxqhmsr2Ep-9cIAWpZbKdL36dzhMLtIesmIrEXckk7L-wzzCpFCvX8/s1600/Untitled-Scanned-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcGaxdwajdWrre9cWQKd7QGpp_8CZ05kj572cfSZ-82WPICd7cz0bDlnJfqRBGwBg-hETIswpAz5Iaot5c-cj4rxqhmsr2Ep-9cIAWpZbKdL36dzhMLtIesmIrEXckk7L-wzzCpFCvX8/s320/Untitled-Scanned-03.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our Ovambo friend and his brother, digging in the background.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38eN7aqL1Puj8OgeOKG-2iCaP73bw8mX_2mcaTihUHmKE3mbDd5WTkzr-e2yABlnJ-38dGzi2CxEnlF9ncG_Mp76qqv9K22b1dD3f73BNSXsTAa4S5LnySkJ1tUjL7EUgohafqtZ-ETk/s1600/Untitled-Scanned-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="205" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38eN7aqL1Puj8OgeOKG-2iCaP73bw8mX_2mcaTihUHmKE3mbDd5WTkzr-e2yABlnJ-38dGzi2CxEnlF9ncG_Mp76qqv9K22b1dD3f73BNSXsTAa4S5LnySkJ1tUjL7EUgohafqtZ-ETk/s320/Untitled-Scanned-05.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">A footpath leads to a mining village at Goboboseb, 2003.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQaCkHc8jJzXfjEMcrWt6zEn9eKuChaEZghb6o6gP0Yp-ZaolZr5_4c1UPbccgPuXLEtOLhBrsoRR_kgc5a6h56Fq7yep8Y9gRpdR2h68oxR2cxP9J-bPXpBa1TEeOPZ1tQux7fdUUP4/s1600/Untitled-Scanned-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="203" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQaCkHc8jJzXfjEMcrWt6zEn9eKuChaEZghb6o6gP0Yp-ZaolZr5_4c1UPbccgPuXLEtOLhBrsoRR_kgc5a6h56Fq7yep8Y9gRpdR2h68oxR2cxP9J-bPXpBa1TEeOPZ1tQux7fdUUP4/s320/Untitled-Scanned-06.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another shot of a mining village at Goboboseb, 2003.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHHHBJ0yrn5RoPJ0uQZA_ruRIecMB6ILfIKQo-x7t32abtMtorr6W1h-XhlInHLOJxHIrK5hXrQwTW-0OVNMamWNwq6Y8Bctnat4GbgKHmGeoVMmy8xxnS5pwF7HOdjNrnOatLUBxsdo/s1600/Untitled-Scanned-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="210" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHHHBJ0yrn5RoPJ0uQZA_ruRIecMB6ILfIKQo-x7t32abtMtorr6W1h-XhlInHLOJxHIrK5hXrQwTW-0OVNMamWNwq6Y8Bctnat4GbgKHmGeoVMmy8xxnS5pwF7HOdjNrnOatLUBxsdo/s320/Untitled-Scanned-08.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is how it is done - 2003.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiyKMIlPAgC2HzlhJXhVLiaeezoKfFUpTxl4-XQRDb9fpcbiZCl2gIRlB1GJmRnDnRsR9McVjZQcHdcDxnMiPr7ydYbL3QgN65rsO4ZlPVAtbbuGVPcLiMYaWuRUOoaPyRw3iDdkfoBA/s1600/Untitled-Scanned-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="208" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiyKMIlPAgC2HzlhJXhVLiaeezoKfFUpTxl4-XQRDb9fpcbiZCl2gIRlB1GJmRnDnRsR9McVjZQcHdcDxnMiPr7ydYbL3QgN65rsO4ZlPVAtbbuGVPcLiMYaWuRUOoaPyRw3iDdkfoBA/s320/Untitled-Scanned-09.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">A few temporary shacks with the quartz-bearing background, 2003.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhivAY1SNSUFhVA_6RzcZlC3S1H_IwTL1XI1mHWh41tuLdkm0Z2wUb524XK4_WZuqOS_nzjFaPQRA2ApoEPAj5OltbkcHyTLHrw1KeCZuZP96CBJvol0hWcFerzepfK4Xugc36tql70E/s1600/Untitled-Scanned-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="208" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhivAY1SNSUFhVA_6RzcZlC3S1H_IwTL1XI1mHWh41tuLdkm0Z2wUb524XK4_WZuqOS_nzjFaPQRA2ApoEPAj5OltbkcHyTLHrw1KeCZuZP96CBJvol0hWcFerzepfK4Xugc36tql70E/s320/Untitled-Scanned-10.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the mining village at Goboboseb, 2003.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzZLofc7YyYcnmBYwcJZGw4yqs5GjBxosLPQbv8FHTOom0aOzpjInQZDpUQ4NT18wlFvAC5ZO0Ah7Fi11pTKFC5jGV4jbs-9rUXR-0Va82zIlCLO_lj9I8wbZztvS5Kuc2r5uZQ-SmXI/s1600/Untitled-Scanned-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="208" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzZLofc7YyYcnmBYwcJZGw4yqs5GjBxosLPQbv8FHTOom0aOzpjInQZDpUQ4NT18wlFvAC5ZO0Ah7Fi11pTKFC5jGV4jbs-9rUXR-0Va82zIlCLO_lj9I8wbZztvS5Kuc2r5uZQ-SmXI/s320/Untitled-Scanned-12.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the mining village at Goboboseb, 2003.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXnSrpk2x7AAkFpdR0V2qCmLdLMFyiNGlyjA47VPP7tEwMsxf7OXxxtyq0Pr9xcbU_z6pFcVxPJ9_eHOi4YIsKisML60DXws0w6kpjpaX0vKgsB22egFOEQ5BpudFJwTAYf8zHU6KAF8/s1600/Untitled-Scanned-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="208" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXnSrpk2x7AAkFpdR0V2qCmLdLMFyiNGlyjA47VPP7tEwMsxf7OXxxtyq0Pr9xcbU_z6pFcVxPJ9_eHOi4YIsKisML60DXws0w6kpjpaX0vKgsB22egFOEQ5BpudFJwTAYf8zHU6KAF8/s320/Untitled-Scanned-13.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Christmas day 2003, somewhere in the Namib desert, digging for 'music' crystals.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCrdjfNO61tUIo63-9uvUlVExci0ePZThc3En-ifSV1XWxNIGrXhqCSDIIn9_rw4szBnh9xII2zcScvAZf4OR57udjiRWuLk6lOffML0AUUsqv-GBNiolGG51lugSbWW0lijbFOpew5w/s1600/07Jan2007+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCrdjfNO61tUIo63-9uvUlVExci0ePZThc3En-ifSV1XWxNIGrXhqCSDIIn9_rw4szBnh9xII2zcScvAZf4OR57udjiRWuLk6lOffML0AUUsqv-GBNiolGG51lugSbWW0lijbFOpew5w/s320/07Jan2007+008.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">An aerial photo of the Brandberg, taken by the late Nico van Dyk.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqW0SqZR_fQud8-0UaNPq7LFSeh-q7ReDH6yYx-PrT7zjG6poE2J5SmPvoSNkbBSQ8UdOAkJFekEzj9MyBzrzBQyjN2HdBh7X6P0NBP0VbCteOpTYOpc3LInjYJE9zZty4DI6hvtZl-w/s1600/19-20Mrt08+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqW0SqZR_fQud8-0UaNPq7LFSeh-q7ReDH6yYx-PrT7zjG6poE2J5SmPvoSNkbBSQ8UdOAkJFekEzj9MyBzrzBQyjN2HdBh7X6P0NBP0VbCteOpTYOpc3LInjYJE9zZty4DI6hvtZl-w/s320/19-20Mrt08+051.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">An aerial photo of the Brandberg, taken by the late Nico van Dyk.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Note the green desert after good rains!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSDpGog4hxzBe4h4JymOZ0rHdeeXO1WGM4EWUBYaLF4SxKAU5fhfJ5ZzOagIr6SHY-mCB9XvIIF-BLOTbxCKCE4H0RzqXqCAQk6N7g0FAin8ZjYCoc5FS5nE_6ZbGHxK0jsotJMJxS-0/s1600/Microflight07+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSDpGog4hxzBe4h4JymOZ0rHdeeXO1WGM4EWUBYaLF4SxKAU5fhfJ5ZzOagIr6SHY-mCB9XvIIF-BLOTbxCKCE4H0RzqXqCAQk6N7g0FAin8ZjYCoc5FS5nE_6ZbGHxK0jsotJMJxS-0/s320/Microflight07+036.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">An aerial photo of the Brandberg, taken by the late Nico van Dyk.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YoqioY7SKGsDjwS291a58xACw1MeNaFaUzk4IEccrZuuealz_f6aPUR-OFBVFDyhdX6AJNbY6jxEHdq44jD94kFYO6B21rxmaUFEijkKEfI2XP2cux8i7tPwoayIezNB85i7kJl4pE8/s1600/Uis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YoqioY7SKGsDjwS291a58xACw1MeNaFaUzk4IEccrZuuealz_f6aPUR-OFBVFDyhdX6AJNbY6jxEHdq44jD94kFYO6B21rxmaUFEijkKEfI2XP2cux8i7tPwoayIezNB85i7kJl4pE8/s320/Uis.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">An aerial photo of Uis, taken by the late Nico van Dyk.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRETPE7c9cKiUoaO8v_8IheEqxsdQ1rYA1kqs_TQCbgvPcoyMcGzKFtc7BGo4mzrGxZbXYyYgV8KVATzMlrx6TGy8ykCmujz7fYSkooLSaWMznz2UVOZpwJ5X2aF5hF1WBNZiI7JlIGYs/s1600/Wow+or+WOW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRETPE7c9cKiUoaO8v_8IheEqxsdQ1rYA1kqs_TQCbgvPcoyMcGzKFtc7BGo4mzrGxZbXYyYgV8KVATzMlrx6TGy8ykCmujz7fYSkooLSaWMznz2UVOZpwJ5X2aF5hF1WBNZiI7JlIGYs/s320/Wow+or+WOW.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>An aerial photo of the Brandberg, taken by the late Nico van Dyk.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;"><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f9cb9c; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-8983441377616750692011-09-26T18:48:00.000-07:002012-01-26T05:04:40.756-08:00Walking the Mountains around Ceres<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">DETAILS OF ALL MINERALS FEATURED IN THIS POST, CAN BE SEEN ON OUR WEBSITE ON THE <a href="http://www.namibianbrandbergcrystals.com/Western_Cape.htm">WESTERN CAPE PAGE, SOUTH AFRICA</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We often go walking in the mountains, since we find it very destressing and enjoyable. Also, it helps to keep us fit! </span><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Verdana;">We are fortunate to have permission from several farmers in our area (Ceres) to walk their farms and mountains and look for crystals. This is a privilege we cherish! </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V3aBYldpJttL9Den0VpdjomyNE2F90rIu4k7QFdN4EXyMiMqRSAqFYEAU_VFmjptsWMLL9X5bxB_zUfdCyiGR1URdhJgooa4cq4TVMSNcV0J59fcouFE8kfTNJFb5DbDyBFhrPfhfDw/s1600/100_6087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V3aBYldpJttL9Den0VpdjomyNE2F90rIu4k7QFdN4EXyMiMqRSAqFYEAU_VFmjptsWMLL9X5bxB_zUfdCyiGR1URdhJgooa4cq4TVMSNcV0J59fcouFE8kfTNJFb5DbDyBFhrPfhfDw/s400/100_6087.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We often walk rocky terrain in the mountains</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPFNT9bYaP_2UA3J8MdHjwSOQLXKjU57Ger8BBuMeRqCqsgbghy60M8cfbtjLvJ1ez_2Cz4Bb424eFfmkSjKmjUnFSuxQKJ0FzioE4k55i6YvrgU42JOcYPmV3iTlT48XxXZ7IMjz-nU/s1600/Rocky+terrain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPFNT9bYaP_2UA3J8MdHjwSOQLXKjU57Ger8BBuMeRqCqsgbghy60M8cfbtjLvJ1ez_2Cz4Bb424eFfmkSjKmjUnFSuxQKJ0FzioE4k55i6YvrgU42JOcYPmV3iTlT48XxXZ7IMjz-nU/s400/Rocky+terrain.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">More rocky terrain</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4FkWe9kZdpkvijJWwrNypALjvnje5LLE2xgfXl1rOfYOqO7k52D8u1Hr7TWP-u95AyAblhNkWQw8VznsouUIX8Z8TXhZRUdwrFA_n991jptC3iGjsGRMratA74oOpjaAJKEn_4HTWjs/s1600/Pierre+overlooking+a+deep+gulley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4FkWe9kZdpkvijJWwrNypALjvnje5LLE2xgfXl1rOfYOqO7k52D8u1Hr7TWP-u95AyAblhNkWQw8VznsouUIX8Z8TXhZRUdwrFA_n991jptC3iGjsGRMratA74oOpjaAJKEn_4HTWjs/s400/Pierre+overlooking+a+deep+gulley.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pierre, overlooking a deep gully ...</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGlSCMA3mj8-mVLdNxGoUbCIx7a6zJWlLXW7GrP-W0aZYGd7Cq7rR7k48UsnU296dbS6kAU0QLXWkOdUI5pL1jXDXxRD3Esz-GBe1EbWSUK3J94zjHd86_FsZww6MM36Eq6UUY6rLJOQ/s1600/Pierre+leads+the+way+in+the+mountains.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGlSCMA3mj8-mVLdNxGoUbCIx7a6zJWlLXW7GrP-W0aZYGd7Cq7rR7k48UsnU296dbS6kAU0QLXWkOdUI5pL1jXDXxRD3Esz-GBe1EbWSUK3J94zjHd86_FsZww6MM36Eq6UUY6rLJOQ/s400/Pierre+leads+the+way+in+the+mountains.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... and finding our way in the mountains</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREcvKoZJzjINXUDw-DFfXMSiSKkvBl8PxbgEKu7J8qWmgGB-9u6XNBW2VFB13Ve9asNKWYd4q_qiGihdwYPOz114p_MCR7cG8vjLnk47Zh1-MFreP8h1fcsbUpuWcL9bt_Ut7T2IyXAI/s1600/Little+flowers+amongst++the+rocks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREcvKoZJzjINXUDw-DFfXMSiSKkvBl8PxbgEKu7J8qWmgGB-9u6XNBW2VFB13Ve9asNKWYd4q_qiGihdwYPOz114p_MCR7cG8vjLnk47Zh1-MFreP8h1fcsbUpuWcL9bt_Ut7T2IyXAI/s400/Little+flowers+amongst++the+rocks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Miniature rockery</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61LJv0dVav50U5x7sW4XcIfvVu1_RszEo3biSQwifLvMLsmE8boouL9djGCLDlygk2VY5pJgeJaOgwJU-5S_A4jFB9XP9vKwyDwqSM-yZUADYv5cdaH2K24kb_77Gq7E6Qsumfi4THog/s1600/Little+Rock+garden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61LJv0dVav50U5x7sW4XcIfvVu1_RszEo3biSQwifLvMLsmE8boouL9djGCLDlygk2VY5pJgeJaOgwJU-5S_A4jFB9XP9vKwyDwqSM-yZUADYv5cdaH2K24kb_77Gq7E6Qsumfi4THog/s400/Little+Rock+garden.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tiny cave with small plants</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjky_0_EIf6k4sH02gFEgD_jn3HTj1B2vmNHc849S7FGUm2ibQTsMGG9ZS780Xl_J9HcPQBJjW02thE9hIU-X-J4vTUfwGkiRtAbcJNtgqLtRKrojlSdMAs-V4uxto1coTLP_cc7Fd34FM/s1600/Mountain+inhabitant+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjky_0_EIf6k4sH02gFEgD_jn3HTj1B2vmNHc849S7FGUm2ibQTsMGG9ZS780Xl_J9HcPQBJjW02thE9hIU-X-J4vTUfwGkiRtAbcJNtgqLtRKrojlSdMAs-V4uxto1coTLP_cc7Fd34FM/s400/Mountain+inhabitant+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A mountain dweller we saw from a distance ...</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmQdXpvP124dhXI0MyU4ta81NR6jRRPCNS0b0gKmZEhw9VPxOWrgCsa0wssKDkVQNRf2ZvhQgc18rS_8MrzLJlLJsy_J4v4XIb1xC47AHfr_nndcvhJ8E3TYoxiVFou1gVtbrilQ2_yE/s1600/Mountain+inhabitant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmQdXpvP124dhXI0MyU4ta81NR6jRRPCNS0b0gKmZEhw9VPxOWrgCsa0wssKDkVQNRf2ZvhQgc18rS_8MrzLJlLJsy_J4v4XIb1xC47AHfr_nndcvhJ8E3TYoxiVFou1gVtbrilQ2_yE/s400/Mountain+inhabitant.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... and one from up close</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bvpiIMUX_FzGDQ4eI9pdEkQ9VpNpkrKLfE_OE03HAzYKUZ3Qx7hNc0yPAFXln2HqhSI0ia8Vwvwl7b8gsyvhnsAs55L_JDPjWTUibvhMAt1mshiTvdD-Vv7fr341-fA630gf91ce51E/s1600/Hematite+stained+quartz+seam+in+a+big+rock..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bvpiIMUX_FzGDQ4eI9pdEkQ9VpNpkrKLfE_OE03HAzYKUZ3Qx7hNc0yPAFXln2HqhSI0ia8Vwvwl7b8gsyvhnsAs55L_JDPjWTUibvhMAt1mshiTvdD-Vv7fr341-fA630gf91ce51E/s400/Hematite+stained+quartz+seam+in+a+big+rock..JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hematite stained quartz seam in a big rock</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
A while ago <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Pierre</st1:city></st1:place> discovered a small pocket of crystals in a cavity in the rocks, and I had the privilege to help empty (most!) of it. The opening was very small, which made it rather uncomfortable. After removing a few small pieces, it looked like the end of the road, but I continued searching nonetheless. It was too dark to see inside the pocket, so I used a head lamp. Eventually I saw the shining facet of another specimen. Getting this specimen out, required lots of patience, especially since it was quite cold that day! After a while the front section with big crystal (the only part I could see, and which was hanging upside down) was already quite loose, but something at the back of the cavity wouldn't let go. With my left hand I tried to protect the main crystal’s termination from damage, while I worked with my right hand. After struggling for more than an hour (using a thin, but solid little stick to brush away soil right at the back of the long, narrow cavity), I finally managed to free it, only to find the flat section of matrix that I hadn't even been aware of!<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SNFSW8R9G4eqjuxlKK-aR1_Vs3dq96rmxn1dQBLlFrB2TpyAgUXZ-pemhVsy3hzWyQMGJ-65QMgU_qkV68KUQBxTwh4ZEHrJkxRoeL5RCabP-qtRPan8nK_ghVKfDEtfagQZ4FSz3Fc/s1600/SWCC+003+se+kry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SNFSW8R9G4eqjuxlKK-aR1_Vs3dq96rmxn1dQBLlFrB2TpyAgUXZ-pemhVsy3hzWyQMGJ-65QMgU_qkV68KUQBxTwh4ZEHrJkxRoeL5RCabP-qtRPan8nK_ghVKfDEtfagQZ4FSz3Fc/s400/SWCC+003+se+kry.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This pocket yielded ...</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQ9Yyvww5QZlBXPKvooRp3m71NsaqtRI9F4FiH40_1dIdivMKXmB3TuAxxdyT6T9sQjIf7Yb45-_xEErq0z4a3YpqQFyn3FaEGm5taP3MBlZZFabH9TiLigCcQkL5hwtWncQrGm4iaIs/s1600/SWCC+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQ9Yyvww5QZlBXPKvooRp3m71NsaqtRI9F4FiH40_1dIdivMKXmB3TuAxxdyT6T9sQjIf7Yb45-_xEErq0z4a3YpqQFyn3FaEGm5taP3MBlZZFabH9TiLigCcQkL5hwtWncQrGm4iaIs/s400/SWCC+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... this lovely specimen! (<u>SWCC 003</u>)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
We recently found a small pocket which yielded a few very small pieces of FADEN QUARTZ, and as far as we know, it is the first time any fadens have been found in our area – well, we haven’t heard or read of any other! We have no idea as to how many more there are, because we took out the few that we could see. We do hope that we’ll find more pockets of those in the future!<br />
<br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Xy4wyiBRznG4vZyFpUsJQtGgIF_HOeQKjbz2u1eWnPGpd-pZ1dr82LMCb5x6qkgpp6yrwNptudbts2yDuSFeV-Td-tpW1eVIxuR9g9_XZ_eMvSZcq6lzdWwdy24KFiLJzPO-_14Nje8/s1600/faden+pocket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Xy4wyiBRznG4vZyFpUsJQtGgIF_HOeQKjbz2u1eWnPGpd-pZ1dr82LMCb5x6qkgpp6yrwNptudbts2yDuSFeV-Td-tpW1eVIxuR9g9_XZ_eMvSZcq6lzdWwdy24KFiLJzPO-_14Nje8/s400/faden+pocket.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have the privilege of emptying the pocket of fadens.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span lang="EN-ZA"></span><br />
<div>However, in the pocket that yielded the small faden crystals, we also found (right at the back of the pocket, slightly to the side - when we thought there was nothing more left!) an absolutely beautiful group, with a very prominent faden line. It was totally engulfed in moist, dark brown soil. Its base was stuck on a rock, but <st1:place style="font-family: Verdana;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Pierre</st1:city></st1:place> eventually managed to (carefully and prayerfully) chisel it free. It’s so much different to the other small crystals, that we think it may very well be a once-off specimen! The group rests on a matrix made up of many tiny quartz crystals, and it is a miracle that it did not break when we took it out! Below are photographs of it as and where we found it, followed by a photograph of the cleaned specimen.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNiJf9s_rlCAGHUdKfLCiG8vC3-f5roQZBfcQUcHTNPJqGXI4DfjjXXhcbLD3Kv_7mlAHGyF8s6mEUUpWTQZuHP97Pup8XigVHB9PooNNbd0fgVa5L8giwghoBz6q5GoPTCDGxhzK-NQ/s1600/SWCC+005++se+kry+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNiJf9s_rlCAGHUdKfLCiG8vC3-f5roQZBfcQUcHTNPJqGXI4DfjjXXhcbLD3Kv_7mlAHGyF8s6mEUUpWTQZuHP97Pup8XigVHB9PooNNbd0fgVa5L8giwghoBz6q5GoPTCDGxhzK-NQ/s400/SWCC+005++se+kry+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The pocket in which we found the faden quartz crystals</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="font-family: Verdana;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijioWAnD-tKLWGy3oaZS-RIFI14qMJu-nvPB4fWD03XZaeSvGVPwTciYXuz8XGpeX41x5RpWOKLGmBEdKGecKvO-aLk6hC6RX5x6OOyk2WKkH0L3psQi5FfFOKeKZ5jjcPqLdHlMVuHs/s1600/SWCC+005++se+kry+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijioWAnD-tKLWGy3oaZS-RIFI14qMJu-nvPB4fWD03XZaeSvGVPwTciYXuz8XGpeX41x5RpWOKLGmBEdKGecKvO-aLk6hC6RX5x6OOyk2WKkH0L3psQi5FfFOKeKZ5jjcPqLdHlMVuHs/s400/SWCC+005++se+kry+%25283%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Specimen SWCC 005, where it's stuck on a solid rock ...</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zPMHUW7bl_TRpYfWCA21wQJWID101LnIXmDuSpocsPHGt6hQYiOjFqhaSaenTF88WpgXYABa25IHNUm9wLwpGK_z4uYtWwGWkQSrrrp-E3-j5TNDVFoGA6K3hZjfWQUbWHFxUja3_74/s1600/SWCC+005++se+kry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zPMHUW7bl_TRpYfWCA21wQJWID101LnIXmDuSpocsPHGt6hQYiOjFqhaSaenTF88WpgXYABa25IHNUm9wLwpGK_z4uYtWwGWkQSrrrp-E3-j5TNDVFoGA6K3hZjfWQUbWHFxUja3_74/s400/SWCC+005++se+kry.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">...at last it's free!</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65N-fMHkxKYE7nUB2ahRQZDpu9bWwyH9bHzFRxer5dyzVjAx0xhgeFi2oY85NAVqJyfw1VwJSrAYGEwDOgymsU8ySCJvGKbF-sPwOYZavNKVlYUB6zBOFCvGbmL6CB3jnFv8gj2ArTeI/s1600/SWCC+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65N-fMHkxKYE7nUB2ahRQZDpu9bWwyH9bHzFRxer5dyzVjAx0xhgeFi2oY85NAVqJyfw1VwJSrAYGEwDOgymsU8ySCJvGKbF-sPwOYZavNKVlYUB6zBOFCvGbmL6CB3jnFv8gj2ArTeI/s400/SWCC+005.JPG" width="359" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><u>SWCC 005</u>, after it has been cleaned!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
In another place (like a miniature cave) we also found two lovely clusters (<u>SWCC 001</u> and <u>SWCC 004</u> on our Western Cape Page). SWCC 001 has one small (but prominently placed) crystal with a very distinct faden line. Here are photographs of the small cavity in which we found it (and its surroundings), and just as we got it out, followed by the photograph of after we had cleaned it. This is followed by SWCC 004.<br />
<br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibONqeDQ1_O2lO1vmoFsaUM9rE0b6K_rM38k8CVxpfRI5ODg8TmA6MFdmOdxS00WLXHCXlTCPfoh63Q9OFam8OYw8-BO5YQPUDl6PwvhyphenhyphenAt7FC4V6CKP3Ww41V3fCgN3tnWVS16uhasgw/s1600/Rocks+and+shrubs+in+the+mountains+480+px.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibONqeDQ1_O2lO1vmoFsaUM9rE0b6K_rM38k8CVxpfRI5ODg8TmA6MFdmOdxS00WLXHCXlTCPfoh63Q9OFam8OYw8-BO5YQPUDl6PwvhyphenhyphenAt7FC4V6CKP3Ww41V3fCgN3tnWVS16uhasgw/s400/Rocks+and+shrubs+in+the+mountains+480+px.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rocks and shrubs in the mountains, just above the pocket (below)...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEjR80t0PQMh7X8wmUPgKCWOKzhiEjWZsWMnc1EU0XJtvpd0svJ3FYTzEaZ5bm6Y4sCnSI0GUhYYRBhidFASNlB66p72eswUvA2GLxXCDy9DCj0DQPxTF1fClx1IbJ7cbBw-QGfCFzrs/s1600/SWCC+001+SE+KRY+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEjR80t0PQMh7X8wmUPgKCWOKzhiEjWZsWMnc1EU0XJtvpd0svJ3FYTzEaZ5bm6Y4sCnSI0GUhYYRBhidFASNlB66p72eswUvA2GLxXCDy9DCj0DQPxTF1fClx1IbJ7cbBw-QGfCFzrs/s400/SWCC+001+SE+KRY+%25284%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... which yielded ...</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4JL7dKTiBE4hEwoHwqRG0xxeBGOYJyoLJGkaJQyQuHVANGEp_P8Xtz9n98-2XrMfC9HUsFNh0Fj6QIC8vwEe_F-K0FAN1mkwYGPenqeplR0Nh2Ta4yroqFMGPw5Kl0VfN4qObvY8txk/s1600/SWCC+001+SE+KRY+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4JL7dKTiBE4hEwoHwqRG0xxeBGOYJyoLJGkaJQyQuHVANGEp_P8Xtz9n98-2XrMfC9HUsFNh0Fj6QIC8vwEe_F-K0FAN1mkwYGPenqeplR0Nh2Ta4yroqFMGPw5Kl0VfN4qObvY8txk/s400/SWCC+001+SE+KRY+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... this lovely cluster (above and below), <u>SWCC 001</u></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELf0OfTergUNmfpVOaF0eq0nULRxkFMWA-lOz_pgdqMgz7oMDbCCMPk1VB_uGI1A0ttLjTR6a85utAce4HyFmSoVd3E0lEBQThsrgV3GIFAI0UAbgjRkah2Jiu-6-uPz4JutjoSCqiJQ/s1600/SWCC+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELf0OfTergUNmfpVOaF0eq0nULRxkFMWA-lOz_pgdqMgz7oMDbCCMPk1VB_uGI1A0ttLjTR6a85utAce4HyFmSoVd3E0lEBQThsrgV3GIFAI0UAbgjRkah2Jiu-6-uPz4JutjoSCqiJQ/s400/SWCC+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBo9Fgsff-gikIGFHzgb1BtNmbLBulpVby9uijZBIDFpPRtFxqO3W2maJCbqCk5kqnAocqHoGgwA5iE9jQ5w0z_6dxbT2jweVcdWpyWkOZvV_XFzC9hVQvKjkHjzsQ4ravhaOQp32YdNA/s1600/SWCC+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBo9Fgsff-gikIGFHzgb1BtNmbLBulpVby9uijZBIDFpPRtFxqO3W2maJCbqCk5kqnAocqHoGgwA5iE9jQ5w0z_6dxbT2jweVcdWpyWkOZvV_XFzC9hVQvKjkHjzsQ4ravhaOQp32YdNA/s400/SWCC+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... and <u>SWCC 004</u></span><br />
<u><br />
</u></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>About three weeks ago we went crystal hunting again, and found a small pocket where it was very wet. The water kept oozing from the pocket and its surroundings, and I soon realized that it was very difficult to feel for crystals in the soggy patch with gloves on, so I took them off. A few times I felt the sharp edges cut me, but it didn't bother me much. I was enjoying finding the crystals, and that was exciting. By the time we had to leave, I was rather muddy, and only realized how many cuts and grazes my hands had, after we got home and I had cleaned up. They were quite sore for several days! But it was worth it – I got, among others, a lovely cluster, <u>SWCC 010</u>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_eE-sjhrN1ESTOZNBMkqTSrZ0GAw_9WBvbk3GOxERXTIQrbpMX_GIssnyklSJkugu3Cuf_fAMseUwtpoYaytKs3cHEqjFME4hgwdgXh-_Z-3OTBQNCkcf2xNC-UBKRQSKdmC_Q6orTc/s1600/Nice+and+muddy+....JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_eE-sjhrN1ESTOZNBMkqTSrZ0GAw_9WBvbk3GOxERXTIQrbpMX_GIssnyklSJkugu3Cuf_fAMseUwtpoYaytKs3cHEqjFME4hgwdgXh-_Z-3OTBQNCkcf2xNC-UBKRQSKdmC_Q6orTc/s400/Nice+and+muddy+....JPG" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nice and muddy, like in childhood days</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcGo_E9wrZO1uibsXZcUOPTgJwWYyAwrxmxgdkbokkLvMZjsIrwzqEr_CBlZbuvrtBsDKdXdYO6CnQJ9laJbPnch7Hg5i7QRTcpQnK2XvXHKvCtwJqBJDzo9JqQ-ORUNoLoj7fVrXWs4/s1600/The+perils+of+mining+crystals+without+gloves+....JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcGo_E9wrZO1uibsXZcUOPTgJwWYyAwrxmxgdkbokkLvMZjsIrwzqEr_CBlZbuvrtBsDKdXdYO6CnQJ9laJbPnch7Hg5i7QRTcpQnK2XvXHKvCtwJqBJDzo9JqQ-ORUNoLoj7fVrXWs4/s400/The+perils+of+mining+crystals+without+gloves+....JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The perils of mining crystals without gloves ...</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQvAkQOdz0MqpaO6VvNxoruzG4Kv3NqFljSuO4MX2AkFI0Adv0bzqpNdR-n04fxB0e8fBhOTZk3LRhGKyq7QQ3K_U6J8EytrSWAXgCycJpmPJb4qrUrypdafvpAHLByP8bfkC5IvpR1o/s1600/SWCC+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQvAkQOdz0MqpaO6VvNxoruzG4Kv3NqFljSuO4MX2AkFI0Adv0bzqpNdR-n04fxB0e8fBhOTZk3LRhGKyq7QQ3K_U6J8EytrSWAXgCycJpmPJb4qrUrypdafvpAHLByP8bfkC5IvpR1o/s400/SWCC+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... but worth my while, finding the above specimen, <u>SWCC 010</u>, </span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tTbx_kBdXZv0F0jKoSFh88PK6Bo2eKjmWiP1fnrrPNfkMLaSxskP66rs5FwyaDWJFwQdNaEUWbJC0M0wSu5FXo6IEux4ZeeUguCQrKApaURjp5WZ3E3dduZporeGfh4CLKWu9p0N8So/s1600/The+very+wet+pocket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tTbx_kBdXZv0F0jKoSFh88PK6Bo2eKjmWiP1fnrrPNfkMLaSxskP66rs5FwyaDWJFwQdNaEUWbJC0M0wSu5FXo6IEux4ZeeUguCQrKApaURjp5WZ3E3dduZporeGfh4CLKWu9p0N8So/s400/The+very+wet+pocket.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... in this very wet pocket</span><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We enjoy the mountain scenery and all the beautiful plants, especially now that the winter is over.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccjRcIV6qzygQmxJDdfEXxQmH6TeMhPOP8fmdQ6smKj1Xhp5Xr-SuVvC4ECAwEzQW7EEePemq8ydsFxEkT7aHJDyQ_X-CDs-Y9bAltRgA8fEwirD5zw8X2D0rFex2MN4RoAZbF7zOuxo/s1600/Beautiful%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccjRcIV6qzygQmxJDdfEXxQmH6TeMhPOP8fmdQ6smKj1Xhp5Xr-SuVvC4ECAwEzQW7EEePemq8ydsFxEkT7aHJDyQ_X-CDs-Y9bAltRgA8fEwirD5zw8X2D0rFex2MN4RoAZbF7zOuxo/s400/Beautiful%2521.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xpb3TiVzBKMWbMpHTYH3d0hB8KkguWR4V_Uo5u-ot6ztR687tRtZO7kqK8GqyxFLR3bAof4dQJzQ_4sqnRJkmR3HuzSgHARxvdq7LXZTIvPfiImJEV6ehie_hU4N1KR75B2TrJnBzp0/s1600/Pretty+flowers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xpb3TiVzBKMWbMpHTYH3d0hB8KkguWR4V_Uo5u-ot6ztR687tRtZO7kqK8GqyxFLR3bAof4dQJzQ_4sqnRJkmR3HuzSgHARxvdq7LXZTIvPfiImJEV6ehie_hU4N1KR75B2TrJnBzp0/s400/Pretty+flowers.JPG" width="395" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQSAKbdxp1QO8TCH1KJSNm_KzKjQs4uLnUyz3iM6lcM_shP3r0D2mEr76WNmEH-VDxWJzPcmWuGgA6EHp6E3w2gNLgvqNylPlTZ5LaTgxWwbYOmLw0iU1aoWjxY6oqe1rYIDpIf756LU/s1600/Pretty+purple+flower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQSAKbdxp1QO8TCH1KJSNm_KzKjQs4uLnUyz3iM6lcM_shP3r0D2mEr76WNmEH-VDxWJzPcmWuGgA6EHp6E3w2gNLgvqNylPlTZ5LaTgxWwbYOmLw0iU1aoWjxY6oqe1rYIDpIf756LU/s400/Pretty+purple+flower.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguettUdpkByogkNNxGX469CMTKXIw2f4OH5ddBLgmDiGRmbcGDopODa5DQmwq_QFR1udCTSUP-Wo-Eof7vuAOSKFXf2-bslSjqsgwELqR7zcNu8b1EINIztrmaSgSE3N6zLYZ8YuYBUwQ/s1600/Bergblom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguettUdpkByogkNNxGX469CMTKXIw2f4OH5ddBLgmDiGRmbcGDopODa5DQmwq_QFR1udCTSUP-Wo-Eof7vuAOSKFXf2-bslSjqsgwELqR7zcNu8b1EINIztrmaSgSE3N6zLYZ8YuYBUwQ/s400/Bergblom.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJc6RzMyac81OaCrSijPUSoCd1Z4her05XhwQO-IHtUe3XLCXIrKAFlqFBEWT19uq9qfhD6OrhcahhSjHSC8A3WWqPyLFyq3-WC8-TMA3IEcnYSpwieb3Io8rPKu5J_UliR7Q-KSiXa68/s1600/Perfect+surroundings+for+a+mountain+flower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJc6RzMyac81OaCrSijPUSoCd1Z4her05XhwQO-IHtUe3XLCXIrKAFlqFBEWT19uq9qfhD6OrhcahhSjHSC8A3WWqPyLFyq3-WC8-TMA3IEcnYSpwieb3Io8rPKu5J_UliR7Q-KSiXa68/s400/Perfect+surroundings+for+a+mountain+flower.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some plants thrive in moisture ...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DzGjuLoEfZn6ffX1jTYBcr0gbW3bs4M0hzZnYTqTY1-D1FVBxMf9qb8cBZbSmfsyfbpM9HmHXp0slU-hlrI4IsTo7OWePjQ_sXvKQpmZ9ECV729ceUSRX6rVrcsEjHZRivwfZ9n-FsM/s1600/Mountain+succulents.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DzGjuLoEfZn6ffX1jTYBcr0gbW3bs4M0hzZnYTqTY1-D1FVBxMf9qb8cBZbSmfsyfbpM9HmHXp0slU-hlrI4IsTo7OWePjQ_sXvKQpmZ9ECV729ceUSRX6rVrcsEjHZRivwfZ9n-FsM/s400/Mountain+succulents.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... whilst others need very little water</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI88pxLNB6WlelARgHjfDpSQ8JJJaaLAMHySbIka0nUAfVKmORZHwDr8GGrNsH2BketQpaf4HAkoR8crK4T3pgru4K7XlwkkfSCc7XA6lzGm-HQk9CBoHOKFUAagxHOj6O6QdFKBzQpQ8/s1600/Interesting+sandstone+formations.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI88pxLNB6WlelARgHjfDpSQ8JJJaaLAMHySbIka0nUAfVKmORZHwDr8GGrNsH2BketQpaf4HAkoR8crK4T3pgru4K7XlwkkfSCc7XA6lzGm-HQk9CBoHOKFUAagxHOj6O6QdFKBzQpQ8/s400/Interesting+sandstone+formations.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Interesting sandstone formations</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6FEee3hezrQSD8z0EgwBTzrHhLLrZRCvAqfC-9Nz70SdCueP4EOTiVQM0Oe2CbctpVDQFe2TTYOTIi15dbMLc0LBgTLZU_3Iajr3mExK5yVKkSIEmxGL5TQz40IhOAVjhuuRPD9Yh1U/s1600/Rock+overhang+along+the+way.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6FEee3hezrQSD8z0EgwBTzrHhLLrZRCvAqfC-9Nz70SdCueP4EOTiVQM0Oe2CbctpVDQFe2TTYOTIi15dbMLc0LBgTLZU_3Iajr3mExK5yVKkSIEmxGL5TQz40IhOAVjhuuRPD9Yh1U/s400/Rock+overhang+along+the+way.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rock overhang silhouetted against the blue sky</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Thank you for taking the time to read this contribution. I hope that you can visualize the joy and peace we experience when walking the mountains in search for crystals, and enjoying God’s creation all around us.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Riana</span></span>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-82515482548784029192011-05-02T10:34:00.000-07:002011-05-02T11:10:40.219-07:00OUR SANDSTORM EXPERIENCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I should have written this long ago, soon after it happened, but it’s no wonder that the saying goes, “Procrastination is the thief of time …”</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span">Now it's already 4 months later, but I guess, still worth sharing.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-ZA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On 31 December 2010 we started feeling panicky / agitated, because we could see preparations for a massive New Year’s Eve celebration, right across the street from our home. We hate loud music, and especially the madness that usually accompanies it, with people shouting, yelling, and cars racing down the street. The anticipation gave us a claustrophobic feeling, so we grabbed a few essentials and by about 5.30 pm we were on our way to the Roggeveld, a vastly open, semi-desert space, that starts about 50 km from our home, but we traveled a total of 107 km before we eventually stopped, because we decided to make it more pleasurable by looking for gypsum and calcite too. Along the way we stopped for a few minutes to look for quartz crystals, because there were many promising areas, but we found only a few tiny ones.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We arrived at the abandoned roadworks quarry at about 7 pm, with a very strong westerly wind blowing. We decided to first look for gypsum while it was still light, before pitching our tent. There were only a few dark clouds in the sky. After a while we suddenly realized that the wind had ceased. There was awesome silence (the Roggeveld must be one of the most quiet places on Earth, being so remote), and for a few minutes we enjoyed it, and proceeded looking for gypsum. Then the wind picked up again, but this time it came from a north-easterly direction. Suddenly <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pierre</st1:place></st1:city> shouted to me to run for the car, and then I saw a huge dust- / sandstorm, like a brown wall, coming towards us. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pierre</st1:place></st1:city> was about 20 metres ahead of me when the wall of sand / dust hit us, and for a few moments we were so engulfed in the sand and dust, that I couldn’t even see him. The wind was terribly strong, and I thought I was going to be swept off my feet! We jumped into the car (opening the door on the side away from the onslaught) and were releaved when we could shut the door. There was sand and dust all around us, and the wind was terribly strong, and the way our car shook, had us fear that it might be overturned. So <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pierre</st1:place></st1:city> then parked the car about 90 degrees to the left, so we’d be parked facing the same direction as the wind, which helped.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sandstorm was followed by a thunderstorm and heavy rain, and within about 50 minutes from the onset of the sandstorm, the ground was covered with puddles of water, and lots of clay and mud. (The next day we struggled to get the car dislodged from it!) There was definitely no chance of us pitching our tent, and we were glad that we hadn’t done so earlier, because it would probably have been blown away or, at least, soaked. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Within a few minutes we could hear numerous little waterfalls, where the gush of water had washed away topsoil from the sides of the quarry, and then ran down into it. These little waterfalls lasted only about two hours or so, then the sound subsided. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We spent the night quite uncomfortably, because our camping gear was stashed in the back of our hatchback car, but we could put our seats back. <span lang="EN-ZA">Unfortunately many mosquitoes invited themselves, and their buzzing and tickling kept us awake most of the night. It seemed like our insect repellant was not tough enough for these Roggeveld mossies!</span><span lang="EN-ZA"> </span><span lang="EN-ZA">Yet we enjoyed the absence of manmade town and city noise, as well as the lovely, fresh, unpolluted air and I spent literally hours gazing at the beautiful starlit sky, and my binoculars came in very handy in this respect. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eventually we did fall asleep, and the next morning we awoke to a beautiful sunrise. Initially there were clouds in the sky, but very soon they disappeared and the hot sun took its place. After a quick breakfast, we went about our business scratching around for calcite and gypsum specimens. Where we had heard the little waterfalls after the storm, we then saw that many seams, containing gypsum, had been exposed. It was lovely to see these specimens, but unfortunately (especially because the ground was still moist from the rain) it was extremely soft, and we only managed to get a few pieces intact. We also found cavities, lined with beautiful dogtooth calcite crystals and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Pierre f</st1:city></st1:place>ound a few crystals, which we couldn’t identify positively. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It gets very hot in summer, and we were armed with suntan lotion and hats. But we did not expect the mosquitoes to bite us in the middle of a hot day! They caught us quite off-guard!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was quite a big pool at the bottom of the quarry, after all the water that had gushed into it the previous night. At a stage we rinsed our hands in this water, but it felt very strange. When they dried, our hands were covered with a coating of gypsum powder! We quickly rinsed them off with fresh water, which we had brought along, to prevent them from drying out too much!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later that afternoon, on our way back, we again enjoyed rain in the Roggeveld, with puddles of water and bubbling rivulets alongside the road, and water streaming across the road in many places. It was an exhilirating feeling, especially knowing that we were in a semi-desert area!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the time we got back to Ceres, the New Year’s madness had worn off, and we enjoyed being home, and sleeping properly that night. But all-in-all, we had a lovely transition from 2010 to 2011. We just love quietness and Nature! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We hope that you will enjoy the following photographs with us.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Riana<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA940twde2pkq3lXSOSJo3-o1QFVqOnK1QvL6wVDzLgXoEV_4htjkWQ2KlKNK69jEfHtG3s8SqZ8w89cOgF0ARusRXWlkLv1XFHRZvHc93B-6iJ4tz9CnbG2-ZQBbO0AMvf5WbKDY9WuA/s1600/100_4159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA940twde2pkq3lXSOSJo3-o1QFVqOnK1QvL6wVDzLgXoEV_4htjkWQ2KlKNK69jEfHtG3s8SqZ8w89cOgF0ARusRXWlkLv1XFHRZvHc93B-6iJ4tz9CnbG2-ZQBbO0AMvf5WbKDY9WuA/s320/100_4159.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Roggeveld - a vastly open and remote place.<br />
We found a few tiny quartz crystals near the road.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7EwtmQ-3EN0nfQrvpD238LpHzJGBEUUypZMZgQP7AWggNKYMEpouW8qza-YQB8IiCzEFs1tX4xikFD7A4D0T5x_ECs1psT0ggkBd0rIFclHDIKnUuUfWLXnruIM_12NNCz7ETHX1Vss/s1600/100_4163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7EwtmQ-3EN0nfQrvpD238LpHzJGBEUUypZMZgQP7AWggNKYMEpouW8qza-YQB8IiCzEFs1tX4xikFD7A4D0T5x_ECs1psT0ggkBd0rIFclHDIKnUuUfWLXnruIM_12NNCz7ETHX1Vss/s320/100_4163.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pierre found a few crystals in this rock</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlr63HZhUw_9FG2REoHpFDqa8bCoG1f7bBd6q_2yllVGLo7djsAtC6uPS-RUEJQBoxGHqYkplecg75D7lAnFRgK-Wuu_-sySk8wV2qP6X0WmxzJcfZGgYKMB1hf-AF5ceJLJyqLEMZAw0/s1600/100_4171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlr63HZhUw_9FG2REoHpFDqa8bCoG1f7bBd6q_2yllVGLo7djsAtC6uPS-RUEJQBoxGHqYkplecg75D7lAnFRgK-Wuu_-sySk8wV2qP6X0WmxzJcfZGgYKMB1hf-AF5ceJLJyqLEMZAw0/s320/100_4171.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunset in the Roggeveld, 31/12/10</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7FuKLvdfW6s6O7g09zfvInx48lt4OGFdiIWiyE-GaVz6TOEWvaNIHGktrJj-Ax2rBFamqFJoXKOy8h0xYWJ2WXOY-Eo9iMcaVreyD2NZrwB2dDZz79LgsauLCszP35bj4wnJGy_SDaM/s1600/100_4173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7FuKLvdfW6s6O7g09zfvInx48lt4OGFdiIWiyE-GaVz6TOEWvaNIHGktrJj-Ax2rBFamqFJoXKOy8h0xYWJ2WXOY-Eo9iMcaVreyD2NZrwB2dDZz79LgsauLCszP35bj4wnJGy_SDaM/s320/100_4173.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Riana (black speck on the left against <br />
the quarry wall) looking for crystals</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7jzXT0Q3DLikScuYvplrspCnTZj5Ov-LPoUhF2aRvtf8RENGU73vCQfsZt9K9kzZ6Qb01GOCjF9pIqovvwIg7z5N2H2Oz_MmizejCLmEzw2tHzXwx5pmj5hmHOS0L7u8IBRKo_Yh0W8/s1600/100_4176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7jzXT0Q3DLikScuYvplrspCnTZj5Ov-LPoUhF2aRvtf8RENGU73vCQfsZt9K9kzZ6Qb01GOCjF9pIqovvwIg7z5N2H2Oz_MmizejCLmEzw2tHzXwx5pmj5hmHOS0L7u8IBRKo_Yh0W8/s320/100_4176.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wall of sand</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQVKL3xmcTZYigZzu26sU3DKdDqNABFHRvLP1kU4EeKVDx0tKWnCfpMpHWpOiK_kcJrXTEvv6-48CsRiT3WUeJ_V1bDcUmx9NvnQPR_DDSNhcEV_BjdjARoztFaL4ZRKQQSU6t9-fBjY/s1600/100_4182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQVKL3xmcTZYigZzu26sU3DKdDqNABFHRvLP1kU4EeKVDx0tKWnCfpMpHWpOiK_kcJrXTEvv6-48CsRiT3WUeJ_V1bDcUmx9NvnQPR_DDSNhcEV_BjdjARoztFaL4ZRKQQSU6t9-fBjY/s320/100_4182.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sandstorm has just passed ...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnoOvh4wd2cqx2aCr5Xmvje8hvp_gc02fKKNxaBr1eHcFf2P_ALzZwXQkdyIkiWweVvJ6HFk2qlYuKiW90NzB3M2sZWVW_CiPPuWFWd-i1n0Ti2UlF0lwaQ4ejwhr_15-xVWDcYSYhIQ/s1600/100_4185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnoOvh4wd2cqx2aCr5Xmvje8hvp_gc02fKKNxaBr1eHcFf2P_ALzZwXQkdyIkiWweVvJ6HFk2qlYuKiW90NzB3M2sZWVW_CiPPuWFWd-i1n0Ti2UlF0lwaQ4ejwhr_15-xVWDcYSYhIQ/s320/100_4185.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rain on our windscreen ...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKylmHgrv87etkAYjRmA20NymhlG0ps8ZTQR4Qz7Uo5Xj94j1Ue3aQ4_qhv_cyaEAC5MdzNLB_3mDY4We-98RGSk9JNwqWeP9CtTu-I8vczjrM66EcV9fnGB3TGHMfdOQRXJtFTBYFYw/s1600/100_4187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKylmHgrv87etkAYjRmA20NymhlG0ps8ZTQR4Qz7Uo5Xj94j1Ue3aQ4_qhv_cyaEAC5MdzNLB_3mDY4We-98RGSk9JNwqWeP9CtTu-I8vczjrM66EcV9fnGB3TGHMfdOQRXJtFTBYFYw/s320/100_4187.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Puddles of water and mud / clay everywhere!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGpRuvlpIe0ajtZ0TjrHQYiY6FSd7gvmaKrBW7yXUFA7KJwE9276Qlo_8KSq16awmGGkQsdNpVyfzhfFNr6M1tf_xX9J-SKzfadvjzWmi0uP5Q-6rZ1FgGXShxJdbXRzU6RtEHVo4Gbs/s1600/100_4191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGpRuvlpIe0ajtZ0TjrHQYiY6FSd7gvmaKrBW7yXUFA7KJwE9276Qlo_8KSq16awmGGkQsdNpVyfzhfFNr6M1tf_xX9J-SKzfadvjzWmi0uP5Q-6rZ1FgGXShxJdbXRzU6RtEHVo4Gbs/s320/100_4191.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunrise over the quarry, 1/1/11.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwSbGVGlIZuLbydjT2SGDuGTTDE1Yl1wVGD4P12J5u3J0ywqd8wHIRCFTJ54RINOcSWIepwUOuMB-TBZCGEpeYAwyORX8L3g9HAFwIzMsLzjZds7-5CMO_uq8dXWlWi9srKX8JLzUGNY/s1600/100_4201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwSbGVGlIZuLbydjT2SGDuGTTDE1Yl1wVGD4P12J5u3J0ywqd8wHIRCFTJ54RINOcSWIepwUOuMB-TBZCGEpeYAwyORX8L3g9HAFwIzMsLzjZds7-5CMO_uq8dXWlWi9srKX8JLzUGNY/s320/100_4201.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cavities lined with dogtooth calcite crystals</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHSeUlz2_WPD_vmO4GN7OboOH6QpX70v6XkvJneHJ_e8C3ba51eKGfgRlVbU74YwGn8-k3033pkPdrtUjU1pIEo2dR9XPRE-emScN01tG5diTn5QoqAHLi1DufgvYwauAe96VctiIwIg/s1600/100_4202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHSeUlz2_WPD_vmO4GN7OboOH6QpX70v6XkvJneHJ_e8C3ba51eKGfgRlVbU74YwGn8-k3033pkPdrtUjU1pIEo2dR9XPRE-emScN01tG5diTn5QoqAHLi1DufgvYwauAe96VctiIwIg/s320/100_4202.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Crystals from a mineral we cannot identify</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8E7p6ONVZ0YVMzXc-xOg1E4MUzqhTgjNdxHQhS-ae67u9dWvk2hyphenhyphen4kyp_T6v-ndOlLpXy4J20FHPWB3Bs_Z-kxSLJ0DAIU6yVXBdzJj_2PPszQ6DDLVy00DaxTsU7Lfg8ooC4gaDnbQ/s1600/100_4209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8E7p6ONVZ0YVMzXc-xOg1E4MUzqhTgjNdxHQhS-ae67u9dWvk2hyphenhyphen4kyp_T6v-ndOlLpXy4J20FHPWB3Bs_Z-kxSLJ0DAIU6yVXBdzJj_2PPszQ6DDLVy00DaxTsU7Lfg8ooC4gaDnbQ/s320/100_4209.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lovely gypsum crystals in layers of shale</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwI0WdqTbdmWQ1OynE9nEohf2zvrSgTRUbEOiIyLnpP_JFiP4lib1maTm7P7Xq0sKlz6RUSkcCZTSW4t4OGmThYC3OIegMyVD-g-c01FHb60pFj_i6hmtSVQ1oqWjtBa7bxmSwWQPmbkA/s1600/100_4212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwI0WdqTbdmWQ1OynE9nEohf2zvrSgTRUbEOiIyLnpP_JFiP4lib1maTm7P7Xq0sKlz6RUSkcCZTSW4t4OGmThYC3OIegMyVD-g-c01FHb60pFj_i6hmtSVQ1oqWjtBa7bxmSwWQPmbkA/s320/100_4212.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More gypsum crystals</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUx629ASBvzcuky9MQBdtksSeKIQxqeSxHQMbKX1PGXwzt6M9OnkTjSOFtwxQPjpfa7rvLiBHX1ewz-xotdJc36Vxea7SCERMiUG8eTk-Xo9GM2XgGg9-7lVMnfehXBiHePXpFdy7Ub4/s1600/100_4213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUx629ASBvzcuky9MQBdtksSeKIQxqeSxHQMbKX1PGXwzt6M9OnkTjSOFtwxQPjpfa7rvLiBHX1ewz-xotdJc36Vxea7SCERMiUG8eTk-Xo9GM2XgGg9-7lVMnfehXBiHePXpFdy7Ub4/s320/100_4213.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Pool of water in the quarry after the storm (left)<br />
& Pierre removes a crystal from a rock (front)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYu178IsBzANldDDyNFTHFwV91CgkViNKscED08jh4WAhFOY9AuKejwytyUX9Gt11TRJkAsLyBdsaGTRQey_TztRLZ9wefNWVs1H-spuyriewJcA7Tq_cHlKZwWxlrhfa1OOpK1oT7Fz0/s1600/100_4215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYu178IsBzANldDDyNFTHFwV91CgkViNKscED08jh4WAhFOY9AuKejwytyUX9Gt11TRJkAsLyBdsaGTRQey_TztRLZ9wefNWVs1H-spuyriewJcA7Tq_cHlKZwWxlrhfa1OOpK1oT7Fz0/s320/100_4215.jpg" width="298" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A crystal we cannot identify</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NaR6_4m75gT0azkgR8IlBLm1XyRyZrvD4luEeMsKwxrznZ_0lLi2VJylDfbKYYMOOZycnRUR1K4Cdsxymly9RgfmH6zqtc2EzIuYNWRCY3WbH4dISu9rFuoiXP99qnXMHzznDCXC-Rg/s1600/100_4223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NaR6_4m75gT0azkgR8IlBLm1XyRyZrvD4luEeMsKwxrznZ_0lLi2VJylDfbKYYMOOZycnRUR1K4Cdsxymly9RgfmH6zqtc2EzIuYNWRCY3WbH4dISu9rFuoiXP99qnXMHzznDCXC-Rg/s320/100_4223.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exposed seams on the quarry walls <br />
where we found gypsum crystals</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92HmE8mcTOCkTmoCmTlYm3Im9LNZQQaMnjjqX6GlpBU94nUNSi_YNIrIxHwFBmcDsrtNbeRRH_hcbWs4xMuZXwCzwmoyS-WgUw8QxXlpoYGp7rQA5eGJg1HhyuNPfa_isA_g6Imn5FGs/s1600/100_4243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92HmE8mcTOCkTmoCmTlYm3Im9LNZQQaMnjjqX6GlpBU94nUNSi_YNIrIxHwFBmcDsrtNbeRRH_hcbWs4xMuZXwCzwmoyS-WgUw8QxXlpoYGp7rQA5eGJg1HhyuNPfa_isA_g6Imn5FGs/s320/100_4243.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water streaming across the road</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMY9k6Z4rSxyJysqri0mhPg0XFzBaUDq9RncbcuwdFkeceaqktDKWCPVOzAcKSrQ0YVOlM5EriUr-4CN3l4kjgqUrbmieBIMO1uUUlGVlZ7ORx9KjKbgmAuW0_ZpGGhXZPbKF_D0PTa9M/s1600/100_4234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMY9k6Z4rSxyJysqri0mhPg0XFzBaUDq9RncbcuwdFkeceaqktDKWCPVOzAcKSrQ0YVOlM5EriUr-4CN3l4kjgqUrbmieBIMO1uUUlGVlZ7ORx9KjKbgmAuW0_ZpGGhXZPbKF_D0PTa9M/s320/100_4234.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everything is nice and wet!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-38041012414182452712010-11-08T03:32:00.000-08:002010-12-26T15:13:07.713-08:00Springtime in the Mountains around Ceres<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Although Springtime is just about over, and we’re more into summer now, I would still love to share the beauty of Springtime in our surroundings with you. These photographs will give you a glimpse of the scenery we have the privilege of enjoying each time we go for a walk in the mountains.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Early Spring is the most spectacular, because then there are still numerous little streams of water syphering from the mountain (after our winter rains), and giving the little flowers ample opportunity to flourish on the damp mountainside. Then it’s often difficult to walk, because we have to tread so carefully not to trample them under our feet! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When we walk up the mountain early morning, all the flowers are open, with most of their faces turned towards the sun. When the sun goes down, and darkness approach, their fragile petals fold away neatly, to cover their crowns … just to open again the next day at sunrise. Some of these flowers are minute – yet they are perfect! Another way that we can witness God’s glory and perfect design in His creation!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sometimes we see (and often hear) the baboons; the closest they came so far, was about 15 metres from us. We enjoy seeing them, but do not encourage them to come any closer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Even in winter time, with most of the flowers at rest, we can still enjoy the beauty of the fascinating rock formations. We never get tired of these lovely mountains, and try to walk there at least once a week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Riana </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquQq4DmU_z3h_C83vgVlqUSZz4uyRiaalQeeWzFjeopP33AE0mC5YSfEJrw62SlPUzMRWQOI94NAgQ14ok5XQyV1idMZFUFr-7Uo2zfbAs6Ap0PUxBqrELTbcZMsaBS_5AbFgSHTIhMU/s1600/100_3446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquQq4DmU_z3h_C83vgVlqUSZz4uyRiaalQeeWzFjeopP33AE0mC5YSfEJrw62SlPUzMRWQOI94NAgQ14ok5XQyV1idMZFUFr-7Uo2zfbAs6Ap0PUxBqrELTbcZMsaBS_5AbFgSHTIhMU/s320/100_3446.jpg" width="313" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Beautiful little flowers, growing very close to the ground</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR8Ud9zdVS0IfCGwH7t3JO7k-tYu47jdD4x1ctUb5aJSSGl3BtwQPQ6JUvf68OdjFBVX8v6667vHC8489klzYa3ZAdEGKcPWhwK_oJcRetTWE0DctvrXiViyY0ghYZJRcu4SXlbhyCEY/s1600/100_3473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR8Ud9zdVS0IfCGwH7t3JO7k-tYu47jdD4x1ctUb5aJSSGl3BtwQPQ6JUvf68OdjFBVX8v6667vHC8489klzYa3ZAdEGKcPWhwK_oJcRetTWE0DctvrXiViyY0ghYZJRcu4SXlbhyCEY/s320/100_3473.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Some of the larger shrubs on the mountain slopes</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzwF6w93aKoBbJHASEpFgjVdwvG2ILsEUH_IhO8dCBEJ_afxMRxlFVdLQ2yhpJR14ZXOyDo7VmN3EFIKRM15mp5lGLvt3d7MyvbNKQzK-M-ncn5TmLfQrDywsFmN3fKfsgC6QujJhTrM/s1600/100_3425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="273" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzwF6w93aKoBbJHASEpFgjVdwvG2ILsEUH_IhO8dCBEJ_afxMRxlFVdLQ2yhpJR14ZXOyDo7VmN3EFIKRM15mp5lGLvt3d7MyvbNKQzK-M-ncn5TmLfQrDywsFmN3fKfsgC6QujJhTrM/s320/100_3425.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Interesting rock formation</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jgAlWNHxgA4-ggUPdBPH3eRCxzsPZBzcAk-CdKsCaJ9N_643PnF7ZK2NJKpyOwOq_CRv3v0Mjl6nYAYT2JWIxJ8qG-J2NolatPAhFehkd57waJukhK8mCyeakZwHZT-cIcbIweUtXD8/s1600/100_3391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jgAlWNHxgA4-ggUPdBPH3eRCxzsPZBzcAk-CdKsCaJ9N_643PnF7ZK2NJKpyOwOq_CRv3v0Mjl6nYAYT2JWIxJ8qG-J2NolatPAhFehkd57waJukhK8mCyeakZwHZT-cIcbIweUtXD8/s320/100_3391.jpg" width="302" /></em></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-YGsEMG0lKfvmZ0_s_rNW58UTEITvzeaRoBm8gjj8aW_QHwDaySaKb4ALqJ0SBufr_sWJHBHAYX1-7Oj1oo3ZQYVhJFrQ2M0fU6NQaL5CZjE6pjDRHQ4MhqtltP1gfunld8qtDoaRvE/s1600/100_3412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="262" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-YGsEMG0lKfvmZ0_s_rNW58UTEITvzeaRoBm8gjj8aW_QHwDaySaKb4ALqJ0SBufr_sWJHBHAYX1-7Oj1oo3ZQYVhJFrQ2M0fU6NQaL5CZjE6pjDRHQ4MhqtltP1gfunld8qtDoaRvE/s320/100_3412.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Insect catcher plant - note the sticky droplets</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcVXE13xdyqIHGHsqNGHm5FbwXC4uYKgQYaQExoKYaKinEgnqaMLCBYvYhySposaLn_HTknsobrjxFxClQ6hWV2CKuuhnohe9SNrYNEbAzvX-_AICjncAL5lfR3vZ8FZ4IVCbOH5Se2Y/s1600/100_3437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcVXE13xdyqIHGHsqNGHm5FbwXC4uYKgQYaQExoKYaKinEgnqaMLCBYvYhySposaLn_HTknsobrjxFxClQ6hWV2CKuuhnohe9SNrYNEbAzvX-_AICjncAL5lfR3vZ8FZ4IVCbOH5Se2Y/s320/100_3437.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Small cave in a rock overhang</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZacAllVJ4VOtNy8sezPqWYBgnEQYV7LFPHNi5d3qQxrCMzJa6qRD02oWtLhSA9Qp_XR40tKZT12Y7DFx3wTXTOtw2TPNQ0UNnMPl_mfX_NenmLOBDC2eMdQz5QqLvrPcP-vx9i-b_bkU/s1600/100_3423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZacAllVJ4VOtNy8sezPqWYBgnEQYV7LFPHNi5d3qQxrCMzJa6qRD02oWtLhSA9Qp_XR40tKZT12Y7DFx3wTXTOtw2TPNQ0UNnMPl_mfX_NenmLOBDC2eMdQz5QqLvrPcP-vx9i-b_bkU/s320/100_3423.jpg" width="269" /></em></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-3UizjNmh2-NqsrEZoE83xry3CsygM7-HVLzsm-3trZsdoMMglHiiUCMuYaA373qE6oUEV-d8XO9rPqUUPzTXKQfL5IeNr71JNaCG4zbvnP7ahS3UYZ1onfDSKNJvz2REttiVT86TKQ/s1600/100_3429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="251" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-3UizjNmh2-NqsrEZoE83xry3CsygM7-HVLzsm-3trZsdoMMglHiiUCMuYaA373qE6oUEV-d8XO9rPqUUPzTXKQfL5IeNr71JNaCG4zbvnP7ahS3UYZ1onfDSKNJvz2REttiVT86TKQ/s320/100_3429.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Delicate floral beauty</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh03RRucRpL_V0-mPoz07Vx4eEJPX-QPsEq6hum1C65Sk9abQMOJ5gKIAZl3egn_Re9OLfdKon_klLQstSjesCQg0aZMdnbC6OK_MpoSAlek2bO7cSMUgtJWVN2jXV2z71ZFWB9hmrNZU/s1600/100_3448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh03RRucRpL_V0-mPoz07Vx4eEJPX-QPsEq6hum1C65Sk9abQMOJ5gKIAZl3egn_Re9OLfdKon_klLQstSjesCQg0aZMdnbC6OK_MpoSAlek2bO7cSMUgtJWVN2jXV2z71ZFWB9hmrNZU/s320/100_3448.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Tiny flowers growing in a bit of soil in the rocks</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QXXCjTJJqsm-DvnxIqnZipl6EH0YW1z-4TO8RVg3J3jfclqe4hVmr7wcBYgtqwKrRNHuyWUIHP0jx2X5tieIeT2hL0IJqhCS-vF2aOOIUXXXmQ9H0TbP3Z63odSZPcfcawcLlgpbQm0/s1600/100_3466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QXXCjTJJqsm-DvnxIqnZipl6EH0YW1z-4TO8RVg3J3jfclqe4hVmr7wcBYgtqwKrRNHuyWUIHP0jx2X5tieIeT2hL0IJqhCS-vF2aOOIUXXXmQ9H0TbP3Z63odSZPcfcawcLlgpbQm0/s320/100_3466.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Insect catcher plants</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinM_5QpUd7McbfzBXCuwQVAEYbhvsMpS0HPshIUK_sZwBxYf4t-E6hiJMxvQ0PgZDGjPJEpqtUILSjuTEVi1GPC5z6PxgwbLRLiQ4OKUJ03w5AsDMy7vVoTUieIvWPKJ7y0F3m4bNgjTI/s1600/100_3390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinM_5QpUd7McbfzBXCuwQVAEYbhvsMpS0HPshIUK_sZwBxYf4t-E6hiJMxvQ0PgZDGjPJEpqtUILSjuTEVi1GPC5z6PxgwbLRLiQ4OKUJ03w5AsDMy7vVoTUieIvWPKJ7y0F3m4bNgjTI/s320/100_3390.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Small bell-like flowers</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tHbnzLxFbvYSkn8TOvIpmCsh1DgG0MtOEWYqE8xVHNKzvA7IbN3UD1uH8QNy9_k-aP3nqFoeyQKxLOUf52X2e2nQoLn75FU41CITSLMfZGcDlHqXimLuV9Veh7rMeyz3BOP9bY6Nn0s/s1600/100_3476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tHbnzLxFbvYSkn8TOvIpmCsh1DgG0MtOEWYqE8xVHNKzvA7IbN3UD1uH8QNy9_k-aP3nqFoeyQKxLOUf52X2e2nQoLn75FU41CITSLMfZGcDlHqXimLuV9Veh7rMeyz3BOP9bY6Nn0s/s320/100_3476.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>"Deep Thinker" rock</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBW0M3UiJDQrvkm99i8jOwEwJVzpygi2fqGcf-feimaCimZi5d677o7cE0gOYtV49M6Umw6_8_QynkxIFKlSKOaKiKXr8jJM7-tky0rnbihnwb87Mxpbsg2wyyX0XPxdan8g-f1BeYY-g/s1600/100_3416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBW0M3UiJDQrvkm99i8jOwEwJVzpygi2fqGcf-feimaCimZi5d677o7cE0gOYtV49M6Umw6_8_QynkxIFKlSKOaKiKXr8jJM7-tky0rnbihnwb87Mxpbsg2wyyX0XPxdan8g-f1BeYY-g/s320/100_3416.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpbh5u8lDi3CFFHQJ-Nv3KQpvL7vK179e4-lhsVrfFx6Yfb12UMvbC1Busbw8KEAtTcwTSO04DjuAf6VaYhBWB5m2Q92I-tv47bD-W9keeERumAYhVSydot81Znecw4TqzmICrC5UPjU/s1600/100_3450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="315" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpbh5u8lDi3CFFHQJ-Nv3KQpvL7vK179e4-lhsVrfFx6Yfb12UMvbC1Busbw8KEAtTcwTSO04DjuAf6VaYhBWB5m2Q92I-tv47bD-W9keeERumAYhVSydot81Znecw4TqzmICrC5UPjU/s320/100_3450.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>What's going on out there?</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjtD9c6BreJRULYJsSllXROxN9lYVhy192JgklWfCO2Bnr8r6vF-ft2KBJd4iWPv22i3gR3zUYQSBdgQXseYgm-nqhhNEfexHgS6nTJ_HGyQ8acXjiVVhDlrKbojlLdWWsxNQkTLyZzY/s1600/100_3454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjtD9c6BreJRULYJsSllXROxN9lYVhy192JgklWfCO2Bnr8r6vF-ft2KBJd4iWPv22i3gR3zUYQSBdgQXseYgm-nqhhNEfexHgS6nTJ_HGyQ8acXjiVVhDlrKbojlLdWWsxNQkTLyZzY/s320/100_3454.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Let me investigate!</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOubcIhkGqz1_fe3mz_djo-8rNZORJAxnhvhp4sj3NsTiNO54VVZogWrag-uml089rMNWwGfxo-0JGKtUWRn70OvHD6Xdi1yVvG4zrX6n56WInfPWrFtlf7yYeTihiDHyLMHY35PoX5-U/s1600/100_3387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOubcIhkGqz1_fe3mz_djo-8rNZORJAxnhvhp4sj3NsTiNO54VVZogWrag-uml089rMNWwGfxo-0JGKtUWRn70OvHD6Xdi1yVvG4zrX6n56WInfPWrFtlf7yYeTihiDHyLMHY35PoX5-U/s320/100_3387.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yZD8fa8hcs4hjHiskniojjc4qnCeK2RWGxzXlRVFafa3EcGOS3VKoiR5a33i4q8snNXxLIf_L2g_cO68G3HHGWln9hN8b6lTih8hU6IIaQz7VpIXdXu_sBxazLISQkPJ7xrtP65RmHE/s1600/100_3480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yZD8fa8hcs4hjHiskniojjc4qnCeK2RWGxzXlRVFafa3EcGOS3VKoiR5a33i4q8snNXxLIf_L2g_cO68G3HHGWln9hN8b6lTih8hU6IIaQz7VpIXdXu_sBxazLISQkPJ7xrtP65RmHE/s320/100_3480.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Very high rock pillars</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-b0WXO8wrpQv0pxCgQ9cg8egsAWQWWyKc4eleOlvk21gbvSc8Y_gJksvq5K3dG0gM7iFpX2BtmFiB0WXTW6a4HHRk0g1Z6mvxwEPdfYfT6KDXOrJccNb5xMYrfyjpHsYstFQKVhWIb8/s1600/100_3411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-b0WXO8wrpQv0pxCgQ9cg8egsAWQWWyKc4eleOlvk21gbvSc8Y_gJksvq5K3dG0gM7iFpX2BtmFiB0WXTW6a4HHRk0g1Z6mvxwEPdfYfT6KDXOrJccNb5xMYrfyjpHsYstFQKVhWIb8/s320/100_3411.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Mountain greenery</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hUS63bOogxhb8S_m2QG8ztT8HXV1RKvo_OEGBSDU0F2VcvhcEWF5Y9XQ0d_kFIgc4trHhmzAXpKQZ0eF2govwEaGl-LY43-IdiWFhgv3wOqhF_Z32eyxI3xRLXYydRBPE7UZSn_7aM0/s1600/100_3358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hUS63bOogxhb8S_m2QG8ztT8HXV1RKvo_OEGBSDU0F2VcvhcEWF5Y9XQ0d_kFIgc4trHhmzAXpKQZ0eF2govwEaGl-LY43-IdiWFhgv3wOqhF_Z32eyxI3xRLXYydRBPE7UZSn_7aM0/s1600/100_3358.jpg" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Tiny pink flowers winding their thin stem around a stick</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooIykH9pUlJzhihvwYjaCTY4o4yoaioRQurhxBYVLnPy8fH3f6icnzp4-NuqxsNJqxE_I37KIKZMjMT2N71TMCApieHq9bgmi3W50koqQE8OBI-a7lHHnF2s_IZ1ctsXzpXv_CcSvLdg/s1600/100_3366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="290" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooIykH9pUlJzhihvwYjaCTY4o4yoaioRQurhxBYVLnPy8fH3f6icnzp4-NuqxsNJqxE_I37KIKZMjMT2N71TMCApieHq9bgmi3W50koqQE8OBI-a7lHHnF2s_IZ1ctsXzpXv_CcSvLdg/s320/100_3366.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>The baby baboon gets a ride on its mother's back</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBaUbZJ8Y-_8q9asREgkRlIGpFqNdzDP0_7yqPTfk2iFY7XBq8AEmNdMWHgov12MWEHmWNv_paA0YDj28InSfH2APeweRedws1GntRycRUH8ExarOi0vVk80ylgMdHp_5XQRpgwxCZOw/s1600/100_3702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBaUbZJ8Y-_8q9asREgkRlIGpFqNdzDP0_7yqPTfk2iFY7XBq8AEmNdMWHgov12MWEHmWNv_paA0YDj28InSfH2APeweRedws1GntRycRUH8ExarOi0vVk80ylgMdHp_5XQRpgwxCZOw/s1600/100_3702.jpg" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Flowers growing in rock crevices</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dl_uWbCapATo_LAkb-4dVIbDcbCEdEBcnIivfRtIvEEQtBgEyybnFEaYfbDX5ruw9Doz-kmf46zoKy4utOMsEUFK84wMHGvTqTW0H6N7usCvpHP4BaS0yLN2LnM28clUOn8vRlHQm1Q/s1600/100_3582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dl_uWbCapATo_LAkb-4dVIbDcbCEdEBcnIivfRtIvEEQtBgEyybnFEaYfbDX5ruw9Doz-kmf46zoKy4utOMsEUFK84wMHGvTqTW0H6N7usCvpHP4BaS0yLN2LnM28clUOn8vRlHQm1Q/s1600/100_3582.jpg" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Floral splendour</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJSe0uHX_uyWMEzL3mBPDJtA5bhivPd3dacrfLRMylQ5h2wrLyCqpYuJuj-scPTZzY-4aUIpIMPylwiltEbbkY37mklq6R4l5L_miSo22Ihq3dn-jFNlViUga85Uk02MXztDfE3qrkpQ/s1600/100_3593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJSe0uHX_uyWMEzL3mBPDJtA5bhivPd3dacrfLRMylQ5h2wrLyCqpYuJuj-scPTZzY-4aUIpIMPylwiltEbbkY37mklq6R4l5L_miSo22Ihq3dn-jFNlViUga85Uk02MXztDfE3qrkpQ/s1600/100_3593.jpg" /></em></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-vMqWN8Z6Y8J97YbJfTimKLpixKtnRY6ruJ1p2nEloEU09LedIjiWaZCD3giz0PftuxORD2QbMLSaXP-rsRj4UamsQ7esEoIZIrRcupWp4UjiseAAR8mtBELkiq6Ycw4sYeOY_E9PTg/s1600/100_3351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-vMqWN8Z6Y8J97YbJfTimKLpixKtnRY6ruJ1p2nEloEU09LedIjiWaZCD3giz0PftuxORD2QbMLSaXP-rsRj4UamsQ7esEoIZIrRcupWp4UjiseAAR8mtBELkiq6Ycw4sYeOY_E9PTg/s320/100_3351.jpg" width="285" /></em></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgqmfZAUetznvamxAO5s6c1gz3rscf3PuKyPrCnwPn6HMO6jgVmOfU0PVybIvuXmPfGQRZvxV7ET3RGQA0VLYGvpTIaYbhgMgPnID5qmJIlpkPLnqqNrK1DnKtCxZSTNESt6M2u5QriU/s1600/100_3478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgqmfZAUetznvamxAO5s6c1gz3rscf3PuKyPrCnwPn6HMO6jgVmOfU0PVybIvuXmPfGQRZvxV7ET3RGQA0VLYGvpTIaYbhgMgPnID5qmJIlpkPLnqqNrK1DnKtCxZSTNESt6M2u5QriU/s320/100_3478.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Lovely rock formations</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0eYUQatZnb-30sZqe2_y4Se_xzoLZNXXq7gSEgSEbJ3EYAwZoEBGNKBglBq4nxPgvnxkLVY7jn8VOI3LQ8BgLxx2oVixDEDulOuifF3LbAeGNHqMDNvKvdJ4oiCFeCam-maSauphank/s1600/100_3439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0eYUQatZnb-30sZqe2_y4Se_xzoLZNXXq7gSEgSEbJ3EYAwZoEBGNKBglBq4nxPgvnxkLVY7jn8VOI3LQ8BgLxx2oVixDEDulOuifF3LbAeGNHqMDNvKvdJ4oiCFeCam-maSauphank/s320/100_3439.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Overlooking a part of the agricultural area of Ceres</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitK_S2hxNjmrIZWN5E3MfmHhjIfLazhMI9X60XwJfU7zZx_41OyrTOJ1GkO9jYturBAaTQFZwaYNVfNGE65BzqW8DJgNRqWuF5yfYY1N7j5E7yFhD1TRpQJ3nXdYJP2dQ54L8xSurcKeA/s1600/100_3350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitK_S2hxNjmrIZWN5E3MfmHhjIfLazhMI9X60XwJfU7zZx_41OyrTOJ1GkO9jYturBAaTQFZwaYNVfNGE65BzqW8DJgNRqWuF5yfYY1N7j5E7yFhD1TRpQJ3nXdYJP2dQ54L8xSurcKeA/s320/100_3350.jpg" width="318" /></em></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUI3Rd5b7hCZFy8gXS2B4ZS43hd5Z5aWhLqVWeMox8BpuxdQBaTDdA3O4JdCl7_dhWOQZ8SeHvjG2SZLSxQDihMSiQr6KViJviusQNW5b5AyWH8SESlDNlLnTAv0XhgfsgeNS2nqFQzw/s1600/100_3300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUI3Rd5b7hCZFy8gXS2B4ZS43hd5Z5aWhLqVWeMox8BpuxdQBaTDdA3O4JdCl7_dhWOQZ8SeHvjG2SZLSxQDihMSiQr6KViJviusQNW5b5AyWH8SESlDNlLnTAv0XhgfsgeNS2nqFQzw/s320/100_3300.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Hundreds of little flowers on the moist mountain slopes</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYNDr9uRJUWfLkJ6zZ2e1uRxIROyjWGnOP0ySW3YJm2GPSL2nR3cqhbqzBDBjrgkgkUYENb1fXAwPjvxtFBzRQcNcSUhoorPV8PjVAhAIP_5pmoh-HUd31rDYepVpPkX-nwaM2iWxLlQ/s1600/100_3355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYNDr9uRJUWfLkJ6zZ2e1uRxIROyjWGnOP0ySW3YJm2GPSL2nR3cqhbqzBDBjrgkgkUYENb1fXAwPjvxtFBzRQcNcSUhoorPV8PjVAhAIP_5pmoh-HUd31rDYepVpPkX-nwaM2iWxLlQ/s320/100_3355.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>We have to tread so carefully not to trample the little flowers!</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-47510510292911596542010-08-27T13:21:00.000-07:002010-12-26T15:13:47.461-08:00Searching for Crystals in the Scenic Western Cape Mountains<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For a good many years, we have been driving to farms in the mountains, mostly Villiersdorp, Worcester and Ceres, to search for quartz crystals. Quartz crystals from these areas, are mostly milky to clear, with a few places yielding smoky crystals. Single crystals rarely exceed 100 mm, while most crystals found are smaller than 30 mm. Some of the small crystals are as bright and gemmy as they come, while some of the smokies are of very high quality. The crystals are not easy to find and requires a lot of walking, sometimes up steep mountain slopes. We have discovered some crystal deposits that are very promising, but also very hard to get to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Some of the places where we dig can be accessed by motorcar on farm land. We are eternally grateful to generous farm owners, who grant permission to dig for crystals.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">About 9 months ago we moved to Ceres, a town situated in the mountains, about 120 km drive from Cape Town. Ceres is surrounded by mountains and farms and we regularly walk in the mountains, trout fishing or looking for crystals.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When searching for crystals, we firstly search for quartz veins, that are usually snow white. Once such veins are found, we look for tell-tale sighns of quartz crystals. More than often there is none, but with persistence, some nice pockets of crystals are discovered. One such pocket recently yielded about 15 kg of crystals, but most pockets are much smaller and only a small percentage of the crystals are of good quality. One of the best pockets that we found, was about the size of a man's head, and of very high quality.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xZNlIj1qZtDQW-nV9Wmmv2-e3bZP0HzqvLrkCThd_hIO2gpoB2KDjV_nAEX09-2_N-T4f1lCnRguBXjCEUAJgeaMfL-j_JvmOKYkIbCYRrPRtjg1tWE31yKMzrg_75VLDG7_BdizVcE/s1600/100_1499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xZNlIj1qZtDQW-nV9Wmmv2-e3bZP0HzqvLrkCThd_hIO2gpoB2KDjV_nAEX09-2_N-T4f1lCnRguBXjCEUAJgeaMfL-j_JvmOKYkIbCYRrPRtjg1tWE31yKMzrg_75VLDG7_BdizVcE/s320/100_1499.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>My nephew and I digging for crystals on a farm </em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rPEq6p5O-r9SWHLfB4ociX09dlFFAirg-fU_wQDy76TsBBW1FuavmFxUpx83cddAhCgtf6Lziv1A8pOoqWeP-HPTTtEeBpCk8YgCMTrKed-J39l5FIM_QGYRKnvVWx73WL77bXyfRc8/s1600/100_4850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rPEq6p5O-r9SWHLfB4ociX09dlFFAirg-fU_wQDy76TsBBW1FuavmFxUpx83cddAhCgtf6Lziv1A8pOoqWeP-HPTTtEeBpCk8YgCMTrKed-J39l5FIM_QGYRKnvVWx73WL77bXyfRc8/s320/100_4850.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>I found a nice pocket in mid-winter</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKW4wjWicHQddiZCMQYBKFx1DgQ9QDBtGqN_KVlKb9EkflFHlulP8mfkpoW1tsvkz7ORoXf26YxvsjzjpIhmHMV17JCRpbjxaw6PeM9Bld41sEhJdQlyPKvhFrsMYn6Ka9IJj0aSrgpY/s1600/100_6020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKW4wjWicHQddiZCMQYBKFx1DgQ9QDBtGqN_KVlKb9EkflFHlulP8mfkpoW1tsvkz7ORoXf26YxvsjzjpIhmHMV17JCRpbjxaw6PeM9Bld41sEhJdQlyPKvhFrsMYn6Ka9IJj0aSrgpY/s320/100_6020.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Riana removes smoky quartz crystals just beneath the surface</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dn4SFN1fu0ozBVlEl6mwLR5PKQXlwQg1zlF2iFEbsQl7UyPuGcdv88KT6K8sIHm1O6hhEDkQRTUXsg4waxPJqD_LBs0dG2LgEsx6Y2cYNeSG5nI95jv5z-tH4o8HCWjHS074aDsllU8/s1600/100_6025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dn4SFN1fu0ozBVlEl6mwLR5PKQXlwQg1zlF2iFEbsQl7UyPuGcdv88KT6K8sIHm1O6hhEDkQRTUXsg4waxPJqD_LBs0dG2LgEsx6Y2cYNeSG5nI95jv5z-tH4o8HCWjHS074aDsllU8/s320/100_6025.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Some lovely smokies exposed</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aitRWMI08v012RgBz2EH1thfa2FHC4Qo3GzxCNWeyR7ZENrmBKwMLiFJtLzwKAkJv2Yf7QA0p3OBbmd8F56bNspvQhtEmDWcI9ZSCvNwiQ6QXaA5bTM6jS3_eCwxZFWpR-3XC_71sWI/s1600/100_6026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aitRWMI08v012RgBz2EH1thfa2FHC4Qo3GzxCNWeyR7ZENrmBKwMLiFJtLzwKAkJv2Yf7QA0p3OBbmd8F56bNspvQhtEmDWcI9ZSCvNwiQ6QXaA5bTM6jS3_eCwxZFWpR-3XC_71sWI/s320/100_6026.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>A lovely find of (unwashed) crystals from the above pocket</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Xqrs_exO6UxZJmm-3LtTDyJi_42MdyAXNrahBJkFbTwHbQ2Fr4zKRZXDASnLTRD14aZhgb89YMmQiPrLB2uURdQHQ1hplCYwTLJs5pHyrzxfpNtc1g0mINYPh00vjH9mwn6u8VGiHn8/s1600/100_6389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Xqrs_exO6UxZJmm-3LtTDyJi_42MdyAXNrahBJkFbTwHbQ2Fr4zKRZXDASnLTRD14aZhgb89YMmQiPrLB2uURdQHQ1hplCYwTLJs5pHyrzxfpNtc1g0mINYPh00vjH9mwn6u8VGiHn8/s320/100_6389.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Riana found a lovely smoky</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaya08FffDRjj77j9udEwFTYKcuvcnsHpMKtukD-RlrZq8rWNRCR4DqdbVQ-JDxRIIF-jIwgni_DoOiG-SE2vGD9kHkZ2w2xvPPv3bSTJTw_qQFdidPWsnASm3IjmLBLHtw75xSfOh7bo/s1600/100_6397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaya08FffDRjj77j9udEwFTYKcuvcnsHpMKtukD-RlrZq8rWNRCR4DqdbVQ-JDxRIIF-jIwgni_DoOiG-SE2vGD9kHkZ2w2xvPPv3bSTJTw_qQFdidPWsnASm3IjmLBLHtw75xSfOh7bo/s320/100_6397.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Digging's the name of the game!</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zzFzDbeuDOQfZROCovGwbb4LUVLvRgJBOpJAu5hm5O9JEpbHt04N_0fx-by8iJPGY-owxXyXinxGumwFPgjpAxVrvMCD0Z9axnfa73FWU8Fm7ajpcLrmeF3GHlZUs7ts2BupwF28C2s/s1600/100_6414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zzFzDbeuDOQfZROCovGwbb4LUVLvRgJBOpJAu5hm5O9JEpbHt04N_0fx-by8iJPGY-owxXyXinxGumwFPgjpAxVrvMCD0Z9axnfa73FWU8Fm7ajpcLrmeF3GHlZUs7ts2BupwF28C2s/s320/100_6414.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Lovely scenery near the place we found crystals</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxh1D3qzuazNDgEVEUWXNk2cgnRFwCpowS1IN3fhs_i2PacnnWxwr-L9dgdcnahOv6PsLuk2LLF5C7-k_75ajVFelZwsy5c17poi5CBErv3Psh2g0ViI2aELKYzVVA81w3KzbZiMZLHM/s1600/100_3275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxh1D3qzuazNDgEVEUWXNk2cgnRFwCpowS1IN3fhs_i2PacnnWxwr-L9dgdcnahOv6PsLuk2LLF5C7-k_75ajVFelZwsy5c17poi5CBErv3Psh2g0ViI2aELKYzVVA81w3KzbZiMZLHM/s320/100_3275.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>We found a good pocket high up in the mountains</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgWRGVgmAwZ0N3bTWXHDJqNgcCOfiVIOhhAfPNqKxUlWsWbtvGhVXKP4fpSeqKgcJuBWeFeFUsG1hl2dA4BcJ9ZALRlBRenRpHPVYh_sOTtMbtpipDL8jUM_XuZ9yZxLSr4H7uQQvyJ8/s1600/100_9230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgWRGVgmAwZ0N3bTWXHDJqNgcCOfiVIOhhAfPNqKxUlWsWbtvGhVXKP4fpSeqKgcJuBWeFeFUsG1hl2dA4BcJ9ZALRlBRenRpHPVYh_sOTtMbtpipDL8jUM_XuZ9yZxLSr4H7uQQvyJ8/s320/100_9230.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Lovely crystals</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvpqnfXrdI3Ko4DZcK_cqBsNCKfUa0JqiPenIVL81QSyPiCPHecezS7OnSFngyvUfDgaLK0zRMUNJuij5eQ16DC7gYraNnBnjb0dNjecX8PZpAT5KI9MZAHbdwButJsVJ6alsq28GdtU/s1600/100_9311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvpqnfXrdI3Ko4DZcK_cqBsNCKfUa0JqiPenIVL81QSyPiCPHecezS7OnSFngyvUfDgaLK0zRMUNJuij5eQ16DC7gYraNnBnjb0dNjecX8PZpAT5KI9MZAHbdwButJsVJ6alsq28GdtU/s320/100_9311.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>A pretty quartz cluster</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58rkgaDNgNeOY-kAsvs8jQ2nV44sy8xDzcxuL_IxdfJjPNkcKMxBsf67nj5ygR7zFtKTKD7CSqILeMJcSGp7czOnDmdkUgZ8GyaHonLn8PD8Ve92nlZN_USaD_CMcRf6A5W_QsTxXGgg/s1600/100_3306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58rkgaDNgNeOY-kAsvs8jQ2nV44sy8xDzcxuL_IxdfJjPNkcKMxBsf67nj5ygR7zFtKTKD7CSqILeMJcSGp7czOnDmdkUgZ8GyaHonLn8PD8Ve92nlZN_USaD_CMcRf6A5W_QsTxXGgg/s320/100_3306.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Digging for crystals in a remote area</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1wa-oc2FGj_A9XcCikowpwtGrkAZ4RL4bo6qf4BJokTdU9LzWFvAzzpFzqCTRhh7Lz36L0aqV96K1H0KJlWp9Y73idzJPDhr8-KMO3KZZIgJw7iAuSAEeKK2d-ISZ5lMDKe2o0puTPY/s1600/100_9257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1wa-oc2FGj_A9XcCikowpwtGrkAZ4RL4bo6qf4BJokTdU9LzWFvAzzpFzqCTRhh7Lz36L0aqV96K1H0KJlWp9Y73idzJPDhr8-KMO3KZZIgJw7iAuSAEeKK2d-ISZ5lMDKe2o0puTPY/s320/100_9257.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Lovely female quartz crystal</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZGujZaX3COjeSGMmiMN9rAC7WgoWr849Ce_G9X2xNelUXiO8RqRcY9ubMHvteqY8d_-YHb7AH6LjBgqpanL9Oo9vnxWajNb3QC9rtNghNJi11zpuUyHxGmhdB3vfWxflSJ4HTvYi3wc/s1600/100_3294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZGujZaX3COjeSGMmiMN9rAC7WgoWr849Ce_G9X2xNelUXiO8RqRcY9ubMHvteqY8d_-YHb7AH6LjBgqpanL9Oo9vnxWajNb3QC9rtNghNJi11zpuUyHxGmhdB3vfWxflSJ4HTvYi3wc/s320/100_3294.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Part of our scenic climb to get to the crystals</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFwtS78HM_r9DShzi2ADRNdsEEMN7kcJzuo5ZXPi55Ithyphenhyphen5KTMWPzOhKiaCSapbxDoafh1mw0NmT21DPJqxDM6xyOZQw5vr6hg4XjUey9Mgm8EmJCF0WFnLePdmRf9Y-fOL23Z0z4WWA/s1600/100_9276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFwtS78HM_r9DShzi2ADRNdsEEMN7kcJzuo5ZXPi55Ithyphenhyphen5KTMWPzOhKiaCSapbxDoafh1mw0NmT21DPJqxDM6xyOZQw5vr6hg4XjUey9Mgm8EmJCF0WFnLePdmRf9Y-fOL23Z0z4WWA/s320/100_9276.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Pretty semi-sceptre</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24AdVDPCvBrBt-DzDiYIzxXrGs1QSzTI8iCUcbBiOQfXZhZ5L9lX4RdzKXululwmDUSzktYNPyI0JoyHU1YI14EWj39yahRbtOZ4-M38ZkrbdD94RmQiWtV6WsNM1Ra-JbuSu8iaxr0c/s1600/100_9378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24AdVDPCvBrBt-DzDiYIzxXrGs1QSzTI8iCUcbBiOQfXZhZ5L9lX4RdzKXululwmDUSzktYNPyI0JoyHU1YI14EWj39yahRbtOZ4-M38ZkrbdD94RmQiWtV6WsNM1Ra-JbuSu8iaxr0c/s320/100_9378.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>A gemmy little crystal group</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVQ-tdREMQg93nTm_WFMdYzD0hNfL_XpQozUK2zZ2nYeYi2edXKcm_0Ex0cRRuVlAU5JQbgIJHphGIGFxUM-_ffLavFs3tpbfs5l0FS11DpRb-3ufKctR_bbeDyopIHjdbA0D74UH154/s1600/100_9385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVQ-tdREMQg93nTm_WFMdYzD0hNfL_XpQozUK2zZ2nYeYi2edXKcm_0Ex0cRRuVlAU5JQbgIJHphGIGFxUM-_ffLavFs3tpbfs5l0FS11DpRb-3ufKctR_bbeDyopIHjdbA0D74UH154/s320/100_9385.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em>Pretty crystal on quartz matrix</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-50784215848277092172010-08-14T03:12:00.000-07:002010-12-26T15:14:44.715-08:00Our Vredendal Trip, March 2010.<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We were more than 30 club members who met at the gates of the lime quarry a few kilometeres outside Vredendal early on Saturday morning. After the usual briefing and signing of indemnity forms, everyone started their long-awaited search for crystals. (Access to this mine is closed to the public, and only club members may go with the club about twice a year.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I found a few crystals in a red clay wall, while Pierre went on to the main mining area, where he found a pocket of quartz crystals within about 5 minutes. The pocket extended about 2m into the rock face. Pierre marked his pocket, then came and called me, where I was still finding only a few, isolated, crystals. (He always does the hard work, then allows me to join in the fun of removing the specimens from his pockets!) At some point in time, there must have been a flush of water that came through the pocket which removed the original soft, yellow clay, and deposited a brown, harder clay. Quite a few of the crystals were embedded in this type of clay. There have obviously also been some movement in the pocket somewhere in the past, because a number of the bigger crystals were badly broken. Still we removed quite a few beautiful crystals from this pocket. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We also ventured to the hills where we have previously found some nice smokies. These crystals were embedded in very hard clay, and we had to make use of a pick to break the ground. The hard work paid off, and we found some lovely smoky quartz crystals. I even found and retrieved my very own, good sized smokie! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We camped for two nights at the mine, and left by midday on the Monday of the long week-end. When we got home, after about 2½ hours on the road, a refreshing shower was at the top of our priority list - a vital necessity after having camped and mined for 2½ days without any facilities or running water ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Riana</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphens8Foqh1ecREF8NGOIHxBpbAseMZedjdXCAXm4qU0L_VZRWrJ6Uh__eLsNFYkjueu2jzCGlTY9lQYbDBJw1LIIosgLrvaoJlpXW2B_3JFzg59aYrzOu_ByCVL6KH2tQlSWk_vJfqg5w/s1600/vred.mrt.2010a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphens8Foqh1ecREF8NGOIHxBpbAseMZedjdXCAXm4qU0L_VZRWrJ6Uh__eLsNFYkjueu2jzCGlTY9lQYbDBJw1LIIosgLrvaoJlpXW2B_3JFzg59aYrzOu_ByCVL6KH2tQlSWk_vJfqg5w/s320/vred.mrt.2010a.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">The pocket, extending about 2m into the rock face. </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDlChgBOctU40bxdwPsWkqqWes2-vTVmNd7lIcbfHOUuzyS0aFduDvqiwyD2uPASXqxhtyaVSnzkpBlK44tO6usvRoy7-EKVOVWK9W2CjAZWaaxewqJwxusi3Qs0aD_QZerta2oHE5OI/s1600/vred.mrt.2010c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDlChgBOctU40bxdwPsWkqqWes2-vTVmNd7lIcbfHOUuzyS0aFduDvqiwyD2uPASXqxhtyaVSnzkpBlK44tO6usvRoy7-EKVOVWK9W2CjAZWaaxewqJwxusi3Qs0aD_QZerta2oHE5OI/s320/vred.mrt.2010c.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A pick is needed to break through the very hard clay</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAVrpwW8bpMWx5b4PZ2-gV-W7Ru5o7D5LS_LQpvb1pDDjbJajjStjdd8owPzqv2aMHr1hRL_QTiJOSy-anBTkPDD8rgqszWAw3DuaUICng-OIZpewflLpPRABtP5foIWh0PhMQhtBcc8/s1600/vred.mrt.2010d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAVrpwW8bpMWx5b4PZ2-gV-W7Ru5o7D5LS_LQpvb1pDDjbJajjStjdd8owPzqv2aMHr1hRL_QTiJOSy-anBTkPDD8rgqszWAw3DuaUICng-OIZpewflLpPRABtP5foIWh0PhMQhtBcc8/s320/vred.mrt.2010d.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Searching for crystals</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50cOPqyXCAtPrLsulWPVFkG1eCkptC7ryg6ZAhabUlh9dSSVPhZc4qP7GhQkz4loxzNok3Ln4NdfLnweMvJQ1woPp_miAPsxzXb3Jn6LnSyLKrLxX1i1DOHq7UH7nRDy_CGnRJ-Qiydk/s1600/vred.mrt.2010e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50cOPqyXCAtPrLsulWPVFkG1eCkptC7ryg6ZAhabUlh9dSSVPhZc4qP7GhQkz4loxzNok3Ln4NdfLnweMvJQ1woPp_miAPsxzXb3Jn6LnSyLKrLxX1i1DOHq7UH7nRDy_CGnRJ-Qiydk/s320/vred.mrt.2010e.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some crystals were embedded in brown clay</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir782h4FI3ZboY1cd8Tq70cKeZB4P8zddfZFfIb9BksGFbG0MfsxCW86v3rGQK0qleOYxm8YfRimfzo6aYnt9u5Kt6L7sSMc1IFWSL1-mQ71c67yOTbVEAwIDkJe88BLSzIIYvDPsLTrM/s1600/vred.mrt.2010f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir782h4FI3ZboY1cd8Tq70cKeZB4P8zddfZFfIb9BksGFbG0MfsxCW86v3rGQK0qleOYxm8YfRimfzo6aYnt9u5Kt6L7sSMc1IFWSL1-mQ71c67yOTbVEAwIDkJe88BLSzIIYvDPsLTrM/s320/vred.mrt.2010f.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Lovely, double terminated smoky </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDw5LdWof7LR7dRZne1YzCh_iDHItuAHAfAetEeDRe9HZr7t0luChTt2dm8FTAvfFCCKJFuXHvotUUVSWRL2kKnnAPVSH5NcCRx46UQOab626hfYC2AAqJ3SxfhGwg7QSYJFNsxKgC1Dg/s1600/vred.mrt.2010j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDw5LdWof7LR7dRZne1YzCh_iDHItuAHAfAetEeDRe9HZr7t0luChTt2dm8FTAvfFCCKJFuXHvotUUVSWRL2kKnnAPVSH5NcCRx46UQOab626hfYC2AAqJ3SxfhGwg7QSYJFNsxKgC1Dg/s320/vred.mrt.2010j.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A lovely quartz cluster</span></em></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIB4KbWK4Snd_VLFBf8-738cPiS1PffYAlCfImjAs6SGtBiXJSfbNI9RUB9Qhe45McneCv4LxJ2tGRfPtRl9Qov6_jVPpT0EwLhplht-efZxlkWtEXKCdhHLImzLQBkCdVvjWAevK1gg/s1600/vred.mrt.2010k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIB4KbWK4Snd_VLFBf8-738cPiS1PffYAlCfImjAs6SGtBiXJSfbNI9RUB9Qhe45McneCv4LxJ2tGRfPtRl9Qov6_jVPpT0EwLhplht-efZxlkWtEXKCdhHLImzLQBkCdVvjWAevK1gg/s320/vred.mrt.2010k.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Single quartz crystal with iron oxide coating</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MrCC7EtGZFQcGYmCyP6IXZP58CYyefO9wGkjg5SAQhV5py6d3IiVG8yIFVQQ2jktteDpGyOVolnwqDjSZ3z_8nTjkkoNDYmbXRqNjkQS9mQjPNHQ9pTSzJtC54PijGd4mP2gHozS0ww/s1600/vred.mrt.2010m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MrCC7EtGZFQcGYmCyP6IXZP58CYyefO9wGkjg5SAQhV5py6d3IiVG8yIFVQQ2jktteDpGyOVolnwqDjSZ3z_8nTjkkoNDYmbXRqNjkQS9mQjPNHQ9pTSzJtC54PijGd4mP2gHozS0ww/s320/vred.mrt.2010m.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A pocket found! </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUje-p_Kqb_DSPWdf398wa6loBYnXlyPO_JwBJCxvTOSYzodnn9URW767PcKkp4i550RdKN7yxU5nqj8Um881T3vCWMfRxSqrOpjopgW9MrI2O2c-V3rKhLanUumB5wQEqhz108KqxBI/s1600/vred.mrt.2010g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUje-p_Kqb_DSPWdf398wa6loBYnXlyPO_JwBJCxvTOSYzodnn9URW767PcKkp4i550RdKN7yxU5nqj8Um881T3vCWMfRxSqrOpjopgW9MrI2O2c-V3rKhLanUumB5wQEqhz108KqxBI/s320/vred.mrt.2010g.jpg" /></span></em></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Double terminated, flat, quartz crystal.</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS0dMpMzgPDMH-EFo0iPYtZFdacBq_Av489mdxDWneDMB8YYkJ3uY8V6LtPGi76P8i3nipXqFW6bhJXIy-pSc5VrvC-xhwV7eIZax7Nd_JzQkFTiW85w55ctmT-bVRyH6RuTTIMdYmeg/s1600/vred.mrt.2010i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSS0dMpMzgPDMH-EFo0iPYtZFdacBq_Av489mdxDWneDMB8YYkJ3uY8V6LtPGi76P8i3nipXqFW6bhJXIy-pSc5VrvC-xhwV7eIZax7Nd_JzQkFTiW85w55ctmT-bVRyH6RuTTIMdYmeg/s320/vred.mrt.2010i.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Beautiful quartz crystals with rutile, on feldspar matrix</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div align="center"> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQ53byRnTDztpWJ_m6MaKwGZMok9BLGKgh7k26tOnsPN3QTtjaXBSjWOWOoHlWrpRFTXNHmpGNQgFUyFcjVjv476amOlE6viqVd2Sgua_2EIsq_It-GFypWOf_Ek3XiFs9vdHUVFYw_I/s1600/vred.mrt.2010l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQ53byRnTDztpWJ_m6MaKwGZMok9BLGKgh7k26tOnsPN3QTtjaXBSjWOWOoHlWrpRFTXNHmpGNQgFUyFcjVjv476amOlE6viqVd2Sgua_2EIsq_It-GFypWOf_Ek3XiFs9vdHUVFYw_I/s320/vred.mrt.2010l.jpg" /></span></em></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A lovely quartz cluster</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-64773081605630955992010-08-14T02:51:00.000-07:002010-12-26T15:18:25.748-08:00Our Trip to Vredendal, August 2009.<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We went with about 40 or so club members. Everybody met there on Saturday morning, and only left on the Monday afternoon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It must be the most enjoyable trip we ever had to Vredendal! It was also the least productive, crystal-wise, because the miners have blasted since we were last there, and have destroyed many cliff faces. There were piles of rock-rubble where we've previously found beautiful crystals! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The chaos on the mine forced us to explore and we saw many beautiful flowers and new areas that we have never seen before. We found some real smoky crystals up to 1 kg and some crystals with lots of green chlorite inclusions. In total we found about 2 shoe boxes of crystals that we collected from 7 different areas on the mine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The company from all our club family was wonderful and the weather was good. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pierre</span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVqIHZ0aQLUR4eodfweHE-F2ZSaJ_8gHcWeoTzCm5wZG1qlwf10SY3ufpSO306AU2mEASvzQMUp1Yo8ic9ISnDyCMg_jkTJZ_pKxLCFSqVlXyNETjEkK6lTQF5AaQhKybzMVUfmByAfI/s1600/Vredendal+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVqIHZ0aQLUR4eodfweHE-F2ZSaJ_8gHcWeoTzCm5wZG1qlwf10SY3ufpSO306AU2mEASvzQMUp1Yo8ic9ISnDyCMg_jkTJZ_pKxLCFSqVlXyNETjEkK6lTQF5AaQhKybzMVUfmByAfI/s320/Vredendal+1.JPG" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our camping site - with absolutely no facilities ...... back to basics! </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwdMLg-Vh0CmLNAE9fkfEGyOBum0zjqtntiTQTjq4Ta9rjuiHw-5T7R0VwDUWL9ZkwrjHw_zLh5sjSoBoUXaxYX49xIFMErGcT3vw5MrjJcmWZ40aiE9UUuqQUitC_dfESC-4IklKjk8/s1600/Vredendal+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwdMLg-Vh0CmLNAE9fkfEGyOBum0zjqtntiTQTjq4Ta9rjuiHw-5T7R0VwDUWL9ZkwrjHw_zLh5sjSoBoUXaxYX49xIFMErGcT3vw5MrjJcmWZ40aiE9UUuqQUitC_dfESC-4IklKjk8/s320/Vredendal+2.JPG" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our camping site from another angle </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1xCHZZ-M4q4gaEl2trjxk6y1lg4tl8Zf_9dR8juKIbKrzUmLhuf4oj3mva5NfbxeNykm2bs3ihjQa10g-hpe4gAMVNoXvvwjhu2RQTagaBiyXSgHpIKbcErgR272Unlc0Oc7P1zKnL8/s1600/Vredendal+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1xCHZZ-M4q4gaEl2trjxk6y1lg4tl8Zf_9dR8juKIbKrzUmLhuf4oj3mva5NfbxeNykm2bs3ihjQa10g-hpe4gAMVNoXvvwjhu2RQTagaBiyXSgHpIKbcErgR272Unlc0Oc7P1zKnL8/s320/Vredendal+3.JPG" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">What's left of our previously good rock cliffs ... </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvm1_GTKNTH3kPf4izTq3UW7UgyCzl7_9OFc32CRYVMkMPyYEY6zmvXlRYr2Yj1D_o-QcwXGwHkQAl_fRqh1Ydtg4FJhupatLodhyTDn6sR7RkQDG_bFUuQ55OOzbPgyTY4OqqbDdCBc/s1600/Vredendal+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvm1_GTKNTH3kPf4izTq3UW7UgyCzl7_9OFc32CRYVMkMPyYEY6zmvXlRYr2Yj1D_o-QcwXGwHkQAl_fRqh1Ydtg4FJhupatLodhyTDn6sR7RkQDG_bFUuQ55OOzbPgyTY4OqqbDdCBc/s320/Vredendal+5.JPG" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pierre removing green phantom quartz from a little gulley </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA4CF-2l8cqHtBWBt2Tx90CeAyKwuGglBglEb7CpfKCCNrFjue0m_RmiIto_YdUze4pc1oz9cPNhh7BLDkRJHcmTTeN_QVW847MikX2AGp7LdvXih8GTnurN4FdEhnG3VgsTHaHysvh8/s1600/Vredendal+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA4CF-2l8cqHtBWBt2Tx90CeAyKwuGglBglEb7CpfKCCNrFjue0m_RmiIto_YdUze4pc1oz9cPNhh7BLDkRJHcmTTeN_QVW847MikX2AGp7LdvXih8GTnurN4FdEhnG3VgsTHaHysvh8/s320/Vredendal+6.JPG" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A lovely smoky weighing 1 kg</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK07LdFwiSZq7pw4dKvTfJeBGNv70_9Ul6M3bDsyjZbBb7SMwTCXLYC-HjaGQuOzHQTgEYNRk3RvDD0v5kJjdR8bFFRSdi_XHisIR5QOHrQwyXbNrdlf0dWd6VbabJt1q1D7JBCrtSXlI/s1600/Vredendal+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK07LdFwiSZq7pw4dKvTfJeBGNv70_9Ul6M3bDsyjZbBb7SMwTCXLYC-HjaGQuOzHQTgEYNRk3RvDD0v5kJjdR8bFFRSdi_XHisIR5QOHrQwyXbNrdlf0dWd6VbabJt1q1D7JBCrtSXlI/s320/Vredendal+8.JPG" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A lovely smoky quartz crystal</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjfb4980QhK9yWkHp1sTdKsbqRYl0HXbgd-G2wiRjlb-x0VAwNtEonP5pZpaauf7GThhrUXfHUuG3-g-jg-QUs9oSRDeg3EuhjIB3Ozitm1ZSkMJJ4-2wG0EDIksGDAdVgO9VDemiDlo/s1600/Vredendal+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjfb4980QhK9yWkHp1sTdKsbqRYl0HXbgd-G2wiRjlb-x0VAwNtEonP5pZpaauf7GThhrUXfHUuG3-g-jg-QUs9oSRDeg3EuhjIB3Ozitm1ZSkMJJ4-2wG0EDIksGDAdVgO9VDemiDlo/s320/Vredendal+4.JPG" /></span></em></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Riana pointing to a lovely smoky </span></em><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">quartz </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">crystal sitting in a clay wall</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgit2aI-dhct1VorCGpz4N4l1DxzUqsTvtVJ8j0fgtlxD3xUgMh62lGTu0d_NBmYk2cGPbvqv5sod_PQ3b8RXN2U1iYPOFvL3jhmWodcM0MDg2KNc-hRLfOqmH30H9xvehsDokiy5jf8/s1600/Vredendal+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgit2aI-dhct1VorCGpz4N4l1DxzUqsTvtVJ8j0fgtlxD3xUgMh62lGTu0d_NBmYk2cGPbvqv5sod_PQ3b8RXN2U1iYPOFvL3jhmWodcM0MDg2KNc-hRLfOqmH30H9xvehsDokiy5jf8/s320/Vredendal+7.JPG" /></span></em></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Flowers in the field on the mining grounds</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-47589213418525161932010-08-14T02:31:00.000-07:002011-03-14T04:21:04.222-07:00Our trip to Namibia, January 2009<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We left Somerset West on the morning of Thursday the 15th, and crossed the Namibian border at Vioolsdrif late that afternoon. We spent the night at Grünau, and had to combat hundreds of small flying beetles before we could eventually settle for the night. The next morning we resumed our journey (with the road apparently stretching endlessly ahead of us) and encountered a cloudburst and terrible storm as we passed Windhoek, which left us with a cracked windscreen. We reached Karibib early that evening, and pitched our tent at a camping site. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Saturday we drove about 18 km to Namdeb, also known as Neu Schwaben (because of the Neu Schwaben mine, about 3 km further). One of the local residents told us that the original name was Tjomtjas, meaning "to clean with saliva" - the method they often used when quickly wanting to see the quality of the stones, since they don't have much water. We spent about 5 hours there, looking at all the stones the people had for sale (mostly cathedral smoky quartz and a few toumalines on matrix) and making purchaces. We found the people very friendly, and enjoyed the time we spent there, although it was quite hot that day. Eventually it became overcast. Getting back to our camp, we discovered that the bad dirt road we had travelled to Namdeb, had cost us one of our car's hub caps and damage to a head lamp protector.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On Monday morning we packed a picnic basket for the day, and made some mineral purchaces in town. There we teamed up with our friend and guide, Enrico, and drove to Usakos, some 30 km west of Karibib, where we visited the location and made many purchaces of Erongo minerals e.g. fluorite, schorl, aquamarine and quartz. On our way back we again encountered a severe storm, and at times we could hardly see the road ahead of us. Getting back to our tent, we discovered that the storm had tilted our tent (we hadn't used any storm hooks for anchoring!) and thus managed to soak our mattresses and sleeping bags! We had to pack up and eventually we rented a room for the night in a lodge in town. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tuesday was a hot day, and our wet bedding dried quickly. We resumed our journey and visited the well known mineral stalls some 24 km outside of Usakos, where we saw some lovely mineral specimens. We only wished that we had unlimited space in our car and loads of spending money! Early afternoon we reached our furthest destination, Uis, having travelled a total of 1 980 km, and pitched our tent. The swimming pool on the camping ground was a welcome sight, and we made good use of it! We spent the next four days visiting local dealers and the location outside of Uis, making many purchaces of prehnite, quartz, fluorite etc. from the Brandberg area,and also looking up friends we hadn't seen for a few years. On Sunday we enjoyed coffee at daybreak on a hill outside of town, having been taken there by microlight aeroplane. What an experience to see the sun come up and cast its light over the majestic Brandberg! </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We also met two Austrian gentlemen at the camp site, who had been lost in the desert (and already without water) a few days earlier, and had been rescued by the same microlight owner. He had taken them food and water and showed them the way out. This experience hadn't deterred their adventurous spirit, and they continued on their journey!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Early on Monday morning we made our last purchaces, and were sorry to leave this quiet little town and its friendly people. But we were very glad to leave the millions of mosquitoes behind! It was a cool, overcast day. We travelled back on a different road, the one that leads to Omaruru. Most of the roads were very quiet, sometimes we travelled up to 100 km without seeing any other vehicles! At Okahandja (where we had made our first purchaces on our way to Uis, and had experienced heavy rain) we noticed a sign saying "Okahandja - the Garden Town". This is, indeed, an apt description! </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Driving through Windhoek (Namibia's capital city) on our way back, it was raining lightly. We went to the mining office to pay the due taxes on our purchaces and get the required permit. North of Keetmanshoop it was hot and still very dry, the earth almost seemed scorched. About 100 km before Grünau, we saw a massive electric storm ahead of us. We have never seen such severe and long-lasting lightning bolts before! Some 30 km further we were in the storm, and were in it for about 13 minutes, when the road swerved and took us out of it. We could still see the darkness of the raging storm behind us, and were thankful that we were out of it. We were met by a most beautiful sunset! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We again spent the night at Grünau, but this time we had to compete with small grasshoppers for space in our room! It seems like there are many more plagues of a variety of insects in the desert land! Next morning we drove the last 144 km of our trip on Namibian soil, and then crossed the border at Vioolsdrif, after having paid the due import taxes on our stones at the customs office. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">At about 21h30 on Tuesday the 27th, we arrived back home in Somerset West, and thanked God for His protection. Although it had been tiring, we enjoyed our trip tremendously. We had travelled a total of 3 956 km.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Riana</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5Mr1v5XMgrDmQQwe_IZpn41953c4qm-wFDd5CeSvKRFvJ0vJg3bxxwLgCFixK0GIwo7C-d5_jsnnwgeVW2j5V9spG3nCtAS2Xg5zqdfP3PPsN6SYghGOFOjaV946fp9v7ByBTLc4AWc/s1600/Nam.+'09+(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5Mr1v5XMgrDmQQwe_IZpn41953c4qm-wFDd5CeSvKRFvJ0vJg3bxxwLgCFixK0GIwo7C-d5_jsnnwgeVW2j5V9spG3nCtAS2Xg5zqdfP3PPsN6SYghGOFOjaV946fp9v7ByBTLc4AWc/s320/Nam.+%2709+(6).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wellcome to Namibia!</span></em><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzc54XDxWCL6N4GgEBQz3mhjrEvYgDHxAkfDeXPFeW03Si8R2Fs8QxST7itwVLQhwvzW7Br7EfgLO5T_3pZim5CCD63Ri3wufS9iBT-aNFcveDgUoBxX3WoWb4hRpCZbItjKWepzI9OW0/s1600/Nam.+'09+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzc54XDxWCL6N4GgEBQz3mhjrEvYgDHxAkfDeXPFeW03Si8R2Fs8QxST7itwVLQhwvzW7Br7EfgLO5T_3pZim5CCD63Ri3wufS9iBT-aNFcveDgUoBxX3WoWb4hRpCZbItjKWepzI9OW0/s320/Nam.+%2709+(1).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Making purchaces at Namdeb</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMwT3P0t78moL8HW-l-I5I26GIhF6tAfYUlRmfrdPW-JaUpMm-9Y6_ZnnhdTqQ0QXcEK0fh7dMnO_nIBP0hjW5sh8bj_0-_3jkvxc6QnS88uZvQHNGd1GXNbTxCrS0wVSGTc6XpjsI7Y/s1600/Nam.+'09+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMwT3P0t78moL8HW-l-I5I26GIhF6tAfYUlRmfrdPW-JaUpMm-9Y6_ZnnhdTqQ0QXcEK0fh7dMnO_nIBP0hjW5sh8bj_0-_3jkvxc6QnS88uZvQHNGd1GXNbTxCrS0wVSGTc6XpjsI7Y/s320/Nam.+%2709+(2).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Purchasing at Usakos location </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></em></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaCf1mGLrrLHNtv518HwxEHSgxrPYS_PYdchUHEF3n_5KJVODb9o1y71bUIJFnlmZVKXbmcG9CZ__tym_x0_HDW_4sYwARj9QoLStPgLPFNHKL7Dk3Jce7LwtZyZ6_gkQQ7aREeWDph4/s1600/Nam.+'09+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaCf1mGLrrLHNtv518HwxEHSgxrPYS_PYdchUHEF3n_5KJVODb9o1y71bUIJFnlmZVKXbmcG9CZ__tym_x0_HDW_4sYwARj9QoLStPgLPFNHKL7Dk3Jce7LwtZyZ6_gkQQ7aREeWDph4/s320/Nam.+%2709+(3).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of Karibib's special inhabitants, ± 25 cm long </span></em><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsoq_gk9O6fjIPpKseuay13QkL2PVAU0ls9rw6YcgpAHq7uXi-bxSODPCwB_1RWEJvYTm0TVtz4PvR6yhpgUHiG9imX1Gey4VH3qepTA3OsMXA75d1ktNCJSleMz1etGIG9RSXY7sLHM/s1600/Nam.+'09+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsoq_gk9O6fjIPpKseuay13QkL2PVAU0ls9rw6YcgpAHq7uXi-bxSODPCwB_1RWEJvYTm0TVtz4PvR6yhpgUHiG9imX1Gey4VH3qepTA3OsMXA75d1ktNCJSleMz1etGIG9RSXY7sLHM/s320/Nam.+%2709+(4).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">The town of Karibib </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjJ1xQ9zztnlTKXJsP9qhfuxBv3wbytRigk87uF0tLqyL7Isxc6nRPrCxMEWaElzkJZ3RJRhGzM2Q6fuZ-HdmhEmLOv6sNdC1t4Okp4lFJrDbQD9UxqV-tvKg8elxYeb7nM_xFlfb5Dk/s1600/Nam.+'09+(9).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjJ1xQ9zztnlTKXJsP9qhfuxBv3wbytRigk87uF0tLqyL7Isxc6nRPrCxMEWaElzkJZ3RJRhGzM2Q6fuZ-HdmhEmLOv6sNdC1t4Okp4lFJrDbQD9UxqV-tvKg8elxYeb7nM_xFlfb5Dk/s320/Nam.+%2709+(9).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Aerial view of Uis </span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrS-P6lXtT37NH0bgpXdq3_IpBfmP4a8rUooTwRKf8o_95tWK3gO4Y13gN9gvq1sVzhJzx6Ni2OVvq2DEL-7MRx4HoNQouuN9CW4pFyRisdudTC-z5pyjLp97BQ_SCuE_vALlrKzsScU/s1600/Nam.+'09+(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrS-P6lXtT37NH0bgpXdq3_IpBfmP4a8rUooTwRKf8o_95tWK3gO4Y13gN9gvq1sVzhJzx6Ni2OVvq2DEL-7MRx4HoNQouuN9CW4pFyRisdudTC-z5pyjLp97BQ_SCuE_vALlrKzsScU/s320/Nam.+%2709+(10).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Desert land with the Brandberg in the distance</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-ZL_9Fnjagvxvp_7qd6QK45coomac8u-OJmO23DX6aJFpMsLHgU_7aTsgIbwpMfZYpeGagPFnP111Rpj65aFP49akNNr4x0QCH0IqoD0YXTgoM00QBCB-4DbQRTo1V5pxzyvLErAl9E/s1600/Nam.+'09+(11).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-ZL_9Fnjagvxvp_7qd6QK45coomac8u-OJmO23DX6aJFpMsLHgU_7aTsgIbwpMfZYpeGagPFnP111Rpj65aFP49akNNr4x0QCH0IqoD0YXTgoM00QBCB-4DbQRTo1V5pxzyvLErAl9E/s320/Nam.+%2709+(11).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">The road stretches ahead in the vast distance ...</span></em><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1A_88Pf5xiSxkaJe4o_jyQF3M-UldVYX0gSm6HdsP_d2RoVZQDQjTflTBtKepIET3yTXGMO4xjZ-wdwZuTD4dmj1PD6NvDmb5UBAME4UMe5GwgSBYGKu4BldGTxWVs36s2CZyPpERA8/s1600/Nam.+'09+(12).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1A_88Pf5xiSxkaJe4o_jyQF3M-UldVYX0gSm6HdsP_d2RoVZQDQjTflTBtKepIET3yTXGMO4xjZ-wdwZuTD4dmj1PD6NvDmb5UBAME4UMe5GwgSBYGKu4BldGTxWVs36s2CZyPpERA8/s320/Nam.+%2709+(12).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Spitzkoppe in the distance</span></em><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf20OhpIP51Dvr9wUgD1qXt_GBtiGHzSRDFHAJA1IZjK68mYP8GMHKmVlEDzXw9Igc-uN3H-bU017cP-Qg6dNK-yr8cnf98fMJb1ZL875ORBdXrgoB8zDCbv0BiE8TdFRL5Rlqpo2UCcw/s320/Nam.+%2709+(13).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></span></em></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Usakos mineral stalls</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> </em> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck1wYyaHOxGzy8-TiVQgomM8R2_CFkDZ_jYLRh7drdhnf0exEWq0mhCmzzwMl7RoQiuVz7VEShTHwDVhZXq8Q1f92cb0efTei7bsX0ocT3oFRlNx6JgXeuIDxo0aU0FY8V8nX7uDsLWg/s1600/Nam.+'09+(15).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck1wYyaHOxGzy8-TiVQgomM8R2_CFkDZ_jYLRh7drdhnf0exEWq0mhCmzzwMl7RoQiuVz7VEShTHwDVhZXq8Q1f92cb0efTei7bsX0ocT3oFRlNx6JgXeuIDxo0aU0FY8V8nX7uDsLWg/s320/Nam.+%2709+(15).jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A special moment, being in the same picture as the Brandberg. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">This picture was taken by the late Nico van Dyk.</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338535708538361396.post-56407429270529731902010-08-14T01:39:00.000-07:002010-12-26T15:21:50.787-08:00Our Trip to the Vredendal Lime Quarry, October 2008.<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of accompanying 26 other members of the Cape Town based mineralogical society to a lime quarry just outside Vredendal , Western Cape, South Africa. This wonderful privilege was granted to the club who visits the mine twice a year for a weekend at a time. This was the fourth time we visited this mine and we have never been disappointed. On all the visits we found many lovely crystals. I must hasten to say that it is hard work! The hard dolomite rock faces have veins filled with soft yellow clay that yields an amazing mix of feldspar, dolomite, quartz, rutile and calcite crystals. The quartz crystals vary from a few milimeters to specimens weighing up to 5 kg. We found a few specimens between 2 and 4.2 kg. All the photographs below are from our last visit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pierre</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCxZprs0JhByYXCH_sKskCR7KPga2YPi1rSoR1goJU0XtIjWzdaJAqlZZiGTT_AEUy3Tzez2E3CJf_Tw4WotLgEOaqzfDCTpAPpHidTZ2z83n1kEA_bHRcJxrkuz1GhRySsNq3U63XqM/s1600/AU+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCxZprs0JhByYXCH_sKskCR7KPga2YPi1rSoR1goJU0XtIjWzdaJAqlZZiGTT_AEUy3Tzez2E3CJf_Tw4WotLgEOaqzfDCTpAPpHidTZ2z83n1kEA_bHRcJxrkuz1GhRySsNq3U63XqM/s320/AU+16.jpg" /></span></em></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have just discovered an amazing pocket</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em></em> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnTihMZqU-PL-KRQ4RBds3S1wzgiupuOYpq_imih0Oh207MkOjkCyKX1gTMD4HoY3aAyoIjSwslApctt-CNcKHA3SotQFSxPhxGw0dksGyGBvBLKq35PrlpJUDxQx0MnCxkteWHqI4tI/s1600/AU+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnTihMZqU-PL-KRQ4RBds3S1wzgiupuOYpq_imih0Oh207MkOjkCyKX1gTMD4HoY3aAyoIjSwslApctt-CNcKHA3SotQFSxPhxGw0dksGyGBvBLKq35PrlpJUDxQx0MnCxkteWHqI4tI/s320/AU+1.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" /></span></em></a></div></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">The pocket extends for about 2 metres into solid rock</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCc2dNf_vhmitQl7wR02O0ZM9t0K5IOvTuUGhehINI6KWnjxGggiSBfDCFOthRzqepS7RLBLjq4_t3cZB6wT2l2T1tLhDDxmEuQZgt2XdZvjEXwjQyCw1XLUFuTopoIXeEpAEkovMf3Ts/s1600/AU+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCc2dNf_vhmitQl7wR02O0ZM9t0K5IOvTuUGhehINI6KWnjxGggiSBfDCFOthRzqepS7RLBLjq4_t3cZB6wT2l2T1tLhDDxmEuQZgt2XdZvjEXwjQyCw1XLUFuTopoIXeEpAEkovMf3Ts/s320/AU+2.JPG" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of the bigger quartz clusters removed</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0zd2o1xc6jtqZWQkvJBiZdQc0jKWPfy7bdooMlq_dsWOBNrnETpLlKl3V3sMkum9nHEy2wKIA4v4uEjSGCvenBBz0ZmwBPocVw61VIj67Jt3pnjl5Qdewwdf-1UNDsgbVvW19ERKY9c/s1600/AU+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0zd2o1xc6jtqZWQkvJBiZdQc0jKWPfy7bdooMlq_dsWOBNrnETpLlKl3V3sMkum9nHEy2wKIA4v4uEjSGCvenBBz0ZmwBPocVw61VIj67Jt3pnjl5Qdewwdf-1UNDsgbVvW19ERKY9c/s320/AU+3.JPG" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A quartz group with lovely red rutile needles.</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkI-VnjDtEB-V_HO5YXJnwJi6h-ux3NQQfOI8a9K-ZqXm39mfj6f__O9h7twYdWeIs4TyCnqrWwN9KHxvwYoayL0lHdnM3fEONQUwLTanORaryqo6d_WGsLnwty7BP_WdNKhkBBpNyHI/s1600/AU+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkI-VnjDtEB-V_HO5YXJnwJi6h-ux3NQQfOI8a9K-ZqXm39mfj6f__O9h7twYdWeIs4TyCnqrWwN9KHxvwYoayL0lHdnM3fEONQUwLTanORaryqo6d_WGsLnwty7BP_WdNKhkBBpNyHI/s320/AU+4.JPG" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Riana with a lovely quartz crystal fresh from the earth</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbzLU5OI9fyW4slKXUsqIkBb7110lCnW6DxSlyKvbrwdGCIIivc9tFFrnAsY-BQzIs_muMZeFMFO-ztFaMHpRym7jyG0PRCxMEpWHcXa9Y1WABhCChH7-Dks10HWeuMq3xdyUnofPgB8/s1600/AU+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbzLU5OI9fyW4slKXUsqIkBb7110lCnW6DxSlyKvbrwdGCIIivc9tFFrnAsY-BQzIs_muMZeFMFO-ztFaMHpRym7jyG0PRCxMEpWHcXa9Y1WABhCChH7-Dks10HWeuMq3xdyUnofPgB8/s320/AU+5.JPG" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A flat floater crystal, one of many floaters</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG70dlMZ9XXjDXNBghV8IBTSkG53BnFO6MHTGQZF0yibjJ4dxdUGtPiiLsUAHSYJxfHHqkjX4huDSGV3Qax0-stbl8WQVzERNRqEoqDE1jhSlq2AXOZuLtj1unM8kVtb0a8BZyJNNkyxM/s1600/AU+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG70dlMZ9XXjDXNBghV8IBTSkG53BnFO6MHTGQZF0yibjJ4dxdUGtPiiLsUAHSYJxfHHqkjX4huDSGV3Qax0-stbl8WQVzERNRqEoqDE1jhSlq2AXOZuLtj1unM8kVtb0a8BZyJNNkyxM/s320/AU+6.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fellow diggers, exploring old veins and empty pockets</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweJAJW7julBDKx6vlnVtHzpTKg0QFFNgfjgPiY2YoEm6lDU9MkWwU1KTJg9JJRjWzGSd1UJeXxRBkgK60iaAOa_DBKIG-n40Th6b-UNPMzwvGxG_g8nKs8S9ZsxCpuQDr6cH2La_lYCA/s1600/AU+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweJAJW7julBDKx6vlnVtHzpTKg0QFFNgfjgPiY2YoEm6lDU9MkWwU1KTJg9JJRjWzGSd1UJeXxRBkgK60iaAOa_DBKIG-n40Th6b-UNPMzwvGxG_g8nKs8S9ZsxCpuQDr6cH2La_lYCA/s320/AU+7.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our campsite at the mine</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGAV0jZqlDMLTofbUJ_9DklE2hisKX5Wo35rfAZNbbZhoGMnsAa3Z4yMvLwHBG59ijHPgZVZGgz7KzSgONdu7TMIMDtz8V1njNeWkXwX_WqiL6fcJZ5hJhi6lNN7tLAU0uy7XbFB2LH8/s1600/AU+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGAV0jZqlDMLTofbUJ_9DklE2hisKX5Wo35rfAZNbbZhoGMnsAa3Z4yMvLwHBG59ijHPgZVZGgz7KzSgONdu7TMIMDtz8V1njNeWkXwX_WqiL6fcJZ5hJhi6lNN7tLAU0uy7XbFB2LH8/s320/AU+8.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A single crystal weighing 1.7 kg</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipX8ChsqeL5qEYYvofK4Ek_YmGpJlIMb0QvdjZz1MkxzXJPBLB1P39fskPotdYlNUawJe2DzSzyaafThVR4uWM3C7Th6IgTUSLRFIuszzzxJL0lyO6DWX0n-VYwPp02Pmx9ej5n7bh0UY/s1600/AU+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipX8ChsqeL5qEYYvofK4Ek_YmGpJlIMb0QvdjZz1MkxzXJPBLB1P39fskPotdYlNUawJe2DzSzyaafThVR4uWM3C7Th6IgTUSLRFIuszzzxJL0lyO6DWX0n-VYwPp02Pmx9ej5n7bh0UY/s320/AU+9.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another flat crystal floater.</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B48vsjBBzoOnonf3dvY_rymEKjynq29vqUtfQmsU5T3i6Asn6SgezYwcxNJl8vvRgUo4UCqyi8VJ0096e5efYm29pFKkHCDkfYB4WoULPQXG_lk-GXBgECl2qkVuqXayAJmRYoONPng/s1600/AU+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3B48vsjBBzoOnonf3dvY_rymEKjynq29vqUtfQmsU5T3i6Asn6SgezYwcxNJl8vvRgUo4UCqyi8VJ0096e5efYm29pFKkHCDkfYB4WoULPQXG_lk-GXBgECl2qkVuqXayAJmRYoONPng/s320/AU+11.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Smitty and John coming to terms with a new day.</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERKrXAvANGwmGuR108rny-Xulk3p0BSyL5QZ4MH1EkuRconZL9wyH68J-MT9iNESLk218aSyYro7-09xbZ0fcVKmmjnol5oE6FJWeYmIqTWgecU5lzW1BvEm0bgaxEkxMdkGc4qBUbgE/s1600/AU+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERKrXAvANGwmGuR108rny-Xulk3p0BSyL5QZ4MH1EkuRconZL9wyH68J-MT9iNESLk218aSyYro7-09xbZ0fcVKmmjnol5oE6FJWeYmIqTWgecU5lzW1BvEm0bgaxEkxMdkGc4qBUbgE/s320/AU+12.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some members have a good health insurance.</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtouv5IsYoznzPqS483yTBSCriq9MsBgxNJylMKLNPaAyAjWTVbx1s_VaE0M5Nk7NDZLye6JaylQorPZ3s_snEC3uflkqIuEe6SMnJH3xM78AmRDCC48HKTPnC2gj0bUqqvKzv0qMvicg/s1600/AU+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtouv5IsYoznzPqS483yTBSCriq9MsBgxNJylMKLNPaAyAjWTVbx1s_VaE0M5Nk7NDZLye6JaylQorPZ3s_snEC3uflkqIuEe6SMnJH3xM78AmRDCC48HKTPnC2gj0bUqqvKzv0qMvicg/s320/AU+13.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Graham and sons found </span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">an interesting pocket of rutilated quartz</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-VjbmGmGDAXIFKdjuPrhDRiZy6J780_jo44Cdj1bhRkO4bwgeSC4pPUOVpgK2kf7FOvgnzZot_APKIKcEoUjNXKjPboT6ip5Eia4fnuGWJo5GqASra7SiYGbuQ8-qMa-p-ZSIOknsxY/s1600/Au+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-VjbmGmGDAXIFKdjuPrhDRiZy6J780_jo44Cdj1bhRkO4bwgeSC4pPUOVpgK2kf7FOvgnzZot_APKIKcEoUjNXKjPboT6ip5Eia4fnuGWJo5GqASra7SiYGbuQ8-qMa-p-ZSIOknsxY/s320/Au+14.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A large crystal with a coating of iron oxide</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcpFUyddfNrABhRksWFBntxjOITO0WckYdDbOSbFiDY-fg2a3Xdz82O_YfM1xSNdMGLuqjKqbgXbgp0X4QuPqIGyn2UaijtvmVYer9U3E75ldCmTNfA_0mx3tTxaZofz1vT1CG1yEC0s/s1600/AU+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcpFUyddfNrABhRksWFBntxjOITO0WckYdDbOSbFiDY-fg2a3Xdz82O_YfM1xSNdMGLuqjKqbgXbgp0X4QuPqIGyn2UaijtvmVYer9U3E75ldCmTNfA_0mx3tTxaZofz1vT1CG1yEC0s/s320/AU+15.jpg" /></span></em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">A large floater quartz crystal group</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnTihMZqU-PL-KRQ4RBds3S1wzgiupuOYpq_imih0Oh207MkOjkCyKX1gTMD4HoY3aAyoIjSwslApctt-CNcKHA3SotQFSxPhxGw0dksGyGBvBLKq35PrlpJUDxQx0MnCxkteWHqI4tI/s320/AU+1.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 370px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 552px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCxZprs0JhByYXCH_sKskCR7KPga2YPi1rSoR1goJU0XtIjWzdaJAqlZZiGTT_AEUy3Tzez2E3CJf_Tw4WotLgEOaqzfDCTpAPpHidTZ2z83n1kEA_bHRcJxrkuz1GhRySsNq3U63XqM/s320/AU+16.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 363px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 376px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /> </span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Pierre Jouberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826211989393299264noreply@blogger.com0