My interest in geology has always been a means to an end. I never studied it in school. I am strictly self-taught.
I grew up in the desert near Hinkley, California (decades before Erin Brockovich showed up and PG&E turned it into a ghost town). We had a ranch where we raised rabbits commercially.
I enjoyed collecting pretty rocks, which annoyed my parents and brothers. I had them displayed on window sills, shelves, and my dresser. They would tell me rocks belonged outside, but I could keep a few. I would say, "But I love them all!" My brothers would tease me, saying, "They are just rocks!"
I had a few friends who were rockhounds, and they would identify the rocks they found. My next-door neighbor was into crystals, but I have a love for agates. Over time, I learned what the rocks were and where to look for them.
When I got into gold prospecting, I needed to learn where to find gold. So I studied that (which is geology). As I dug, I would encounter pretty rocks or interesting ones, so I would bring them home.
In South Dakota (and most of the Midwest), the winters are brutally cold. Not like Danielle's Alaska, but enough to keep me indoors. When the weather is clear, and there isn't snow on the ground, I would scout mining locations — and bring home more rocks.
That led me to learning about polishing, and now trying to learn how to do wire-wrap jewelry.
Speaking of rocks, today is tumbler cleanout day, so I may have more photos to post. I'll look into ImgBB now that I have deleted my Flickr account.
