Mood:

Topic: some days are pretty good
Today I am defrosting the refrigerator that is older than I am. Somewhere in the mineral field guide, ice is described as a mineral.
Most of the rockhounds I grew up with were not terribly interested in mineralogy. A few studied geology. Others took an interest in paleontology. Most were lapidaries. Nowadays there is knapping, crafts, metaphysical interest in crystals. Truthfully, I am getting a little tired of the sulfides.
The next group the book takes up are the niccolites. These are ores of nickel and the ones listed are niccolite, pyrrhotite, and pentlandite. The pyrrhotite is magnetic. These all have a metallic appearance. Closely related are millerite, covellite, breithauptite and klockmannite. It looks like I could get some of these at Butte, Montana. If I wanted them......
I'm wondering how much interest there would be in minerals. Kids like rocks but they seem to be fascinated by "pretty" stones, and by fossils.
Hoffs Rock Shop