February 2017

Happy

Valentine’s Day!

WEST SEATTLE PETROGLYPHS

Mike Wall, Editor P.O. Box 16145 Seattle, WA 98116

email: mike_wall@yahoo.com

Monthly Bulletin of the West Seattle Rock Club, Inc.

Seattle, Washington

Our Club:

Practices the Rockhound Code of Ethics

Website:

http://www.westseattlerockclub.org

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 1

Volume 52, Number 2

Meetings:

Visitors are always welcome!

WEST SEATTLE ROCK CLUB, INC. Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 16145, Seattle, WA 98116

The purpose of this Club is to promote the study and enjoyment of the Lapidary Arts with good Rock-hounding and good fellowship; and to further education and lapidary skills for all; to conduct field trips for exploration and collection of minerals, gems, rocks and fossils; to promote shows and displays; to publish a monthly periodical known as West Seattle PETROGLY PHS relating to club activities.

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS (2017):

Show Co-Chairs Programs Refreshments/Hospitality Membership Historian Library Chair Field Trips

Webmaster

AFFILIATED WITH:

Northwest Federation & American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Seattle Regional Gem and Mineral Show Committee

Washington State Mineral Council ALAA – American Lands Access Association

Meetings are held on the Fourth Wednesday of each month, except for November which is the THIRD Wednesday and no meetings in July and December

The meetings are held in Adams Hall of the Tibbetts United Methodist Church 3940 41st S.W. (corner of 41st S.W. and S.W. Andover Street) Seattle, WA

6:00 PM – Junior Meeting 7:00 PM – Adult Meeting Dues are: $20.00 first year (including name badge), then: $10.00 per adult member per year or $15.00 for 2 adults in same family, $3.00 per junior member per year

VISITORS ARE INVITED AND ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL MEETINGS

All material in this Bulletin may be reprinted if properly credited - Exchange Bulletins are most welcome.

****************************************************************************************

OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2017):

President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Federation Director Director at Large Mineral Council Reps Seattle Regional Reps Newsletter - Editor Current Past President

****************************************************************************************

****************************************************************************************

Diane Christensen Hannah Roberts Sue Fox Audrey Vogelpohl Audrey Vogelpohl Ken Schmidt Katherine Koch Lyle Vogelpohl Mike Wall Rich Babcock

(206) 582-2267 (206) 412-5498 (206) 835-0774 (206) 932-3292 (206) 932-3292 (206) 932-3626 (425) 765-5408 (206) 932-3292 (206) 935-4953 (206) 326-8951

Hannah Roberts Diane Christensen <Vice President> Sue Fox Mary Bentler Annette Nelson Jim Ewins <Open> Donn Ullery

(206) 412-5498 (206) 582-2267

<Vice President> (206) 835-0774 (206) 932-6108 (206) 379-3677 (206) 283-6914

<Open> (206) 550-1318

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 2

****************************************************************************************

CLUB CALENDAR

February 22, 2016

Junior Meeting (6:15 pm)

Program: Crystals come in 6 basic shapes. Bring a favorite crystal and we’ll try to identify yours. This is a requirement for Badge #1 Rocks & Minerals

General Meeting (7:00 pm)

Program: Geology—Why Bother? (A 26 minute DVD revealing that geology isn’t just about things that happened millions of years ago. It’s events going on around us every day.

Show & Tell: Crystals—What can you tell us about yours?

Hi - Thanks to all the past presidents for attending our January meeting. For those of you who picked from the list of reasons to attend our meetings, we are trying to provide the monthly programs with the items of most interest. For the Feb-ruary program, will be watching a movie on geology. (There are numerous votes for watching videos as well as learning about geology). The show and tell item will be “crystals”. What is a crystal? A crystal is a solid whose atoms are arranged in a highly ordered re-peating pattern. These patterns are called crystal lattices. If an object has its atoms arranged in one of seven crystal lattice pat-terns, then it is considered a crystal. Some examples of crystals are amethyst quartz,

PRESIDENT’S

MESSAGE

WHAT’S

INSIDE

Club Calendar 3

President’s Message 3

What’s Inside 3

January General Meeting Minutes 4

2017 Refreshments 5

Dues are Due 5

Past President’s Picture—January

Meeting 6

What the Shape of a Crystal Tells! 6

Safety Matters: Seeing the Light? 6

Mineral Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt 7

What Causes Washboard Roads? 8

Pyrite and Fossils 9

Shop Tips 9

2017 Field Trips 10

2017 Shows 10

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 3

peridot, diamond, table salt and even a snowflake. Cubic zirconia and bismuth are synthetic crystals. Hope to see everyone at the February meet-ing. Happy Valentine's Day and Rock-on! Diane Christensen

WEST SEATTLE ROCK CLUB –

GENERAL MEETING MINUTES January 25, 2017

Business: The meeting was called to order by President Diane Christensen. Annette Nelson announced there were 24 adult members, 5 junior members and 11 guests present. The door prizes were won by Herbert Veit, Sylvia Ewins, Zoe Ryan, and guests Jerome Blossom, Jadalyn Blossom, and Logan Smith. Audrey Vogelpohl invited guests to pick up application if they would like to join our club. Audrey issued name badges, ID card and West Seattle Rock Club pins to new members Aron Sweeney, Heather Sweeney, and Eric Ryan.

Committees: Junior Advisor Coordinator (Audrey Vogelpohl): Audrey issued “Stone Age Tools and Art” badges to

Zoe Ryan, Atticus Ryan, and Dante Ryan. Lola Smith modeled a badge sash – the club can purchase ma-terials and the sewing labor would be donated since the club is a non-profit. Further discussion will be had at the Board Meeting.

Seattle Regional (Lyle Vogelpohl): no update

Northwest Federation (Audrey Vogelpohl): Fees are due. The annual meeting and show will be held in Hamilton, MT at the end of May. All are welcome. Field trip information is in the NW Newslet-ter.

Treasurer Report (Audrey Vogelpohl): Dues are due (info on page 3 of the Petroglyphs)

Editor's report (Mike Wall): Mike is looking for articles or topics to start off 2017.

Washington Mineral Council (Kat Koch): no update, Kat not in attendance.

Show Update (co-chairs Diane Christensen, Hannah Roberts, Sue Fox, Annette Nelson, Brooke Wagner): Friday dinner and set-up April 28th. Show dates/times: April 29th and 30th, 10am – 5pm. Volunteer sign-up sheets available. New posters will be made. Dealers will be: Rich and Tammy Lewis (Crystal Rich); Hans Neukomm from Corvallis OR; Ken and Heather Pearson from Grants Pass, OR; Rob and Ivan Jr Paulson; and Tom Payne

Librarian (Jim Ewins): Jim mentioned that the library is always available but there hasn’t been much activity.

Refreshments for the meetings (Sue Fox): February meeting: Sue Fox will bring snacks; Mary Bentler signed up for drinks. The 2017 sign up sheet was available so members could volunteer to bring snacks and drinks to our monthly meetings (and lots of people signed up!).

Historian (Annette Nelson): no update

Field Trips and Shows: See the January Petroglyphs for a complete list of future tr ips and shows. Mentioned at the meeting: Tucson AZ show happening as we meet; Whidbey Island, Portland, and Idaho shows in February; Yakima show in April; Lapidary Estates is downsizing (info available). Field Trips mentioned: Beaver Valley Quarry 1/27-28; Walker Valley next month. The NW Rockhounds Facebook site has information and Diane has some printed information available.

New Business

Past Presidents were introduced: Thank you for your service! (many of you time and time again)

Congratulations for incoming 2017 officers: Diane Christensen President, Hannah Roberts Vice Presi-dent, Sue Fox Secretary, Audrey Vogelpohl Treasurer, Audrey Vogelpohl Federation director, Ken Schmidt director-at-large, Katherine Koch Mineral Council Representative, Lyle Vogelpohl Seattle Re-gional Representative, Mike Wall Newsletter Editor and Rich Babcock current past President.

(Continued on page 5)

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 4

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 5

Lyle Vogelpohl mentioned that tumbler grit is available. The club purchases it in bulk and parcels it out. Great deal - just pay the treasurer! Lyle is looking for plastic jars with lids that he can use for this grit. When tumbling rocks for the show, the grit is free!

A questionnaire is available – please let us know what meeting activities interests you most to help us plan for future meetings!

Board meeting: The next board meeting will be on February 1st 2017 at the Vogelpohl’s home

Program/Show and Tell — Rock from Igneous/Sedimentary/Metamorphic

Lyle Vogelpohl showed 3 cabs - mukite, “basement material”, blue goldstone (a man-made material)

Lola showed a quartz (although she would like help ID’ing)

Dave Clausen brought carnelian, labradorite, opal, quartz crystal, jade, and fossilized sand dollar

Jim Ewins brought beaded cabochons (he learned this at the NW Rockhound Retreat last year)

Logan Smith showed a thunderegg that was received as a gift

Aron Sweeney showed quartzite, a serpentine slab, some serpentine, Sioux quartzite, and Biggs Jasper

Scott Ryan displayed a jar of rocks that were picked because they looked like planets and moons

Atticus Ryan shared his Jasper

Diane Christensen showed some obsidian (igneous) and marble (metamorphic)

Dante Ryan displayed an obsidian ball (igneous)

Zoe Ryan shared a striped amethyst and a tiger eye

Annette Nelson brought in a block of pumice and obsidian

Ken Schmidt brought in a ½ a batch of tumbled material (looking for rocks to tumble for the show – we typically go through 4 or 5 5-gallon pails).

Lola won the show and tell raffle. The meeting was adjourned, and refreshments were served. Respectfully Submitted, Sue Fox, WSRC Secretary

(Continued from page 4)

——————————————————-

Follow-on month reminders:

March

Snacks: Mike Wall (30-40)

Drinks: Mike Wall (30-40)

2017

REFRESHMENTS

Note: The sign-up sheet is available at our meetings. Please pick a month and signup—there are lots of open spaces still available. (Please contact Sue Fox to sign up if you can’t attend the meeting.)

Here are the signups for this month —

Febuary

Snacks: Sue Fox (30-40)

Drinks: Mary Bentler (30-40)

DUES ARE DUE Dues are due and will be accepted at this meet-ing. When mailing your dues, please include a stamped self-addressed envelope for returning the receipt and membership card to you. Audrey

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 6

SAFETY MATTERS:

SEEING THE LIGHT?

by Ellery Borow, AFMS Safety Chair If you are seeing the light, the ultra violet (UV) light that is, there may be a problem. Many of the shows I visit offer a display / exhibit / darkened booth high-lighting the amazing effects of ultra violet reactive minerals for show patrons to see. Such displays are really great to see at shows because they offer a view of minerals and rocks most folks never have the op-portunity to see. While many of the UV exhibits I have seen offer sufficient safe guards for the public, some could be better at protecting the club members working the display and the general public. In your exhibit are folks provided with sufficient eye protection and bare skin protection? Is sufficient attention being paid to reflective surfaces? Are the lights angled sufficiently well to illuminate the min-erals and rocks and keep the UV rays out of patron’s eyes? Even short term exposures to UV can have harmful effects. One of the examples I like to cite is about

(Continued on page 7)

WHAT THE SHAPE OF A

CRYSTAL TELLS!

Submitted by Audrey Vogelpohl

Crystals come in amazing shapes based upon their chemical structure. The shape of a crystal is one of the ways in helping identify a mineral. There are six basic crystal forms.

CUBE - shaped like a square cube. Ex: pyrite and galena

TETRAGONAL - shaped like a stretched out cubic crystal Ex: zircon and rutile

MONOCLIMIC - shaped like tetragonal but tilted in one angle Ex: gypsum and muscovite

TRICLINIC - looks like monoclimic crystals that have been stepped on Ex: axinite and tur-quoise

HEXAGONAL - looks like a six sided prism which viewed from the top looks like a hexa-gon Ex: quartz and calcite

ORTHORHOMBIC - the crystal looks like two pyramids stuck together, but at a bit of an angle Ex: barytes and natrolite

Submitted by Audrey Vogelpohl

PAST PRESIDENT’S PICTURE—JANUARY MEETING

Photograph by Jim Ewins

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 7

MINERAL COSMETICS IN

ANCIENT EGYPT

by Odessa Durante, WSRC Junior

When you think of Cleopatra what comes mind? When I picture her, I think of her winged eyeliner, vibrant green eyeshadow, and rogued cheeks. This Egyptian queen loved using makeup. In fact, the Egyptians were the first to create cosmetics. Those early cosmetics were actually made out of rocks and minerals.

The Ancient Egyptians treasured a bright green stone called Malachite. They crushed the stone into a fine powder and used it to give color to their eye lids. Kohl was also commonly used at that time. It was dark gray, and originally used to protect the eyes against the harmful rays of the sun. Kohl was com-posed of three different minerals. Laurionite, Phosge-nite and Galena mixed together with a few other in-gredients. It was basically homemade carbon. Finally, the Ancient Egyptians used a natural clay called Ochre, for painting their cheeks. The clay was mined and washed then dried in the sun or burnt so the pigment turned red. It is amazing to think that the first cosmetics were made from crushed rocks and minerals. Many women all around the world still use cosmetics in their morn-ing routines. Yet, many of them probably don’t know

(Continued on page 8)

UV reflections. Take the story of a group of people out on a boat and enjoying some sport (catch and release) fishing. Imagine that all the folks are wear-ing baseball caps with visors to protect their heads and faces from harmful UV ray sunburn effects. At the end of the day there will be folks showing no signs of sunburn because they wore the proper amount of sun screen. There are also most likely going to be folks at the end of the day who are quite sunburned, right to the very underside edge of the baseball cap where its head band touches the fore-head. How might the sun’s harmful UV rays have reached under the visor right to the persons forehead to create a sunburn in an area the should have been protected by the visor? In a word, the answer is -- reflections. The surface of the ocean is not flat, it is covered by waves. Those waves act as curved reflectors to re-flect the sun’s harmful UV waves upward and right underneath a persons visor-covered forehead. The same can happen on a smaller scale in a show’s UV mineral booth. UV can be reflected by some mineral surfaces up onto the bare skin and unprotected eyes of show patrons and club members tending to the booth. Under most circumstances the amount of exposure is relatively minimal, except for those who remain in the booth for extended periods of time - such as the folks tending to the booth and those curious show patrons who just can’t get enough of the beauty and curiosity of UV illuminated minerals. Some suggest-ed solutions to UV overexposure include:

Wear eye protection for extended viewing or working in the vicinity of UV light

Wear sunscreen protection on exposed skin

Minimize reflections of UV light toward viewers - reflections may come from the display material and / or the minerals themselves

Angle the UV lights so no one, especially small children, can kneel down and look up into the UV lamp housing or bulbs

Offer protective eye-wear temporarily to patrons who wish to use it, even if for short exposure times

Take periodic breaks from being under strong UV illumination

We encourage shows to offer exhibits of UV miner-als and rocks because such displays always seem to be a great attraction. We also encourage sufficient protections and safeguards be utilized with such ex-hibits. As always, we hope you safely see the light because your safety matters. (via AFMS Newsletter, 2/17)

(Continued from page 6)

Acrylic Painting by Odessa Durante

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 8

their true natural origins. Sources used http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-makeup/5-ancient-egyptian-cosmetics1.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_cosmetics_in_ancient_Egypt

(Continued from page 7) cause they can encourage unsafe driving speeds, dam-age suspension systems and increase road mainte-nance costs. It also creates a safety problem, because a car or truck that doesn’t experience full contact with the ground might not be able to brake properly. So what causes washboard Roads? Physics of Washboard Road Formation Some experts who maintain dirt roads say that your car’s suspension system causes the problem as it actu-ally tries to smooth out the bumps in the road [source: U.S. Forest Service]. As a wheel moves over a bump, the suspension system absorbs the shock and then pushes back against the road surface. On a soft sur-face like a dirt road, the push back either packs or displaces the dirt it hits. Over time, as more and more cars go over the bump, the washboard pattern devel-ops. However, in the summer of 2009, physicists from Canada, France and the United Kingdom published a new study about the physics of washboard road for-mation. They discovered that ripples will form, even when the springy suspension of a car and the rolling shape of a wheel are eliminated [source: American Physical Society]. They built an experimental vehicle, replacing the wheel with a suspension rolling over a road with a simple inclined plow blade, without any spring or suspension, dragging over a bed of dry sand. Ripples appear when the plow moves above a certain speed. After observing the results, they compared this phe-nomenon to the physics of stone skipping: A stone needs to be thrown above a specific speed in order to have enough force to bounce of the surface. A wash boarding plow is similar, except the sandy surface remembers its shape and the effect is amplified. They concluded that the formation of a washboard pattern is inevitable. The ridges will form, even if the wheel diameter, suspension or surface is changed. The only way to avoid the effects of a washboard road is to stay below a certain speed, but that’s impractical: you’d usually have to drive at 3 miles per hour (4.83 kilometers per hour) to eliminate the problem alto-gether. Some day, such discoveries may lead to improved suspension systems or improved road surfaces that smooth out a bumpy ride. In the meantime, there’s not much you can do about washboard road except brace yourself, watch your speed and hang on for the ride. Causes of Washboard Road Formation While washboard roads can occur anywhere, they are most often seen in hot, dry areas and on sandy, dirt or gravel roads. What causes wash boarding to be worse in some locations than others? There are three main

(Continued on page 9)

WHAT CAUSES WASH-

BOARD ROADS?

by Marie Willsey

HowStuffWorks.com, ADVENTURE | RANCH LIFE Have you ever driven down a back road and suddenly felt like you’d just ran over a series of speed bumps? Did you wonder what they’re doing in a road that seems to be in the middle of nowhere? The phenomenon you’ve experienced is what’s called a “washboard road.” When a car travels on an un-paved road, a wavy pattern will ultimately develop. At first, tiny ripples form, and then they get larger as more cars pass over them. Whether you’re traveling on roads in Australia or Africa, South Dakota or Southern California, washboard roads -- with a wavy pattern that resembles an old-fashioned metal wash-board -- are a common occurrence. While washboard roads are familiar to drivers on country roads around the world, the phenomenon oc-curs elsewhere in science and technology.

Whenever a sideways force acts on a malleable sur-face, ripples occur. You may have seen the same little ripple on wind or water-driven sand at the beach, and on moguls that develop on ski hills. Motocross bikes and snowmobiles also cause ripples to form in dirt and snow. Small bumps on steel railway tracks are also a result of the washboard phenomenon. Washboard roads often are more than a nuisance be-

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 9

causes: Lack of moisture -- Washboard roads are particularly prevalent when weather conditions are dry. Frequent rain fall reduces the chances of wash boarding. Traffic -- Hard acceleration or braking can accelerate wash boarding, and that helps explain why you’ll see it frequently at intersections, before and after sharp curves, business entrances, and even driveways. If a car’s tires lose a firm grip on the road and begin to spin or skid, some gravel will be displaced. If this happens repeatedly, the gravel will be displaced, often uniformly, and a washboard pattern will form. Poor quality surface -- Wash boarding occurs most frequently if the sur-face quality of the road is poor, whether it’s sand, gravel or even pavement. When a heavy load passes over the surface repeatedly, it develops irregularities like washboard patterns. Potholes are a common re-sult of poor quality surfaces, too. If you travel dirt roads frequently, you know that you can find an ideal speed that will help smooth out the ride. That’s the speed at which your car’s suspension system is pushing the car down at the same time you experience a dip in the road. The problem is that the more the tires press down, the worse the washboard depression becomes. It’s a catch-22: your suspension system is giving you a smooth ride, but it’s making the washboard problem worse. http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities ranch-life/what-causes-washboard-roads.htm (via Agatizer, 1/17)

(Continued from page 8)

SHOP TIPS

Editor’s Note: Shop tips fea-tured in this bulletin have not been evaluated for safety or relia-bility. Please use caution and common sense when trying out any new idea.

——————————————–

How To Clean Metal Costume Jewelry

To clean non-plastic metal costume jewelry immerse it in rubbing alcohol for five minutes. Rinse in warm water and dry with a lint-free cloth.

(via The Tumbler, 1/17; via Gem & Mineral Journal, 2/16; via The Quarry, 2/16)

——————————————–

PYRITE AND FOSSILS

PYRITE Pyrite is a Sedimentary Mineral. It is found in the following colors: gold, silver and rusty/oxidized (brown, black, red or green). Pyrite is nicknamed 'Fools Gold' because during The Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, it was mistaken for Gold. Pyrite is found in a complex of different Cuboids; they overlap, so you may see one cube with the corner or edge of an-other cube appearing to protrude from it. PYRITE AND FOSSILS Fossils are sometimes found preserved in Pyrite. Py-rite Fossils are preserved in immaculate detail. They weigh significantly more than normal Fossils. Some-times a Fossil can be partly preserved in Pyrite. (Don't

try to dissect your Fossils in search of Pyrite as it is unlikely you will find it!) Pyrite Fossils are normally found in large quantities, called Pyrite Veins. Photo Below: Pyrite Fossilized Ammonite

information and photo from http://www.fossilidentification.org/pyrite-fossils.html (via Golden Spike News, 1/17; via the Hard Rock News 1/17)

How Can You Help

Your Federation: Save stamps and give to our club treasurer.

Your Hobby: Join ALAA. - Contact Lyle Vogelpohl

Other: Volunteer to teach beginners what you are good at.

To Learn More About ...

Cabbing … contact Lyle Vogelpohl … (206) 932-3292

2017 SHOWS

Feb 24 9am-5pm Oregon Agate and Mineral Society Feb 25 9am-5pm OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) Feb 26 9am-5pm 1945 SE Water Avenue, Portand, OR

Feb 25 10am-6pm Idaho Gem Club Feb 26 10am-5pm Expo Idaho, 5610 Glenwood, Boise, ID

Mar 4 10am-6pm Owyhee Gem & Mineral Society Mar 5 10am-5pm O’Conner Field House, 2200 Blaine, Caldwell, ID

***************************************************************************************

Apr 29 10am-5pm West Seattle Rock Club Annual Show

Apr 30 10am-5pm Alki Masonic Temple, 4736 40th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA ***************************************************************************************

————————————————————————————————————— See the Northwest Newsletter for additional show listings and times.

Available online at: http://northwestfederation.org/newsletters.asp

February 2017 West Seattle Petroglyphs Page 10

2017 FIELD TRIPS

Feb 18 Darrington Rock Club Field Trip – Walker Valley – 9:00 am @ Big Lake Store —Geodes and

Agates—Hard Rock Tools—contact Ed Lehman—wsmced@hotmail.com home# (425) 334-6282, cell# (425) 760-2786

Mar 11 Marysville Rock Club Field Trip – Cedar Ponds– 9:00 am @ Jack-n-Box East end of Monroe—

Jasper—Dig and Hard Rock Tools—contact Ed Lehman—wsmced@hotmail.com home# (425) 334-6282, cell# (425) 760-2786

————————————————————————————————————— See WSMC http://www.mineralcouncil.org/FieldTrips_2016.pdf for additional field trips and details