The Native's didn't have any school and The SM had the day off from work. We loaded up in the truck and headed to a place called Topaz Mountain. Named thus because apparently, the mountain and surrounding area is made from lava and filled with topaz and other gemstones.
Food, hammers, chisels, screw drivers, anything you could pound into rock, and more food. Roger that. We're off!!
We found a nice secluded spot to picnic and park the truck. The Native's took off in several different directions. Mr. T and Mr. C took off up this hill just sure they'd find a gold mine of gemstones at the very tip top.
Mr. M and Mr. B took off and climbed this one. That tiny little yellow speck in the middle of the photo is Mr. B's shirt.
Mr. C and Mr. T have made it to the top. The only evidence is the two of them yelling random words out to the entire of state of Utah and laughing their heads off as it echoed back to them.
The SM showed Mr. J, Henny Penny, and Levi some rocks they could pound on close by so we could keep an eye on them.
The sound of all of these guys pounding rocks up this little draw sounded like gun shots going off echoing back and forth.
The rock in this area was fascinating to me. Such a dull grey color but nature put some blush on their faces to brighten things up a bit. It was an overcast day so the grey everywhere seemed all the more grey.
Mr. J hard at work.
Levi doing his best to crack the entire mountain in half.
Not a gemstone. Not even close. Warning! Do not pick up or move any rocks with your bare hands! A scorpion.
Henny Penny cracked me up. Her pink purse clutched in one hand and a hammer beating the tar out of rocks with the other.
If this doesn't describe my baby girl, I don't know what does.
Mr. M and Mr. B still hard at work on their side of the hill
Mr. T and Mr. C coming back down for some grub. Hiking up while yelling their heads off has made them hungry.
Levi is trying to split a rock in half.
This is actually pretty impressive for him. This requires fine motor skills so for him to hit the screw driver like this, I was proud of him! I just need to make sure he doesn't try this at home on things I don't want split in half!
NOT, the end........
I tried to make that same definition of "labor day" stick at my house, even to asking where my presents were. They didn't buy it. Please don't tell my children about the fun adventure (minus the scorpion) YOUR family had--they may utterly rebel after I made them spend the morning doing yardwork!
ReplyDeleteI hope this isn't the end! I wanna know if ya'll found any treasure- besides the scorpion! YIKES!
ReplyDeleteI love that pic of Levi pounding away! It looks like everyone had a blast.
ReplyDeleteTopaz mountain is really a fascinating place. Aside from the fact that there is nowhere - except those very bushes you included in your photograph - for a girl to find any - umm - personal privacy - the place is downright magical. I think I told you, when we went there, as we followed the road back in, I got angrier and angrier - we'd seen the beer bottles by the side of that primitive road, and I realized that some fairly uncivilized partying must happen out that way -
ReplyDeleteBut I was unprepared for the mass of broken glass left behind by the nasty teen red neck bunch - . I made Guy stop the car, and I got out to look at the road - there just was light glinting off a thousand shards of - something. And when I got out there, I saw that this wasn't broken glass at all - but tiny bits of crystal, all over the road.
We found that scorpion, too - but we also found the tiny pockets formed when the lava cooled - and collected a whole cup full of actual gem stones. After quite a bit of judicious pounding. There's a garnet field out there, too - amazing. take a walk and harvest garnets. And a geode field also.
But still no sanitary facilities. What was nature thinking - jewels for the taking, but no necessities?
There probably weren't any stones because they are all in a bucket in our garage. Been there for YEARS -- come and get 'em.
ReplyDeleteKorrie, We should have done yard work. My yard is suffering again but with fall coming..... I just don't have the 'whatever' to make myself get out there knowing that it is all going to die soon...
ReplyDeleteNat, We did find treasure but being the fabulous person that I am... I didn't take any photos!!
Chastina, Everyone had a really good time. Made me realize we need to do more of this.
Kristen, I found a fabulous place to squat. While I was thus squatting and looking at the scenery, I realized upon closer looking of scenery that there were others who had thought the same thing as I as pieces of evidence were around. :) I called it the sacred pooping grounds.
The crystals all over remind me of those crisp cold winter mornings when the snow looks like diamonds. Very cool.
Amazingly, there wasn't any trash out there really. I was pleased..
Kathy, Thank you but you can keep your buckets of rocks. :D Our garage has it's own pile from every blasted trip we go on. What do we bring home? Rocks....
Jody, I got the biggest kick out of watching Henny Penny and her hammer in one hand and her hot pink purse in the other. I'm sure I was probably just the same. Now I leave my hot pink purse at home and just bring my hot pink painted toe nails. ;)