I'm back from my rock show! This year I was on the lookout for fine jaspers, the type that make "egg" formations. But I also got a bunch of other neat pieces!
First is the obligatory Ethiopian opal! Every year I get one from this show. This year's opal is a large milky white stone with impressive play-of-color that refuses to be photographed.
A nicely textured slab of pastelite! This jasper/chert mix comes from Arizona. This piece is cool because it has many cracks where the stone broke and then healed back together. I chatted with the vendor for a while about his adventures in rockhounding it.
A rainbow iris agate from Montana! This piece has a brilliant rainbow stripe, but its colors are very difficult to photograph.
A very unusual cluster of calcite crystals! This piece began as a large dogtooth calcite crystal. Then, a layer of little nailhead calcite crystals grew on top of it! On one side of the cluster the nailhead crystals are rich with iron, giving them a deep orange color.
A big yellow garnet in matrix! It is a grossular/andradite garnet from Mali. This piece shows off the nice dodecahedral shape typical of garnets.
Naturally iridescent pyrite crystals growing on a cluster of quartz! Probably the prettiest specimen I came home with.
A twinned pair of quartz crystals, with a twinned pair of sparkly hematite phantoms inside of them! When the crystals were much younger and smaller, a dusting of glittery red hematite grew on their surfaces. As the quartz continued to grow, it trapped that layer of hematite inside of it, preserving a record of its shape from when it was young!
Sometimes called "Fairy Stones," this cool calcite formation comes from Quebec. One theory of how these stones formed was that the calcite was left behind by colonies of bacteria and microorganisms. Each blobby shape was a colony, which smushed together as they grew and expanded.
Not a rock, but a piece of tumbled uranium glass that glows brightly under UV light! Despite its uranium content, I have tested it with my geiger counter and it is only very slightly radioactive.
A pretty piece of poppy jasper. Hailing from California, this is an orbicular jasper that displays red and yellow flower-like patterns.
A big slab of Mookaite, from Mooka Creek Australia! Mookaite is a type of radiolarite, a stone made from the fossilzed, silica-rich shells of microscopic plankton called radiolarians. It's easily recognizable thanks to its deep reds and bright yellows, which to me look like ketchup and mustard. I already had some Mookaite in my collection, but this piece was sooooo pretty.
But enough of that! Let me regale you with the tale of my egg hunt! I was looking for fine jaspers this year, but I didn't want just any old specimens. I wanted "egg" formations!
The first "eggs" I spotted at the show were the somewhat lopsided looking ones in these slabs. Is their shape nice enough to call them true "eggs?" The seller wasn't sure of their exact locale, but could confirm they were from Mexico. Not the prettiest specimens, but they were only the first on my hunt!
I spotted some pale pink circles that might be "eggs" in this chunk of Noreena jasper from Australia. And look! You can see where minerals seeped through cracks in the rock to create its vibrant colors!
There!! Those overlapping circles! It's small, but that's an "egg!" It's Whiskey Creek Jasper from Idaho, a locale known for producing them.
Now we're talking! Another variety from Idaho, Bruneau jasper, with an amazing "egg" formation!
And finally, the best and coolest fine jasper of all, this phenomenal nodule of Royal Imperial from Guadalajara, Mexico!! I already own some Royal Imperial, but I couldn't resist this piece. Look at the colors! The layers! The brecciation! The EGGS!!
That's all I got! A successful rock show once again!
Summary: Trust grows as Stone and Sage see their new home
Part 1 Part 3 Part 5
--
Stone woke gradually, the first thing he noticed was a throbbing pain. Then quickly followed by a sharp pain.
"Ow!" Jolting up, his wing was forcibly yanked out of Sage's mouth, who had been sucking on it. Glancing at the appendage, he spotted little teeth marks on the tip, not too far away from where the wing had been torn by the arrow.
"Ahhhh!"
"I know, I know, Habiti," Stone soothed her and scooped her up in his arms. "Your teeth are hurting, aren't they? But my wing isn't a chew toy, sweetheart."
Big tears rolled down her chubby cheeks as Sage sniffed up at him. Brushing the tears away with his thumb, Stone smiled down at her. She nuzzled her cheek into his hand, her lip quivering.
Getting to his feet, Stone frowned as he saw the cage was much dimmer than before. A blanket of some sort had been halfhazardly thrown over the cage, covering one side and part of the ceiling.
What is the human up to, Stone wondered.
Sage squirmed in his arms as they approached the bowl of food. He carefully yanked a piece off the apple, letting her suck and chew on it. Stone strained his ears and tried to hear what was happening.
He could hear some sort of...squeaking?
Not the kind an animal might make, but perhaps some kind of material. His eyes scanned the blanket that covered the cage.
There!
There as a small sliver of the wall that wasn't covered in the corner. Grabbing a piece of the citrusy food, Stone grabbed Sage up into his arms.
He settled them in the other corner so he could press his back one wall and look out the sliver. Sage sat happily in his lap, chewing away on her apple. Idly, Stone took a bite of his own breakfast as he squinted out into the large room.
A flash of movement caught his attention.
"Robotnik?" He whispered to himself.
Suddenly, the human came into his field of vision. His body was swaying back and forth, his arms coming up together, switching which side they were on rhythmically.
"Is he...dancing?" Stone frowned.
The human was indeed dancing around the space. His body flowed with the music only he could hear, moving around tables and the badniks he controlled. The floating monsters didn't seem to notice his antics, instead moving around him with ease, as if they had done this dozens of times before.
Taking a bit of his food, Stone continued to watch the human. He didn't know when his face had broken out into a smile, but Stone couldn't help but enjoy the little show.
Watching Robotnik dance, Stone knew he had nothing to fear from the human. Maybe he did want to study Stone, but the human appear more curious than malicious.
However, Stone had been told he had been an optimist when it came to people. Rockwell had gotten after him far too many times when it came to trusting others. Of course, he would always deny this until he got broken up with. His friend enjoyed rubbing it in his face once he had gotten over his heartbreak.
Stone licked his fingers clean as he saw Robotnik twirl around, his lips mouthing along to something.
Their eyes met.
"Ahh!"
Robotnik must have jumped a foot in the air as he tossed something black off of his head, a hand coming up to clutch at his chest.
"How long were you watching!?" He snapped.
Stone shrugged.
"For a bit."
The human's cheeks flushed pink as he glared. Stone smiled back at him, about to ask what he had been listening to. However, razor sharp, little teeth stopped him in his tracks.
"Sage!" He yelped.
She pouted up at him as she clung to his hand and tried to shove his thumb back in her mouth. Her apple had been tossed away, only half finished.
"Let go, Habiti," he ran his other hand through her hair, finally getting her to let his hand go. She pouted even harder. "We'll try to get you something else to eat."
"What's wrong?"
Looking up, Stone saw Robotnik had come closer, his earlier embarrassment replaced by curiosity. He reached out and began to slowly pull the blanket away. Light began flooding into the cage, reminding Stone how bright it was.
"She's looking for meat," Stone explained as he stood. Sage nestled into his chest, her wings flapping a few times in anger. Brushing a hand over them, Stone craned his neck back.
"What kind?"
"Insects, mostly. When it's available, mouse."
The human blinked at him, a frown pulling at his mustache.
"I'll see what I can do," Robotnik nodded slowly. "For now, let's move you out of that rat cage."
"To where?"
As much as Stone wanted to trust the giant, the idea of leaving the cage frightened him. He had gotten used to having the barrier between them.
"I have created a much more suitable living arrangement for you and your child."
Stone could only watch as Robotnik moved his hands close to the top of the cage before it opened up. Backing away, Stone swallowed as two, giant hands descended into the cage.
Luckily, they stayed in the center of the cage, not daring to move towards them. Heart in his throat, Stone stared up at Robotnik.
"Well? Unless you can fly on that busted, wing, then get on. I don't have all day," Robotnik huffed.
Taking a deep breath, Stone wrapped his wings securely around himself and Sage. As a last ditch effort to shield her from the possibility of being crushed.
His steps were slow as he approached the gloved hands. A finger twitched, making Stone flinch. He could feel Sage growing uneasy from his anxiety.
Finally, his sandal stepped onto Robotnik's palm.
"I advice you to sit. It'll be easier to transport you."
Not trusting himself to speak, Stone did just that. Clutching Sage to his chest, he felt his heart stop for a moment as the hands beneath them began to move. They closed around him, but daring to fully enclose him as they began to lift.
Stone screwed his eyes shut, not wanting to see what came next.
--
Robotnik stared down in awe at the creature sitting in his hands.
Stone was a little bit taller than his hand was long. Doing the calculations, Stone had to be roughly six inches tall. However, as Robotnik held him, the creature felt even smaller as he curled in on himself.
So curled in fact, Robotnik couldn't get a glimpse of Sage. The baby was completely hidden under Stone's purple wings.
Shaking himself of his shock, Robotnik brought his cupped hands close to his chest so not to drop his precious cargo. He kept his gait slow, trying not to jostle them. The trip through the lab took double the time it normally would take him.
Why did he have to put their new enclosure on the opposite side of the lab?
Mostly due to how much room he needed.
A badnik swooped down next to his hands, making Stone to snap his eyes open and bare his teeth at the large robot.
"It's harmless," Robotnik told him. Well, it was harmless to Stone and Sage as Robotnik had programmed the little creatures as allies that needed to be protected. To anyone else, the badniks were killers.
Stone hunched his shoulders, trying to make himself smaller.
After another minute of shuffling across the lab, they finally arrived at their destination.
Stone let out a loud gasp.
Smirking with pride, Robotnik let his eyes drink in his latest creation.
During the night, he had his robots pilfer a local pet store for all sorts of things for a tank.
The tank was over ten feet long with a large, fake vertically placed log in the corner that Robotnik had crafted to look more like a miniature apartment with two floors. The 'top' floor had a large opening to act like a window with a pile of moss to act like a bed.
Initially, Robotnik had wanted to furnish the log with dollhouse furniture, however, he decided to go for a more woodlands feeling to accommodate his guests. It looked homely, he would say so.
As for the 'bottom' floor, he had carved a table from wood, the structure looking more like a block of wood. He would let Stone do more decorating once he was settled in.
There was no door, but the opening to the log led to a pool of water. Robotnik had been excited to add the plumbing to create a running water source. The water would be cycled out, the old water being treated and being put back into the cycle.
The pool was technically two pools next to each other, a small gate separating them. One pool was much deeper than the other, allowing Stone a place to bathe comfortably while also giving Sage a shallower pool to play in.
The rest of the tank was filled with local fauna, a heat lamp in the corner with a patch of grass. He knew from experience that the lab lights did not provide enough vitamin D.
"Oh my..."
"Spectacular, isn’t it?" Robotnik preened as he stepped closer to the tank. "I have quite a few more plans for it, but for the moment, this is where you two will be staying."
He was thankful he had left the lid open as he carefully deposited the little creatures into the tank before closing the lid. It locked shut, the small red light flicking on.
Stone stood slowly, his eyes wide in wonder as his mouth dropped open.
"How?" He breathed out. His wings opened to reveal the small bundle in his arms.
Robotnik sat on the stool he had set up near the tank, at the perfect height to peer into the enclosure.
"My intelligence can't be compared to any other human," Robotnik proclaimed. "It was simple for me to make this."
Stone turned on the spot, looking this way and that way as he took everything in. His eyes took in the pool of water.
"Can we...?"
"Of course," Robotnik rolled his eyes. "I made this for you."
"Thank you," Stone smiled up at him brightly.
Robotnik never expected his cold, dead heart to flutter at the expression. Clearing his throat, Robotnik glanced away.
"Yes, well. Just remember our deal."
"Of course, doctor," Stone nodded, his joy not diminishing in the least. "Come on, Habiti. We both need a bath."
Robotnik turned away from the tank to give them privacy. Instead, he went to one of his workbenches. On it, there was a bottle of ointment and small scraps of gauze.
Hopefully he could get Stone healed up quickly so he could analyze his flying abilities.
My hagstone amulet. It’s made out of various things I’ve found and collected over the years (as usual). ☀️ Adder stone, a piece of a synthetic braid of a friend, glass beads, wooden beads, coral beads, plastic beads (I guess?), silver, and other metals.
Does anyone else have collections within their collections? For example, within my rocks and minerals collection, I have a handful of hag stones that I have found! “Hag stones” are rocks with naturally occurring holes in them due to erosion that are thought to be a sign of luck and protection! 🌊🍀
Above are pictures of me finding all of them! 3 out out 4 were found at Presque Isle on Lake Erie, and 2 of those were found on the same day!
My favorite one I actually had wire wrapped so that I can wear it! Have you found any hag stone and/or have any in your rock collection?
The name 'adder stone' is commonly applied either to a small stone with a natural perforation in it, or to a certain type of coloured, glass-like pebble which is fairly uncommon and consequently has all the virtues of the strange and unusual.
Prehistoric spindle-whorls turned up by the plough are also frequently so called by those who do not recognize them for what they really are.
Such stones were formerly prized as charms against evil and were used in cures for various human and animal diseases. According to tradition, they were generated by snakes who, at certain times of the year, congregated in large numbers, coiled themselves into a living ball and, while so united, emitted saliva which hardened into a stone. Because of their serpentine origin, they were widely used to heal adder-bites. Many stories are told of their efficacy for this purpose. One such tale, related by William Henderson in Notes on the Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties (1879) records how a nineteenth-century Scottish labourer near Pitlochry was badly bitten by an adder. 'Severe pains came on,’ said Henderson's informant, 'and a terrible swelling, which grew worse and worse, till a wise woman was summoned with her adder's stone. On her rubbing the place with the stone, the swelling began to subside.' They also cured ague and whooping-cough, kept away nightmares if hung over the bed, and when carried about in the pocket, prevented eye-troubles.
Although their healing properties are not now much regarded, their use as luck-bringers and protective charms is not yet entirely extinct, and in some parts of Great Britain and Ireland such stones, especially those accidentally found, are still preserved and handed down as amulets.
Text from The Encyclopedia of Superstitions, by E. and M.A. Radford, edited and revised by Christina Hole (Helicon Publishing, 1995)
