Keenan, the maps, were great, and I had some from Newbow, and Emory, gave me one, and told me about the woman, who tries to run everyone off, claiming that she has that section when in reality, she owns, or has a section much further down. She just doesn't want people digging there, so she can get the rock to sell, since there isn't much on her section. Anyway, I got out there, and I was the only one out there, and the ground was pretty hard, and I tried to go up the hill, but I started to slip on some icy spots, and did not want to slide into those ruts, and get stuck out there. Being so far between nowhere, and somewhere...... I had chains, but did not want to have to put them on unless I absolutely had to. I didn't do any digging, but I did get a pretty good batch of stuff, I dug out of the road, and along the side of it, and some spalls, that people had left at some campsites. I had a little chunk of Mahogony and handed it to Claude, and told him to see what he could make out of it, and proceeded to make a beautiful preform for me, and I am making a calf creek style out of it for my Girlfriend. I turned out to be a beautiful peice, since it was actually a piece of mahogony, gold sheen. Big black streaks on one side, and light black streaks on the other, but with a large area of gold sheen. Really nice. I am almost finished with that. Claude also made me a nice dacite folsom knife blade. Which I will probably put a piece of antler on it, and give it to a Friends Wife, since she asked me to make her something. I may just keep it for myself, and try to make one on my own, but I doubt I can get it as uniformily thin as Claude did. So I most likely will give her this one. I have eaten a lot of good meals over there, so I figure I owe her one, and she really liked the stuff I had made, and showed her. But on the way home, I called Emory and told him that I did not get any big stuff, but I did get some smaller stuff, and I had really wanted to get some bigger stuff, so I could share it with Eddie, and Claude Van Order, so he says, where are you now, and I told him, and he says, well when you get to Burns, call me, and come to my place, and back your truck in. I am thinking to myself, well hot dang, he's going to give me a piece of rock to take back. Nope. I back in and he loads in a big chunk of silver sheen, and a nice chunck of butter dacite! I couldn't believe it!
I was like a kid at Christmas time. His whole yard, front, back, and sides is covered with huge chunks of rock. I felt bad, his dad told me to come inside, so I went inside, and after awhile Emory comes in, and shows me his palm, which had the first layer of skin, removed so perfectly, it looked like it was just peeled back. He did it while loading up the rock. I told him I felt bad for not helping him load it up.
I got to see those blades, and the Eagles! Absolutely amazing! I am glad you told me to stop by! I would love to see those rocks he got those blades from also! I couldn't believe some of the rock he had there. I keep wondering how in the heck he got them into that ol Datsun, he drives, and got them home. He sure has some amazing ability. Some of the stuff he was showing me was just phenomenal!
He is going to Quartzite pretty soon to sell some of his blades, and eagles. Some of the tiny stuff he had was just jaw dropping.
I will definitely be going over there when I move out to Montana. Too bad we couldn't meet up. I was not a hundred percent sure, of the places to go, and did not want to get shot, but like I said the ground was pretty hard. I did pick up a Pry Bar, (slate Bar), but I did not use it. I broke my little weighted copper bopper, on some rock to see what it was. It was hard! But not knappable. So I just picked up stuff above ground, and sticking out. I had an armload, and stooped to pick up a piece I had dropped, and dropped a grapefruit sized piece on my thumb, and had a nice bone bruise, for about a week and a half. Glad it was not a sharp piece. I might of had to put the thumb in my pocket!
But anyway, I hope to meet up with you guys, in future, when I move out to Montana. I will definitely be going over there again. I want to spend some time with Emory, and get some pointers on making those little points, and the barbed points without breaking off the barbs. I think I have one point with two barbs, and a bunch with one and a half points.
But I really enjoyed meeting Emory, and his Dad.
Really nice people. I am trying to get him a gator jaw, and a big ol Fla. rattle snake skin for his Dad. No , didn't enjoy the 99 miles of switchbacks, in the Lolo pass in Idaho. Idaho needs to learn to put a few more railings on those roads. But I definitely want to fish that knife River in the summer though. And the salmon in the winter. I hope you and yours had a very Merry Christmas. Take care,
Wayne
Wayne
