Next Update;      

 Hey Folks;     

     Time to catch up.  Lets see, I was in Franklin, N.C. Right?  Right.  Well the Mason Ruby and Sapphire mine was no problem except the gem stones were a little small to my likeing.  You have to go way out past the Airport, stop and get directions there, in the middle of somewhere way past the boondocks.  The trip is worth it.  Nice people and a good time.  Problem, no Internet access.  Kinda hard to post updates.  Next day tried to find the “Mason Mountain Mine”.  The few who had heard of it said it was closed.  Most didn’t even know what I was talking about and referred me back to the “Mason Ruby and Sapphire Mine”.  Pretty much the same story with the “Buck Creek Mine” and “Chunk Gal” until I ran across a man named Chuck Green at “Jackson Hole Trading Post” 9779 Highlands Road Highlands, NC a little ways Southeast of Franklin on Hwy64 just past Gneiss.  Pronounced the same way you would refer to your brother or sisters little girl.  Anyway, I found out from him that Buck Creek and Chunky Gal were in Clay County  just off of 64 west of Macon/Clay county line.  He had plenty of information about them and how to get to them.  He also turned me onto a book “A rockhounding Guide to North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains” by Michael Streeter.  A licensed geologist for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.  It costs $19.95 but I think it’s well worth the price for anyone that wants to rockhound N.C. 

       I finally got in touch with my friend in N.C. and he set me up with a chance to visit Vein Mountain that I wasn’t about to pass up so, I made a bee line to it as fast as I could get there.  When I got there and met the person that my friend set me up with to be his guest, I found out that they had read my thread on here and that made me feel reeeaaaal goooood.  Others even offered to sponsor me so I could stay longer.  Talking about making someone feel welcome.  WOW!!!  They showed me around answered all my questions, even let me borrow somebody’s eyes to help me be able to spot the small stuff that I could distinguish from mica or pyrite.  The first night I was invited to a get together around a campfire.  I sat down with a cup of coffee and next thing I know was being handed a plate of food.  Good too.  Too much food for me to eat at one time.  The next day I spent most of the day setting up my tent.  I say most of the day because it was the very first time I had ever pitched a tent.  Spent the rest of the day panning the rest of what I got at Buchanon.  I hate to say it but I only came away with two or three small specks.  The only excuse I have is my lack of knowledge and experience.  That night it got cold, really cold, too cold for these old southern bones. So I had to pack up and head south.  But not before and Very Good Thanksgiving Dinner cooked by our illustrious camp caretakers, John and Abby.  John had one comment about the bird being from somewhere in the south and it was a little tougher than the local birds.  All I said was, I guess that just means that we got some tough ole birds down south.  After the dinner, I said my goodbyes and thanked everyone for making me feel like family.  It’s hard to walk away from people like that but I had to try to get away from that cold.  One last thought about Vein Mountain, I really wish I could have signed up for LDMA right there and then.

Well it’s Southwest bound.  On my next post.  Good night ya’ll.

                                                                                                                         Harry