Back to the (crystal) mines

So nice I did it twice

Yep, a big hole in the ground. We drove 5 hours to dig rocks.

Ever go somewhere and you know your friend would just love to see it, too? The minute I got back in the car from crystal hunting in June, I texted Joelle, and wrote, "We're driving up here. It's only 5 hours from Dallas."

Now to some of you, that sounds like a ridiculous statement, "only 5 hours," but you have to understand, Jo and I have STP running through our veins. Joelle's response was, "Sure! 5 hours is nothin'."

The plane tickets were already purchased. I was flying in to see my Gypsy Sister's new house in a couple of weeks, and we really had no plans other than hanging around Dallas. Who am I kidding? An entire weekend? We are incapable of staying in one place more than 24 hours. We packed the car with drinks, snacks, and trowels, then took off for Arkansas.

6:00 a.m. rush hour in Dallas

We decided to try a different mine than the one I visited in Mt. Ida, and chose Coleman Mines in Jessieville. Debra greeted us at the mine office, and we were all instant besties. The people in Arkansas are across-the-board friendly, sincere, and sweet. Debra gave us sacks, some helpful instruction, and wished us luck.

Unlike the mine in Mt. Ida, we could drive our car (and by "our" I mean Jo's) right to the mine site. We really appreciated this as it enabled us to mine longer. We could easily walk back to our car, take a lunch break and get out of the 100 degree sun for awhile.

Hat Ladies

Crystal mining is a bit of a Zen activity. We hiked through the site and each of us chose a nice big rock to sit on, then started sifting through the loose, red dirt for sparkling clues. It is calming to focus on the details. I would lift a trowel-full of soil with my right hand, and let it filter through the fingertips of my left. Some crystals are individual spires, and others are found in twinkling clusters. 

Joelle's treasures

We mined well into the afternoon, then Joelle prudently suggested we call it a day. Heat stroke is no fun. Happy and filthy, we returned to the car to take off for the next leg of our adventure.