by Cathy Porter
Appeared in the Sun Lakes “Splash”, June 2021

The SLRGS Club has been around an exceptionally long time.  Opal M. Rickensrud was the Secretary of the Club in 1984. This a great article written by her in the Splash in April 1984. She is an entertaining writer. Makes for some fun reading.

She starts by telling how a guest speaker from the National Treasure Hunters League located in Apache Junction whose subject is Metal Detectors spoke to the Club. How metal detecting sounds like a great hobby for people “our age – not too strenuous”. Do people still do that?  Sounds interesting.

And their March field trip to Deming, New Mexico. Fourteen club members had 3 “perfect” days there.  Viewing mineral, rock and jewelry displays at local sites but mostly doing some “actual digging”. Hickoryite specimens were found at Candy Rock and some large, beautiful agates (moss, tube and plume) were found at Big Diggings. One of the diggers was overheard saying “Doesn’t this remind you of a large sand box and everyone busy with their pails and shovels having the time of their life? They can get as dirty as they want to, and no one will scold them for it”.

Field trips like this could resume soon.  Wouldn’t it be great to go on one?  One of the many good reasons for joining the club.