McRocks "The
Gathering"
July 8th, 2006
Spruce Pine, NC
Bear
Den Campground
Saturday morning found us at Gem
Mountain (bucket mine) just so we could say "Been there, done
that!". Regina and myself, along with Larry and Elissa McAuley washed
a couple of buckets of salted sand and gravel for various rough gemstones.
Larry chose a big mixed bucket for them and I got a couple of smaller
buckets for Sapphire and Ruby since I didn't really have any good corundum
specimens. We also ran into Jack Hicks and his wife, Lora there as well.
Tom and Nancy Kuzia had tried their hand at the bucket mine a day or so
earlier, but stopped by to see how we were doing (really just to take
silly pictures!). It was a fun activity as long as you don't expect to
find diamonds in a coal pit...
A typical large bucket.
Regina is looking rather smug...
Yea... You two keep on grinnin'...
Remember the movie "Deliverance"? This here is the South
Bubba...
Jack and Lora Hicks, Elissa McAuley
Rather quaint log cabin and makeshift
mine at Gem Mountain
Shortly after leaving Gem Mountain
we all headed out to the Bear Den Campground for the finale of the
weekend, the 2006 gathering of McRockers! We got there just in time to
catch Everett doin' Tommy's mule work, carrying the clothes to the
laundry... Or maybe it was watermelons to the picnic table...
As the following pictures will attest
to, we had a great turnout. Lots of great friends showed up for fellowship
and food!
Yes Chrissy, We love America too!
Everett Harrington, Ernie Walker, Ole'
#9
"Let me tell you, by the time I
was through thumpin' him on his noggin, he had a little more respect for
the old man!"
Jim Flora
"I wonder if should take the last
hog dog? Well... since nobody is lookin'..."
Ron Maddox
"Yea, yea, sigh... hmmmm, yep. I
know better than to lick the sauce off the grill!
Bruce Skubon
"Only 238 more rare earth
minerals to collect and I can finally finish my thesis!"
Herb "Mr. B" Bastuscheck
"You hold the big round electrode
with this hand, and turn the power knob with this one. It makes your hair
migrate... Just ask Tom!"
Regina Richards
"Everybody here is so
sweet!"
Jack Hicks
I'm just blank here...
Cheryl Cornell
Everett Harrington
"Aren't there any geodes in
North Carolina?"
Lloyd Brown
"When I get up from here
tomorrow, I'll show how we bust rock in Wisconsin!"
Margaret Dunleavy
"The next time Joe drags me out
of the house it better be to go to Disneyworld!"
Joe Dunleavy
"Margaret, sweetie? How about
we go to Disneyworld next year?"
Bob Drummond
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