Belated Birthday Cake…
It wasn’t possible to celebrate with a cake on my birthday, but this was only a few days later 😁 […]
Mineral of the Week – Fluorite
This week’s Mineral of the Week is fluorite… Subscribe to Dad Dad Diary.
New Zoom Sessions…
As some of you will know, I have been attending the weekly Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) Zoom sessions. […]
Tourmaline!
A great AIGS talk tonight by Dr Claudio Milisenda on tourmalines. And next week – Peter Lyckberg on pegmatites! Looking […]
A Doctor Used My Photo! Video Evidence…
I was right. My photo was used in the “Luminescence of Gems“, presented by Dr. Emmanuel Fritsch. To recap, as […]
Birthday Trip…
I got to go out collecting today. A nice birthday present 😁 It was a lovely late Autumn day with […]
Vale Joan Lamond…
I found out today that Joan Lamond passed away in March, almost reaching 100. Joan was a keen mineral collector, […]
Lockdown Lectures
I attended a Zoom presentation tonight by Angus Miller of Geowalks. Angus has arranged a number of Lockdown Lecture sessions […]
Mineral of the Week – Pyrite
Given the focus on pyrite over the last few days (The Micromount Club Zoom meeting) and the interest generated, pyrite […]
A Doctor Used My Photo!
Last night, I joined a Zoom session organised by the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS), Thailand. These sessions have […]
International Mail!
It exists! Really! A package from Canada arrived today. Posted March 3rd! And yes, rocks. 😁 Subscribe to Dad Dad […]
Carpet Doings…
We had new carpet laid about two months ago. And for the most part were happy with it. However there […]
New Minerals Site…
I have created mineralcollective24x7.workplace.com as a new spot for mineral-related Facebook-like posts, forums, groups, etc. Looks like Facebook have created […]
Phillip Island Penguins…
The Penguin Parade on Phillip Island is a world-renowned tourist attraction. Unfortunately, like many other things at the moment, it […]
I can go look for rocks!
From the Ballarat Courier Newspaper – “Fossickers, prospectors welcomed back into forests”… Under the new eased COVID-19 restrictions here in […]
A Touch of Frost…
David Jason would be proud. Second day in a row where the temperature has been just below zero degrees C. […]
Mt Greenock, Dunach, Victoria
Today, we went for a bit of a hike in accordance with the easing of restrictions in Victoria. One of […]
Ghost Town…
Today was the first day here in Victoria where some restrictions have been eased. I dropped my car off to […]
Monthly Mineral Chronicles Volume 3 Number 5…
…is now published. This month, in this 50 page full-colour issue, we have the first in a short series of […]
Munted Wrens…
Ever tried taking a photo with your phone of a small fast-moving bird? It is impossible! This was an attempt […]
Hidden Symbols of Social Distancing…
Are these symbols the work of some long lost civilisation? Or a product of our modern isolationist world? They are […]
A Different Mother’s Day…
A bit of a strange Mother’s Day this year, given the current pandemic. No catching up with family face to […]
Mineral of the Week – Mexican Type Locality Minerals
This week’s Mineral of the Week is any mineral where the Type Locality is in Mexico. The posts don’t have […]
Christine and the Queens…
My music taste is varied and perhaps a little eclectic. I quite like the sound from Christine and the Queens. […]
Clean Up in Aisle Seven!
This rubbish bin won’t hold much anymore! It’s been slightly singed! Oh. And the Lake Esmond post has been updated. […]
Lake Esmond, Canadian, Victoria
Updated 28th March 2021. Lake Esmond is like an extended front yard for us. We live right on its edge […]
Better Late Than Never…
A package arrived from the US today. It had been sitting somewhere in a transit depot for weeks with no […]
Rainbows and Rhodochrosite…
A stunning South African rhodochrosite specimen… A few internal rainbows too. Subscribe to Dad Dad Diary.
May the Fourth be with you…
Today is Star Wars Day 😜 Reality Check by Dave Whamond for May 04, 2020. Subscribe to Dad Dad Diary.
Chronicles Index…
I have put together a topic and author index for the Monthly Mineral Chronicles. This will be maintained and updated […]
Mineral of the Week – Opal…
This week’s Mineral of the Week is opal. Any opal can be added. Precious opal. Hyalite opal. Jelly opal. Opalised […]
D’oh!
Not sure if the local bakery put in the wrong ingredients, or just made up too much, or something else. […]
A Little to the Dark Side…
This Chinese native copper specimen is starting to alter to crystals of dark red cuprite. Going over to the dark […]