A Spectacularly Bad Day

Yesterday, I had a spectacularly bad day, a day filled with failures. When trying to fire up my lakeside sprinkler system for the season, I broke a plastic fitting. Wanting to finish the project right away, I dashed into town to find a replacement fitting. Following is the condensed version of how it went from there:

1. After scouring two stores, I found two fittings that would work to replace what broke.
2. At the checkout, I discovered I had left my credit card at home.
3. I drove away empty-handed and returned an hour later with means to buy the parts.
4. I drove back home and tried again to get the sprinkler system going.
5. A second part failed after I attempted to fire up a zone manually.
6. Giving up on the lake project, I reined in my mess for the day.
7. Later, when I took a shower, the seal at the base of the shower door fell apart.

Today is a new day. I will happily accept any small victory I am given.

—Mitchell Hegman

Backyard Geology

Jasper and agate are varieties of chalcedony, which is a form of microcrystalline quartz. Structurally, they share similarities due to their common composition but they differ in their appearance and formation.

Jasper typically appears as opaque, dense, and often colored by various mineral impurities. Its structure consists of tightly packed microcrystalline quartz grains, often intergrown with other minerals like iron oxides, which give it its distinctive colors and patterns.

Agate, on the other hand, is often characterized by a banded appearance. It forms in concentric layers within cavities of rocks, such as volcanic rocks or sedimentary formations. These layers are composed of alternating microcrystalline quartz and other minerals.

There is also a less cerebral, “backyard” way to tell the difference between jasper and agate. If you place a light behind your specimen and you can see light pushing through it, then it’s agate; if the specimen blocks light, you are looking at jasper.

Backyard Geology Test

—Mitchell Hegman

Polychrome Jasper

Over the weekend, I attended the Helena Mineral Society’s annual Mineral and Fossil Show at the Civic Center – the “Rock Show,” as it's colloquially known. Over the last twenty or so years, I have missed but a handful of these shows. When I was a boy of seven or eight, my uncle Stack took me to my first such show, hooking me in for a lifetime.

As a kid, I spent 90% of my time hunting for collectible rocks while I traipsed about. I scoured alleys, vacant fields, along and in the creek – virtually anywhere I walked. I can fairly say my fascination with rocks has diminished little. I still return home from my hikes with rocks in my pockets. The same goes for the Rock Show – I always buy one or two specimens.

This year, I found myself dazzled by polychrome jasper from Madagascar. Jasper is not particularly uncommon; it forms when silica-rich solutions flow through fractures in rocks, depositing layers of silica that incorporate impurities like iron oxides and organic material. Over time, these layers solidify under pressure and heat, resulting in the distinctive colors, patterns, and textures characteristic of jasper. While jasper is found worldwide, polychrome jasper from Madagascar stands out for its exceptional beauty and rarity.

Polychrome Jasper

Polychrome Jasper

The Rock Show Crowd

—Mitchell Hegman

An Old Number

As I poked around the house picking up a few stray items, I noticed how my right hand ached a little and was not fully cooperating with me. This is something that happens to me from time to time—a result, I suppose, of my nearing antique status relative to my age. If I were a car, I suspect I would be one of those old numbers with windows in the back that don’t roll all the way down.

—Mitchell Hegman

Reptile

Emerging from the rock era of the 1960s and 1970s, I didn’t find a lot that pleased me regarding popular music in the 1980s. The disco era had wounded me deeply, and I found most of the ascending “big hair bands” without significant talent and their songs vacuous. Guns N' Roses, the Pretenders, and a handful of other bands did a lot to ease my pain and give me hope. One Australian group, The Church, produced a couple of songs that I consider the best of the entire decade. Their song "Reptile" reached deep into me from the first few bent and crying notes on the guitar. This is simple, stripped-down rock music. No slick production tricks to be found. Good stuff.

Today, I am sharing "Reptile."

—Mitchell Hegman

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Mx5xKOMAk

Snack Time

When the growling in my stomach sounds like Bob Dylan singing the national anthem, I know it's time to find something to eat.

—Mitchell Hegman

Simple Facts Worth Remembering

Following is a list of simple things worth remembering:

• It’s all downhill from the day you figure out that Santa Claus is not real.      
• The pointy end of a pin is the part that hurts.
• Montana is where winters go to spend summer.
• Good penmanship is nice, but winning the lottery is better.
• Exploring a cave is fun only if your light is working.
• If you can keep an orchid happy, you are ready for the full commitment of marriage.

—Mitchell Hegman