Again, she pulled out of hiding, a gorgeous calcite specimen. This specimen was also collected during her time in Korea. Pat told us about her collecting trips to some of the operating mines in Korea where these specimens came from. She ran into some familiar pit-falls though, like you could only keep what you could carry out. Pat summed it up best by telling us she has never been able to duplicate this collecting experience again.

Chris Wong started off his presentation by teasing us all. The mineral collector’s dream: having unlimited specimen collecting access to an active mine which is known for its incredible fluorite, calcite and sphalerite crystals. Well he lived the dream - at the zinc mines known as the Cumberland, Elmwood and Stonewall mines!!!  Chris gave us an excellent description of the operational logistics of these mines and his once in a lifetime specimen-mining experience. Unfortunately, the miners went on strike just 10 days after Chris was on the job, cutting his dream short. But, there was a silver lining.  On his last day he located and worked a 14’ pocket. He described it as a "waterfall like area of orange calcites."  And as Chris so passionately put it, "you could have buried me there and I would have been in heaven."