What is the difference in the Pony Express and the Butterfield Overland Mail Company?
Well, the similarities are that they both brought mail out West from the East Coast of the United States. There the similarity ends.
The Butterfield Overland Mail Company had the U.S. mail contract for six years from 1857 - 1861. In all, it employed 800 people at its peak with over 1800 horses and mules in service. There were 139 relay stations. The last run was made on March 21, 1861 right before the Civil War started.
The Butterfield Overland Mail Company went from Tipton, Missouri to San Francisco, California and did go through Arizona, unlike the Pony Express. It crossed into Arizona to Yuma, crossed the Colorado River, and then up the coast of California to San Francisco. The big problem with the Overland Mail Company was that it used stage coaches to deliver the mail and took 24 days, and was constantly harassed by bandits and Apache Indians. One rider described the journey as"now knowing what Hell was like." With the looming certainty of the Civil War, the Butterfield Overland Mail Company was discontinued and the Pony Express began, a more expedient way to deliver the mail.
There are surviving stations at Oak Grove and Warner Springs, California. Warner Springs in San Diego County has been declared a National Historic Landmark with two original adobe buildings. There is a proposed Butterfield Overland Trail National Historic Trail now in the works.
The Pony Express operated in 1860 until 1861 and became the Western United States's fastest means of communication with the rest of the country until the telegraph became established in 1861. The Pony Express took about 10 days to deliver the mail. The riders had to be tough - the advertisement for Pony Express riders was the following -
Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.
Each rider was presented with a Bible and took an oath not to cuss, drink, gamble, or be mean to animals.
The Pony Express route went over the top of Arizona and went through Nevada due West. The most famous Pony Express rider was probably Buffalo Bill Cody who memorialized it in his autobiography and Wild West Shows.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Mojave Mike Climbs Obsidian Hill
Mojave Mike had a great idea to check out Obsidian Hill over by the Salton Sea the other day so off we went. With my knee, I was not up for the trek, but Mojave Mike hiked it and brought back some samples.
Here is a photo of Mojave Mike hiking up the hill. You can see the chunk of obsidian at the top.
Sample of Obsidian that Mojave Mike brought back to car
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock, the result of cooled lava. Obsidian is hard and brittle; it is sharp! So if you go exploring up there, wear gloves if you want to pick up the obsidian. It is mineral-like but not a true mineral because it is a glass and does not have a crystalline structure and is sometimes classified as a mineraloid. Obsidian is usually dark in appearance, dark brown or black, but can vary. Sometimes the inclusionn of small, white clustered crystals of cristobalite in the black glass gives a snowflake pattern, hence, you have Snowflake Obsidian.
Snowflake Obsidian available from www.ciscotraders.net
Obsidian is used for knife blades and for scalpel blades for research or surgery on animals (not approved by FDA for human surgery) and to make jewelry and decorative items. Metaphysically, it is purported to be the "stone of truth" and also to dispel negativity.
Obsidian Hill is a small hill located on Red Hill Island which is a small island located off the eastern shores of the Salton Sea in southeastern California. The Salton Sea itself was actually formed by a canal breach from the Colorado River during a big flood. The area was a depression (below sea level) and so filled up with water. The water is very salty and full of chemicals due to the local farming runoff. Not a good idea to go wind surfing in this water! Anyway, it is very smelly and not so pleasant although the day we were there it was nice and breezy and not unpleasant at all, it was actually quite nice.
Mojave Mike surveys the Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a waypoint for migrating birds; much of the Salton Sea is managed as the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. We even saw a HUGE pelican swimming merrily along. This thing was ENORMOUS, we were easily 1000 feet away from it and look how big it was!
But I digress....
Red Hill Island is a cool place with some interesting rock formations.
How to get there:
Go on state highway CA 111. About halfway between the towns of Niland and Calipatria, turn west on Sinclair Road, go about three miles on Garst Road, and go north 1.5 miles to Red Hill Road. Go west on Red Hill Road to the island. You will see Obsidian Hill at this point and follow it around to see Red Hill Island and the Salton Sea.
Along the way you will also see the Mudpots, bubbling away. It is signed with "No Trespassing Keep Out" signs but no one seems to heed the warnings. There were about five people out there that day on the site. Very cool place but creepily has some huge cracks in the ground, making me wonder if I would be a Mudpot Sinkhole victim! Luckily, we made it out okay but not before Mojave Mike was sprayed with hot mudpot goo when he got too close filming one of the mudpots!
All along those roads and at the Salton Sea you will see the Geothermal Power Plants. There are a total of seven plants and the steam plumes are clearly visible from many miles away. Very awesome sight to behold!
Sample of Obsidian that Mojave Mike brought back to car
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock, the result of cooled lava. Obsidian is hard and brittle; it is sharp! So if you go exploring up there, wear gloves if you want to pick up the obsidian. It is mineral-like but not a true mineral because it is a glass and does not have a crystalline structure and is sometimes classified as a mineraloid. Obsidian is usually dark in appearance, dark brown or black, but can vary. Sometimes the inclusionn of small, white clustered crystals of cristobalite in the black glass gives a snowflake pattern, hence, you have Snowflake Obsidian.
Snowflake Obsidian available from www.ciscotraders.net
Obsidian is used for knife blades and for scalpel blades for research or surgery on animals (not approved by FDA for human surgery) and to make jewelry and decorative items. Metaphysically, it is purported to be the "stone of truth" and also to dispel negativity.
Obsidian Hill is a small hill located on Red Hill Island which is a small island located off the eastern shores of the Salton Sea in southeastern California. The Salton Sea itself was actually formed by a canal breach from the Colorado River during a big flood. The area was a depression (below sea level) and so filled up with water. The water is very salty and full of chemicals due to the local farming runoff. Not a good idea to go wind surfing in this water! Anyway, it is very smelly and not so pleasant although the day we were there it was nice and breezy and not unpleasant at all, it was actually quite nice.
Mojave Mike surveys the Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a waypoint for migrating birds; much of the Salton Sea is managed as the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. We even saw a HUGE pelican swimming merrily along. This thing was ENORMOUS, we were easily 1000 feet away from it and look how big it was!
But I digress....
Red Hill Island is a cool place with some interesting rock formations.
How to get there:
Go on state highway CA 111. About halfway between the towns of Niland and Calipatria, turn west on Sinclair Road, go about three miles on Garst Road, and go north 1.5 miles to Red Hill Road. Go west on Red Hill Road to the island. You will see Obsidian Hill at this point and follow it around to see Red Hill Island and the Salton Sea.
Along the way you will also see the Mudpots, bubbling away. It is signed with "No Trespassing Keep Out" signs but no one seems to heed the warnings. There were about five people out there that day on the site. Very cool place but creepily has some huge cracks in the ground, making me wonder if I would be a Mudpot Sinkhole victim! Luckily, we made it out okay but not before Mojave Mike was sprayed with hot mudpot goo when he got too close filming one of the mudpots!
All along those roads and at the Salton Sea you will see the Geothermal Power Plants. There are a total of seven plants and the steam plumes are clearly visible from many miles away. Very awesome sight to behold!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Quartz Crystals - the Workhorse of the Crystal Kingdom
Quartz is one of the most common minerals on the Earth. It is easily found on the ground here in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. The Quartz Family displays an entire panoramic spectrum, in a dizzying array of colors.
The following are all members of the Quartz Family and have unique colors and qualities:
Agate comes in many colors, can be banded or layered.
Amethyst is usually a lavender or pale red-violet although it is sometimes found darker, almost black
Aventurine is iridescent and available in dark green, light green, pink, white, red and even a blue.
Blue Quartz is typically found as a dull blue color.
Carnelian is a nice red-brown or orange-red color.
Chalcedony is found as a blue or gray color.
Citrine usually is a light yellow to gold-brown, different grades will have varying intensities.
Dendritic Agate comes as a white-gray with fern-like images.
Fossilized Wood comes in gray, brown, or red and a combination of those colors.
Bloodstone is a dark green color with red spots.
Jasper can be almost any color, and usually is striped or spotted.
Moss Agate is colorless with green inclusions.
Onyx is a black base with white upper layer so can be found as white stone or black stone.
Opal comes in a variety of colors - pink, white, red, yellow, opalescent.
Prasiolite is a leek-green color.
Rock Crystal is white to colorless.
Rose Quartz can be a strong pink varying to a very pale pink.
Sardonyx has various colors, usually a dark brown or blck with some white.
Smoky Quartz is brown to black, or a smoky gray color
Tigers Eye can be gold-yellow to brown, red, even blue, and a combination of all.
Quartz is indigenous to Earth, comprised of silicon dioxide which is one of the earth's most common mineral compounds. As humans, we also are made up of the Earth so is it any wonder that we resonate with Quartz so well?
The following are all members of the Quartz Family and have unique colors and qualities:
Agate comes in many colors, can be banded or layered.
Amethyst is usually a lavender or pale red-violet although it is sometimes found darker, almost black
Aventurine is iridescent and available in dark green, light green, pink, white, red and even a blue.
Blue Quartz is typically found as a dull blue color.
Carnelian is a nice red-brown or orange-red color.
Chalcedony is found as a blue or gray color.
Citrine usually is a light yellow to gold-brown, different grades will have varying intensities.
Dendritic Agate comes as a white-gray with fern-like images.
Fossilized Wood comes in gray, brown, or red and a combination of those colors.
Bloodstone is a dark green color with red spots.
Jasper can be almost any color, and usually is striped or spotted.
Moss Agate is colorless with green inclusions.
Onyx is a black base with white upper layer so can be found as white stone or black stone.
Opal comes in a variety of colors - pink, white, red, yellow, opalescent.
Prasiolite is a leek-green color.
Rock Crystal is white to colorless.
Rose Quartz can be a strong pink varying to a very pale pink.
Sardonyx has various colors, usually a dark brown or blck with some white.
Smoky Quartz is brown to black, or a smoky gray color
Tigers Eye can be gold-yellow to brown, red, even blue, and a combination of all.
Quartz is indigenous to Earth, comprised of silicon dioxide which is one of the earth's most common mineral compounds. As humans, we also are made up of the Earth so is it any wonder that we resonate with Quartz so well?
Saturday, November 10, 2012
A is for Ametrine
Fun Facts about Stones
Ametrine is a naturally occurring variety of quartz; a mixture of Amethyst and Citrine and is really quite beautiful. Ametrine is found in colors of purple, yellow, and orange and tumbled stones are usually a mixture of those colors. Most Ametrine is mined in Bolivia with some deposits having been located recently in Brazil and India.
There are some great legends associated with Ametrine. It is believed that this gemstone was first discovered by native Indians in Bolivia in the 17th Century. Legends tell a story about a Spanish Conquistador giving the Spanish Queen a fabulous gift of this beautiful gem. The Conquistador had acquired an Ametrine mine in his bride's dowry. The Conquistador's bride was a princess from a native tribe.
Ametrine has been considered a power stone since that time and is a favorite healing crystal of Crystal Healers. It is believed to combine the powers of both Amethyst and Citrine and can be used to attain a higher consciousness. It is also believed to instill a sense of calm and peace to an unpleasant or stressful situation, whether at work or home.
Use it in a bowl in the living room to add beauty and calm. It would also be perfect in a Reiki room, meditation area, or placed at a home altar. In my Reiki practice, I have used it on the third eye to open that chakra for a person who had problems seeing the "big picture" or who was blocked emotionally regarding love and relationships. Try it yourself and see what avenues it opens for you!
Monday, September 10, 2012
September is Cooling Down!
We are starting September with a slight cool down here in Arizona - in the balmy 90's instead of at the scorchingly over 100 degree mark that is normal for this time of year.
We MISSED the Tucson Fall Rock and Gem Show AGAIN! I couldn't believe it - the excuse being a terrible head cold (me) but probably better for everyone that I stayed home. Looking forward to the February shows and just hope one of us don't go down with a cold or flu.
Cisco Traders Online Store has new merchandise - a whole slew of pendulums and healing crystals. We are slowly but surely adding to the online site at www.ciscotraders.net but it has been SLOW, I won't kid you. Regular customers can still buy on Ebay at www.shopciscotraders.com - that URL goes straight to the Ebay store.
As for our travels, the last trip was to Death Valley in the summer - yikes - so hot there. Mostly we just hung out in Shoshone and Tecopah Hot Springs. Here's a photo of Mike hiking in. Imagine being early settlers trying to cross this! Hard to believe they ever made it to California.
Mike and I went to Walla Walla, Washington in July to visit our daughter and have some great photos of that fun trip. More later on the Walla Walla Onion Festival - a not to be missed event! A trip to Jubilee Lake in Oregon was fabulous - so cool, so piney, so mountainy - a great break for desert rats like us.
We also made it to the ASD Las Vegas and got some great leads on cool merchandise. It is a one-of-a-kind event and every online retailer needs to go and check it out for merchandising ideas.
Whew - a busy summer but glad to be settling in to buying, listing, selling. Hope the new website is everything you all have asked for - let us know what you would like to see us sell! We want it to be more than healing stones but aren't sure what direction to take. Jewelry? Imported free trade goodies? Food? Beads? There are so many things we are interested in - I am like a kid in a candy store! But need to focus, focus, focus.....
Connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ciscotraders or on Twitter @ciscotraders and let us know what YOU are looking for. We are always on the lookout for the unique and obscure.
Til next time - J
We are starting September with a slight cool down here in Arizona - in the balmy 90's instead of at the scorchingly over 100 degree mark that is normal for this time of year.
We MISSED the Tucson Fall Rock and Gem Show AGAIN! I couldn't believe it - the excuse being a terrible head cold (me) but probably better for everyone that I stayed home. Looking forward to the February shows and just hope one of us don't go down with a cold or flu.
Cisco Traders Online Store has new merchandise - a whole slew of pendulums and healing crystals. We are slowly but surely adding to the online site at www.ciscotraders.net but it has been SLOW, I won't kid you. Regular customers can still buy on Ebay at www.shopciscotraders.com - that URL goes straight to the Ebay store.
Mike and I went to Walla Walla, Washington in July to visit our daughter and have some great photos of that fun trip. More later on the Walla Walla Onion Festival - a not to be missed event! A trip to Jubilee Lake in Oregon was fabulous - so cool, so piney, so mountainy - a great break for desert rats like us.
We also made it to the ASD Las Vegas and got some great leads on cool merchandise. It is a one-of-a-kind event and every online retailer needs to go and check it out for merchandising ideas.
Whew - a busy summer but glad to be settling in to buying, listing, selling. Hope the new website is everything you all have asked for - let us know what you would like to see us sell! We want it to be more than healing stones but aren't sure what direction to take. Jewelry? Imported free trade goodies? Food? Beads? There are so many things we are interested in - I am like a kid in a candy store! But need to focus, focus, focus.....
Connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ciscotraders or on Twitter @ciscotraders and let us know what YOU are looking for. We are always on the lookout for the unique and obscure.
Til next time - J
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