I am having a hard time adjusting to the Quebec spring weather after soaking in the Arizona sun last week. I was collecting at a place called Date creek Ranch about 1hour west of Phoenix. I found some quartz xls and what I believe is chrysacolla (nice color). I am going to post some photos eventually. I rented a ford focus and drove drove drove. I saw the Gulf of California atr Puerto Pensaco, then passed by Ajo a copper mining town in AZ. Spent the afternoon climbing around the dumps and watching closely for venomous critters like scorpions and rattlers. (i did not see any, and kind of wish I did) I drove up to see the Grande Canyon and came back to see the copper mining town of Jerome, Az. Jerome is a mile high town build on the side of a mountain! I got to drive some crazy switchback roads there! and looked around the rocks a little.
It was a great experience for a guy who never was west of Kansas and never saw the desert terrain! I need to go back some day.
The geology, I learned, is so different. The mountain building is so much more recent than in the Appalachians where I reside in south Quebec. The volcanic activity and sedimentary rock is so much more recent.
The way the mountains jut out of the desert plains like islands on a dry ocean, was so impressive for me. And the sun in March and April was such a treat.
Next time I will get in contact with someone to show me around. The terrains are so vast.
I already miss the South West. But I am preparing to hunker down until the nice weather comes here. It looks warm enough (the ground is not so frozen) to start looking around Therford Mines again. But I will have to go to the tanning salon to keep my color now,,,,shuchks ;)

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