It’s another stunning Autumn day in Western Southland and today I’m meeting JP at Gemstone Beach for our sixth and last fossick for a while. JP is heading home in a few days (I’m pretty sure he’s fossicking his way home visiting places like Kakanui and Birdlings Flat – so when you get a spare moment or four, check out his very informative tumblestoneblog!
As we usually do, we fossicked down to the Waimeamea River mouth, then fossicked-walked up the left hand side of the river along to the shallow place to cross over to the other side.
Today we didn’t fossick back to the river mouth but instead made our way slowly down the beach a further couple of kms.
JP found a few hydrogrossular garnets which he’s generously given to me to polish and put in my collection. I am pretty certain that I can spot them now thanks to his very good tutorage. Look at how many I found! I thought our Fossick #4 adventure was my day for finding hydrogrossulars but how wrong was I? I found some pretty spectacular ones today and I can not wait to tumble and polish them! I’m especially excited about those green ones!
After a few days wait before looking through my pickups I noticed that I had collected a lot less stones than I usually do. This has to be JP’s influence rubbing off on me. (thanks JP!) It is ok to pick up a stone, admire it’s beauty, then leave it behind for someone to find.
I’ll be polishing those ones in the basket but the other ones will be going into my garden pots.
I think that I had always been worried that I’d “throw back” something valuable but I’ve since realised that the value is in the eye of the beholder. If I think it’s pretty enough to be in a jar at my place or sit in a bowl for others to take home as a momento, then it goes in my mesh collection bag. If not, then it’s ok to leave it on the beach.
As I bid farewell and safe travels to JP back at the carpark I couldn’t help but feel a little deflated. I really enjoy fossicking with JP! His knowledge is vast and he’s so generous sharing what he knows. It’s also very cool to share finds and oooh and ahhh over what each other has picked up. I’m looking forward to when he comes back for another Southern Sojourn as he likes to call it!
