Entries from September 2007 ↓

Black onyx copper wire-wrapped ring

Many of you have been asking me for rings for awhile now, and now I have them available for sale in my Etsy shop! My rings are wire-wrapped using a herringbone weave around a central gemstone. I’ve listed just a few rings so far. If you would like me to custom create a ring for you in your size using your favorite gemstone, just contact me. The rings in my Etsy shop so far are made of copper, but I’d be happy to make one in sterling silver if that is your preference.

Here are more photos from the Yosemite trip I took with my brother…

Michael at our almost-perfect lunch spot

Our lunch spot; notice Half Dome in the distance

Olmstead Point with Half Dome in the distance, looking westward down Yosemite Valley

May Lake

Mount Hoffman

Scenic view from May Lake trail

Cathedral Peak

Cathedral Peak

Question of the Day: Did I include too many photos in this post?

I took a walk near my house the other day, and I took the following photo…

Doesn’t it look like an alien landscape?

I know what it is, but you do you? Post your guesses here.

I’m absolutely certain that there are people reading my blog who can tell you more about this than I can.

Tanzanite is a beautiful blue-violet precious gemstone. Tanzanite was discovered in 1967, and it is found only in the African country of Tanzania. Because of the beauty of the stone and its scarcity, it is one of the world’s few precious gemstones. (The precious gemstones are diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, and tanzanite.)

Tanzanite is the blue gemstone variety of the mineral zoisite. Zoisite is a calcium aluminum silicate with a hardness of 6.5-7 on Moh’s scale. Most tanzanite has a yellowish-brown tinge to it, which is removed by heating the gemstone. Large tanzanite crystals are uncommon.

From neatstuff.net: “Tanzanites frequency aids one in sharing spiritual information and knowledge from heart-centered perspective. It is excellent for counselors or others who are in the position of needing to intellectually interpret emotional experiences. It can assist empathic people in forming interpretations of the emotionally based information they receive intuitively. Tanzanite can be used to help calm the overactive mind and can be used to help an overactive thyroid or adrenals.”

Question of the Day: Do you have anything to add or any questions about tanzanite?

My brother Russell is an auto mechanic living in Northern Virginia, working on Acuras. Many of my Russell stories are included in my post about my brother Kevin. The three of us hung out a lot until I left for college.

Russell is the fifth child in our family, and he is the youngest of the Dodges. Russell looked different than the rest of us Dodges. We all had dark blond hair, and he had pale blond hair and freckles. As a result, we used to tell Russell that he was an alien that mom and dad had adopted. Perhaps my other siblings remember more details of the alien adoption story.

Russell got an early start in learning to climb.

I got a chance to go out to West Virginia with Russell a couple of summers while he did some rappelling. I’ve gotta get my own harness and join him next time. (Although I’m more interested in climbing UP than rappelling DOWN…). I’m heading out to visit Virginia in a couple weeks, so maybe I can make it happen.

Russell rappelling down Castle Rock in West Virginia.

Question of the Day: Any Russell stories to add?

I spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday camping in Yosemite National Park with my brother Michael. I’ve spent a lot of time at Yosemite in the past, but it was always for the purpose of doing geology field work. This is the first time I was able to go there, and just relax, enjoy myself, and take hundreds of photos. Of course, I found myself making observations about the geology too. Geology is deeply ingrained in me. My poor brother had to listen to all of my explanations about how this had formed, and how that had formed… blah, blah, blah… I’m glad he didn’t decide to abandon me in the park.

Vernal Falls is a 300′ high waterfall, which while beautiful, is much more impressive in the spring.

A stellers jay begs for my lunch (as do a couple of squirrels and chipmunks, not pictured here.)

Typical view of the 3000-foot high walls of Yosemite Valley. Impressive, eh?

Michael relaxes for a few minutes.

Coming Soon – Part 2 of our trip to Yosemite…

Question of the Day: If you’ve been to Yosemite, what’s your favorite part? When is your favorite time to go?