From the Top of the Rock Pile ….by Kat Koch We are starting to plan our 2023 Cascade Gem and Mineral Show. We still need a Show Chairperson. The show dates are September 16 & 17, 2023. The venue has been booked, we have a 1st Co-Chairperson, and many major show areas already have volunteers committed to covering them. Now we need a coordinator – that’s the Show Chairperson. I have copious notes on what needs to be coordinated. I am very willing to work closely with the Show Chairperson; to guide them, share my knowledge, and give you my two cents …

General Meeting – Thursday, January 12th Topic: Thunder Eggs This January, we’ll storm into the year’s presentations with a crowd favorite – Thunder Eggs! We’ll begin with some fascinating Thunder Egg science – how they’re formed, what they’re made of, where they can be found, etc. – and then we’ll jump into a fun Show-n-Tell. Share some of your favorite Thunder Egg specimens from your collection. Members will vote on their favorite Thunder Eggs. The door prize winners will be the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Thunder Egg owners. Show ‘n Tell: Bring a few of your favorite Thunder Eggs to share, along with your favorite Thunder Egg stories and cutting/polishing advice. Myth: The Thunder Egg was believed by the Pacific Northwest Native Americans to be thunderous rock eggs thrown across the valley between Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson in Oregon by the warring Thunder Gods whenever they became angry with or jealous of each other. Hence, the English version of the Indian name is “thunder eggs.” We’ll see you there!

General Meeting – Thursday, February 9th Topic: Let’s take a look at what our members make or collect. Do you intarsia, knapping, carve rocks, tumble, make jewelry, facet, field trip finds, cabbing, silversmithing, spheres, specific minerals, rocks or fossils, or ? Please bring 3 to 6 samples and show them off at this meeting. Be prepared to tell us about your items. Show ‘n Tell: The topic at this meeting is a big show ‘n tell session. Show Off Your Interests We Would All Love To See What Our Members Are Doing

General Meeting – Thursday, April 13th This meeting has been planned for April because the Kent, Renton, and Covington School Districts are on spring break, so all our Young Tumblers plan on attending this fun meeting as there is no school the next day. Bring your friends too. Topic: Fluorescent Rocks!! Not all rocks are what they seem. We have all heard about shapeshifters in sci-fi movies. How about very real color shifters? The club will have a collection of fluorescent rocks for everyone to see. It is interesting to see the different colors rocks become under short or long-wave UV lights. We will then examine members’ rocks and see what happens under UV light. Show ‘n Tell: Bring your rocks, and we will see if they change colors too. This is a fun meeting, so gather up your rocks that you suspect might be fluorescent and bring them to the meeting!!