Had an excellent weekend up at Cherokee, with gorgeous weather. They are actually still right at the bottom of the old pile, not quite to the new stuff but I’m guessing at the rate they are going it will be just a few weeks. On Saturday, didn’t get to the mine til late in the day as I stopped by the flea market with the owner, and when I got there it was a little busy so didn’t do too many buckets, but as on Sunday we only had two other guests, was able to do a ton of them then.
Lost track of the number of sapphires I found on Sunday, was pulling 3-4 occasionally out of the screen. Mostly small, and a ton of small pretty garnet chips, but a few larger sapphires too. Three rubies, including one at 48.15 cts. I was a little torn on the color call, might have called it a sapphire but Maria immediately said ruby. Posting a pic of it below with some of the others but I’m waiting for some better photos later since these ones from my cell aren’t good at all. Plus there is debris on the big one and I’d like to get that cleaned off. I am letting Maria keep it in the display case for now, where she says she will have it labeled as the “Easter Ruby.” 
As an update on my brother, he is coming along well, tubes out of his throat and talking a little bit and able to drink juice and such. Very eager to do anything needed to get better!
Rochell said,
April 12, 2013 at 6:59 am
To avoid any tasks in the garden that require any bending there are some great alternatives to your everyday trowels and forks.
A vegetable garden organic fertilizer can be anything from animal manure to herbs.
With Organic Gardening fertilizers you will be
using the fungi and nutrients already found in the soil naturally.