JEFF'S COOL POOP

I have been a collector ever since I could remember. I am not just talking about rocks, though that is one of my passions. Here I begin a list of neat stuff that I have procured, bought, "finagled" (it means "conned" or persuaded one to give me or sell to me at a low price), or have been given over the years (yes, most of the "poop" will be either mineralogical or fossiliferous, and much of it was either bought from or in conjunction with items from the Mineral Gallery...

This little "beastie" is a creature of the genus Heplageneis, though I do not yet know what that makes it in layman's terms. I brought it yesterday (Dec. 16, 1997) to Tom Johnson, an expert at invertebrate paleontology, and he said it is likely some water-dwelling insect larva, such as a dragonfly nymph (actually, that is what he believes it to be- I still have my doubts). It is one of the nicest that he has seen, though, and shows excellent detail. It comes from China (Liaoning), and is not supposed to be here; export of these fossils -whether by species or area, I do not know- is illegal.

I bought this wartime 1941 Deutches Reich Zehn Pfennig piece about 2 years ago right here in Dayton, Ohio. I have no love for Nazi-ism or those who support it- I bought it to be a reminder of times in the past that I hope never to see in the future. Besides, I have never seen one before, and the price was ridiculously low!

This splendid quartz crystal is the first that I ever bought at the Tucson shows. It is from Diamantina in Brazil, and has excellent clarity along its entire length, which is barely 6", or 15.2 cm (the jpeg image is only slightly larger than actual size). It has complex and interesting growth patterns that are common on crystals from this locality. Everybody that sees this crystal wants it!

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