We had been anticipating the annual gem and mineral show ever since we joined the Society, and especially since we agreed to put up a display of our rocks. So it was with a little trepidation that I took off early Friday morning to setup our display and to help with the show.
The first thing we had agreed to help with was to help load the display cases from the storage unit in Corpus Christi. Leaving early, 6 am, I arrived at the Navigation exit off interstate 37, took it, and proceeded to get lost.
Now I had been told to take a right and then a left, or was it a left and then a right? Figuring it couldn't be that hard I drove and drove and turned and turned and didn't find the group. In fact I managed to miss any storage units in the area. Disgusted with myself, I decided to head to the fairgrounds in Robstown as I could help with the unloading.
Now I had forgotten the gps, not like I had any address anyway, but the fairgrounds were supposed to be obvious. As I entered Robstown there was a train that blocked my view, and you guessed it, I drove right by the fairgrounds and towards Kingsville.
Stopping to ask directions, don't tell Renita, I was told that I had driven past it and sure enough there it was!
After I arrived at the Exhibit Hall A, I recognized several familiar faces. Soon the trailer arrived with the cases and props and it wasn't long before the cases were assembled and lined up. Calvin and Dick were in charge of making sure everything was straight and they installed the electrical works.
I joined in and even got our case set up. We had decided on a Wyoming Rocks Display of the Elimia Tenera, fossilized freshwater snail, and the Opalized wood of the Blue Forest. Renita had suggested we put the Rockhounding Wyoming book in and of course she was right, We had a nice display!
The next day we took off and headed to the show. We had volunteered to help with the tickets, and had just got settled in when the doors opened and the show begin. It was a little confusing at first, was that a ten or a twenty the lady gave me, but I soon figured it out. We took turns manning the entrance tables and even got a chance to check out the other displays and the vendors.
The displays were impressive, trilobites and sharks teeth, lots of petrified wood and cabochons. everyone proudly sharing their love of rocks and minerals with the public. The food table was really neat as all the food was actually rocks! It took us two days and a lot of help to finally figure it out.
The Six Points Rock Shop had incredible petrified wood and stunning minerals for sale and The Flowers wire wrapped cabochons were the most exquisite wire wraps we have ever seen.
We were both surprised at the value of the rocks we had so patiently been grinding and shaping and the displays also made up realize that we were doing a pretty good job for being such newbies!
We returned and helped on Sunday, even though we hadn't signed up for that day and it was really nice to meet so many Society members and to see how everything came together. We watched as the annual scholarship was awarded to a college junior, majoring in Earth Science,(if you wondered what the club does with the money it raises, wonder no longer).
Five o'clock finally arrived and it was time for the tear down, and so we retrieved our rocks from the case and helped a little with the tear down before heading back to Fulton and the ever vigilant watchdog, Molly. It had been a very enjoyable weekend and we both felt good about helping with the show! Clear skies.
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