- A Few New Koroit Opal Cabs & AUD

Safety Harbor, FL - USA

Here are a few new Koroit boulder opal cabs . . .

. . . and the Aussie dollar (AUD) is at US$1.0940 - ouch!

- Expenses and Poo

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

As the price of oil is steadily over $100 per barrel and gas is around $4 a gallon in the USA and the Australian dollar has sailed past US$1.07 one wonders what the expenses are going to be like during this mining season. I plan to be open cutting and doing some exploring even at much higher costs than normal. Every step of this process is an adventure - sometimes involving treacherous serpents, sometimes involving treacherous exchange rates and expensive diesel.

A few of my friends have arrived out on the field in Koroit and have set up their camps. The main news from Koroit is that many camps and their contents are covered in blankets of mouse poop. One miner reported killing over 50 mice in his camp the first night he was there.

As some of you fans of this endeavor probably are aware the rainfall in southwest Queensland over the last two years has been greater than at any other time since white men invaded Australia. As a result of the rain, almost all forms of life there are growing and reproducing at unheard of rates. There are types of wildflowers never before seen by people who have lived in that area for over 60 years. Of course common grasses are growing like crazy which gives the mice plenty of food and shelter. And, I would assume, plenty of mice will mean plenty of those creatures who dine on mice . . . yes, I will expect there to be more snakes slithering about than have been there in over 200 years.

If only the rain would help the opal to grow too!

- Before & After - A skinned Koroit Opal Nut

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Take a look - before & after, see what's hiding under the skin . . .

There is some problem uploading the video here on my blog, but you can see it on YouTube by clicking this link: http://youtu.be/_5PGIYm8UCc

- A multicolored opal rub

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

This is a pretty piece of rough opal from Koroit that has a lot of potential -

Here is a link to the video on YouTube (the video quality on YouTube may be better than here):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx2R-wg9pMc

- A lively piece of rough

Palm Harbor, FL - USA

Here is a very pretty, colorful and lively piece of rough from Koroit. It is part of a nut. The exposed layer of color and pattern was only a few millimeters beneath the skin of the nut.

Of course the piece looks much better in person.

Here is a link to the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfjOmFttqMw