Coal port fight in Northwest.

Keystone of Coal. 

http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-coal-fight-looms-keystone-over-us-northwest-141300393--finance.html;_ylc=X3oDMTBtdGJhcDJjBF9TAwRlbWFpbElkAzEzNDg0NDEyNTE-?_esi=0bcmt=1348433507012-055fbb8b-73ac-4b68-b219-d6694e66d717&bcmt_s=e#ugccmt-container-b

Mining interests won a battle last week when the Army Corps of Engineers called for a quick study of plans to open the first coal port on the west coast at Oregon's Port of Morrow on the Columbia River, a review that will weigh impacts of hauling coal, not burning it.

Where to find treasure in the form of gemstones.

http://local.msn.com/events/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=253710028


That lost treasure is closer than you think. Forget travelling to a deserted island, all you may need to do to find lost treasure gold is wander off a local trail or stray off the beaten path on a mountain hike.  
And what’s your pot of gold? Aquamarines, Diamonds? Geodes? Emeralds? Fossils?
Whether you’re in it for the fun or a serious rock collector, we’ve found ten great local spots in which you can dig for treasure.


1.  Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, Ark.
Diamonds are not only a girl’s best friend. Here in a public Arkansas state park, anyone can look and keep any diamond they find. The Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond-producing site in the world where the public can search for diamonds.
Search they do. And they find them. In the last month, visitors from Texas and Oklahoma found two half-carat diamonds in their search.
After going through the visitors’ center, future Diamond Jims and Janes go to a 37-acre field that is sporadically plowed to bring more diamonds to the surface. It’s dirty work, and you might want to bring your own trowels, screens and buckets. Experts suggest visiting after a hard rain, when the rocks are cleaned by Mother Nature.
How much: $7 for adults and $4 for children older than 6
Bing: The world's biggest diamond

2.  Royal Peacock Opal Mine, Denio, Nev.

Julie Wilson, part of the Wilson family that has owned the mine since the 1940s, said that looking for opals is like fishing, gambling or hunting, “It’s just the luck of the draw,” she said.But Royal Peacock may give you the edge. In 1992, one of the largest opals in the world, the 130-pound Gingko Log, was found there. This summer, 10-pound opals have regularly been found, said Wilson.
“We get several thousand people come by,” said Wilson. “Rockhounds, tourists and just people looking for adventure.”
How much: $75 per person per day. Kids mine for free.
Bing: Where to search for opals

3.  Cherokee Ruby and Sapphire Mine, Franklin, N.C.  
Rockhounds know they’re into something good when they visit Cherokee Ruby and Sapphire Mine in Franklin, N.C. The mine offers buckets of dirt and gravel of only local Cowee Valley rock for visitors to wash and discover rubies and sapphires.
When you arrive at Cherokee Mine, you drive up to the small welcome hut and pay your mining fee. You’ll get your buckets of dirt, a screen and a comfy cushion to ease your posterior when washing your gravel.
Set yourself up at the flume of clear creek water and let it roll over your gravel to clean it free of dirt. Mine guides help with washing your gravel as cleanly as possible and identifying your gemstones.
How much: Two buckets of dirt for $15 for adults and $10 for children, 6-11.
Bing: Where to find rubies

4.  Rockhound State Park, southeast of Deming, N.M.
Rockhound State Park, southeast of Deming, N.M.
Rockhound State Park, as the name suggests, was originally established in 1966 as a park for rock collectors. In this New Mexico state park, you can find agates, quartz crystals, jasper and common opal -- and lots of geodes.
For a small fee of $5, you can drive into the park and camp, or you can just hike around and find some great rocks. Hiking trails also show off the spectacular views of the Florida and Little Florida mountains that surround the park.
As for finding treasure, if you can tear your eyes away from the cactus, sunsets and native wildflowers, you can dig for the many volcanic rocks and silica materials right off the hiking trails. The only limitation? Visitors are allowed up to 15 pounds of rock for their personal collections.
How much: $5 per vehicle to access the park; entering via bicycle or walking is free
Bing: Where to find geodes

5.  Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine,Spruce Pine, N.C. 
It’s a family affair at Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine. Kay and Charles Buchanan bought the mine in 1987 to continue their heritage. They now run the mine with their two daughters and other family members.
“Everybody’s roots around here are in mining,” said Mrs. Buchanan. “This is the best way to keep doing what we like to do.”
The mine is deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, just 50 miles east of Asheville. Gem Mountain offers two options for families looking for a fun experience and for rockhounds looking for some great aquamarines.
“We recently found aquamarines weighing up to 1,000 carats,” said Mrs. Buchanan, describing the rockhound option of going into the mine for four hours with a guide and tools. That tour cost $75 for adults.
For the families, the finds may be a bit smaller, but it’s still big on the fun.
“We sell the experience,” said Mrs. Buchanan. “You get to find the stone, have your own stone cut and jewelry made.”
How much? For families who are looking for a unique experience, you can buy a bucket of rocks to sort through, starting at $25. “It can get up to $500 for a barrel,” said Buchanan. “And we guarantee four free cuttings of the gems.”
Bing: Where to find aquamarines

6.  Aurora Fossil Museum, N.C. 
Leftover dirt? For visitors to Aurora, N.C., it’s treasure waiting to be found. For the 34-year-old Aurora Fossil Museum, a local phosphate mine regularly donates dirt to their the Pit of the Pungo, a free place where anyone can dig through the dirt and find fossilized shark’s teeth.
The Smithsonian Institute identified the area as the richest place for Piliocene and Miocene marine fossils in the world, said Andrea Stilley, the executive director of the museum.
“Anyone can find a shark’s tooth according to how much patience they have,” said Stilley.
The museum is dedicated to teaching about fossils and is supported only by donations and a gift shop. An average of 25,000 people visit throughout the year, with the largest amount coming in December and May, when the pits are refreshed with a new delivery of dirt.
For the past 20 years, locals have celebrated the Fossil Festival on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
How much? Nothing. Visits are free
Bing: The world's oldest fossil

7.  Gold Prospecting Adventures, Jamestown, Calif.
History and treasure combine for an experience at Gold Prospecting Adventures in Jamestown, Calif. Only 90 minutes away from Yosemite National Park, the location is ideal for visitors.
Brent Shock leads the three-generation old operation, in which families can get a historical lesson on what it was like to pan or sluice for gold during the California Gold Rush.
“We supply you with everything, all the way down to the boots,” said Shock. “We’re trying to recreate it as best we can as how it was back then.”
For the family adventure, the guide takes the families out for three hours or more, and teaches everyone in the group how to search for gold.
“Everyone has their own little job,” said Shock. “We turn them into a team, working for a common goal.”
The end result may not always be gold, but it definitely is an adventure.
How much? The family price for the 3-hour Sluice Box and Pan Adventure is $155 for two adults and three children.
Bing: Where to find gold in the U.S.

8.  U-Dig Fossils, Delta, Utah
They look like roly polys, but trilobites were once a form of invertebrate marine life that lived more than 550 million years ago. You can see them up close -- and take them home -- at U-Dig Fossils in Delta, Utah, 130 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.
Bring your own hammer, hat and water. U-Dig provides everything else. They excavate rock regularly to reveal the millions of fossilized trilobites in the area.
Their staff also helps visitors identify the little guys. One family recently found 100+ trilobites in a half-day stay.
Cost: Two-hour stays for adults is $28; for kids, 7-16, $16
Bing: Where to find trilobites

9.  Dig for Crystals, Jacksons Crossroads, Ga.
What’s purple, found in Georgia and was believed to prevent intoxication by the ancient Greeks? Amethysts.
Rodney Moore can’t verify the power that the Greeks attribute to amethysts, but he certainly is made happy by his amethyst mine. Started in 2000, the mine has been prolific in the last 12 years.
“The biggest crystal I sold for $15,000 and amethyst from my mines sometimes brings a hefty price,” said Moore.
About 400 people visited Moore’s mine last year, at $35 a day, to look for amethysts.
“I find amethyst every weekend,” said Moore. “Amethyst is the easiest to find and beautiful out of the ground.”
Cost: Price is $35 per day for adults
Bing: Where to find amethysts

10.  Emerald Hollow Mine, Hiddenite, N.C.
Options are the name of the game at Emerald Hollow Mine, about an hour from the Blue Ridge Parkway in Hiddenite, N.C. You can try sluicing, prospecting in the creek bed, or digging in the mine itself. Any way you choose, you’ll be finding some emeralds.
“No one has ever gone home empty handed,” said Trey Malowaney, gemstone faceter at Hiddenite. “I myself have seen a 10.1-carat emerald pulled out of the creek by a girl” about 10-12 years old.
Local groups, too, get the option of field trips. Last year, thousands of students, Boy Scout troops and others visit the mine to learn about geology and the mine’s options for finding emeralds.
“We have visitors who are a little of everything, from families to serious collectors,” said Malowaney.
Hiddenite also offers professional gem-cutting on site, so you can convert your find into a necklace, ring or key ring. .. and impress your friends with your newfound treasure.
How much: Sluicing costs $5; “creeking” is priced at $10 and digging at $20.
Bing: Where to find emeralds


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/15/12-lost-treasures-you-can_n_783040.html

Russia reveals it has enough diamonds to supply world for 3,000 years
http://now.msn.com/russia-discovers-trillions-of-carats-in-diamonds?gt1-50501

7 Berries to eat Every Day.

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/healthy-berries/


1.  Goji Berries
2.  Blueberries
3.  Acai Berries
4.  Bilberries
5.  Strawberries
6.  Blackberries
7.  Cherries


http://local.msn.com/events/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=253710028