i taken tour tours of coal mines (in Pennsylvania) and i too have lumps of coal (among my other rocks).

In the slag heaps left by by mines (shale) i've gone fossil hunting.. mostly leaves and ferns.. the biggest is about 2 and half inches (3 c. or so)

i've also gone up to the dolimite cliffs in Herckser NY to collect Herchser 'diamonds' (that wrong.. is Her... there is a whole county in NY with the name.. sorry but i am having a long senior moment)

in anycase the diamonds are actually free, double ended, quartz crystals that are not bound into a matrix. (the way they are in geodes)

PS--what about the name coleen...(is it a real irish name or a pet name that has come to be a name)

i have been told its a pet name, using col as in collier/ with een (a common irish diminutive) .. what do you know about it hibernicus?


my other obsession