This is Throwback Thursday #165. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to [email protected]. Thanks!
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Howard and Olive Knight were early members of ESCONI. They were both very active members for many years. This was back when clubs like ESCONI provided a social network for people with like interests. In Throwback Thursday #95, we posted a newsletter article from 1968 called "Who Were Howard and Olive Knight?". It discussed some of their many contributions and accomplishments up until when they retired to Mountain Home, Arkansas. They continued to send contributions for the newsletter, even after they joined a local club in their new home.
Here is a photo of them collecting minerals in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
They wrote a poem to describe their collecting adventures during the summer of 1953.
EXCUSE US IF THIS PAPER'S LATE
IT'S NOT THAT WE PROCRASTINATE
WE'VE SIMPLY BEEN ON A VACATION
COVERING THE WESTERN HALF OF THE NATION!THE LURE OF AGATE, CRYSTALS AND WOOD
URGED US TO FIND THEM IF WE COULD
SO WE PILED THE STATION WAGON HIGH
WITH EVERY POSSIBLE SUPPLYAND HIT THE ROAD ALL FULL OF ZEST
FOR A ROCK HUNTING TRIP THROUGHOUT THE WEST.
THE CRYSTALS IN HOT SPRINGS WERE A JOY TO BEHOLD
BUT A DAY OF "DIAMOND HUNTING" LEFT ME COLD.THROUGH CHACO CANYON AND CANYON DE CHELLY
WE ENJOYED THE SIGHTS, THEN WENDED OUR WAY
TO MESA VERDE, THE ANCIENT DOMAIN
OF INDIANS, AND VISITED THE RUINS THAT REMAIN.THEN A JEEP TOOK US SPINNING O'ER HILL AND ALLEY
OF THAT MARVELOUS PLACE CALLED MONUMENT VALLEY!
MY ONLY COMPLAINT WAS THE IDEAS IT GAVE
THAT WOMAN WAS CUT OUT TO BE MANS SLAVE!WE SAW INDIAN WOMEN SHEARING THE SHEEP
SPLITTING WOOD, WEAVING, YES, LABOR'S CHEAP!
THE HUSBANDS IDLY STANDING. BY * *
NOW I PROTEST! DO YOU WONDER WHY?IN LOS ANGELES THE ROSES BLOOMED IN THE SUN
AND PANNING FOR GOLD PROVED LOTS OF FUN,
WE PROCEEDED BLITHELY ALONG ROADS NOT SO NICE
TO THE VALLEY OF GEYSERS! SEE IT THAT'S OUR ADVICE!IT RAINED IN THE REDWOODS THAT FOREST OF GIANTS
IT RAINED AND IT RAINED, IN CONSTANT DEFIANCE.
SO WE WENT TO OREGON TO THE FULTON RANCH
TO GIVE OUR ROCK HUNTING INSTINCTS A CHANCE.WE WORKED AND WE SLAVED, OUR TOOLS WERE TOO POOR-
THUNDER EGGS WERE PLENTIFUL, BUT PLUME TOO MUCH CHORE!
THE OBSIDIAN CLIFFS ARE AN AWFUL STRAIN
WE COULDN'T RESIST CAR'S LOADED AGAIN!PETRIFIED WOOD THE WEIGHT TO INCREASE
SUCH COLOR, AND BEAUTY, IN EVERY PIECE!
BONES AND TEETH FROM ANIMALS OF OLD
FROM THE BADLANDS ADDED TO OUR LOAD!ONE "BAD DAY" WE HAVE, WHEREVER WE GO -
THIS YEAR WE SPENT IT STUCK IN THE SNOW!
BUT WE MADE IT SAFELY HOME ONCE MORE
HAPPY IN THE PLACES WE'D BEEN TO EXPLORE.BUT GLAD TO BE BACK AND OUR CAR TO UNLOAD -
THE BASEMENT IS BULGING HOPE IT DOESN'T EXPLODE!
IT'S A GOOD THING THE AUCTION IS COMING THIS FALL
AS WE'LL NEVER FIND STORAGE SPACE FOR IT ALL!!!-- H.M.K and O.K.
