Dig-Dig #2: Sapphires in Montana

Google Maps link to Gem Mountain.

Arriving at Gem Mountain in the late afternoon, we set up camp and made a great big dinner of pork cutlets and a Beringer White Merlot. It is hard to go wrong making a bright, flavourful rosé from well-ripened grapes, but this is where Beringer shows real determination. We can recommend this wine if you like sugar and hate your tongue. The pork was excellent, however, and we fried up some extra for the next day's sandwiches, hoping to eat them from a gunny sack by the crick, or something equally rustic.

Aya could hardly sleep in anticipation of the next day's activities: pulling raw sapphires from the pure Montana dirt.

Here's how it works:

You buy a bucket of alluvial gravel.

Pour a manageable amount into your screen.

Take the screen of dirt to the washing trough, which is filled with warm Montana river water. One of those adjectives is not accurate.

Using the two washing techniques demonstrated by the Gem Mountain staff, get the small pebbles to the center and the larger ones to the outside edge in a circular pattern. Heavier sapphires will sink to the bottom.

Flip the screen over in one smooth motion.

There. There. There and there. At least four sapphires of different colours in this batch. Did you know that rubies are rare red sapphires?


Sunday afternoon at Gem Mountain.

We looked through seven buckets of gravel before taking our collection into the office to have them assayed. A total of 95.56 carats on the first day!

First the sapphires are sorted by size.

Those above a certain size and without flaws are considered "cuttable". Heat treating will enhance the colour.

Anticipation.

The first day's cuttable sapphires, averaging almost one carat each.

We only went through three buckets of gravel in the morning of the second day but managed to find almost as many as the day before. Only one less cuttable gem and another eight that are "flawed but cuttable". We left them all to be heat treated and cut into whatever shape best suits each one. They'll show up in the mail in a few months after we have forgotten about them, bringing joy into a rainy winter's day.

Dig-Dig #1: Road Trip

Back in 2003 we went to Ica, Peru, and had our first taste of fossil hunting under the expert direction of Sr. Roberto "Penny" Cabrera.

We piled into his specially-equipped pick-up truck.

We camped on the desert floor.

We searched for fossils.

We found whales...

... and shark's teeth.

If it can be said that we have the fossil-hunting bug, then that trip was the vector of our disease, eventually leading us to research places in North America where we could dig around in the dirt for surprising items of questionable value.

This August, we succumbed to a full-on relapse and drove almost 5,000 kilometers in search of very old fish, extinct sea-bugs, and shiny pretty things.

Here is a link to our route on the ever-wonderful Google Maps.

And here is a small on-board version for the timid. If it's loading slowly, try clicking on Map to turn off the Satellite view.



View Dig! Dig! August 2010 in a larger map

The Little Mountain Gallery Show

Aya put in many long hours, gallery-sitting. The flowers came from our good friends Yoko and Yasuyo.

Keith was very happy with the framing of this etched-acrylic piece. The cast shadow becomes the drawing.

The cut-paper piece was a big hit.

We had a table for art and photos from Waka and Tao, who mailed their Thirty Days Project material Japan.

Promoting Our Show

Tim Gerwing brought his equipment and played a fantastic set of music during our closing event. He graced us with a rocking version of "Zeppelin".

Little Mountain Gallery, 195 East 26th Avenue, Vancouver

The flowers were Aya's idea.

Sidewalk chalk was the best advertising dollar we spent.
It cost a dollar.
Many visitors said they had seen the writing and just decided to come in.

They also liked the balloons.

Closing Event Catering

Aya applied her high standards to another round of catering, this time for our closing event at Little Mountain Gallery.
A full table, with sangria blanca.

Basil-tossed roast beef canapés.

Grilled peppers and tomatoes on focaccia.

Taramasalata canapés with cucumber & lemon relish.
Papadam and veggies with cilantro chutney dip.

Custard pudding cake.

Lemon squares, chocolate cookies, chocolate pavlova.

Show of Photos at Root Down Café

Today we opened a new show of our photographs at Rootdown Café. That's two concurrently, much to our surprise. This show will be up for the month of August, so stop in and see them and have one of Brett's excellent coffees. His double macchiato is fantastic.

Here's a Google Maps link:
Rootdown Café, 128 East Broadway, between Main and Quebec.

Aya's high-contrast series of plants near our home.

Keith's photos of surprising moments of sunlight and shadow.
We'll post some of these on our Flickr account for those who cannot make it to see them in person.

Aya's Exhibition Catering

Of course Aya catered the opening night of our art show.


Babaghanouj with focaccia.


Ham mousse with focaccia.


Roast beef and red pepper canapés with balsamic reduction.


Feta on watermelon with black pepper and honey.


Profiteroles with fresh raspberry whipped cream, lime madeleines.


We poured a few bottles of the delightful Gazela Vinho Verde, a perfect food-friendly summer drink; crisp acids and light bubbles.

Exhibition at Little Mountain Gallery

Our two collections of work, currently on display at Little Mountain Gallery in Vancouver, until August 3rd.
Aya's show: Ripped From History

Keith's show: Main Intersection

Both collections can be seen at Aya's art blogs and Keith's art blog.

The Groom

Spotted in the window of a cake shop at Main and Broadway; this lonely groom with no hands.
Do you really want a metaphor of this intensity in the window when customers are choosing a wedding cake?

Lemon Snack

Lemon curd, lemon pound cake and tea soda on Tim's balcony. Summer heat demands such delights.

"Gzbrehs"

I think that's how you pronounce these.These were rescued after being found scattered across our alley. We carefully tasted one and it was absolutely delicious. We scooped them up in something approaching a trice and absconded with them. We wonder if someone put them on top of their car and forgot about them when they drove off? We can empathize. There was no container of any kind around, which added to the mystery. Now we are researching recipes for Gooseberry Fool.

We have often heard "gooseberry" described as a wine aroma or in flavour profiles. It is easy to imagine a Sauvignon Blanc or other acidic white when tasting these.

Showing our Thirty Days Work

We're preparing for opening night, and we invite anyone reading this to come along. The gallery is open weekday evenings after 5 and most of the day and evening on weekends.

Please don't hesitate to contact us to arrange a private viewing.