Rock of Ages Traditional Cache
Rock Rabbit: The cache owner is not responding to issues with this listing, so I must regretfully archive it.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is dedicated to the study of rocks and minerals in which my oldest daughter has become very fascinated over the last couple of years. Our family has begun learning what all the rocks and minerals are, have started going on special trips to find these minerals, and have a pretty good collection started of all sorts of variety, shapes and colors. Rocks and minerals make up the majority of everything we use, to the streets we drive on and buildings we inhabit, to the salt we put on our food. These rocks and minerals are millions of years old.
A rock is an aggregate of one or more minerals. (A rock may also include organic remains and mineraloids.) Some rocks are predominantly composed of just one mineral. For example, limestone is a sedimentary rock composed almost entirely of the mineral calcite. Other rocks contain many minerals, and the specific minerals in a rock can vary widely. Some minerals, like quartz, mica or feldspar are common, while others have been found in only four or five locations worldwide. The vast majority of the rocks of the Earth's crust consist of quartz, feldspar, mica, chlorite, kaolin, calcite, epidote, olivine, augite, hornblende, magnetite, hematite, limonite and a few other minerals. Over half of the mineral species known are so rare that they have only been found in a handful of samples.
Commercially valuable minerals and rocks are referred to as industrial minerals. Rocks from which minerals are mined for economic purposes are referred to as ores.
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. A rock, by comparison, is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids, and need not have a specific chemical composition. Minerals range in composition from pure elements and simple salts to very complex silicates with thousands of known forms.
I do have permission from the land owner to place this cache here. You can drive right up to it so you don't have to go onto the other properties. At the top of the hill is one of our favorite places to go to learn about rocks and minerals. If you see the sign at the bottom of the hill that the Rock Ranch is open, stop and visit. Steve is always open to sharing his "Hobby". He has an incredible museum and also a rock shop so you can see how they cut and polish the minerals and you can even purchase some if you like to show them off like we do. The container is all black and filled mostly with various rocks and minerals including Jasper, Flourite, Slate, Petrified Wood, Agates, Mica, Quartz, Opal, Crystals, and various others in both rough and polished forms. Please only take one so others can enjoy the variety. Also included is a Gem TB to be moved along. A nice piece of Pyrite (Fool's Gold) for the FTF.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Guvf jbbq vf abg crgevsvrq.
Treasures
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