The Mother-Load

A few weeks ago I took my second expedition down the creek to the location of the clay. I had my parents there to help me carry back another 100 lbs. of clay, which still wasn't easy despite the wagon we used to cart the goods home. At some point in the future I will ask the landowner opposite the clay if we can drive closer to the actual point of the site so that we don't have to carry it several feet through the creek and then up the bank...Anyway, I took pictures to demonstrate how this particular clay looks in a creek and then the large deposit I'm actually mining. Plus some pics of the kids and grandpa swimming ;)First is a glimpse of what I noticed that first day - the small white "stone" in the creek. Notice that initially there's nothing that shouts out "CLAY!"

Next you'll notice a larger chunk of clay, and then a very large streak on the creek bottom. We're getting closer!

And here's the Mother-Load!!! You can see in the creek bank where the clay ends, both on land and in the water.

Here is a second spot just a few feet up stream from the first. You can see how it has been either dug out by other people (some used it for horseshoe pits, others for firing, some for "war paint", etc.) or else the creek is actually carrying it away. I hope it's the former - I'd hate to see all this disappear.

Some fun while we're at it :)

Here's what appears to be a small piece of clay, but once it's dug out of the creek, you'll see that it was just a hidden "iceberg" poking out.

So there you have it - Finding Your Own Native Clay 1o1!

Next time I post I'll have pics of my newest ideas - if I ever find time to work on them! Between vacations, cooling off in the water and visiting with friends, it's hard to actually find time to sit down and create. But I have a ton of ideas I'm dying to toy around with!