Lode

It is dictionary day again!  Though I travel far and wide there is something waiting for me when I get home.  The dictionary!  I find other things to do.  All the time I go about life it is there.  Then there comes a time when I become reacquainted with the dictionary.  Today is such a day.
And the word my finger fell on seems so appropriate in the light of our recent travels.  “Lode” “Vein of metal ore.”  Ok when we went to Rubyvale we did not happen upon any rich veins of ore.
But that had happened in the past.  And there are those still out there who live in hope that they come upon a vein of sapphire.  The lady conducting the tour of the mine  has a husband on their land daily digging for sapphires.  He spends his days down a mine while she conducts tours.
Panning for sapphires was the primary reason for our trip.  We enjoyed the Dinosaur Park, various Museums and seeing people but what got us out there was the chance to pan for sapphires.  In fact, we had planned this trip several years ago with my bro who was very much into metallurgy and the stars.  His stroke ended that idea.   Merril unbooked places we had booked.
On this trip we did try to look at the stars at an observatory.  It was funny that the night we wanted to go was perfect, but it was to be on the next night.  That night was cloudy and the observation was cancelled.  At the Dinosaur Park it was booked out.  That area is a “black sky” spot.  That is, it is deemed as one of the spots in the world that does not have light pollution hindering a good view.
So much for that.  We did do panning though.  Way more sanitised than the original panners.  Still we enjoyed ourselves.  We did not come home rich, but we came home richer for the experience.