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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 05, 2009 15:18 Post subject: Tucson 2009 Gail Spann Show report. |
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After a 40 minute sleep and then hearing the alarm go off at 3:30 in the morning we managed to get the car loaded and ready to leave before the sun came up. 15 1/2 hours later we arrived in Tucson at the Westward Look, tired....but happy to be here. After a pleasant and quiet dinner we managed to get a good nights sleep and woke to the beautiful view of mountains, cacti and hummingbirds. Jim had a teleconference and some last minute work details to deal with so I grabbed my sunglasses and camera and head out the door for a walk and inspection of the Westward Look show progress.
I ran into all sorts of people and avoided looking at minerals as I didn't want to jump the gun on Jim. We really do love to do that together.
So, here are some photos of a few people and a rock or two that slipped into the viewfinder!
Cheers....will keep a running report of the show as I see it.
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MADs own Wally Mann with a specimen he trimmed. |
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Jack Halpern showing me the "male" prehnite as he calls it. |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 05, 2009 15:23 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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This is me, in one of the photos, from this morning. Happy to be here! And more photos of folks who are here prior to the opening of the Westward Look.
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Gail Spann loving the sun and view! |
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Cal Graeber with a smile, always! |
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Me and Brice in the hot Tucson sun! |
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Brice Gobin being "cheeky". |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 05, 2009 15:29 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Some interesting shots of the gardens, etc. And a mineral or two....
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Adam previewing some Wilensky Fine minerals. |
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Suart Wilensky, Adam Shields and Eva. |
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Dylan from Green Mountain minerals, on the run. |
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View from our hotel room. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 05, 2009 15:35 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Some more photos...what fun to see all these folks. The people make the shows so fun, catching up with news and seeing great minerals is such a treat.
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Evan Jones with a Bisbee Azurie and malachite. WOW. Well, we ended up buying it later during the show. It is really splendid and although large, a very welcome addition to our collection! |
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John Veevaert in the parking lot. |
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Wayne Leicht, of Kristalle, walking to his room. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 05, 2009 15:39 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Please...forgive any typing errors? I can't type as well on my laptop and noticed that I spelled Azurite wrong above. The darn font is so small too...getting old here!
_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Brooks
Joined: 17 Apr 2008
Posts: 36
Location: Portsmouth, VA
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Posted: Feb 05, 2009 17:44 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Gail, thanks for the report, Sherry and I got into town yesterday after 2500 miles and three airports. We are totally beat! Today we spent most of the day at the InnSuite show. What a beautiful day. Beautiful weather and rocks, no better than that! Will see you guys Saturday morning.
_________________ Brooks
"Happy Trails to You" - Roy Rogers |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 06, 2009 02:10 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Hello Brooks, can't wait to see you both!
We greatly enjoyed an evening at the business of Daniel and Marisa Trinchillo. Good food and great rocks to look at. It was a good time to catch up with friends and talk about what has been going on in life too.
Been a lovely and long day. Off to bed for some well needed rest!
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Kerith Graeber driving by. |
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Jim Spann, Diana Weirich and Evan Jones all goofing off. |
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Beautiful colours in the desert. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Peter
Joined: 16 Jan 2009
Posts: 346
Location: Sweden / Luxembourg
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Posted: Feb 06, 2009 09:13 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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I like you making photographs of the people!!! And they are very good ones!!!
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 07, 2009 02:02 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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The Old West is evident as I watch a cowboy ride by on his trusty steed. The day is brisk and sunny, warming quickly. We spent most of the morning deciding how to arrange our minerals for the exhibit here. We finally head out to walk next door to the show and managed to run into lots of friends and see many smiling faces. Business is brisk as people sit outside and show off their latest mineral prizes. It is great fun to say "What have you found, anything good?" and they beam as they open boxes like children with hidden candy.
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The mountain behind the Westward Look, |
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Getting our room piled high with minerals for the exhibit. |
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Old West still thrives here... |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 07, 2009 02:06 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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more photos...
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checking the lights in the cabinets |
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Christophe Gobin and Dave Waisman. |
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Our cases arrive for the Saturday event. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 07, 2009 02:09 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Some more shots of this fine Arizona cowboy.
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The cowboy has a cowgirl. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 08, 2009 01:30 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Oh my, what a day! We got up and had breakfast with Dave Waisman, the Westward Look show promoter. Then we put all our minerals in the cases which took quite some time, but turned out to be really well done with the balance of colour and the lay out.
We had cordoned off the area, but a line of onlookers were forming and we finally had them come in and see our pieces. It was truly fun and we were busy the whole day!
Our lunch came, untouched, and they took it away uneated...we had NO time to eat.
I met so many online friends and got some great photos. The saddest news was that Jordi couldn't get free to come see our display case.
It was such a disappointment as I really looked forward to seeing him. Still, we have a case going in the Main show so perhaps we can give a private tour to dear Jordi.
Went to a party hosted by Daniel Trinchillo tonight, had fun with Frank DeWit and Ed Swobboda, Victor Yount and Moni Obboda...and an endless supply of wonderful mineral people!
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Jim setting up the cases, I took the photo and went to work as well. |
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Breakfast with Dave Wilber and Dave Waisman...this is Dave Wilber who does What's hot in Tucson. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 08, 2009 01:38 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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We had fun visiting with friends and showing our collection. I loved talking about the minerals and hearing other people's stories. It was a great day for friendship.
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finishing off the display cases. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 08, 2009 01:44 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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The people arrive and look over the displays.
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some more people. John White even! |
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Some of our minerals on display. |
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Lots of dear friends and some new aquaintences. Jack Halpern and Carolyn Manchester. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4905
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Feb 08, 2009 08:29 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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My room at the InnSuites was so busy yesterday that finally I had not time to visit Jim and Gail. I planned to let someone in charge of my room and then visit the showcase of Gail and Jim but a series of unexpected facts made impossible to visit it.
The good new is that they will display it in the Main Show, so I'm sure that I will enjoy there Gail and Jim's show case, as I did if I had the chance to visit it at the InnSuites.
Tucson is really strong and the number of things to do every day exceed the human capacity, so time to time something that I really want to do I can't do.
Jordi
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robynahawk
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 94
Location: Orange County, CA
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Posted: Feb 08, 2009 12:43 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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I visited the Spann's Collection at the Westward Look and I have to say that as busy as she was (and believe me she was BUSY) Gail to the time to greet me and to meet the two women that came with me.
By the time we got there she was barefoot, their lunches were still sitting on the table waiting for them and the crush at the display cases was 4 - 5 people deep!!!!
I have spoken to Gail online - but I have to say that "in person" her enthusiasm is contagious!!!
Thanks for making our day Gail!!!
I posted my thoughts of the Westward Look Show and the Spann Collection on my Tucson Gem Show - Live! blog at tucsongemshow.blogspot.com
The photos I took are there...
Robyn Hawk
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str4hler
Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 93
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Posted: Feb 08, 2009 13:37 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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What to say about the minerals in Jim&Gail's displays...?
Well, I was silent when I was looking at the minerals, and I'm not silenced easy :-)
The whole day people were in rows waiting to have a chance to look at the minerals... ...each piece must have been photographed 20 times :-)
and Gail&Jim were there all the time to entertain the people and connect them...
...and afterwards they were packing back up for hours........
...and then they even showed up at the Trinchillo party. Please tell me which energy pills you're taking... I can use those pills underground, they seem to work better than coca-leafs ;-)
* Minerals bring people together ! *
Cheers! Frank
ps: Gail was shooting pictures of everyone attending, but nobody was shooting her. Right back at ya :-)
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Peter Megaw
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 963
Location: Tucson, Arizona
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Posted: Feb 08, 2009 15:18 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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From the giant pink fluorite to the tee-iny boleites on anglesite, this exhibit was a pleasure to see...and clearly Gail and Jim got lots of pleasure out of sharing it. I especially like how unconstrained they are by size...I bet they don't even own any 1" 2" or 4" sizing cubes! I find this very refreshing (partially because that's how I collect) but more importantly because they're putting a wide range of mineralogical, geographical and geological factors first, which creates more room in which to collect...and the Spanns are nothing if not expansive!
(Yes, I am deliberately trying to bring size into the "collecting philosophy" threads bandied about for the last few months into this...and hoping to stir that pot up some.)
Really looking forward to the "oddities" the Spanns have set aside for the Main Show!
_________________ Siempre Adelante! |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 09, 2009 00:57 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Well, what a sight....my photo taken by Frank ....isn't it gorgeous? NOT.
ha ha. oh well....I have so enjoyed his fun humour and his great stories. I welcome Frank as a newly made friend. And as far as energy goes, well, I think it is mostly the fact that we believe life is for living and living it to the fullest. And believe me, I was very tired last night but was still enjoying the last of the adreneline rush that I had enjoyed all day. Frank, you are a delight!
Robynahawk, it was a great pleasure to meet you and the "girls" and to have a fun time talking minerals and how crazy we all are! I found the time spent with you all really was a nice part of my day. I liked that we had a good laugh and became so comfortable so quickly. I look forward to getting together with you in the future and really getting a chance to kick back and visit. Give the other ladies my love? Hugs to you too.
Peter, well....darn, you are very generous in your comments and observations. I keep telling people that we don't limit our collection by very much. We showed a nice overview of our pieces, with some under $10.00 minerals mixed in with some high dollar pieces. Every mineral shown held great interest for us. We respect ALL our pieces and are honoured to care for them.
Anyhow Peter, thank you for your very gracious words, you are most kind. And, frankly, I rather like chatting with you...so hope to get to do more of that this week?
_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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Gail
Joined: 21 Feb 2008
Posts: 5839
Location: Texas, Lone Star State.
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Posted: Feb 09, 2009 01:05 Post subject: Re: Tucson Gail Spann Show report. |
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Some photos from yesterday...
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Jim and Me enjoying looking at minerals at the Westward Look. |
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Brett Kosnar's drawings for his jewelry designs. |
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Gloria Staebler and Dave Bunk. Okay, not really! This is Sally Bergmann. But I was so tired I wrote Gloria! |
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Tresa Kosnar and her new husband, Rhys. Mineral dealers from Colorado. |
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_________________ Minerals you say? Why yes, I'll take a dozen or so... |
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