“Sometimes it's good to be an outsider, especially as a journalist.“ Gay Talese

Hills and valleys. Basalt and clay. Rugged rock and landforms taken for granted until going away and roaming the country. One place is not the same as others for access to delicious water, rich soils. Clear cold springs. Fossil trackways and volcanic ribbons of rock. Home again.

Mica. Books of mica.

Glittering bits amid shards of chalky feldspar can be seen sprinkled among outcroppings at the well-groomed Quarry Ridge Golf Course in Portland, Connecticut. Earth and rolling hills blanket what was once known as Strickland's Quarry, a fabled destination years ago.

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Today, collections of the rich mineral resources once unearthed at the Strickland quarry may be seen at places such as Wesleyan University's Joe Webb Peoples Museum online.

“The replacement was started last year (summer 2018), when the 6 cabinets in the Joe Webb Peoples Museum itself (4th Floor Exley) were replaced. This year we went much further, replacing all 12 cabinets in the hallway of the 4th Floor of Exley, and during the replacement – to some extent – reorganized fossils in the 3d and 4th floor cabinets to better reflect the nature of the collections scientifically.”

— from The Joe Webb Peoples Fossil Collection At Wesleyan University blog.

Memories of years long past are of climbing a steep path following my family up to the towering heaps that were mine tailings. It was quite a hike. As a child to find treasures with names such as tourmaline, schist, feldspar, smoky quartz, garnets and crystals created joy that could barely be contained. The olive-green battered canvas rucksack and hammers with pointed ends for digging made the excursion serious stuff. Small chisels split murky-looking rock to reveal fresh surfaces and bright minerals within. Later, we'd perch on a hill and overlook the valley below to feast on ham sandwiches, a pickle, chips – all packed by my mother.

A sturdy and well-paged copy of Rocks and Minerals a Guide to Minerals, Gems and Rocks was brought along to help identify all of what was found. To match up a weighty stone in my hand to an illustration on the page and read about it planted a seed for the love of learning that grown a hundredfold – maybe more – since.

Vai Pure. Keep going. 

“The Strickland Quarry is one of the most famous mineral collecting localities in the central Connecticut area. The quarry was first opened prior to 1900 and in 1907 was leased to the Eureka Mica and Mining Co. who operated it steadily until 1937. In 1942 the quarry was reactivated and operations continued until 1950, when all operations ceased. The early mining was primarily for feldspar, but during the 1930's considerable mica was produced. The last phase of activity produced both feldspar and mica and small amounts of beryl,” from Mineral Deposits of the Central Connecticut Pegmatite District by Harold Bannerman, Sidney Quarrier, Richard Schooner.

Here is a page from the past (the mine, obviously, is not operating any longer): “Undoubtedly the best pegmatite locality in Connecticut, from the standpoint of the mineralogist, is Strickland's quarry in Portland. . . . interesting minerals are found only in the largest or main vein. The pegmatite is composed almost entirely of buff microcline and smoky quartz. … Muscovite, which is not abundant, occurs in plates up to 15 centimeters in diameter, nearly all of which show the twinning structure known as feathering,” from an article in The American Mineralogist by Earl V. Shannon, U. S. National Museum.

I have no idea what some of that terminology means, but do recall watching as my father trimmed large sheets of mica for replacing the “glass” in our downstairs metal wood stove, which had a double row of small windows. The transparent mineral looks like flexible glass and I was fascinated that a rock could be peeled and placed to withstand the fierce heat generated and contained in this device.

Years later I learned that the word “isinglass” – as in “The wheels are yellow, the upholstery's brown, The dashboard's genuine leather, with isinglass curtains y' can roll right down, in case there's change in the weather” sung in The Surrey with the Fringe on Top featured in the movie Oklahoma was actually my old friend, mica.

“The Strickland Quarry is debatably the most famous locality in Connecticut. The amount of minerals it produced was impressive, as was the quality of specimens. Strickland lies on the eastern side of Collins Hill in Portland, Connecticut.

“History: The Strickland quarry was operated for high-grade feldspar and from 1904 to 1960s. There is some speculation of the date the operation was started. It is possible that operations began in the 1840's. The owner from 1904 to 1945 was Mr. F. E. Strickland. He collected many interesting specimans from his quarry, and these can be found in some old collections. The nearby Schoonmaker/Cramer Mine, an underground operation, was not connected to the Strickland Quarry. However, Strickland did have some underground workings. The larger northern dumps belonged to the Schoonmaker mine.

“The Strickland Quarry was leased to Eureka Flint & Spar Co., Eureka Mining & Operating Co., or Eureka Mica & Mining Co. The operators after Strickland were George Wilkes, and then William Wilkes. As well as faldspar and mica production, Strickland is noted for beryl, gem, and quartz production. Operations ended in the 1960s.

“While the quarry was owned by Strickland, collectors could work in the dumps. They were allowed to keep anything that wasn't particularly gemmy. These were given to Strickland, and would eventualy be sold. Specimans found while working the quarry were sometimes sold to visitors.”

— from History and Mineralology of the Strickland Quarry (2016) by Rowan Lytle, linked here (the images of specimens, simply amazing).

Garnet is the state mineral of Connecticut.

The state even has an official fossil. Because where (besides the upper Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts), are these impressions founds in such abundance? For a child growing up, or a curious adult, the region is a feast for curiosity — for those fortunate enough to have memories of those who led frequent outings to parks, the “Peabody” and libraries.

Editor's note: Page through geological history with author and geologist Jelle Zeilinga deBoer in Stories in Stone: How Geology Influenced Connecticut History and Culture (Wesleyan University Press 2009).

Growing. Thoughts break through the clutter like snowdrops in leaves. Quarries and mine tailings. Learning the language of geology by having pure fun with family time. Growing across many interests, lessons from a garden and love, patience, showing the way. Leading a family.

Check out these SUPER CUTE resealable craft envelopes with a window…😍 It's for our seed sale coming up at the end of the month on the 25th! This months fundraising focus will be on a GREENHOUSE for the farm. Hoping for a hoophouse 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/f9CCwqpISE

— Graham Tome Biyáál (@gbeyale) February 17, 2023

Viewing West Rock, the gap as a landmark over time because of Simon Donato's words. Layers of humanity, life, work.

By the way, the Connecticut Master Gardeners Association (CMGA) 2023 Spring Grant applications are now being accepted to “start and sustain gardening projects throughout the state of Connecticut.”

All certified UConn Master Gardeners, Interns and Extension Coordinators are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $350. Grants must be requested before a project is undertaken and grant requests for completed projects will not be considered.

Deadline is March 15, 2023; here is the link https://ctmga.org/general-grant-information for more information.

For opportunities across the nation:

“…funds projects that develop, coordinate, and expand local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer to consumer marketing to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The program focuses on: Supporting the processing, aggregation, distribution, and storage of local and regional food products that are marketed locally or regionally, including value-added agricultural products. Encouraging the development of value-added agricultural products.Assisting with business development plans and feasibility studies. Developing marketing strategies for producers of local food and value-added products. Facilitating regional food chain coordination and mid-tier value chain development. Promoting new business opportunities and marketing strategies to reduce on-farm food waste. Responding to changing technology needs in indirect producer-to-consumer marketing; and… Covering expenses related to cost incurred in obtaining food safety certification and improvements to food safety practices and equipment.
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html Closing date for applications: May 2, 2023.