iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

First day of Kitsap County Fair and our granddaughter Ashley won grand champion in FFA MRket hog showmanship. #FFA #4h #openclass

Granddaughter showing the Grand Champion award for her market.She is wearing black jeans and blue FFA jacket. The background is mixed conifer woods. The grass is brown due to lack of rain this year, essentially none for August.

010

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Our daughter and family are camping at Mount Rainier this weekend. We are feeding their 12 llamas, 13 rabbits, and 2 cats. The rabbits belong to our youngest granddaughter who is raising them as an FFA breeding project.

110

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Micromineral photography is in a pause for a while. With the advent of warm weather I am spending much time working on yard work and gardening. It is also the season of llama shows and a couple of weeklong breaks in Canada. #minerals #llamas

060

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

This is the newest addition to our daughter's llama herd. He was born about 2 PM on Saturday, 2 May. He looks just like his dad. #llamas

Zion, a light brown llama with white accents. He is standing next to his mother, Jenny, a dark brown llama. He is about 4 hours old. They are standing next to the pasture fence with neighbor's house and outbuildings in the background.

Zion standing next to a clump of nettle with his mom to his left and his sister, another dark brown llama, standing in an adjacent pasture.

Zion with his coat on for the night. His mom is in the background. There are 2 water buckets, one red and one blue to the left along the stall divider.

030

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Our annual photo with the granddaughters.

030

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

We are in Salem, Oregon for the Cascade Llama Show and Sale. It is part of the Oregon Ag Fest. For a change, the weather is pleasant. We recruited one of our granddaughters to show our llamas in the performance classes. #llamas

020

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Thomsonite-Ca NaCa₂(Al₅Si₅)O₂₀·6H₂O Beech Creek Quarry, Mount Vernon, Grant Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 2.36 mm #545 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #earthscience #geology

Bluish gray thomsonite-Ca with white thomsonite-Ca 'worms" growing from the surface of the globular clusters.

070

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Thomsonite-Ca NaCa₂(Al₅Si₅)O₂₀·6H₂O Beech Creek Quarry, Mount Vernon, Grant Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 3.50 mm #544 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #earthscience #geology

$A cavity in basalt that is lined with bluish gray thomsonite-Ca. The fractured spheres around the rim show the internal structure. The protuberances on the surface of the thomsonite are also thomsonite-Ca$

030

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Thomsonite-Ca NaCa₂(Al₅Si₅)O₂₀·6H₂O Beech Creek Quarry, Mount Vernon, Grant Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 3.53 mm #543 NFS

Group of intergrown bluish gray thomsonite spheres with white thomsonite worms protruding from them. The upper righ corner shows the internal structure of a split thomsonite sphere.

081

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Thomsonite-Ca NaCa₂(Al₅Si₅)O₂₀·6H₂O Beech Creek Quarry, Mount Vernon, Grant Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 3.52 mm #501 NFS

Bluish gray sphere of thomsonite-Ca in a cavity in basalt. The sphere is composed of flat tipped thomsonite-Ca crystals. The flat tips distinguish it from cowlesite which also occurs here

0100

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Chabazite series Beech Creek Quarry, Mount Vernon, Grant Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 3.49 mm #493 NFS

Colorless twinned chabazite series crystals, variety phacolite, on pale yellow calcite.

020

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Enstatite Mg2Si2O6 Summit Rock, Klamath Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 2.94 mm #463 NFS

A hollow enstatite crystal at center that is partially altered to hematite. The tiny black crystals on its surface are hematite as well as the larger black crystals scatter on the white matrix. these are found on the upper part of the andesite dome where the mineralogy differs from the rest of the dome.

0120

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Fluorapatite (Ca,Mg,Fe)₂Si₂O₆) Summit Rock, Klamath Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 2.54 mm #464 NFS

A group of light yellow fluorapatite crystals associated with black ilmenite crystals and a mass of colorless albite crystals.

0150

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Fluoro-edenite NaCa₂Mg₅(Si₇Al)O₂₂F₂ Harter Mountain, Linn County, Oregon FOV = 3.46 mm #9397 NFS

Cavity with numerous light brown fluoro-edenite crystals, minor black ilmenite and tridymite.

0215

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Tridymite SiO₂ Fluoro-edenite NaCa₂Mg₅(Si₇Al)O₂₂F₂ Harter Mountain, Linn County, Oregon FOV = 1.51mm #9396 NFS

Cluster of white to colorless tridymite at the center. The dark brown elongated crystals are fluoro-edenite.

040

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Enstatite Mg2Si2O6 Harter Mountain, Linn County, Oregon FOV = 1.48 mm #9395 NFS

Light brown enstatite crystals on a white to colorless matrix. The black crystals are ilmenite.

0172

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Ilmenite (Ca,Mg,Fe)₂Si₂O₆) Summit Rock, Klamath Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 1.39 mm #2384 NFS

Group of black ilmenite crystals on a matrix of albite with minor tridymite.

1270

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Augite (Ca,Mg,Fe)₂Si₂O₆) Summit Rock, Klamath Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 0.90 mm #2384 NFS

Light green augite crystal on a white matrix of albite and tridymite.

060

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Enstatite Mg2Si2O6 Summit Rock, Klamath Co., Oregon, USA FOV = 3.50 mm #2384 NFS

Two brown enstatite crystals. The left crystals has two small crystals forming a "V" on its lower side. The greenish crystal above the right crystal is augite. The white matrix is composed primarily of albite with some tridymite. There are two colorless hexagonal fluorapatite crystals at the lower left, they are hard to spot.

0585

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Epidote Ca₂(Al₂Fe³⁺)[Si₂O₇][SiO₄]O(OH) Belmont Mountain, Tonopah, Osborn Mining District, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA FOV = 1.38 mm #9621 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Olive green epidote crystals on massive white quartz.

2301

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Cumengite Pb₂₁Cu₂₀Cl₄₂(OH)₄₀·6H₂O Tonopah-Belmont Mine, Belmont Mountain, Tonopah, Osborn Mining District, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA FOV = 1.40 mm #9616 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Blue cumengite crystals as a band across a gray to light brown to dark brown matrix.

1607

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Groutite Mn³⁺O(OH) Holbrook, Navajo County, Arizona, USAFOV = 2.97 mm #9614 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Black groutite crystals on quartz that is colored tan by the underlying rock.

1524

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Azurite Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂ Cornwallite Cu₅(AsO₄)₂(OH)₄ Binghampton Mine, Mayer, Agua Fria Mining District, Bradshaw Mts (Bradshaw Range), Yavapai Co., Arizona, USA FOV = 3.45 mm #9612 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Rough blue azurite crystals with some green cornwallite on a black, yellow, and orange matrix.

1518

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Molybdofornacite CuPb₂(MoO₄)(AsO₄)(OH) Mildren Mine (Mildren claim; Mildred Mine), Mildren Mine group, Ko Vaya, Cababi Mining District (Comobabi Mining District), Comobabi Mountains, Pima County, Arizona, USA FOV = 0.94 mm #9607 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Greenish yellow molybofornacite crystal on milky quartz.

020

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Aurichalcite (Zn,Cu)₅(CO₃)₂(OH)₆ Hemimorphite Zn₄(Si₂O₇)(OH)₂·H₂O Empire Mine, Nash Mines group, Washington Camp-Duquesne Mining District, Patagonia Mining District, Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, USA FOV = 2.51 mm #9595 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Blue spheres of aurichalcite with colorless hemimorphite crystals on a black and rust colored matrix. The lower right corner as some blue and green crust.

29618

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Caledonite Cu₂Pb₅(SO₄)₃(CO₃)(OH)₆ Tonopah-Belmont Mine, Belmont Mountain, Tonopah, Osborn Mining District, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA FOV = 3.51 mm #9509 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Light blue caledonite crystals on quartz crystals with black spheres of goethite.

216620

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Ruizite Ca₂Mn³⁺₂Si₄O₁₁(OH)₄·2H₂O Kinoite Ca₂Cu₂Si₃O₁₀·2H₂O Christmas Mine, Christmas, Banner Mining District, Gila County, Arizona, USA FOV = 2.83 mm #9503 NFS

Light brown ruizite with blue kinoite. This is the type locality for ruizite.

0226

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Lévyne Series Rock Candy Mountain, Black Hills, Thurston Co., Washington, USA FOV = 3.06 mm #1020 NFS #MineralMonday #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Cavity in basalt lined with colorless crystals of a mineral in the lévyne series. We found these in a small roadcut along a logging road.

0132

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Erionite-K K₁₀[Si₂₆Al₁₀O₇₂]·30H₂O Rock Island Dam, Douglas Co., Washington, USA FOV = 3.50 mm #811 NFS #MineralMonday #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Cavity in basalt filled with white erionite-K fibers. Underneath the erionite-K are cluster of clinoptilolite-Ca. These are found in boulders dredged from the Columbia River during construction of the Rock Island Dam.

2385

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Cowlesite Ca(Al₂Si₃)O₁₀·5-6H₂O Big Tree Creek, Yacolt, Clark Co., Washington, USA FOV = 1.43 mm #1367 NFS #MineralMonday #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

An internally gray grading to white and colorless at the tips split cowlesite sphere displaying the internal structure. This is a cavity lined with clay family mineral.

0674

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Kraisslite Zn₃(Mn,Mg)₂₅(Fe³⁺,Al)(As³⁺O₃)₂[(Si,As⁵⁺)O₄]₁₀(OH)₁₆ Sterling Hill, Ogdensburg, Franklin Mining District, Sussex County, New Jersey, USA FOV = 1.32 mm #1402 NFS #MineralMonday #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Dark brown micaceous kraisslite crystals in a band across the center of the image. There a few mixed in with the lighter brown unspecified mineral. This is the type locality for kraisslite. This is from the Alice and Frederick Kraissl collection through Ward's Natural Science.

072

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Paulingite-K (K,Ca,Na,Ba,☐)₁₀(Si,Al)₄₂O₈₄·34H₂O Phillipsite-K K₆(Si₁₀Al₆)O₃₂·12H₂O Clinoptilolite-Ca (K,Ca,Na,Ba,☐)₁₀(Si,Al)₄₂O₈₄·34H₂O Rock Island Dam, Douglas Co., Washington, USA FOV = 3.53 mm #806 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Just left of center is a colorless dodecahedron of paulingite-K surrounded by colorless clinoptilolite-Ca. The yellow cluster to the right is phillipsite-K coated with an amorphous iron silicate. These are found in boulders dredged from the Columbia River during construction of the Rock Island Dam. This is the type locality for paulingite-K. A search to find it the source of the boulders was not successful.

0282

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Phillipsite-K K₆(Si₁₀Al₆)O₃₂·12H₂O Rock Island Dam, Douglas Co., Washington, USA FOV = 1.58 mm #803 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Group of colorless phillipsite-K crystals on a black clay with greenish yellow clay mineral. These are found on boulders dredged from the Columbia River during construction of the Rock Island Dam.

0151

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Clinoptilolite Ca₃(Si₃₀Al₆)O₇₂·20H₂O Rock Island Dam, Douglas Co., Washington, USA FOV = 1.07 mm #799 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Blocky colorless clinoptilolite-Ca crystals that have grown on erionite-K crystals. The yellow spots are an amorphous iron silicate. These are found in boulders dredged from the Columbia River during the construction of the Rock Island Dam.

0316

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Calcite Ca(CO₃) Beaver Valley Quarry, Jefferson Co., Washington, USA FOV = 5.26 mm #2004 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geolgy #earthscience

Group of white calcite crystals on a black clay mineral in basalt.

1312

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Phillipsite-K K₆(Si₁₀Al₆)O₃₂·12H₂O Rock Island Dam, Douglas Co., Washington, USA FOV = 2.37 #797 NFS

Group of colorless phillipsite-K crystals on a black clay mineral. The yellow is amorphous iron silicate. The gray areas are the basalt matrix. The minerals at this locality are from boulders dredged from the Columbia River during construction of the Rock Island Dam.

1485

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Watching the current fountaining episode of Kilauea. The V1 camera has been replaced and has a microphone. The wind has been blowing tephra in its direction and you can hear it falling. #Kilauea #earthscience #geology

010

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Copper Cu Beaver Valley Quarry, Jefferson Co., Washington, USA FOV = 1.59 mm #1782 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geolgy #earthscience

Near the center are several copper wires. They form the loop that is covered by a clay family mineral. Found in the Crescent Formation east of the Olympic Mountains.
Collected by me on i June 1991.

060

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Copper Cu Beaver Valley Quarry, Jefferson Co., Washington, USA FOV = 1.26 mm #1627 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geolgy #earthscience

Copper exhibiting a right-angle change in growth direction. The copper is on a clay group mineral and is found in basalt of the Crescent Formation east of the Olympic Mountains.

1241

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Lévyne Series Beaver Valley Quarry, Jefferson Co., Washington, USA FOV = 3.53 mm #1611 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geolgy #earthscience

Four white lévyne series crystals on a green clay mineral.
Collected by me on 1 June 1991.

060

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Cowlesite Ca(Al₂Si₃)O₁₀·5-6H₂O Big Tree Creek, Yacolt, Clark Co., Washington, USA FOV = 3.27 mm #1604 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Two spheres of radiating cowlesite crystals on a green clay mineral.
Zeolites are abundant in boulders scraped off the top of an Eocene basalt flow in order to make the logging road along Big Tree Creek, 3.8 miles east of the railroad tracks in Yacolt, Clark County, Washington. Boulders and dirt was piled along the south side of the road and into the trees making finding the boulders and collecting in them difficult. No rock cut was found containing the same mineralization. The site was found by Jim Babcock of Vancouver, Washington and was made known to other collectors by Vi Frazer. Like most logging roads, the area is closed to collecting and gated.
Collected by me on 7 May 1989.

150

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Cowlesite Ca(Al₂Si₃)O₁₀·5-6H₂O Big Tree Creek, Yacolt, Clark Co., Washington, USA FOV = 3.27 mm #1604 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

White cluster of cowlesite crystals on a green clay mineral. At the left and right edge are clusters of a colorless heulandite group mineral.
Zeolites are abundant in boulders scraped off the top of an Eocene basalt flow in order to make the logging road along Big Tree Creek, 3.8 miles east of the railroad tracks in Yacolt, Clark County, Washington. Boulders and dirt was piled along the south side of the road and into the trees making finding the boulders and collecting in them difficult. No rock cut was found containing the same mineralization. The site was found by Jim Babcock of Vancouver, Washington and was made known to other collectors by Vi Frazer. Like most logging roads, the area is closed to collecting and gated.
Collected by me on 7 May 1989

050

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Fluorapatite Ca₅(PO₄)₃F Hansen Creek Crystal Area, Hansen Creek, Snoqualmie Mining District, King Co., Washington, USA FOV = 2.93 mm #1596 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

White hexagonal prisms of fluorapatite with brown dendrites associated with dark green clinochlore and quartz. The location given is how Mindat lists it. This is not from the main quartz collecting area but from a small roadcut some distance up the road from the quartz area. These must be etched out of calcite filling the cavities in the rock. Collected by me on 8 July 1989. Vinegar was used to etch the calcite thus leaving the fluorapatite.

0220

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Anatase TiO₂ Hansen Creek Crystal Area, Hansen Creek, Snoqualmie Mining District, King Co., Washington, USA FOV = 1.45 mm #1593 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Very pale yellow anatase crystal at center with rutile needles to the left of it. The skeletal remains of a titanite crystal are on the right of the anatase with dark green clinochlore at right edge. The location given is how Mindat lists it. This is not from the main quartz collecting area but from a small roadcut some distance up the road from the quartz area. These must be etched out of calcite filling the cavities in the rock. Collected by me on 8 July 1989.

071

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Rutile TiO₂ Hansen Creek Crystal Area, Hansen Creek, Snoqualmie Mining District, King Co., Washington, USA FOV = 1.45 mm #1593 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthsciencedouglasmerson197@gmail.com

Golden rutile with dark green and colorless clinochlore on quartz.. The location given is how Mindat lists it. This is not from the main quartz collecting area but from a small roadcut some distance up the road from the quartz area. These must be etched out of calcite filling the cavities in the rock. Collected by me 8 July 1989.

1576

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Clinochlore Mg₅Al(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₈ Hansen Creek Crystal Area, Hansen Creek, Snoqualmie Mining District, King Co., Washington, USA FOV = 1.71 mm #1631 NFS #minerals #mineralogy #geology #earthscience

Green clusters of clinochlore on quartz crystals. The location given is how Mindat lists it. This is not from the main quartz collecting area but from a small roadcut some distance up the road from the quartz area. These must be etched out of calcite filling the cavities in the rock.

1558

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Thomasclarkite-(Y) NaY(HCO₃)(OH)₃·4H₂O Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada FOV = 2.56 mm #4029 NFS #minerals #geology #earthscience #mineralogydouglasmerson197@gmail.com

Group of yellow thomasclarkite-(Y) crystals on a black and white matrix. The white patches on the thomasclarkite-(Y) are due to dehydration. The Poudrette Quarry is the type locality for thomasclarkite-(Y).

0163

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Titanite CaTi(SiO₄)O Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada FOV = 1.21 mm #4028 NFS #minerals #geology #earthscience #mineralogy

Pale tan cluster of titanite crystals on a white matrix.

050

Douglas Merson @flameryder.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Synchysite-(Ce) CaCe(CO₃)₂F Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, La Vallée-du-Richelieu RCM, Montérégie, Québec, Canada FOV = 1.73 mm #4027 NFS #minerals #geology #earthscience #mineralogy

Two yellow synchysite-(Ce) crystals. one is edge on and appears to penetrate the larger crystal. The matrix is composed of white albite crystals. Not visible in this image are the associated sphalerite and rutile crystals.

091