"This is truly one of the most iconic landscapes in America," said Chance Wilcox, California desert program manager for the National Parks Conservation Assn., as he stood atop a rocky slope within the project footprint.
Mount Ida may be small, with an economy built around ranching, farming, and tourism centered around the nearby Lake Ouachita, but it holds a distinction few places on Earth can claim. It is home to one of the world's richest deposits of quartz crystal, earning the nickname, the 'Quartz Crystal Capital of the World.'
Every black-and-white photograph of the layers of our planet's tectonic history is an act of time travel - it gets us closer to understanding the past and the future of Earth. The photos are proof that the world is ever changing, showing how vast plains of sedimentary materials shift and morph over thousands of centuries.
It's 9:30 p.m. Snack time. A sacred fourth meal, when I pull out my handwash-only kobachi and drop in a small handful of Blue Diamond Smokehouse almonds. I've been eating them for more years than I care to admit, appreciating the mix of natural (high protein and fiber) almonds with a splash of addictive processing (mmm, hickory smoke flavor and maltodextrin) to keep them feeling dangerous.
But after decades of outsourcing tungsten production, the federal government has now begun restricting imports. United States Tungsten founders Stacy Hastie and Randy Waterfield saw this coming. They're reviving what was once America's largest tungsten mine, the Tungsten Queen. It's a site holding an estimated 1 million tons of tungsten with an in-ground value approaching $450 million, the company says. And it says it is already in talks with the U.S. Government.
This finish is first honed (meaning it doesn't have the same sheen as the polished granite that you may be used to), then textured with a diamond-shaped tool. The small dimples created by the bit add texture to the countertop and give it a more natural, matte, and sophisticated finish. The color is still natural and vivid, which works best with dark kitchens, and is extremely captivating to the eye.
