My Bio by Dick McAllister

Hi Folks! --Dick McAllister here-I first started mineral collecting in 1960 when the Govt. was buying strategic minerals-mica. Most of the Mica mines were cranking out mica at very high prices and most of the beryl and some of the tourmalines were thrown on the dumps.Other minerals of significance were Topaz,colored Apatites,Garnets,Spodumene,Herderite,Lepidolite,Quartz xls(especially smokey)and some of the mines fortunate to have having Phosphates produced a bonanza of minerals with goofy names.
Married in 1967 to my dedicated mate for life (Sandy) with part of the "job description" being that she loved the out of doors. We have three daughters and four wonderful grandkids. I have a degree in chemistry and spent 27yrs in polymer chemistry before changing technical disciplines and became the Dir.of Technology for a large specialty paper company (we used lots of different minerals!) Before retirement we purchaced a summer cottage in Nova Scotia (a rockhounds paradise!). After 14 yrs in the paper industry,we retired to living 6mo. in Canada and then 6mo. in the "states"in the winter.
We are not roadside collectors but we do strap on the backpacks and explore old forgotten and difficult to find mines or we seek out fault line intercepts on a geological map. As Frank Sinatra would sing-2003"was a very good year". Hope my knees hold up for a few more! KOR Dick&Sandy
McAllister