I went rockhounding in South Frontenac

[Charline]

I have kept myself busy, though not very productive. My health has been questionable. I just try to do as much as I can before I become too sick to do things.


This short clip shows my recent trip to look for diopside crystals and other minerals with the members of my club.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYkbXsRgWRA

[Shortsighted]

I don't precisely know where Dog Lake is located and I'm reluctant to search for it because I had enough trouble trying to find Dog River.  All I managed to locate was Wolverton (spit). Anyway, your diopside is characterized by metamorphic transition of sedimentary rocks, such as dolomite (limestone closer to Kingston).  Dolomite (and its parent calcite) can form pyroxene crystals (of which diopside is one type) when subjected to heat and pressure after being subducted below the surface.  Diopside might eventual transition to chrysotile (asbestos) if subjected to greater metamorphism.  Asbestos was mined north of Kingston.  The presence of chromium will make the diopside greenish.  Once again, I'm amazed that nobody hacking away at rock seems to be bothered by mosquitoes.  I can't even go to a park around here without enduring the menace.  Looks like fun, although there are way too many people about.  Would make feel like a government employee. 

[Charline]

SS, thanks for your geological information!


There were very few bugs and no mosquitoes, perhaps because it was the middle of the day. I didn't even put on my insect repellent.


It's a private property which only allowed my club members there. Otherwise you may have great solitude.


However, on the way back, there was an exotic hitchhiking bug in the car. Maybe you or someone else can id it. According to my research, it's probably a leaf-footed bug or an Assassin Bug. Assassin is as dangerous as deer ticks.


I am traveling and using a public wi-fi which doesn't allow me to access YouTube. If you go to my channel and click on Shorts, you should see it from my recent post.

[Shortsighted]

Private property!  Figures.  I should have surmised as much.  I really don't know bugs.  I can barely spell entomology.  I haven't thought about diopside in years.  I think that I was going to explore the general area that you were in back in the late 70's and mid 80's but found private property everywhere that I went.  I was looking for serpentine, tremolite, and diopside.  I did find some partially transitioned dolomite (to marble) but it didn't have silica minerals in it as required to transition to a pyroxene mineral.  I have a piece of diopside from Quebec (Wakefield deposit ... I think) and any other specimens were minerals like augite and hedenbergite (maybe).  No tremolite but chrysotile.  That was all so long ago as to be part of a dream, or maybe a former life.


Diopside


Augite (iron-rich)


Dolomite


Serpentine


Augite or Hedenbergite


Chrysotile (asbestos)