High Desert Gift
Rick Beckner

I was raised in Redmond, Oregon and grew to love the Oregon High Desert early on. I turned 21 in Reno and soon settled in Salt Lake City where I became a gold assayer and metallurgist...eventually a smelter and refiner of gold, silver and platinum. Based in Salt Lake City I worked for mines in five western states and tried to summer in Montana and winter in Arizona. I became a good exploration geologist, looking at maybe a hundred mines. Never once, did I notice any petrified wood or if I saw an agate, it had better have some gold in it or it was tossed.

I returned to Redmond about 1984 and by 1990, I had left the gold mining industry completely and worked ata huge aggregate crushers for highway use.

That is when I met Larry Kribs in Bend, Or. who had a huge lapidary operation and I decided I would make a good rockhound, given my past as a geologist. He took me to the "PRINCESS MINE" (he had so many mines he did not have time to claim another). The first piece of petrified wood I found turned out to be maybe one of the best ever found ever.Blackwalnut! I was hooked and ended up searching most of the High Desert for years; going out every week and always came back with something. The High Desert is an amazing, sometimes strange place and has produced world-class agates and woods for 100 years. It is home to Richardson Rock Ranch(Priday Beds) and Peterson Rock Garden(and museum) and I can see Powell Buttes and the Ochoco Mts from my front door. Stop in. I am not a real lapidary expert and try to sell rough slabs to those that are. Jewelers love my stuff and a lot of my best stuff is being held by a local collector who refuses to sell any cause it’s so great. You will riot over my "UNLIMITED DUCKS EXIBIT"(I have a major chick factory) and it is quite a marvel to see. Some of the BLUE SKY MINE jaspagate is so thrilling to look at, that you could pass out. THANKS FOR THE OPPOURTUNITY!