Rock hounds

Most people end up collecting one thing or another in their lifetime - coins, stamps, shot glasses; the list goes on.

What most people don't do is go to the desert or mountains to dig up what they collect. But that's exactly what Marge Chalker and Frank Engel do. The friends began their crystal-seeking adventures in the spring of 2015 at Sweet Surrender Crystal Mine in Story, Arkansas.

"We found our first crystal, and we were hooked," Engel said.

"It kind of gets ya," Chalker agreed.

"Peace and tranquility. You get out there away from civilization, and you look for rocks," Engel said. "And you can always be amazed at what you find. Something may not look like anything worth having, but then you cut it open and go, 'hey, look at this.'"

What is even more unique about their collecting hobby is how it came to be.

"My wife passed in 2014, and I hit rock bottom, and she (Chalker) was my wife's best friend," Engel said. "She really helped me get through it."

"We had to clean out his house, and it was a very emotional thing," Chalker said. "I came across some diamond rocks in his house, and I said, 'Hey, what if we did something like this for fun?'"

Chalker said they found their first crystal at their first dig. Right after that, she found a rock with a marking in the shape of the letter T. Engel's wife's name was Tarita.

"It was kind of like a sign that we were where we needed to be, doing what we needed to be doing," Chalker said.

Engel said from the moment they found their first crystal, he was hooked.

"We did a night dig, then we did a two-day dig, then another dig at what was called Twin Peaks (also in Arkansas)," Chalker said.

People took such an interest in the pair's collecting hobby that they decided to begin a Facebook page, "Digg n It," entirely dedicated to their crystal-collecting adventures.

"We've had some interesting moments; we've had some fun moments; and we've had some 'oh crap' moments," Chalker said. "But all in all, it is still a very rewarding hobby. We like to share it with others and encourage others in it (especially young people)."

Chalker said they give away as many crystals and stones as they keep, if not more.

"To me, that just goes to show what it's all about," Chalker said. "We never really forget how this all started, and I think that is something pretty special."