Awesome points. Refreshing to hear you call them Stillwells. The guys that call everything a pine-tree is annoying. Especially when they refuse to hear the truth.
Creek stain is something that should be studied.... ive seen cherts take on a nice stain in a matter of days, sometimes its easily wiped away with the hand sometimes not... alot depends on material too, some very pourus materials take on a deep stain much easier