Looks like mineral wool to me.

See link below.

(But what the heck is that other beady looking stuff?)

Here is a link that might be useful: Identifying Insulation

The "beads" may be vermiculite, some varieties of which contained asbestos and should be handled accordingly.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vermiculite

The description of mineral wool matches it, but that doesn't explain the beads. Hm.

I have a respirator made for toxic dust like lead or asbestos. Is that good?

The OSHA website makes me nervous because I had an opacity on my lung after my first round of renovations in early 2009. Trying to be more careful this time around.

Thanks for the quick response!

Definitely rock wool and the beads are probably super heated sap from the wood that has run down the framing or dropped into the insulation and cooled.

That was some sappy wood.
Casey

Thattsa somma hot attic!

That's not vermiculite.

Hard clear or amber colored sap crystals are more common in attics where wood was not originally kiln dried.