Saturday, April 20, 2013

R.....is for Rocks

As I've mentioned before, I grew up on a farm. I was an only child, so I had to find creative ways to amuse myself.  Most kids enjoy playing with mud and I was no exception. One of those times, however, I noticed some rocks. Each one was a little different from the others and pretty soon I found a hobby in looking for the most unusual rocks.

Every so often my dad would have a load of gravel delivered and he would spread it on our driveway, otherwise it would have been a muddy mess in the spring. I loved those deliveries because I had thousands upon thousands of rocks to go through.

Some had lines of gold going through them. I don't imagine it was real gold but it was pretty and, to me, it was special. The best rocks I found were the ones with fossils in them. I later learned all about fossils in school but before that knowledge I felt like I'd made a marvelous discovery. I found parts of fern-like leaves and things that looked like bug legs. One time I found something that looked just like a sea shell which caused me to sit and ponder where the rocks had originated from.

I know that there are people who make expensive hobbies out of rock polishing and then sometimes taking the finished product and making impressive jewelry or home decorations. My daughter knows about my interest in rocks and stones so once in a while she'll hand me an unusual one that she's come across as a gift.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I collect rocks at the beach. I use the large rocks for door stops.

Hughes ap Williams said...

In the 1950s we would drive to Nanticoke, Pa. to visit my grandparents. My grandfather was a miner. My brother would go to the coal tips to find fossils.

I remember them being stored in a box layered with newspaper, but
I don't know where they are now.

EireKitten said...

Aw, I grew up loving rocks....my parents bought me a tumbler and I loved throwing rocks in there and getting polished shiny stones a couple days later. I still love searching for interesting rocks. Thank you for your R post!

Josie Two Shoes said...

I love rocks too, big ones, small ones, shiny ones, bumpy ones, and especially heart-shaped ones!