This Saturday Noah is attended SMEE (Science, Math Elementary Education) at the community college. One of the class is geology and will have some geodes for sale. We're hoping to buy a few.
They're so fun to crack open and see the sparkling crystals inside. They are pretty homely on the outside... nice lesson to learn, never judge a stone (person) by the outside, it's what's in the inside that matters.
We've pick up a few library books to study and Noah polished a petoskey stone (our state's stone) from a kit we purchased at the Michigan History Museum.... it's hard work to polish a stone by hand, Whew!
Noah has been collecting rocks for awhile now, but since our trip he's really been excited about rocks. Our wonderful neighbor Pam, who always thinks of Noah on her trips, gave him a pencil filled with polished stones the other day from the Smithsonian.
We're hoping to visit the Ledge's in Grand Ledge, MI this weekend and do a little fossil/rock hunting. I've found some neat fossils there before.
Noah would like to know what's your state stone and do you collect rocks too?
11 comments:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmoxylon The state rock of Texas is Petrified Palmwood, found not too far from where we live(about 2 hours south). I've never seen it that I know of.
I LOVE rocks and do collect them! My desk has two baskets full of rocks and fossils on it right now in fact! Would Noah like me to send him some mica rocks? I have a few 5-gallon buckets full and I give them away frequently. They come from western North Carolina and are very pretty. Let me know if you want a few!!
Molly
Gosh Noah, I'm so glad you asked! ;-) OK, actually I didn't know and had to go look it up, so you helped me learn something new today. Ohio's state stone is flint. I do have a small rock collection, mostly interesting shapes like hearts or faces, that I've found on various trips. My favorite is a set of two stones I keep on my desk: one big one that has a heart-shaped indentation and one little one that fits the indentation perfectly.
Well, you already know the Michigan stone but did you know that Pennsylvania does not have a state stone? It has a state fossil called, Trilobite (Phacops rana) A marine anthropod with a three-part body; it lived from about 540 to 245 million years ago. I thought that was pretty interesting! I just assumed all states had a stone, guess not.
We do have a friend in Texas who is a "Rock hound" and his whole house is full of 5gal buckets full of rocks. He stops all over, anywhere and will load up his trunk with rocks. Some he polishes and then displays, the others are just waiting for him. Maybe this will be your destiny too! :)
My favorite rocks are the round flat rocks you find in the arroyos (areas where the water flows during a hurricane-flood) in Mexico. They are always pretty colors from pinks to grey to blue. I will bring one back for you this year. Happy collecting!
Hey Noah - this is a fascinating subject you're into here.
Where I live in Australia, (the State of Victoria) bluestone is really common (a kind of basalt). I think it's a feldspathic sandstone in your part of the world(?)
Many of our historic buildings are constructed from bluestone, giving them a fairly grim, gothic appearance. Which I kind of like actually.
Our house is actually built over a bluestone quarry that was here during the 19th Century.
My daughter and I are often collecting bits of rock, and bringing them home - particularly those with fossils in them : )
I've never heard of a petoskey stone before or of hand polishing a stone either. Very cool! Our state stone is the star garnet. I do like collecting rocks, but my favorites are the fossils. I have some really nice fossils... Noah, I'd love it if your mom did a post on some of the rocks you've collected so far!
Thanks Molly, I sent you an e-mail:)
Noah would love to have some mica in his collection:)
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Hi Movinginspirals,
Flint... very handy if you need to start a fire. We have some flint in our collection.
Your heart rock collection sounds so sweet! I'll keep my eye out for any heart rocks:)
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Hi Elizabeth,
Interesting about Pennsylvania's fossil! I thought all states had a stone too. Looking forward to the arroyo, thanks:)
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Hi Nettles,
We love fossils too. It's so exciting when you find one!
Sounds like some great buildings and homes in your part of the world.
I like gothic looking buildings also.
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Hi Tammy,
Petosky stones are found in the Northwestern part of the lower Michigan pennisula (the top of the mitten.)
The name comes from an Ottawa Indian Chief, Chief Pet-O-Sega.
The city of Petoskey, Michigan, is also named after him, and is the center of the area where the stones are found. The stones are commonly found on beaches and in sand dunes.
They're not very pretty really. Greyish, with little circle designs on them.
Also hand polishing was extremely hard!!! I was wondering why the directions said "Good Luck" at the end.
Good luck your arm doesn't fall off!
LOL!!!
I'm think of getting him a rock tumbler for Christmas.
Here in Korea there are so many rocks, I have no idea what is what... There's some pumice and some, uh... Other rocks.
Finding resources on nature here is tough and really disappointing. I've learned which trees are Ginko trees, and that's about it. :(
Oh, the rock of my home state? I guess that would be Plymouth Rock. LOL Or Aerosmith.
Oh Wendy, that is so funny!!!
Ohio's state stone is flint, hmm, I see movingspirals is from Ohio so you already know Ohio's stone. I too had to look it up. Thanks for that Noah!
We collect rocks too. Fauna LOVES them and is also learning about them.
lisa
Rock ON Noah!
So cool! Just love all of his passions!
Alaska's state stone is JADE!
And, YES!, I collect rocks like a freak! They are everywhere in our house!
Petoskey stones are very cool!
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