Wednesday, May 13, 2015

What's This?

Mum + Visiting Daughter = Happiness
Water Over Rocks in Grouse Creek
Patient Son-in-Law Waiting for Slow Hiker
Diamonds might be a girl's best friend, but rocks are mine.

This past Mother's Day will go down in the record books as one of the best. It's hard to top the morning my then nine-year-old son woke me up to beer and cornflakes, or any Mother's Day spent with all three of my children and their father. Rocks tip the scale.

Allison and her husband Drew flew out from Michigan to celebrate May. My daughter Brianna turns 25 tomorrow, a quarter of a century old, and I'm closing in on half a century next Thursday. So for one blissful weekend we gathered in Elmira, sans the Bro who is hard at work on his masters in psychology, for food, games and rock hunting.

My favorite game (after Settlers of Catan) is to play "What's This?" with Allison and Drew who are both trained geologists. Drew did his masters work in the northern Rockies so he is especially in tune to answer. Imagine getting a play day with an expert in the area of your extreme interest.

The following photos and captions explain our rock adventure on Grouse Creek where we hiked to a natural grotto and waterfall just 15 miles from Elmira Pond.  

Linking up with Abracabadra for Wordless Wednesday with my own photos shot with my smartypants phone.

Allison and Barley on the Rocks in the Grotto

Around the Corner is a Waterfall

Deposit of Large Gravel from High Waters

Following a Metamorphic Contact

Quartz (Lighter) Pushing Up Through Basalt (Darker)

Geologists Checking out Intrusions

Vein of Quartz

Reading the Rock

An Inclusion (Already Forgot What It Is Called)

Looking at Granite

Looking for Metasediments

Best Find in the Grotto

What's This? The Men Cooked Quiche & Crab Benedict!


16 comments:

  1. What a fantastic Mother's Day you had there Charli, so happy for you! Love all your photos, you are indeed one gorgeous glowing momma! I know that feel oh so well, I don't think a smile ever leaves my face when I have all my chicks back in the nest together :-) What gorgeous scenery. I just feel my heart explode with the joys of nature in such surroundings, love those flowing creeks. And I can see why the beer and cornflakes went down as the best Mother's Day, until now, ha! Now that is what I call one smart, creative kid!

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    1. It is a wonderful glow! My husband says he likes sitting back and just watching me. :-) It is so gorgeous here and the creeks are so cool and clear. Can't wait to show you one day! Oh, yes, the beer and cornflakes was epic. I had worked six days in a row and instead of bringing home groceries I figured we'd eat out. But he so wanted to fix me breakfast in bed! We still laugh!

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    2. So funny, I love it! And oh I can't wait for you to show me Charli, how wonderful that will be!!

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  2. Looks like a fun time to spend Mother's Day.

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    1. I now know that Grouse creek is predominately basalt with metamorphic intrusions and that the shiny rocks I always pick up are mica covered metasediments. :-)

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  3. You sure were pampered Charli :) I am glad and happy to read that your kids came all the way to celebrate it. And what a wowsie thing that they get to celebrate your b'day too :)

    Always a pleasure to have you on board.
    xoxo

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    1. May is full of celebrations! I was so thoroughly pampered and will bask in that for a while! Thanks!

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  4. Amazed at such beautiful view. Belated birthday and that's a beautiful treat:)

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    1. It is a beautiful view, very peaceful. Thanks!

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  5. Lots of celebrations your way - an amazing Mothers' Day, and then two wonderful birthdays: a quarter and a half century! That's got to be pretty special. But then any time with family is special. I know you enjoy time with yours as much as I appreciate time with mine. Grouse Creek looks grouse, man! What a lovely day. Thanks for sharing. :)

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    1. Ha, ha, oh Norah, I'm going to have that going through my mind every time I go up Grouse Creek! It is grouse, man! May is a fun month. :-)

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  6. I love this!!! All of it -- the post, the photos, the rocks. Love it. :-)

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    1. Hee, hee...you will regret ever letting me know you like rocks...:-)

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    2. Oh no! :-) (I don't think I will.)

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  7. What fun to have a couple of geologists with you on a hike to add information about the interesting rock formations!

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    1. It was so interesting to learn. I kept trying to memorize -- this is feldspar, this is is hornblend, this is metasediments and mica!

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