“Okay, we’ll lock up when we leave, then.”
He stands and offers me a hand to help me to my feet.
“Maybe she won’t be here long.” I slide on my hiking shoes and grab my gathering bag for my treasures.
We don’t have to go far to find a path that gets us down to the sand below. It’s going to be a bitch to climb back up, but we’ll deal with that when we get there.
“This is theperfectinlet for geodes and stones,” I inform Tanner. “There’s some sand, but it’s also very rocky. Obviously, the tide brings in all kinds of stuff.”
We make our way over rocks and tide pools, stopping here and there to examine the sea life on the rocks.
“I’ve never seen a purple starfish.” I point to the little guy clinging to a boulder. “Notthatpurple. Wow.”
“And look at this crab,” Tanner says. “His shell is insane.”
We keep moving. I justknowthat I’m going to find something amazing down here.
And then I spot it.
“Right here,” I say in excitement as I pick my way over slick rocks to the oddly shaped one, right in the middle. “This is a crystal geode.”
“How can you tell?”
“The shape. It’s heavy, too. Oh, and listen.”
I shake it next to his ear and watch as he blinks in confusion.
“There’s water in this one. Water that’s probably been trapped in there for thousands of years.”
“And you’re going to set it free?”
“Hell yes, I am. I can’t wait to see what’s inside.”
I stash it in my bag.
“You should have been a geologist,” Tanner says as we pick our way over the rocks, careful not to slip and fall.
It’s slick down here.
“This is abigagate,” I announce as I lift the gorgeous orange rock in my hand. “So pretty.”
“I think this could be something.” He holds a rock out to me, and I squeal with excitement.
“Another geode! This one is smaller, but that’s what it is. Good job, babe.”
“I’m a quick study.”
We discover a couple of small things here and there, and then I stretch my back, a little sore from bending over for so long.
“I think this is plenty. I don’t want to take too much.”
“I can’t wait for you to crack those open,” he says as he takes my hand to make sure I make it back to the sand safely. “How do you do it?”
“With a chisel and hammer.”
“We don’t have those things here.” He purses his lips in thought. “Looks like we’re making a trip into town.”
March 6,2005