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INDEX
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Reflections of a Rockhound
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I have loved rocks all my life. As a child I roamed the woods and played in creeks and always delighted in the shiny pebbles that came my way. Fragments of quartz and mica, pretty pink granite and other unknown treasures filled my secret hiding place.
My greatest find was a piece of pink granite the size of a small watermelon. It took me days to drag it out of the hills and get it close enough to home for me to ask my father to break it open. I knew it had treasure in it. Well, with the help of a
very big hammer, my father broke it into pieces. Sure enough, it had gold inside of it. My father was kind enough not to tell me it wasn't real, but I loved it just the same.
As a teen, we went on many summer day trips in search of natures wonders. Central Ohio was a wonderful place to be I thought. There were caves and debris fields left from the glaciers. We saw the Indian Mounds and dug in Flint Ridge. My prize find was
a piece of green flint with quartz crystals on one end. I found it in a pile of trash. The Indians didn't use the green variety for their arrows and working tools. It was too brittle and therefore junk to them. Not so. It sits in a place of honor on
my shelf today.
My husband knew that he had married a crazy woman when he had to buy a steamer trunk on our honeymoon to ship back the rock samples that his new bride collected with such fervor. I never knew if the Delta baggage handlers had a hard time with that one,
but sometimes there is payback for all the mashed luggage I have had over the years.
Now, I have children of my own. As infants, I took them to the Sapphire mines in Franklin and they played in the running water of the sluice lines while I scrubbed the dirt off of my current treasure. One summer vacation, I took them out west to see
some really big rocks. The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone were only two of the many National Parks that we saw on our three month odyssey.
This summer, I am again on an adventure. I am spending the last half of the year in Utah. This is the 'Land of the National Monument' in my book. What more could I ask than to have a four wheel drive truck and my daughter with me as we explore the
depths of the deserts and mountains in search of treasure. For I am a rockhound, and there is always treasure to be found.
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Copyright, 1997 by Jan Noble
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Writer, traveler, contract E/M designer, rockhound and Mom are only a few of the descriptions that apply to Jan Noble. When not on assignment, she lives in Atlanta with her
husband, two daughters, ten cats and two dogs.
Jan is a genuine lover of geology and enjoys taking her
children with her on field trips when ever time permits. She
always has rocks in her pockets and time to hear a good story.
Besides filling her time with rock hunting, writing and work,
she tutors her youngest daughter in home school. She's a
loving mother and talented writer.
Jan is back online after a recent move. Her new email address is inthewind@mindspring.com
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