Friday, April 17, 2009

treasure found

Wow. This is the BIGGEST agate I have ever found!

This morning at work I had an unexpected errand across the river to our fish rearing ponds. We had some major work done there last fall, re-routing the drainage and stuff, so there was a lot of loose gravel and rock there, either recently placed or dug up from the work. I don't know. Anyway, as I was surveying the new layout I glanced at the ground and saw a stone that demanded picking up. I have been walking gravel roads for over thirty years now, and I know a Lake Superior agate when I see one!


This one is incredible. It has nice fine lines, and viewed from the end the lines form a heart shape. It is about four times the size of most of the agates I have picked up over the years.

For a rockhound like me, this is SWEET!

P.S. I hate to have the frog chorus as an afterthought ever, but tonight the sound is beautiful here. Peepers, wood frogs and Western chorus frogs.

11 comments:

cindy said...

Deb, that is one incredible agate!!! I have never found one bigger than a small marble. I just thought maybe me being the first to comment...well maybe a reward is due....like a giant agate??? Oh man!! You are one lucky woman. Great Twins game tonight.

Grizz………… said...

That's a dandy! I've been camping alomg Lake Superior for years and often spend hours each day walking miles along the beaches looking for agates. A week-long trip might, if I'm lucky, yield a dozen bigger than a piece of pea gravel; the average of these big agates might be an inch or inch-and-a-half across. I've never come close to that one of yours even with my biggest. You have a treasure! And nice color, too. I believe I'd give that gravel road a second look.

Elise said...

Neat! Here in Pennsylvania I was happy to discover that I can find quite a few rocks with fossils in them. Most of the rocks I pick up and bring home I don't know what they are called, I just think they look neat so bring them home and put them around my little pond.

Jayne said...

How beautiful Deb! Lucky you!

R.Powers said...

Lake Superior agates always make me think of Sterling North's book, Rascal.
Thanks!

Beautiful rock, way to go rockhound.

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Wahoo! Deb that's a dandy! I always walk the dirt road up at Hasty (especially after it rains) looking for agates. They're always little but I just can't pass up sticking them in my pocket.

bev said...

Great agate, Deb. Makes me think I should have spent a bit more time looking along the shores while on the way by there recently -- but then there was stlll a lot of snow and ice everywhere! (-:

Deb said...

Cindy- Dang it, I missed Kubel's awesome grand slam, and he even went for the cycle! I was just afraid to watch. Not afraid the last couple of games!

Grizzled- You can bet I'll be taking a few walks over there during my lunch break.

Elise- I've only found one or two fossils ever. I just brought one home from our storage shed the other day; maybe I'll post it.

Jayne- I feel very lucky indeed.

FC- I'll have to look up that reference. Thanks!

Lynne- They're always little around here too, yet if I'm running I will come to a dead stop if I see something agate like.

Bev- It's so hard to look when everything is frozen! It's been so nice to read about your journey. Take care.

RuthieJ said...

Cool agate Deb! I'm glad it was found by someone who appreciates it.

Deb said...

RuthieJ- I surely do appreciate it!!!

Anonymous said...

That is a huge aggate, my uncle recently passed away and honest to goodness he found about five the size of my fist that his wife gave out to all of the children at the funeral. I have also found hundreds of aggates just smaller than the one in your picture in our corn field, I'm not trying to show off so don't take that in the wrong way, just whenever i see something about aggates I have to share the story about ny uncle.