River


River

There's always something new going on at the riverbank. In the spring the water spreads to the treeline and rushes past, branches and flotsam bouncing along.

winter riverrocks

In the fall, the water recedes leaving a bed of rocks.

Where did all these rocks come from?

They are all different - black, red, white, grey, even sparkly. Some are smooth and rounded, some are hefty squared blocks, some are engraved with leaves and shells and squiggly veins. Some look like eggs covered in soft mud.

One has a hole that goes all the way through.

rocks

I brought that one home. It sat on a shelf in the entry way for a long time until tonight, which happens to be Halloween. Writing about the river stones reminded me of this one, which I realized was still covered in grey mud. After I washed it off in the sink, which left a muddy smell, I sat down to take a closer look.

The hole is less than an inch in diameter and goes through at an angle. No matter which way I turn it, the hole appears an an eye, perhaps from a whale or a rhinocerus. The stone is the color of bone. When I put it under the light I noticed some very faint marks - several triangles of different sizes and a 2 parallel lines.

stone