I am a collector of stones.
I favor the igneous granites.
Not that simple beach glass does not have its beauty.
I have a special collection dish of beach glass.
The other igneous stones,lava, pumice are also attractive,
rough and as rugged as rock can be.
I equally admire the tender basalt and sandstone,
found along the coast, worn by the water
with deep crevices and holes
yielding its shape and strength to
forces stronger than its delicate properties.
But Granite is chosen for
outdoor sculptures, architectural structures
the bases of monuments, bridges,
as well as kitchen counters, paving stone
and the memorial grave markers – obelisks, mausoleums, vaults.
Granite is igneous in make-up.
It is formed in the cooling process
of hot molten lava bubbling up to the earths surface
crystallizing as it cools.
Its formation makes it one of the most durable of stones.
Impervious to water, acids, salt and wind erosion
it is steadfast, and reliable.
Although it is the most commonly used stone, it is rare in that
its crystallization forms inwards and not outwards
as with other crystal forms, giving it a rough but even surface.
There is a complex hidden beauty to its interior structure.
It is stronger than marble –
which is smooth and hard but vulnerable
to acids in the air, salt
and ruins both in strength and beauty from common elements.
Granite holds the warmth of the sun and the smell of the earth.
When water runs over warmed granite along a river
it releases steam which fills the air with humidity
and a masculine scent.
Granites function in our lives everywhere.
The material that lies underneath our fingers at our countertops
also is the secret to holding the pyramids
together in Egypt over all these generations.
I can feel Granite’s strength when I hold it in my hand,
I sense its hidden structures and its warmth.
I hold it to my nose and drink in its scent.
It is my favorite Stone.

For Doug