Siblings So Sweet: Geode Catching

When I was a student IU, I discovered there were geodes in the gullies all around the Monroe Reservoir. I've been fascinated with rocks all my life and a geode I bought in a gift shop at age 8 was one of my prize possessions. So, even though I was in college when I discovered the Indiana geodes, I thought I had found a gold mine. I brought about 40 of them back to Michigan. I smashed some with hammers (no easy feat) and my dad had the Pontiac Plastics guys cut some with their special saws.

After IU, I moved around a lot. For one of those moves, I decided it was time to leave my geodes wherever I was. I don't remember where that is, exactly They're probably in Fenton near our old house baffling some amateur geologist.

Our trip out West a couple of years ago got the kids interested in rocks, especially Tate. Like me, the kids always wanted to buy geodes in the gift shops of Rock City, Meramec Cavern, Yellowstone Park, wherever. And they loved my stories of finding piles of geodes on the ground. I told the them the area around IU was lousy with them and if we ever visited, they could get some of their own. They remembered that promise, so this morning we trekked down to the Monroe Reservoir.

The ones I found in college were around Eagle Point, a private golf course and resort. The security is pretty tight there now, so we opted for a nearby State Park. We searched around for a while until I spotted a ditch along a road. That's what you need, running water-- they were everywhere.

Here's Harper getting ready to explore

And we had geodes in no time!

Tate was so excited to find this flattish one.

Here's Fisher exploring geode creek. Those round rocks behind him are all geodes/

Fisher running along the road.

Fishing geodes out of a ditch is dirty work.

Of course. the first thing the kids wanted to do was break them open. I explained they were a lot harder than the road and throwing them at the asphalt would probably just make potholes. Then I spotted an iron manhole cover. It was like they put a geode opener right there for us.

The moment of impact

This one shattered.

And left a nice cloud of quartz and dolomite dust

This one split into perfect pieces. Just needs some polish.

Here's a three piece one put back together.

And split apart.

Harper displaying her three piece geode.

EB loved the geodes and the geode hunting. What you can't see is that her shoes (only pair) and socks (only pair) are both soaked. I had to give her some of my smart wool socks and Harper let her wear these old mocassins of Grandmas. Remember my muddy jeans? We looked fine walking in to the Olive Garden for Easter Supper.