Gloucester, Massachusetts

This small fishing port became famous in 2000 when the movie "Perfect Storm" came out. I visited Gloucester in January 1982. Once again, still in Winter, visiting a beach. (Just to let you know, future adventures take me inland!) The most amazing memory I have was how the sand was rock hard frozen. Huge ice chunks had come to rest along the water line, big enough to stand on. The sky was overcast and the color of the water was a deep gray, along with being on the rough side. Good day for treasure hunting...granite, volcanic rock and two great finds. One was a bolt that had filled with sediment from under the ocean. In my head, I believe it came from an old fishing boat, long lost to the seas. The other is a small shell, that has begun to turn into a fossil.

From volcano to rainforest

This is volcanic rock from El Yunque Rain Forest, Puerto Rico... my backyard, literally. The road leading up to this tropical rain forest winds around an dormant volcano. In fact, if it wasn't for this volcano, there would be no rain forest nor Puerto Rico. The volcanic ash and the lava that once flowed out thousands and thousands of years ago all provided the perfect atmosphere and conditions to create this lush forest. Around every turn there are waterfalls, birds calling, a thick canopy of leaves providing relief from the heat, the smells, the sounds...even 30 years later, I can remember it like yesterday. One of many trips up the volcano, I remember taking some lunch and a few beers up. We found one of the waterfalls off the beaten path. We put our picnic in a plastic bag, waded through the pool, and went behind the falls. There was a cave with plenty of room for five of us to enjoy our little private oasis. I'm not sure if this is allowed today but it's a memory that has always stuck in my head.

My First Rock

My first rock was collected in Withernsea, England in the summer of 1978. My mother was born in Hull in 1930 and spent her first twenty years in this village that sits on the edge of the North Sea. Her mother had a tobacco and candy shop. Her Uncle Charlie had a stand where he sold fresh mussels to eat as you walked along the promenade which runs alongside the rocky beach from one end of town to the other. The views are always breathtaking and the smells are soothing. The village has its shares of arcades, the bowling green and a lighthouse to entertain the summer visitors.
My mother tells of the time when her father and her were taking a walk along "the prom" during the war. German fighters often passed by after the british bombings on their way back to Germany. This time however, they had decided to let loose the leftover bombs on the village. Many buildings were destroyed, along with the movie house which had luckily just emptied from the afternoon matinees. The town bowling green sits inside a crater formed by one of those bombs.
We spent three weeks in July with my mother's Auntie Vi and Uncle John. It was my first visit to England, but not my last. I regarded them as my grandparents for I never knew my real ones. Every birthday and every holiday, there was always a little something sent from them. During the time we were there, they made me feel so special and made sure we were having a good time.
One lazy afternoon, my Uncle John and I wandered into town and to the beach. At the time, I had no idea what the sea could offer up with each tide, but my Uncle John knew. The moment he broke open a rock and I saw the fossils inside, I was hooked. 
The concept of holding a piece of history and the bones of the earth has fascinated me every since.

Rocks and Places

 Rocks and places...the two things I have been collecting all my life with a passion. This morning, I laid out the design to match the, what I thought was quite clever, name for my blogging experiment. My name is Gio...my two hobbies start with "geo"...why have I never thought of this before. Brilliant. Picked a background. Changed a few colors and fonts to go with my new blog name. I'm just the coolest. Now, what to I want to write about...and I got stuck. Well, my basement isn't going to clean itself...let me give it some thought. 
 Eight hours later, half the basement looks good. I'm feeling quite satisfied with a job well done. I've also got a sense of how to start my little blog. But today, I dedicate my first blog to a country, which has been in my top 5 list of countries I want to see before I die, that was devastated by two huge rocks shifting under the sea. My heart goes out to the people of Japan. May you all find strength from the support of the world, including myself.