Rock 40 ~ Heart Rock ~ August 31 2015

Today was a day for a heart rock for sure. Lots of opportunities came my way to share some heart in unexpected ways, which is always rewarding.

This dear little plain rock stared up from a pile of ordinary landscape rocks lining a sidewalk. It gives me great pleasure to share my heart rock today.

Rock is approximately 1 1/4 inches and rather light today.

Rock 39: Sock HEEL Rock ~ Salinas CA ~ August 30, 2015

I fouund this darling rock in Salinas, Ca, and call it a "sock heel" rock to match the sock toe one I posted awhile ago. You know by now I love to find rocks with lines of contrasting color runninng through them. 
This rock is approx 1 3/4" longest distance. It is also much lighter gray than in the photos. But I will work on my color photography soon....

Rock 38: Painted Creature Rock ~ Pacific Grove, CA ~ Augist 29 2015

I went to an estate sale this morning that had a lot of fine art and not-so-fine art. There was a box of hand-painted rocks that had a quasi-ocean creature theme to them. 
The one I selected for today's rock amuses me : is it an Octopus? A jellyfish? A ghost?

Painted in blue and cream tones; measures approx 2 1/4" tall; cost: free with purchase.

Rock 37 Tower Rock ~ Pebble Beach CA August 28, 2015

I visited Pebble Beach beaches today....found lots of rock stacks there people had made:

So I found a small rock and added it on top:

Here is the stack before my addition:

Here is the stack with my addition:

So here is my rock for the day:

I had fun with rocks today!

Rock 36: Speckled Rock ~ August 27, 2015: Salinas, CA

A normal rock that is very speckled caught my attention on my walk this evening. It was on a city street planted area that had a bunch of rocks. This was the only speckled one. Measures approx 2 3/8" longest distance.

Rock 35: Be-pebbled Rock ~ Cambria CA August 26, 2015

Lots of whales today at the bluffs...and, a couple of them were in close enough to see large bodies. What a treat.

Another treat is this rock I found today at the shore! It has tiny pebbles wedged into a crack running along the front of it! I am thrilled.

 Approximately 14 pebbles in a crack that measures approx 
3 3/4" around front to edges of back.

Rock 34: Holey Rock ~ August 25 2015, Cambria CA

I saw a stand of gorgeous rocks today in the middle of the field at the Preserve. I photographed them (below) but of course I did not disturb them - being a preserve, and they had a look about them that commanded respect. Then I went to the shore and found one of my favorite rock styles (above): the ones that have holes in them. Have you ever seen them with the shelled creatures still in the hole? I have. 
Anyway, today's rock measures approx 4" long and the largest hole is approx 3/4" diameter.

Rocks I did not take but wanted to photograph:

Rock 33: Butterscotch Beauty ~ Cambria CA August 24, 2015

Often when I have guests, they like to help me find my rock for the day. Christine found this small stone today and I decided it was indeed the one I wanted to write about. She called it a "butterscotch" rock, and I agree:

It is smooth, has tidy white layer lines, and is smaller than a U.S. Quarter.

Rock 32: Sitting Rock ~ August 23 2015 Cambria CA

I worked in the studio all day, so was delighted to find this wonderful rock in my own studio yard. It has a flat bottom! It appears to be sitting for a portrait. We'll see.

Weighs a lot. Quite large.

Rock 31: Snow-Capped Rock ~ Cayucos CA August 22 2015

I found this rock yesterday, I confess. But I wanted to post it for today, so I just managed to re-find it on my desk so it could be today's selection.....
Anyway.
It is a beautiful layered rock: clear icy top layer on a thinner layer of almost pure black. It looks like a mini-mountain ccovered with snow. 
It measures approx 3/4" across and is approx 1/2" tall. 
This is one of may favorite finds.

ROCK 30 ~ Mishmash Rock ~ August 21 2015, Cayucos CA

I followed a trail down to the rocky coast just north of Cayucos town proper. This was a trail I have wanted to take for awhile, and today I couuld not resist going. I was not disappointed! There were so many various kinds of rocks, that I had a hard time choosing! I found clean bird bones ( a nice little skull, so fragile and detailed), feathers, seaweeds and - of course - rocks. There was a field-full of white egrets on top of the bluffs. I was happy looking around and enjoying the ocean's handiwork on the elements.

I selected this rock because it was dazzling with its mishmash of elements. It even sparkles. It is quite heavy - almost 2 pounds -- and is approx 5" longest measurement. 

Rock 29: Cliff Rock ~ August 20 2015, Cambria CA

This evening I found my favorite bench empty and sat and watched the ocean for a long time. I saw a lot of pelicans nearby, seeming to come from just below the bluff, so I wandered to the edge and saw a path down to the rocks below.
This rock is part of the rough emery board-like rock that is under the bluffs. It seems it can be crumbly, but some of it is hardened, as is the rock piece I found today. Here it is with its parent cliff, which had formed a cubby large enough so I could sit there for awhile to watch the ocean again.

I like the texture and the color of this selection today. I am always happy to find striation in a rock as well. I want to learn more about the geological history that gives these rocks their layers. This rock is approx 1 7/8" at the diagonal and 

is very gritty. 

Rock 28 ~ Sandpaper Rock ~ Morro Bay CA, August 19 2015

I found another new place to explore today, and this time it wasn't even the search for a rock that led me there. It just looked like an inviting path to the ocean. I ended up in a parking lot where the signs indicated this was a reserve to protect the Snowy Plover bird. This really intrigued me, so I followed the path between the barrier to the dunes, whose posts held signage that children had written and illustrated, asking guests to respect the bird sanctuary.

I found this rock today outside of the protected area. It is important to me that you know this. I chose this rock because it is roundish (you know I like round), and its surface reminds me of speckled bird eggs. But it is also as rough as fine sandpaper, and this delights me!
Measures approx 4" circumference.

Rock 27 ~ Tooth Rock ~ Baywood Park CA ~ Aug 18 2015

I like that rocks tell us stories about the earth's movements and formation. What heppened when this rock earned its layers?
This rock looks like it has 3 big front teeth. Measures approx 3 1/4" girth. Very sharp.

Rock 26 ~ Slimy Rock ~ Cambria CA August 17 2015

I went down to the shoreline fromthe bluffs, onto rocks that were pitted with holes where I assume shelled animals had nestled at one time. Lots of pretty smooth stones were wedged in the cracks and crevices, but I could pry none out. Then I looked into a wet sandy area between the outcroppings and saw this beautiful green rock - (Monterey) Jade! I reached for it and it was very slippery. I rinsed it many times in the ocean waters, but it stayed slippery. I wiped it on my jeans ( which will mean a trip to the laundromat a few days early), and slipped it into my pocket for the walk back.

Besides its sheer beauty, I love that this rock fits perfectly into my palm and hand, like some sort of soft tool. It measures approx 4 inches across, and is smooth but not slippery now that it is dry.

Rock 25 ~ Coastal Splurge Rock ~ San Simeon CA August 16 2015

Again I find that my hunting for a rock each day takes me to new discoveries: I explored the campgrounds at San Simeon for possible future overnight. It was a lovely area and quite nice views both of the mountains behind the highway and the ocean in front of it.
I went up coast a few more miles, saw a herd of Zebras, and walked the beach. Very few people are walking on this coast on a Sunday in Summer. I had it fairly to myself. 
I wanted to find a rock that reminded me of the zebras. I also was very strongly drawn to the many large green rock outcroppings along the shoreline. 

The rock I selected is both green and has a white stripe. It is a splurge to get both of my initial hopes in one rock. I really like this rock.

It measures approx 1 3/4" longest points and is very sharp.

Rock 25 ~ Skipper Rock ~ August 15 2015, Cambria CA

I often find beachfuls of rock piles like this in my wandering. I could spend hours looking through them and sorting and playing with them. I started stacking rocks many many years ago, but still do so upon occasion:

This was an easy pile ...smooth flat stones with just enough tooth to hold on.

Today's rock is a flat "skipper" stone. I chose it because a friend reminded me about them...about the perfect skipping stone. I look for very flat smooth ones to skip across the ocean wave's shallow skirt at the shore. A good 7 or so skips is the goal. 

This one is more oval than I would like, but it was the thinnest rock I could find today...and its oval perfection called to me. Here it is near the larger rocks that lined the shore. Of course I will not know if it indeed is a good skipper, because I didn't try it. I have to just imagine it skitteringly hopping across that clear blue stretch......6, 7, 8 times at least....

Rock 24: Mucky-muck Rock ~ Baywood Park CA August 14 ~ 2015

Today I went an alternate route from SLO to Cambria, via Los Osos Road or Hwy or whatever it is called....I ended up in Baywood, which is a suburb area of Los Osos. I have been here before and got lost among the streets that do not leave the town at all, but circulate around the whole place. It was a familiar maze, but I was frustrated at forgetting that I had gone farther than my turn off to get back to the coast. I stopped at a little bay area that had a pier which sadly led out to mud flats, as the bay was very low. 

There was a mother and a 2-ish year old walking along the mud flats where I was looking for my rock today. The toddler was filthy from playing (which looked like a lot of fun to me) and kept saying to his mother "mucky". 

I found two rocks that I like a lot. I often find more than one rock I like and have a hard time deciding which one to post. I posted the contenders on the internet and got some reponses, which I found very helpful....

So here is my selection for the day. It is a transparent greenish grayish and very sharp. It measures approx 1 1.2" long and is about 1/2" tall. It still has some "muck" on it despite my wiping it before allowing it into the car.....

Rock 23: Perfect Stone ~ August 13 2015 ~ Cambria CA

I love this type of rock. I have collected them all my life, as far  back as I can remember. My Mother and her sisters collected them too....often placing them in a bowl on the table, in the garden around their wildflowers, or even in stone mosaics they all created in the 60's one summer. 

I now have bowls of them in my house. 

I am happy for these memories and also for selecting this one for today's post. Measures approx 2" at longest place.