Geology for Dummies

A little geology – or even “earth science” would come in handy for anyone who’s sat outside on the balcony as much as I have in the last day. Some art history would be beneficial too. Too bad I don’t have that education, so my reflections are fanciful at best.

The coastline has changed from the green hills of Seattle to low chunks of hill carved out in perpendicular chops, and then, this morning, to jagged, layered peaks with tundra like vegetation growing out of some of them. The gray, blue and black gradations of rock reminded me of some of the art of the Pacific northwest that I’ve seen in museums or books. I see now that the art is more realistic than impressionistic.

This morning I was on the balcony well before sunrise, hoping to see some early morning fishing by frolicking sea creatures but there was only one boat in the distance. The sun rose suddenly out of a break in the rock, and soon the sky was filled with golden light reflected in the water. Steam hung low in the crevices, disturbed every now and then by wind, as if suddenly released from some force holding it down. In the narrower crevasses, the fog rose like smoke signals for some unseen sentinel, waiting for a message.