#puddingstones

A genuine plum!

I was goofing around in about 4 feet of water Wednesday when I saw that flash of red that never fails to cause a little flutter in the heart of a puddingstone hunter.

The basketball-size boulder that caught my attention was mainly obscured in silt. I used my foot to rub it away. Oh, yeah - a keeper!

Sharon happened to be nearby on her paddle board. She floated over to observe the excavation. After prying the stone from the bottom, I wrestled it to the surface and loaded it onto the paddle board for transport back to shore.

Puddingstones are sedimentary-rock conglomerates that formed during the Ice Age. The distinctive chunks of red jasper were volcanically infused into the quartz 2 billion years ago.

The life aquatic

Like the season's first fish, the first puddingstone of the summer was no trophy but, like that 3-pound salmon we caught earlier this week, it's a start.

We're wading into the life aquatic, sharpening our skills at goofing off, gradually settling into familiar summer routines established and nurtured over 32 years.

Chips off an elusive block

Sharon was walking the shoreline the other day when she saw the telltale ruby eyes of a puddingstone winking at her from the shallows.

Despite the fact that Huron's water temperature is not what it was in August, she waded in and fished out the two pieces in this photo.

They were mere shards - chips off a much bigger rock, pretty enough in their own right, but also a promise of something grander. Imagine what the mother lode looked like!

Sharon meant to find out, or freeze her ankles trying. She waded back in and walked in circles around the spot where she found the chips, but came up empty.

Buried treasure

When it comes to puddingstones, we’ve become a little jaded, so to speak, As or collection grows, our standards have risen. Stones with marginal color - i.e., the vast majority - are left where they lay.

However, now and then we still find one that’s worthy of the trip home. I spotted this jasper-infused beauty Wednesday morning on a rocky point near our Lake Huron Beach.

Ready for cocktails

My sliced-puddingstone table top turned out pretty well.

The UltraClear Epoxy, though tricky to work with, is, indeed, ultra clear, as long as you follow the stringent instructions.

For example, the 50-50 hardener/resin ratio has to be precise. And, during the 72 hours after you pour the mixture, it can’t be exposed to a room temperature under 75 degrees. That became a bit of a challenge on a day when the high temperature at the lake was 66 degrees. Fortunately our neighbor had an electric space heater to lend us.

Then, you need a propane torch to eliminate bubbles for the stuff begins to set ...