A Lesson in Geology

Little bear went for a walk down by the river... except there was no river! Just an empty river bed (it is a side channel after all). Little bear was thrilled at the idea of seeing what lies below the waterline! Lots of rocks... lots and lots of rocks. Of various shapes and sizes and colours.

There are green rocks and purple rocks, and speckled rocks, and rocks that look like they are made up of smaller rocks, and rocks that look like they are made up of sand... and little bear had no idea there were so many different types of rocks in the whole wide world! Back in flatland, there are flat rocks (well, there are!)... and they are grey or white... or gray or cream... boring!

Little bear learns that the flatland rocks are pretty much sedimentary rocks (limestone) with the occasional metamorphic rock (quartzite) thrown in for good measure. But there... in this new place, there are igneous plutonic rocks (granite, diorite) and igneous volcanic rocks (andesite, basalt) and sedimentary rocks (conglomerate, sandstone, shale).

Little bear notices that the rocks really shine when they are wet - either from the river or rain - then the colours really stand out! And then of course there is the RCR... the Red Cross Rock. Little bear isn't sure if this is a first aid station for rocks (do they really need bandaids)... in which case it would be a FAR (First Aid Rock). Or maybe it's a disaster relief station for rocks (the flood is coming)... in which case it would be a DRR (Disaster Relief Rock).

Sometimes little bear just doesn't get answers to his most pressing questions! Poor l'il bear!