Cleavage

Perhaps it's a characteristic of folks who enjoy this lifestyle. Perhaps it's boredom. Often I wander out skeptical, hearing the opening line from Samuel Beckett's novel Murphy: "The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new."

Then, a flash of color and, in the distance, the red spines of a large barrel cactus beckon. It can't compare with the finger-wiggle of a female, but, arriving, it appears to be a one-and-only, at least as far as I can see. And now, thanks to that cataract surgery, I can see pretty far.

The area is covered with large, rounded basalt "bombs." There's a whole lotta splittin' goin' on.



One of the few "smoothies."

In Geology 101 they teach field rock I.D. Cleavage provides a clue. But you'd think round rocks would erode roundly?


The majority are like this.

One could surmise they'd become flattened on top while their protected undersides remained tumescent. But many of these are perched atop.

It made for an interesting amble.




One more....