But my most favorite rock is one I acquired early in my history of collecting. One fall weekend perhaps eight years ago, Laura surprised me with a spontaneous trip into Bisbee. We'd never seen the old miner's town, now a small haven for artist types. All the old buildings are charmingly nestled within the mountains. This particular weekend Bisbee was hosting a gem and mineral show. What fortunate luck, as this was a new hobby I was only cautiously exploring. My acquisitions then never were more than five dollars worth, if that. Most of the dealers were in the large basement of one of the buildings.

But some had their tables in a nearby parking lot. One of those dealers had a quartz specimen, about two inches by two inches square, and a inch and a half high. It seemed to have the world in it, like the view you get when flying over the earth. Dark green mossy areas looked like forests seen from above. I was fascinated by it. The dealer said, "Everybody keeps picking up that stone and looking at it. Nobody buys it though." "How much does it cost?," I timidly asked. "Twelve dollars. It cost more than that just to polish it!," he replied. It was so very well polished. That's what made it so easy to see that green forest within it. But TWELVE dollars! I couldn't spend that much. Laura encouraged me to buy it. "Are you sure? That's a LOT of money!" She, by this point, insisted I buy it. I was thrilled. It would be the cornerstone of my collection. And it still is. I have since bought rocks that cost quite a bit more than that rock did. But none hold the warmth this particular piece of mineral has. For every time I look at this rock, I remember that special day we had in Bisbee.

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