Daddy Daughter Date

Last Saturday my Geology class had a field trip. We went to Ship Rock. (I learned that Shiprock is not the same as Ship Rock.) Well, we went through Shiprock on our way to Ship Rock, but that wasn't the exciting part. Anyway, I invited my dad to come with me. Boy am I glad I did! He is so fun to hang out with. He was driving like a crazy man, but it was fun and reminded me of the good ol' days when he used to throw us in the car and take the family for drives in the mountains and all over crazy dirt roads.

Anyway, did you KNOW that Ship Rock is actually what is left from an OLD cinder cone volcano? What we see is actually the volcanic neck, which is the solidified magma chamber that originally led up to the vent. Erosion has taken all the other stuff away and this is what is left. On the sides of it, and nearby, are 2-5 mile-long dikes which are also solidified magma chambers that were once underground. Oh and the big "plugs" are also solidified magma that never even reached the surface. SO much has changed over SO many years. Amazing. I can't believe I've lived here for over 20 years and haven't visited Ship Rock up close until now. It's beautiful. I would definitely recommend it. There's just an overwheming feeling of "littleness" when you're up against such a vast part of this incredible earth. I am so impressed with this beautiful world.
I am loving this Geology class, and learning so much. This is my LAST class to finally get my gawl-darn degree. (I started my degree when Ship Rock first erupted millions of years ago.)

I hope you like some of the photos.

There's one of the "plugs" I was telling you about. It looks small, but it's actually gigundous. (Noah created that word, by the way. We use it regularly.)

Feeling small & insignificant. An amazing feeling.

I love this picture of my dad. To me, it tells so much about him. He has worked on the Navajo Indian Reservation for over twenty years and has developed a very close bond with the Navajo people. (Who esteem Ship Rock as a holy place.) He loves and respects them and their culture. When we were living in California, before he accepted a job here, he had a dream that helped him know that New Mexico was where he and his family were supposed to be. I won't go into detail, but I think it sufficeth to say that working with these great people has been a big part of my dad's life. It has also been a blessing to our entire family.

(What would we do without fry bread? ;) Just kidding.)

Breathtaking.

This last photo shows some of the amazing things that have happened as this dike has been eroded away. It makes me wonder how long this section will even be part of the dike. There are other sections that have already fallen. Pretty amazing artwork, huh?

P.S. Some of these photos can be seen in greater detail if you click on them. Not all of them, for some reason. If you're interested, it's worth checking out.