Monday 29 July 2013

It was boys

'Do you have any meteorite geodes?'
'Geodes? Do you mean meteorites that have been cut in half?'
'Well, we saw some once that you opened up and there was meteorite inside, like an explosion.'
'Oh. Well we don't have any like that, but there are some sectioned pieces and some slices I can show you.'

We walk to the cabinet.

'Here - see these rectangular slices towards the back of this shelf? Those are pieces of a Swedish meteorite, and the ones in front are from Russia.'
'The metal-coloured ones?'
'Yes. They are mostly iron.'
'No, these were more like a sort of explosion inside the rock. You opened them up and it was all sticking out. Like an explosion.'

I slide the door closed.

'On the drive back to Peebles one day we saw three stones sitting in a line, in the road. Do you think they might have been meteorites that had just fallen?'
'No, I don't think so. Even small meteorites would leave a noticeable mark on the ground when they hit.'
'So it must have just been boys putting them there, then.'
'Maybe boys.'