While out hunting opals this past weekend I made it to the top of a bluff and took this picture.
(This is my entry for SMASh #241.)
These rocks cast their shadows early in the morning as the sun was rising.
There are a lot of interesting facts about these rocks. For instance, they sit on top of mud flats that were once part of a lake bed or lake shore millions of years ago.
They also don't belong here, meaning they have tumbled downhill for thousands of years, possibly millions, from the mountains off in the distance, to the right. The mountains wrap around and are about 1-2 miles from this location.
The rocks also have a black/orange color which is caused by the rocks baking in the sun for thousands of years. We call it "desert varnish".
Even though they are just rocks, they tell a story about the Earth and for a few thousand years more will casts shadows before they are weathered away to tiny fragments.
Oh, and yes, I found a lot of opals in those mud layers in the bluffs.
Thanks for reading!
