[meteorite-list] Hebridean Hunting

From: STUARTATK_at_aol.com <STUARTATK_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:13:08 2004
Message-ID: <19a.13daa655.2bd86238_at_aol.com>

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Hi all,=20



I'm just back from a very enjoyable break in north-west Scotland, and though=
t=20
I'd share some of my meteorite-related experiences.=20



I spent the long Easter weekend travelling to and from, and taking a break=20
on, the islands of the Outer Hebrides (take a look at your atlas's map of th=
e=20
UK=E2=80=A6 see that curved line of islands to the top left of Scotland? Tha=
t's where=20
I was) combining sight-seeing and vacationing with "spreading the word" abou=
t=20
spaceflight and astronomy by talking to a group of kids. The Hebrides are=20
almost 3 hours away from the Scottish mainland by ferry, but are worth the=20
long journey because they're simply beautiful. Rugged mountains and hills=20
here, gently rolling, endless moors there, and countless lochs, rivers and=20
streams inbetween; serenely-curving white sand beaches lie along the coasts,=
=20
nestling among and sheltered by steep rugged cliffs; tourists from all acros=
s=20
the world flock to walk amongst the circles of standing stones older than=20
Stonehenge and wander around the bases of "brochs", stone age fortresses;=20
seals swim lazily in the harbours, playfully circling the brightly-painted=20
fishing boats, and walkers can often look up and see eagles pirouetting on=20
the thermals of the Hebrides' huge, huge sky. Many of the friendly,=20
approachable people there speak Gaelic, so visiting Lewis and the other=20
islands really is like visiting a foreign land - oh, and everything shuts=20
down on Sunday to honour the islands' religious culture, leaving visitors to=
=20
find relaxation via long walks around castle grounds or up and down the=20
beaches=E2=80=A6 but it doesn't matter, it's one of the most remarkable plac=
es I've=20
ever been to. And at the end of May amateur astronomers will flock there -=20
and to islands farther north - to witness a solar eclipse. I'm pondering tha=
t=20
myself, but I've always wanted to go there anyway (I've already "done" other=
=20
islands such as Mull, Skye and the Orkneys) so I just went.=20



And without the means to travel to Antarctica, the Atacama desert or Forest=20
Park, with those long beaches and flat moorland it was my chance to do a=20
little meteorite hunting!



=E2=80=A6 but not until I'd given my talk, and so on the Saturday afternoon=20=
- after=20
going on my own tour of Callanish stone circle and other historic sites - I=20
was to be found at Stornoway's bustling Ann Lanntair arts and community=20
centre, overlooking the harbour's ferry terminal. The talk had been arranged=
=20
at rather short notice, just two days notice in fact, so I was expecting=20
maybe half a dozen kids there - so I was delighted to find I was talking to=20
almost 30 of them! After a standard Solar System tour we all sat down on the=
=20
floor and I passed a small selection of meteorites around=E2=80=A6 a Canyon=20=
Diablo=E2=80=A6=20
a Holbrook stone=E2=80=A6 a Sikhote Alin=E2=80=A6 a Moldavite tektite=E2=80=
=A6 each of the children=20
received the star-stones with an almost reverent silence, turning them over=20
and over in their hands, taking in their weight, size and texture. As usual,=
=20
a few smelled the meteorites - still baffled why they do that! - but they=20
were all impressed to be actually holding "a piece of space". There were lot=
s=20
of questions - how old is it? What's it made of? (out came the magnet. "Wow,=
=20
it's iron!!!!") would it hurt if it hit me on the head? (Hmm, let's see shal=
l=20
we? NOOO!!!! : - ) ) - and at the end I could tell I'd condemned at least on=
e=20
parent there to a life of misry until their starry-eyed offspring had their=20
own meteorite, but they were great kids, all polite and enthusiastic, and I=20
could tell they were genuinely grateful to have had a chance to hold=20
something so special. And being asked to pose for photos with some of the=20
kids at the end - with them holding the meteorites of course - was a nice=20
"thank you" too=E2=80=A6



But as I said, everything shuts down on Sundays, so I took the opportunity t=
o=20
walk 3 miles or so out of town (no taxis or buses, I told you, EVERYTHING=20
shuts down!) to a secluded little beach, and do a little hunting. Now before=
=20
anyone tells me how remote my chances of success would be, looking for=20
meteorites on a beach - all that water and salt, and *salt water*, and the=20
constant shifting of the sands, and the erosion caused by the waves - I know=
,=20
okay? I knew my chances of actually finding a meteorite on a beach in Lewis=20
were about as good as my chances of being asked by Angelina Jolie to marry=20
her, but it's instinctive, you know? Long, white sandy beach=E2=80=A6 lots o=
f=20
stones=E2=80=A6 no-one else around=E2=80=A6 it was the natural thing to do.=20=
And after all,=20
there have to be SOME meteorites there, right? I mean, the islands are BEYON=
D=20
ancient - Harris is one of the world's major sources of the rock anorthosite=
,=20
one of the earliest minerals to have been formed after Earth's creation if I=
=20
understand it correctly - so a lot of material must have fallen on them over=
=20
the millennia , even tho they do present a very small target to incoming=20
meteoroids=E2=80=A6 so I just got my head down and looked, and looked=E2=80=
=A6 scrunching=20
slowly up the beach=E2=80=A6 stopping now and again whenever a possible cand=
idate=20
caught my eye.=20



And I think this is what MOST people on this List do too, how they look for=20
meteorites in and around their own communities. I have the greatest respect=20
and admiration for the better-off collectors and hunters on this List, I=20
don't begrudge them a single specimen they find/buy/haggle for. It's not a=20
world open to me, and I doubt it ever will be, but I don't see it as a reaso=
n=20
for leaving the List or giving up on collecting. I mean, let's get real here=
!=20
I can't afford the flash cars and homes of today's film stars, but that=20
doesn't stop me from going to the movies=E2=80=A6 I can't afford J Lo's diam=
ond=20
necklaces or Shania Twain's private jet, but that doesn't make me want to=20
stop buying their CDs in a fit of inadequate pique=E2=80=A6 I just do the be=
st I can,=20
and cherish what I have when so many have nothing=E2=80=A6=20



So I walked up and down that beach, over and over, scanning the soft sands,=20
scrunching over the stones, slithering over the seaweed until I had checked=20
out every stretch of stones there=E2=80=A6 I found nothing, despite a few=20
heart-stopping moments when I wondered if I had actually fulfilled my dream=
=E2=80=A6=20
and so I just sat down on the sand and drank in the view. And when I was a=20
nice shade of pink I got up again and walked back to town - without the=20
world's first Hebridean meteorite, but with a pocket full of very=20
cool-looking stones and memories of an afternoon well spent.=20



No real message behind this posting, I just wanted the less-well-off people=20
on the List to know that our efforts are just as relevent - and our hopes an=
d=20
dreams are just as real - as those of the Big Boys (and Girls!) whose=20
adventures we read about with an understandable mixture of respect and envy.=
=20
And when I go back to Lewis in September, to hold a number of Outreach=20
educational events for the schools there, I'll take a day for myself, find a=
n=20
even bigger, even whiter, even more secluded beach, and look again.=20



Because you never know, do you? :-)



Stu



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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3D2>Hi all, <BR><BR>I'm just=20=
back from a very enjoyable break in north-west Scotland, and thought I'd sha=
re some of my meteorite-related experiences. <BR><BR>I spent the long Easter=
 weekend travelling to and from, and taking a break on, the islands of the O=
uter Hebrides (take a look at your atlas's map of the UK=E2=80=A6 see that c=
urved line of islands to the top left of Scotland? That's where I was) combi=
ning sight-seeing and vacationing with "spreading the word" about spacefligh=
t and astronomy by talking to a group of kids. The Hebrides are almost 3 hou=
rs away from the Scottish mainland by ferry, but are worth the long journey=20=
because they're simply beautiful. Rugged mountains and hills here, gently ro=
lling, endless moors there, and countless lochs, rivers and streams inbetwee=
n; serenely-curving white sand beaches lie along the coasts, nestling among=20=
and sheltered by steep rugged cliffs; tourists from all across the world flo=
ck to walk amongst the circles of standing stones older than Stonehenge and=20=
wander around the bases of "brochs", stone age fortresses; seals swim lazily=
 in the harbours, playfully circling the brightly-painted fishing boats, and=
 walkers can often look up and see eagles pirouetting on the thermals of the=
 Hebrides' huge, huge sky. Many of the friendly, approachable people there s=
peak Gaelic, so visiting Lewis and the other islands really is like visiting=
 a foreign land - oh, and everything shuts down on Sunday to honour the isla=
nds' religious culture, leaving visitors to find relaxation via long walks a=
round castle grounds or up and down the beaches=E2=80=A6 but it doesn't matt=
er, it's one of the most remarkable places I've ever been to. &nbsp;And at t=
he end of May amateur astronomers will flock there - and to islands farther=20=
north - to witness a solar eclipse. I'm pondering that myself, but I've alwa=
ys wanted to go there anyway (I've already "done" other islands such as Mull=
, Skye and the Orkneys) so I just went. <BR><BR>And without the means to tra=
vel to Antarctica, the Atacama desert or Forest Park, with those long beache=
s and flat moorland it was my chance to do a little meteorite hunting!<BR><B=
R>=E2=80=A6 but not until I'd given my talk, and so on the Saturday afternoo=
n - after going on my own tour of Callanish stone circle and other historic=20=
sites - I was to be found at Stornoway's bustling Ann Lanntair arts and comm=
unity centre, overlooking the harbour's ferry terminal. The talk had been ar=
ranged at rather short notice, just two days notice in fact, so I was expect=
ing maybe half a dozen kids there - so I was delighted to find I was talking=
 to almost 30 of them! After a standard Solar System tour we all sat down on=
 the floor and I passed a small selection of meteorites around=E2=80=A6 a Ca=
nyon Diablo=E2=80=A6 a Holbrook stone=E2=80=A6 a Sikhote Alin=E2=80=A6 a Mol=
davite tektite=E2=80=A6 each of the children received the star-stones with a=
n almost reverent silence, turning them over and over in their hands, taking=
 in their weight, size and texture. As usual, a few smelled the meteorites -=
 still baffled why they do that! - but they were all impressed to be actuall=
y holding "a piece of space". There were lots of questions - how old is it?=20=
What's it made of? (out came the magnet. "Wow, it's iron!!!!") would it hurt=
 if it hit me on the head? (Hmm, let's see shall we? NOOO!!!! : - ) ) - and=20=
at the end I could tell I'd condemned at least one parent there to a life of=
 misry until their starry-eyed offspring had their own meteorite, but they w=
ere great kids, all polite and enthusiastic, and I could tell they were genu=
inely grateful to have had a chance to hold something so special. And being=20=
asked to pose for photos with some of the kids at the end - with them holdin=
g the meteorites of course - was a nice "thank you" too=E2=80=A6<BR><BR>But=20=
as I said, everything shuts down on Sundays, so I took the opportunity to wa=
lk 3 miles or so out of town (no taxis or buses, I told you, EVERYTHING shut=
s down!) to a secluded little beach, and do a little hunting. Now before any=
one tells me how remote my chances of success would be, looking for meteorit=
es on a beach - all that water and salt, and *salt water*, and the constant=20=
shifting of the sands, and the erosion caused by the waves - I know, okay? I=
 knew my chances of actually finding a meteorite on a beach in Lewis were ab=
out as good as my chances of being asked by Angelina Jolie to marry her, but=
 it's instinctive, you know? Long, white sandy beach=E2=80=A6 lots of stones=
=E2=80=A6 no-one else around=E2=80=A6 it was the natural thing to do. And af=
ter all, there have to be SOME meteorites there, right? I mean, the islands=20=
are BEYOND ancient - Harris is one of the world's major sources of the rock=20=
anorthosite, one of the earliest minerals to have been formed after Earth's=20=
creation if I understand it correctly - so a lot of material must have falle=
n on them over the millennia , even tho they do present a very small target=20=
to incoming meteoroids=E2=80=A6 so I just got my head down and looked, and l=
ooked=E2=80=A6 scrunching slowly up the beach=E2=80=A6 stopping now and agai=
n whenever a possible candidate caught my eye. <BR><BR>And I think this is w=
hat MOST people on this List do too, how they look for meteorites in and aro=
und their own communities. I have the greatest respect and admiration for th=
e better-off collectors and hunters on this List, I don't begrudge them a si=
ngle specimen they find/buy/haggle for. It's not a world open to me, and I d=
oubt it ever will be, but I don't see it as a reason for leaving the List or=
 giving up on collecting. I mean, let's get real here! I can't afford the fl=
ash cars and homes of today's film stars, but that doesn't stop me from goin=
g to the movies=E2=80=A6 I can't afford J Lo's diamond necklaces or Shania T=
wain's private jet, but that doesn't make me want to stop buying their CDs i=
n a fit of inadequate pique=E2=80=A6 I just do the best I can, and cherish w=
hat I have when so many have nothing=E2=80=A6 <BR><BR>So I walked up and dow=
n that beach, over and over, scanning the soft sands, scrunching over the st=
ones, slithering over the seaweed until I had checked out every stretch of s=
tones there=E2=80=A6 I found nothing, despite a few heart-stopping moments w=
hen I wondered if I had actually fulfilled my dream=E2=80=A6 and so I just s=
at down on the sand and drank in the view. And when I was a nice shade of pi=
nk I got up again and walked back to town - without the world's first Hebrid=
ean meteorite, but with a pocket full of very cool-looking stones and memori=
es of an afternoon well spent. <BR><BR>No real message behind this posting,=20=
I just wanted the less-well-off people on the List to know that our efforts=20=
are just as relevent - and our hopes and dreams are just as real - as those=20=
of the Big Boys (and Girls!) whose adventures we read about with an understa=
ndable mixture of respect and envy. And when I go back to Lewis in September=
, to hold a number of Outreach educational events for the schools there, I'l=
l take a day for myself, find an even bigger, even whiter, even more seclude=
d beach, and look again. <BR><BR>Because you never know, do you? :-)<BR><BR>=
Stu<BR></FONT></HTML>

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Received on Wed 23 Apr 2003 05:40:08 PM PDT