Friday 14 September 2012

Grains of sand...

Look. Grains of beach sand magnified by 250 times. So beautiful. Quartz, fossils, shells, amber. There are more emeralds by weight in sand than in all the emerald set jewellery in the world, more long dead creatures than in all the graveyards on the planet.

Just think, that yellow, orange, white, grey, black stuff that gets between our toes and slips inside our picnic sandwiches when we are on the beach are really individual grains of beautiful perfection.

It makes me wish I had a powerful microscope, one with a bright light an adjustable brass eyepiece, I'd shovel the sand off the beach into a bucket and take it home to see what I could see. Whole worlds on my glass slide.

I'd travel the world looking for the perfect beach, looking for the perfect sand, examining each grain and gasping in wonder at the tiny beauty of it all. The Caribbean, Iceland, Bognor, the Seychelles - anywhere and everywhere a beach is to be found. Volcanic, glaciated, sedimentary and the rest; each different, each wondrous in its own way. Just look at the pictures... a beach just off a coral reef maybe? A long expanse of sand on an African beach?

Yet another reason to win the lottery.


17 comments:

  1. Amazing pictures Andi:- a whole new world....

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  2. Wow - great to here from you Mz C!

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  3. Kevin Parrott on FB
    Do you have a microscope Andy?
    I have one but haven't used it for years. Pollen, soil, pond water, all throw up marvels on a glass slide.

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    1. Yes Kevin, I have a microscope that attaches to my laptop and I can view the results on screen, even save the images. I'll dig it out and see what I can find.
      A few seconds ago · Like

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  4. Liz Shore on FB
    Absolutely beautiful, it makes you think.....


    Liz Shore .....in the fury of the moment, I can see the masters hand, in every leaf that trembles and in every grain of sand....

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    1. Makes me think too Liz. Not quite sure what though.

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    1. You know that you are fine and I don't always back trawl comments. I'm sorry to have upset you so though. I'm not stealing anything from you intentionally, it is coincidental or subliminal but if you want credit I'm happy to let you take it. I dropped my journey when I realised that you felt you had the rights to all imaginary journeys. I'm not bothered, at the end of the day it is only a blog, no big deal. As for the sand those images are all over the internet and I never claimed them as mine. Goodness you can be fierce.

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    2. I have removed the picture now, I didn't realise that you owned it.

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    1. Of course I'm a jerk, who isn't? It's too hard not to be and sometimes I can't be bothered trying. Anyway if all we are is the way we look I'm well and truly fucked, you on the other hand have the look of Meryl Streep in 'Hope Springs. I hope that this answers your question in the positive way you deserve.

      BTW I'm not scared of 13, in fact I embrace it and say bring it on. Do you do this to all your friends?

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    1. Poop or not. I'll still be here if you ever need a friend.

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