The Grand Canyon

Niether Pat nor I have ever been to the Grand Canyon. Everybody should see it. What a wonder -not part of the orginal 7- but it has got to be on many people's list as evidenced by the number of languages one hears spoken as you walk the rim. Our pictures do not do justice. We arrived on Monday, April 18 and Left early this morning Wednesday April 20th.

I wish I could begin to explain the nearly 2 billion year history of the formation of the Grand Canyon. The power of "Mother Earth" is awe inspiring. There is a geology walk along the rim that provides a geological overview and a guide to the layers of rock that were created as a result of the collisions that formed the the North American Continent. The walk took us through the 1,840 million years and showed us formations that outlined the volcanoes of the past, the various forms of limestone, igneous and sedimenary rock and their ages, through signs, samples and telescopic aids.

I am overwhelmed at how powerful our earth is and how small we humans are even with our advances in science and technology. I get the feeling that is we don't behave ourselves there is no doubt in my mind that the earth will survive even if it has to swallow us up and start all over again. We are really small and it contians all the secrets necessary to start over again, if necessary.

The other realization I had was that while there are many reasons I didn't appreciate geology as a boy - lack of aptitude being only one. But another may be that the good sisters -as I remember- never did attach years to the formation of those layers of rock. I wonder if that had anything to do with our Catholic education. It is hard to reconcile 1.8 billion years with a seven day creation story.

As ended our visit with the Gales last Sunday I asked Uncle Jim if he'd ever been to the Grand Canyon. "Why would I want to go up there? It's _ _ _ _in' hole isn't it? Indeed it is, but what a hole!