Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Lithology
“The study of the physical characteristics of rocks, also of the rocks of a particular area.” Some of us are rock people and I count myself among those folks. Rock people always have an eye out for an interesting specimen to pocket and save for, well, I’m not sure what. But it’s always for a good reason.
My favorite rock companion made his transition six years ago after a short bout with cancer. His number is still in my contacts list, and I still look at the announcement from his funeral. I simply cannot delete his information because he is such an important person to me. I met him through his wife, Mary, a hospice co-worker. As soon as we were introduced I got the strongest feeling that this was a man who could be trusted to always look for the next right thing to do. I often refer to him as my MO Bro – my brother from Missouri.
I don’t have a lot of guy friends, but Mark was my best one. We could, and did, talk about anything with an easy comfort while being in each other’s company. Eventually, Jan met him and grew quickly to recognize him for the good person he is and before long she loved him as I did.
Mark was a nature guy through and through. Botany was his specialty. He had more than just a green thumb – he made intimate connections with the plants and trees in his care. He taught and he worked at the Missouri Botanical Garden for many years. Riding in a car with Mark was always a teaching experience, as he would point out the plants we passed, always using their scientific name. If Mary was along for the ride she would simply roll her eyes in “here we go again” fashion.
When we moved to New Mexico, he and Mary made several trips to visit. Mark was interested in the botany of the high desert where we lived. In fact, he is responsible for our beautiful landscaped back yard at our Santa Fe house. He and I went on lots of trips to buy just the right plant for a particular location. Below is a picture of a part of the 2010 “Mark Zigrang Santa Fe Garden Project”.
But this is about our common love of lithology. If we ventured out away from civilization say, for example, along the Rio Grande, we would find a spot off of the road and go down to the river looking for just the right river rocks.
River rocks are generally rounded and smooth, and come in many subtle colors. We always left the site with a number of the best rocks stored in the trunk. We also discovered a rock shop in the small town of Cerillos, outside of Santa Fe. Since Mark and Mary usually drove from St. Louis to Santa Fe, there was plenty of room in the trunk for whatever Southwest treasures could be gathered in one trip.
In the few years before he died, Mark began a new project. He would choose a particular rock for a base and then use copper wire to create a stunning tree. He made dozens of them and gave them away to grateful recipients. We own three versions, and Mark’s memory is kept alive each time we look at one.
I consider rocks to be a piece of history of the eons of time that our planet has been in formation. One of my favorite classes in college was with a very enthusiastic geology professor. He took us on a Spring break trip to the Grand Canyon and as we traversed the Southwest we got lessons galore. At the Grand Canyon we studied the colored bands of rock that make up much of the canyon walls. Anyway, that was my first real introduction to the life of a rock person. I really miss my rock buddy, Mark.