skipping stones and thinking about rocks

Son has been not feeling well. I'm still not sure whether it is the result of last week's stress (half yearly exams) or whether it is that bug that seems to be going round (all friends have had days off) or a combination of both ( most likely).

So he stayed home today.  He slept.  I worked.

He did start to feel a lot better around lunchtime so at about 2pm I made him put clothes on and walk to the beach with me.  The beach is about 300 meters away.

We went to one of my favourite spots: the gutter.  Its a rocky headland section - we walk down some stairs and we are on a rock platform. 

The sun was shining and the sea was crystal clear but the thing that caught our attention was the geology of the place.  Together we looked at all the different rocks, wondering how they had been formed and what their official names were.

Son then found some perfect rocks to skip - he searched the ponds trying to find just the right shape and tried his arm.  Of course there were some plonkers - but then others skipped and skimmed across the sea which just sent him in search of more 'perfect rocks'.

Then, to cap it all off, he found a fantastic (loose) rock with fossils all over it.  He has brought it home with him, declaring that he needs to take it to school and show his teacher.

It was a lovely hour together ... and it really was as though he was 7 and not 17.