An Appreciation of Stone(49)

Apparently South Carolina(and me) are all abuzz, because Chris Williams found a rock in a box. Not any ordinary rock but a rock that looks like South Carolina.

You know I had one of these once, hell I turned it into a table, mine was/is bigger than his, anyway . . .

Apparently Williams was getting ready to do what a lot of other D-I-Y’ers are doing(besides keeping designers and landscapers underemployed) their own work in the yard. In this case he must have been wanting to do some stone work . . . the horror of it all.

. . .he dug through a box of rocks at an outdoor shop and spied his 11-and-a-half pound treasure.

"When I first looked at it I said, ‘Gosh, this does look like South Carolina,’ " Williams said. "And then I kind of put it aside, but I kept looking at it and comparing it to the map." 

Now Williams keeps the rock tucked in bubble wrap and secured in a leather case. An attorney told him it could be valuable if he lists it on eBay, and geology professors he contacted at local colleges told him it was sandstone, likely from Tennessee, which had probably broken off of a larger rock to form its current shape.

Now anyone in the stone business can see this is a piece of sandstone that surely was part of a larger slab-probably broke off where his right hand is. That is my guess from years of using this same kind or rock when I lived and worked in South Carolina.

I sure hope this was for steps or a landing, or outcropping . . . something cool like that, not some wacky 18” high wall.

This here is a map of South Carolina for comparisons sake.

It looks like the rock Mr. Williams is holding is a perfect match.

Not only is it a great match but Mr. Williams has some plans for that rock

"I was trying to think of something to do with it and I came up with Rock Against Cancer," he said.

He’s designed mouse pads, barbecue aprons, T-shirts and map prints, all emblazoned with the rock’s image, and started a Web site, scrocks.com, to sell merchandise. Some of the proceeds would go to cancer research in South Carolina, which has claimed the lives of many of Williams’ relatives, he said.

Williams plans to display the rock in libraries and museums across the state during its maiden S.C. Rocks Tour this spring.

Its first stop is at Clemson University’s Cooper Library through April 10.

Clemson Tigers, I guess my wife better not read this story-she is a Gamecock(University of South Carolina) through and through.

So I dug a little deeper, that’s why you love me dear readers . . . I dig deeper. Working hard, going out to the edge to bring you the total story.

Look at this, he’s followed through on his items for sale.

The above is a print, he has shirts, mouse pads, tote bags, aprons and all other sorts of goodies for sale in promoting the rock.

This way to the site.

He mentions part of the proceeds go to cancer research-good for him.

I couldn’t help but to pick up on this story . . . I mean it’s about a rock, sandstone, South Carolina.

A guy who loves a rock, he can’t be all bad.