Let’s play word association. I’ll go first. Opal. Did you say Vernon? Huh? Did you? Did you? Huh? Huh? Yeah, I’d have said Australia too. It’s one of those universal geological facts that everyone learns as a kid for some reason. But opal is found in several other locations around the globe, including Canada. And […]
Lewis & Clark Caverns – review
I wouldn’t say I’m looking forward to death, but I think I’ll be okay with it. Well, the burial, at least. I do like me a good hole in the ground. Luckily, geology goes hand-in-hand with holes in the ground, so when I was hunting for cool places to visit on our big Yellowstone camping […]
How My Oil and Gas Career Began
Twenty-five years ago, I embarked on an eight-month adventure that would define my adult life. It was not intended to. In fact, at the time it was more lark than prescience. Okay, maybe lark isn’t the fairest description, but academic value and eyes to my future were certainly not priorities when I chose to spend […]
Geology’s God Complex
If I’ve learned anything on LinkedIn, it’s that a lot of geologists fancy themselves climatologists. Expert ones, even. Almost weekly, one or another of my connections likes, shares, or comments on a post that either questions anthropogenic climate change or outright denies it. Some of these articles are obvious partisan rants, borne of frustration and […]
I Am Obsolete
There is a moment when the last lingering doubt withers away and you are finally forced to accept that you no longer have the skills to resume a former career. An instant when evidence cuffs you upside the head and reality sharpens to pinpoint focus. It is not a pleasant moment but it is surprisingly […]