An odd angle on rocks

The beach at Clevedon

These rocks on the beach at Clevedon were laid down hundreds of millions of years ago.

There's an old fault line just a few yards away, a discontinuity where the rocks lie at a different angle. And the rocks in the photo are tilted, you can see the layers clearly.

These layers are accumulations of mud and silt in a shallow sea, turned into relatively hard rock by heat and pressure and long millenia.

It seems extraordinary that sediment can be squished like this, and that rock layers can be upended and tilted. Nonetheless that is what happens given enough time in the churning interior of the Earth over long periods of time.

The recent earthquake in Pakistan created an island. The seabed shifted enough to raise what used to be beneath the sea so that now it's above the waterline. No doubt it may have been slightly tilted as well. Over time a series of such movements can build up significant changes of angle.

What an amazing world we live in!

(If you liked this you might also like Journeys of heart and mind and Quote me on this.)

Decorated biscuits

Decorated biscuits

Young children love decorating biscuits, and this example is from my granddaughter's 5th birthday party. I'm not sure how appetising you find them, but they are certainly colourful!

Every child took to the task in a different way. Some were slow and careful, some enthusiastic and highly productive (can I decorate another one, please). Even at age five, personalities are well developed and very varied. And they all come out in biscuit decorating.

If you have a young child and haven't tried this, it's easy to set up. Buy a pack of plain biscuits along with paper plates, a set of tubes of pre-made coloured icing, a large tube of white icing, and a selection of sprinkles, sugar letters and numbers, and small sweets. Here is what you do...

1. Place the ingredients and the plates on a well-protected or wipe-clean table.
2. Make sure the table is standing on a well-protected or wipe-clean floor.
3. Release the children.
4. Stand well clear.
5. Clean up (children, table and floor).

(If you liked this you might also like Journeys of heart and mind and Quote me on this.)