Know Your Stones: Pudding Stone

Have you ever heard of Pudding Stone? I had not, until we saw one on our lighthouse tour last week. This type of stone is a conglomerate that is made of many different types of rock. The type that is found in the particular area of Lake Huron where we were in Northern Michigan is characterized by pieces of Red Jasper throughout. Years ago, people started calling it "Pudding Stone" because it reminded them of bread pudding filled with currants or jellies. I was intrigued by this type of rock ~ as you can see, it is very unusual, but pretty. This rocky shoreline is one spot where Pudding stone could be found. The water was so clear and inviting, but it was too cold to swim!

The lighthouse docent told us about a local man who creates many things by slicing Pudding Stone with a diamond saw. In our travels, we passed his house where a big red sign out front read "PUDDING STONE, ROCKS, CRAFTS". We stopped in and met Larry, a biker dude with a Grizzly Adams beard. Larry was one of the most interesting people I have ever met. He invited us in and showed us all of his creations, such as lighthouses, crosses, lamps and clocks. He painstakingly creates them by slicing the stones and then piecing them together. It's actually more complicated then that but nobody can explain it better than Larry. Before he can create, he must hunt for rocks ~ he has amassed quite a collection of them, which he proudly showed us. I'll admit, I was envious of them :) He did share one of his secret spots for finding Petoskey, which is the state stone of Michigan. About the only thing Larry doesn't make is beads, pendants or jewelry, but I told him he should! I could have had a few beers with good 'ol Larry and listened to his stories for hours, he was that amazing.

In fact, he gave us that rock you see in the background, which is fossilized coral that he dug up on his property. I gave him a funny look when he told me, seeing that the Great Lakes that surround us are freshwater and do not contain coral. As Larry explained, millions (or billions) of years ago, this area was probably all ocean.

The rock in the foreground is Petoskey, which is fossilized coral that was formed by glaciers and is relatively common to Northern Michigan. Rocks are cool!