Gold Panning
and other stories
By Ned Tarrington
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Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction, and any characters, names, places or incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons (alive or otherwise), businesses, establishments, events, etc are entirely coincidental.
Copyright 2009 by Ned Tarrington
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/nedtarrington
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Agate Bridge
“Dad, is that Agate Bridge?”
“Yes, Tom, that’s it,” replied his father, pointing at the huge log of solid rock that spanned the dry wash bed. “And, its over two hundred million years old.”
“Wow! That’s old.” Tommy bent over another log lying on the ground, noting the red and orange color. “What made the wood turn into rock?”
His dad waved his hand at the dry desert landscape of the Petrified Forest. “Once, this was a vast forest with lots of water everywhere. Then, the climate changed and the logs got covered up with mud.”
“Then what happened?”
“Minerals in the soil gradually replaced the wood, leaving solid rock behind.”
“Were there dinosaurs then?”
“Some,” replied his father. “Big crocodiles, and lots of fish, toads, frogs as well as smaller dinosaurs.”
Tommy gazed out over the barren desert. “Are any still around today?”
“Just the lizard you saw earlier on that boulder,” commented his father. He noticed the rest of the family heading back to the car. “We’d better go. Your mother and sister look like they’re ready to leave.”
“Already?”
“Well, you want to see the Painted Desert don’t you?” asked his father.