Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Petrified Forest - A Childhood Memory


LL has a post up that includes Arizona’s Petrified Forest. That sparked a childhood memory.

https://www.virtualmirage.org/the-armchair-general/

Can you take petrified wood from national forest?

Trading, bartering, or selling any fossil material (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, or any trace fossils) removed from National Forest System lands is prohibited. You may collect reasonable amounts of specimens.

 (Yes, that includes the Park Service)

 My maternal grandparents and my parents vacationed together some summers. During a visit to the Petrified Forrest, my grandfather decided he wanted a particular piece of petrified wood. Since both he and my father were scofflaws, they hid the piece inside  the bumper guard of our 1951 Ford. Once back in Wyoming, it took them the better part of two hours to retrieve the piece and included dismantling all of the front bumper.  Maybe the legend is true.

In the 1930s, visitors to the Petrified Forest began to report that after taking a piece of petrified wood from the park, they were seemingly cursed with bad luck. This curse continues today, and is now a part of the park's history.

As always, YMMV.

4 comments:

drjim said...

Kinda like don't bring home lava from Hawaii as Pele gets very angry.

I had a "Rock Specimen" kit my parents got me, and it included a piece of petrified wood. Very interesting stuff, if you're into geology.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

DrJim
About half of my relatives are "rock hounds". I have a passing interest in geology but not a passion.

Old NFO said...

I've never been a 'fan' of taking things from any parks. OR defacing anything in parks, like what has happened in a number of parks. Who knows what 'history' has walked off/been defaced in the past?

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Old NFO
I agree. I'm of the, "Leave no trace" school. Granddad Burtis was a craftsman and probably turned the rock into some type of jewelry. A rancher and farmer, he created many things in his shop during the long Wyoming winters.