A Balanced Heart
February 14, 2010
Photographer: Joe Orman; Joe's Web Page
Summary Author: Joe Orman
Like a lover's heart, beach stones may at first seem free of imperfections. Years of continual tumbling and scouring by surf and sand have rounded off any rough edges. But a closer inspection reveals miniature cracks, pits and rough spots. With a commitment of time, these almost invisible surface features can be used to entice even the largest boulder to a point of blissful equilibrium.
This precariously balanced stone, about 20 in (50 cm) across and weighing approximately 40 pounds (19 kg), was one of a group of balanced rocks that the photographer was surprised to encounter late one afternoon while exploring the tide pools at Dana Point Marine Life Refuge, on the coast of Southern California. This impromptu art gallery, created by a local lover of nature, was doomed to be only a brief affair; within a few hours all were brought back to earth by the forces of gravity and the rising tide. Photo taken on December 27, 2008.