The samples themselves are organized in rough order of collection, each vial numbered sequentially and stored in boxes of 50 or so. They are not on display, so this serves the main purpose of making each one easy to retrieve.

I keep a spreadsheet to go along with them, and this is the key to the collection. The spreadsheet includes the sample number, its location (both country/state/city and lat/long, so I can generate a map), freeform “notes of interest” (including similarities across samples, especially those from disparate locations) and little else.

I have vague plans of including a photo of each sample in the spreadsheet, and some words to characterize the nature of the sample – grain size, color, “interesting shapes” – but so far that’s been stuck on the “nice to have” list. At one point, I thought maybe I’d weigh them all and record their densities, but that didn’t last.

Have fun with your collection! That’s my bottom line. Even though you have a professional interest, don’t let it become a chore. Follow your interest and keep that at the fore. Not that you asked for advice…

Thanks for reaching out!

Stay curious.

— Brian.

I’m glad to bring you a little bit of sun and surf through my blog. The colors you’re noticing is from the surface reflection. When underwater, the surface reflects what’s underneath it just like it reflects the clouds and the sky when you’re above water. Pretty cool, huh?

There’s always something interesting out there – sometimes, right under our feet! Thanks for reading.

Thank you, Liz! I appreciate you reading and leaving comments.