As I might have mentioned before, up here in Waunaland, what tends to motivate me to blog are walks on the beach with the Wauna dog. A couple of days ago I was taking in the low winter sky pressing down against the high tide, and I remembered my Gram talking to me as a child about wishing stones.

From what I got was during the ice age, a huge glacier carved out Puget Sound. The icy behemoth tumbled rocks, dragging them all the way through Canada and into the native soil around the bay. After melting, they left rocks. Lots of them. Brown stones. Grey stones. Black stones. Cool shaped stones.

Occasionally though, you might run across beautiful stones in the shades of sherbet, and sunset, and mermaid to add to you coat pocket collection along with the gum wrapper, damp tissue and dog cookie.

We also would be on the lookout for the elusive agate which can be found glowing on the beach, back lit by the low winter sun. Agates the shade of deep red, bright orange or Sunkist orange and white. Some are the color of good suede. Some aren’t that great color wise (think of puddle water brown). But all worthy of collecting and placing in the glass salad bowl with a candle in the center...

According to Gram the best are the wishing stones--ones that have a white stripe all the way around it. If you are lucky enough, you will find a rock that's complete with a cummerbund wrapped all the way around a tuxedo black stone. I was told you have to hold it tight, close your eyes, make your wish, turn your back to the waves and throw the stone over you left shoulder. If it hits the water, then your wish will come true. (I suppose the closer to the water, the better the chances!)

I'm not sure it really worked. I never came home to a mountain-load of candy in my bedroom closet, or a pony. But so many good things have happened to me in my life this far, things might really work out after all!