Time Traveling with Stones

Tideland magazine has launched my new column, “Wild Wonders,” in its winter 2025 issue. I initiated this quarterly column in celebration of the natural wonders of Puget Sound, which hosts thousands of species of animals, plants, and fungi. My current home region is also renowned for its geological treasures—the focus of my inaugural column.

On a low tide walk in June, I spotted a cylindrical stone poking up from the mud. The stone looked like a pestle one might use to crush garlic, seeds, or spices. I explored the flats further and found more formations nearby—pale gray, smooth, and perfectly sculpted for a human hand. Are these Indigenous grinding tools? I wondered, as I lined up six stones Andrew Goldsworthy-style on a boulder, snapping a few photos before my artwork disappeared beneath the Salish Sea…