My Potato Rock

It was 1984, and I was exploring the wild woods of Arkansas. I would ride my mountain bike in from my home where we were building our home in the woods in the Ouachita Mountains near Mena, Arkansas. Now I have never been much of a rock collector, and probably could not find a valuable stone if I tried. But sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time ends up being right.

I was attempting to cross one of the creeks on my mountain bike, and had popped my front wheel up on the other side when all of a sudden my rear wheel slid out and I went down in the creek. No harm done to bike or body. As I was getting up, something caught my eye. It was up on the bank, and I could not believe my eyes! What was a Potato doing out here 12 miles from anything. It was nestled in the pine needles, just like an egg in a nest. So what to do.... Well much to my, and surely your amazement, I walk over and without a second thought, I picked up the Potato. Boy was I in for a surprise. That Potato weighed as much as a rock. Well gosh darn it, that Potato is a rock.

I stuck it in my hip pack and finished my adventure without any other odd occurrences. I did keep glancing around, thinking I might find another Rock that looked like a Potato.

When I got home I took the Rock out to look and to see if maybe my eyes had been playing tricks. I washed off the dirt and much to my amazement and surely to yours, this thing looked even more like a Potato than ever. It has a couple of small dents, like “eyes” in a potato, and even has a small groove in one side that looks like a potato that had taken some damage to the skin.

Later I showed Susie my treasure, and she was very impressed with my find. Or at least she acted that way. She sure knows how to stroke my ego.

Since that day I have dedicated myself to finding more rocks that look like food. Maybe a rock that looks like a strip of bacon, or maybe a rock that looks like a carrot would be neat! But as the decades have passed, I have come to the conclusion that there just are not that many rocks that look like food. That’s what makes this rock so special.

I have had some good times with the Potato Rock. My favorite is playing practical jokes on unsuspecting house guests. Aha! Let’s cook some baked Potatoes. Imagine the surprise on their faces when they try to cut into their fresh served Baked Potato. Hey! This thing is as hard as a rock! Mu aaah haaa haaa haaaaaaa!

Many have offered me money for my unique rock, but I have declined. Sure I could take their measly hundred dollars, and then what would I have. I would spend the money foolishly and I would no longer have my beloved potato rock.

So I have built a Web Page for my Potato Rock with hopes that others can marvel in this mystery of creation. Is it a fossilized potato? Is it a petrified potato? Well whatever it is, it is very cool, and it is mine. Over the years, I have been contacted by others that have also found potato rocks. I now have the largest web based museum showing potato rocks from around the world.

Take a look at all the potato rocks at www.potatorock.com.