George and I drove to Tennessee to meet his grandparents (both sets) and see the Rhythm and Roots Festival in Bristol Va/Tn. We spent the night at his maternal grandparent's house, along with his brother Peter and his fiance Katy. I have to say I was a bit star struck (but not by Peter). George has been telling me stories about his grandpa's adventures in geology for a while now, and I'd also independently found one of Mr. Chew's (Granddad's) books in Borders. My first love is geology - something my mom instilled in me early on. She would show me her rock collections and encourage me to make my own. In college I took some fantastic geosci courses from some very enthusiastic professors and was hooked. Rocks are awesome. But not just the rocks, the processes that create and shape them, channeling power beyond our comprehension. That's awesome too.
Mr. Chew spent a summer in Alaska during it's 20th century gold rush, uncovering fossils and other treasure. He's collected Acasta Gneiss from the Canadian Shield, the oldest rock on earth. He volunteers at a fossil dig - one he's been involved with since the beginning. He's also been instrumental in maintaining his local portion of the AT, running "Friday Hikes" for active people in their golden years. One word: Badass.