Originally Posted by
gneiss 
Agates are pretty. When I was little I bought them all the time, in all those goofy little tourist shops. Tumbled and dyed rocks. I still don't mind them tumbled but I think the natural colors are much nicer.
Me too. I had an uncle who died of cirrhosis (at 72) and this was some 24 years ago. It was his farm road I used to walk on and find agates. Nice guy, but he died asking for a beer on his death bed, as a sidenote, not to be macabre but somehow fitting for this forum.