Riley was nodding vigorously. She found the book she wanted. “Uncle James, Dad and Uncle Alywn knew the land, being farmers. They had degrees in agriculture. But it was Uncle James that studied geology as a hobby. Mainly so they would know more about the soil’s mineral content, the water tables, and all that.” She was opening the book now, flipping through the pages. “See, they had to know where to irrigate, put the well… So James was the one who really took up the geology part of farming.” Turning pages, she sat in the big leather chair behind the oak desk. “I used to sit with him and read all of this stuff, too. See, if the ground water is too salty, or soft, the crops won’t grow. They won’t thrive the way they should.” She came to a certain spot in the book. “Because there are
