BEACHES

Bob Rodgers doesn’t think Southern California beachcombers should let the dearth of seashells get them down. Rodgers would rather collect pebbles anyway. “You wouldn’t suspect that the beach pebbles uncovered by the high surf would have the intensity or variety of color that they do,” he says.

Rodgers, a 70-year-old retired journalist living in Del Mar, has made a hobby of the downtrodden California beach pebble. A year and a half ago, he and his wife began gathering white pebbles to edge their azalea bed; several thousand pebbles of all shapes and colors later, he has become a bona fide collector, complete with a 12-page treatise on the subject.

For “Rainbows on the Beach,” Rodgers grilled a local geology professor on a subject deemed trivial by serious rock hounds, discovering answers to common questions such as: Where do the pebbles come from, and why are they different colors? Rodgers also shares his knowledge and unique collection by giving lectures at schools and museums throughout San Diego County. “This is my very dinky contribution to geology,” he says with a grin.

Rodgers thinks beach pebbles--defined as anything under 2 1/2 inches in diameter--are every bit as appealing as seashells. “For an art lover, “ he says, “there can be more satisfaction in looking at the colors and patterns in a handful of pebbles than in walking through a modern art gallery.”

High season for pebblers is fast approaching--the storms of December, January and February uncover tons of buried treasure. But the California beach pebble may become an endangered species. “Those pebbles have to come down from the mountains,” Rodgers explains. “And in the last 100 years, we Californians have created barriers to the natural migration of pebbles coming down from the mountains to the sea.”

The pebblemeister advises neophytes to add to their collections very selectively and to observe prohibitions about removing anything from protected beaches. As for the seriousness of his quest, Bob Rodgers keeps things in perspective. “I’d just be happy if someone picked up my pamphlet in a gift shop, and it made them aware of the beauty under their feet that they never really noticed before.”