Dennis, I agree wholeheartedly.
Now, I have been looking at those images. Pretty neat. Check this one
out:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...EFF0327P2367R1
M1.JPG

Note the matter of how well the soil takes the prints. This indicates
fine sediment particles, but also note that it fractures and breaks up
pretty easily, not exactly like talcum or cocoa, but more like something
with a mixture of other particles. Seems to be that the material takes
prints very nicely but does not stick together that well overall, like a
mixture of extremely fine dust and some fine sand in the mix as well.
It is also pretty compressible from the look of it. Also note that the
larger flat granules in the upper right of the image seem embedded in the
finer silt- I have seen similar structures where pebbles had the soil under
them eroded away by wind.
This stuff doesn't seem to see much action. But also, very interesting
(at least to me is the extremely abraded, worn smooth surfaces of the rocks.
This indicates that those dust storms indeed do scour the daylights out of
things, and that this is something we may want to pay close attention to for
future missions, manned and otherwise. I also agree with the general
sentiment about static electric effects being substantial there.
Note that in the nearly vacuum conditions (typically 8 millibars or so)
and with those extremely tiny silt particles, static attraction is probably
a major controlling factor in how the dust and wind interact.
Now, let's have a look at this one:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...EFF0327P2370L7
M1.JPG

This shot is a gem- it says a lot in one image. Note many of the rocks
have a definite, "faceted" look to them. It might be that these particular
rocks are plutonic intrusions that have crystallized slowly in a manner
similar to basalt columns, but then I have to dismiss this idea because they
have that "caramel" look like they have fractured along amorphous planes.
This is pretty good material to test the brain with- you can see a
texture almost like melonstone, sandblasted smooth and revealing the
fracture planes. I think of something like obsidian but not as hard. It
would be interesting to dig down the side of one of those larger rocks to
see how far down the weathered surfaces extend.
We might also learn something about the age of the dust- how long it has
been there, for instance. It also looks from the surface of the soil here
and also in this pictu

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...EFF0327P2371R2
M1.JPG

...that the coarser grains are moved about separately from the finer
dust grains. Apparently a segregating mechanism is operating, and probably
happens once again during the onset of dust storms. I saw a fascinating
demonstration of how dust storms start in near vacuum conditions, that
explained that larger particles can move about pretty well in the high winds
without the dust being picked up. But- once the larger particles are in
motion, they can strike and break free small quantities of the dust, thus
setting a cascade of effects in motion that starts a real dust storm.
That seems to be important in the layering look that the larger
particles have. Note that the larger sand seems to be blown in drifts along
the rock "shadows" but that the silty looking stuff stays behind.
Finally, look at any of the microscopic images from sol 17- this is a
good one:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...EFF0327P2931M2
M1.JPG

Here it appears that the silt has been laid down like mud, then some
bubbles might have emerged from the wet layer as it dried. Note the
distinct holes in the material! Looks like those clams on the beach have
been at it.
Seriously though, this would be a fascinating experiment- a slurry of
clay and a partial vacuum, wait for it to dry, and see if it duplicates the
look of this microscope view.
Well, just my 2 cents' worth.

Cheers!

Chip Shults