A Cairn Surprise

Something I like to do is build cairns. I got my husband into too. For those who may not know what a cairn is, it's basically a pile of rocks. But it's a pile of rocks that you have deliberately piled. Cairn building requires a certain amount of fondness for rocks. The more fond of rocks you are, the more the "right" rock will call to you. "Pick me, pick me! I'm the rock you need! I'll work perfectly for that spot." It's uncanny how often the chosen rock truly IS exactly what you need.

I learned about cairn building from a very sweet movie with Brandon Fraser called Still Breathing. (If you haven't seen it, I recommend it.) I think there's a zen thing that goes on. It's a kind of awareness between, me, the earth and the rocks. Building cairns is a way of saying prayers. It's relaxing. It's an art form.

Cairns, like sandcastles, are ephemeral. They may last a little longer, but they will eventually fall down. No matter how you try you can never build the same cairn twice, even using the same rocks.

Historically cairns were simple piles of stone that marked a path so those who followed after would know they were going in the right direction. On a larger scale, Stonehenge is a kind of cairn.

Here are a few pictures of cairns hubby and I have built.

The other day my sweetie saw this on one of the cairns. She stayed put long enough for him to dash home and get the camera.

Classic.

What have you seen/experienced lately that was an unexpected surprise?