Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Cairns


I found these down at the beach, in front of the bench I rest on after my bike ride. Piled stones like this are called "cairns" and they have been with us since ancient times. They have been used as landmarks to mark trails, especially in mountainous regions above the tree line, for astronomical purposes, and for spiritual and ceremonial purposes. I probably saw the largest number of these in one place out in Sedona, Arizona where people construct them where the "vortices" are located. (You can look that one up.) These cairns are different. First of all, they include pieces of broken concrete, not just smooth rounded stones. I think they are done just for fun. Maybe just to make people curious. It is kind of cool to find these - it is as if someone has made their mark on the landscape for others to see, and there is a nice feeling of being connected in some way when I see them. I appreciate that someone has done this just for play, and it makes me smile.

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