The Cairn

I found this arrangement of rocks on the beach down below Montauk Point Lighthouse.  I am immediately attracted to these creations for some reason, even though I couldn't remember what they are called.  They are "cairns."  I guess I find them attractive because someone has taken the time and the artistry to create these, in most cases, for no particular purpose.  They are often used on trails up above the tree line to show the way to hikers.  In the case of an artistic creation like this, someone has to select some rocks and decide on an arrangement and then take the time to arrange them just so, so that the rocks are carefully balanced, not necessarily an easy task.  Author David B. Williams who wrote a book on Cairns says: "The desire to stack rocks is understandable from a practical, aesthetic, and spiritual perspective.  It seems almost primal.  As a species, we evolved in rocky landscapes. We have been building these things for thousands of years.  They're a way to say: 'I am here. I have lived'""