"Your Little Stone's Journey..."

Often when painting these small rocks.

While listening to the birds or the wind in nearby trees, and sometimes to specifically selected music.

I will choose my next stone.Admire it closely, and turn it over as I decide upon its best surface.

They are such an enduring, unique medium for my simple form of Naive art...

As I gaze over the three dimensional surface I can sense its character. 

The tiny ridges, crystals, and cracks, that form a small world of their own, with all the elements of wild lands themselves.

I enjoy them much like the Ancients would a Scholar Rock.

I can, at times, lose myself, in running my fingers along and travelling over a stones' face.

Often can I recall too what adventure I was on when this particular rock was gathered up.

My friends chuckle about how my pack or kayak is usually very much heavier coming back than when going out.

Then, as I begin this special process the same unanswerable question develops as a thought in my mind. 

"Where will you end up little stone...?" "You have come such a long way", I muse, and are now undergoing a transformation of sorts.

Much as I have over these last decades of adventure in the wild places, in slowly gaining an awareness of the importance of giving back.

Although I know I have no control over who will find these, I do wonder about that moment in time, place, and activity.

Will they see this as an intrusion in their adventure day.

Or will they accept this small gift, and take it away, in the spirit in which it was gathered, painted, mused over, and later placed.

The locations these stones are returned to are usually not as wild as where they were originally found.

The vast majority are placed where a human presence has already been long established.

While I understand people will make what they will of them, I hope as I begin to slowly paint, that the 'Finders' just may reflect for a moment upon this little stones' journey. 

Why someone would do this.

And just maybe they might consider for a moment then, what they themselves may choose to give back & pass forward.

Then this little stones' journey really has no end.....  DSD