From the Antarctic to the Arctic and from the Himalaya to the Sahara, people have been making cairns to mark their way for thousands of years. But you can also find cairns in less exotic places, such as this parking lot in Bellingham. According to my pal Carol Yoon, Bellinghamsters (what a great term) like to pile up stones close to home. This shot comes from a lot right across from the Georgia Pacific Mill (now shut down) in a lot people can park in for the Saturday Farmer’s Market. One might argue that these aren’t truly cairns, but are more stacked stones. Few would argue with this assessment, but these piles do exemplify several themes in my book: community, connection, and a bit of whimsy. And that’s good enough for me.
Category: Stories in Stone Blog
Book Launch Tonight
I am very excited as tonight is my book launch for my new book, Cairns: Messengers in Stone. It’s at 7:00 p.m. at the Burke Museum. Thanks kindly to the Burke and to my publisher The Mountaineers Books.