I like rocks and cairns. They are trail-finders, pointers to the route to travel, a reminder of each place I've been - from the Mekong to the Great Lakes. The particular rocks in this cairn are mostly local, not exotic, but their presence reminds me of the rocks I've picked up and have treasured in each place. I would have preferred a ninth rock in this pile, but it wouldn't stay, invariably after bad weather, ending up on the ground below.