Relative Something

First off, you should know that by simply bringing up this subject, I am totally jinxing the longevity of this latest installation of balanced rocks, however, this one has already outlasted my wildest expectations.

You just never know how long any “sculpture” will last when it comes to the unrehearsed balancing of random stones. This gem is perched on the stump of the most recently dispatched dead pine tree in the yard just beyond the front door of our house.

I was walking past the stump on some unrelated task one day when inspiration struck. I checked the nearby grove of trees for a big enough rock to make a good impression. I needed one that was also small enough that I could still lift it. I rolled it into position, which wasn’t easy at all because as you can see it was not of a rolling shape.

With some serious grunting and an unwise risk to my back, I finessed the beast upwards to the top of the stump. Then I headed to the rocks strewn about the landscaping around the house in search of a suitable size and shape for the upper balance.

It stood up in place with minimal coaxing. Balance was achieved so simply, I figured it might not last very long. Now, over three weeks later, it has survived the heavy snowfall, several days of high winds, a couple nights of significant freeze, and this week, record heat.

I got lucky.

Sometimes, it’s the ones I put in the least effort to accomplish that end up having the greatest longevity.

But not always.

There is one little set of three rocks that I assembled in the woods along our perimeter trail that is collapsed almost every time I walk by.

The difference is subtle to the point of being beyond my level of mastery.

Here’s hoping the ones in our front yard, pictured above, are unaware of what I’ve just written about them.

I am rather fond of seeing how they look from different perspectives as I walk past at all times of the day or night.

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