Time to get out of town
Out of the city
Out of the neighborhood
Away from the concerts, the theme parks, and the sports arenas
Away from the job, the school, and the people we know
Away from the politics, the neighbors, and the traffic
Away from social media, cable news, and gossip
Out - into nature
Out into the world
Out into our beautiful state
Out of the city
Out of the neighborhood
Away from the concerts, the theme parks, and the sports arenas
Away from the job, the school, and the people we know
Away from the politics, the neighbors, and the traffic
Away from social media, cable news, and gossip
Out - into nature
Out into the world
Out into our beautiful state
| Here's a little series of posts about the great state of Missouri. It's time to get off the beaten path and do some exploring! |  |
 | I like rocks. One of the reasons I love Missouri is the rocks. When I was a boy on vacation, driving through Missouri and visiting tourist caves, I always admired the roads that cut through the seemingly solid rocky hillsides. Rocky cliffs on each side of the road astounded me. That may be why I loved our visit to Elephant Rocks State Park. Combine that sense of wonder that I had as a kid with boulders that dwarf humans, and you get me at Elephant Rocks. |
Not only that, but there are some cool touches of history in this place. Some of the granite miners in the area, left their calling cards in the form of carvings. I snapped the picture of T. J. Murray's 1885 signature (above), and ran my fingers through its grooves. I wondered who T. J. was and what kind of fellow he was. There are many carvings here, but none that are recent (It takes a lot to carve into these hard rocks.).
| In the midst of these huge stones, on this glorious evening at the "top of the world", I found great peace. In the cool of the evening, with a light breeze, the shade of the elephants, and the company of my family, I could have sat in this place for another hour...but with the coming of darkness, we needed to return to our campsite for some hotdogs, s'mores, and some sleep. The pictures turned out all right. I was pleased with the color and the framing. But when I looked at one picture, I was reminded of the book Holes, by Louis Sachar. In the book (and the movie), Stanley Yelnats, following in the footsteps of his great great grandfather, sought refuge on a rock formation he called God's Thumb. Turning my photo on edge, I too found God's Thumb. What do you think? |  |
