Spring had been dormant for quite some time, but was turning in its sleep feeling the sun’s rays increasing in heat tickling its back and reminding it to come back to start the circle of life again. A friend of mine, I, was home for a few days, and despite wanting to spend a lot of time together, all we could find time for was a morning walk in the sun.
We decided on a short route in our neighbourhood, slightly modified to include a few geocaches in the area that I had yet to find. My friend, of course, thought me mad when I started talking about running around to find lunch boxes that strangers had left for us to find. But after we had tracked down a nano, which is a tiny box the size of your little finger (from the last joint out), she was I was no longer searching on my own.
The next cache was atop a tree-covered mound. Climbing up we passed rock carvings dating back to somewhere between 2500 and 4000 years ago. The thought of these carvings having been present for all those years, and all the people who have looked at them, felt them, and fantasized about their origin, and the their carver, I find quite dazzling. My friend bent down and gently traced the carvings. As her hand came close to the rock, a shadowy hand from the past reached out and met her outstretched finger.
The wee walk had turned into so much more; treasure hunting, history lessons, and good conversations had my friend referring to hobbits and journeys, friendship and adventure.
Anne blabbers 
I love that rock art. I am guessing the red lines have been added more recently to the carved parts? In my part of the world (western Canada) we get either rock paintings or rock carvings but I have never heard of a combination of both.
The red paint is a vey recent addition, and they are very helpful as it would require a very skilled eye to see the carvings. I imagine rock paintings would be found only inside caves and the like? Similar to those in France?
Hi Anne – seeing the carvings requires just the right light, or also a wet surface. Photographing them is much better done with a wet surface and a polarizing filter. The rock paintings here are on cliff faces and under rock overhangs and only very rarely inside caves. They contain a binding agent that is often made from fish eggs and which really locks onto the rock face on exposure to UV light. They seem to last for thousands of years, though dating them is hard, so their age is largely unknown.
There is something to be said for good friends…especially when you discover new things together! Great post Anne!
Thank you David 🙂