2003 - Eden Project was in its infancy then.

This September I've been adding to the cairns in the Lake District.

I saw a lot of rockpiling when I was up in Maine last year. I didn't do any myself, both because I am too lazy to gather likely looking rocks and my friend wasn't into doing it. There was important shopping and drinking we had to get to.

I have a different friend I am likely to go to Maine with again, perhaps she'll try it.

I dunno, glatt. I think most parents with small kids would think "broken feet". I know I would've.

That stream is moving pretty fast, for that matter.

I've balanced rocks in streams like that a couple of times. The first I did was in the upper pool at Edith Falls (Northern Territory, Australia). There was a submerged rock just a couple of millimetres below the surface and the water around it was flat and smooth, so my little pile of smooth round rocks was perfectly reflected and appeared to be hanging in the air above the water: very cool. The second time was in the upper reaches of the Murrumbidgee River (near Adaminaby, New South Wales, Australia), if the photo above had only one pile of rocks it would look pretty much exactly like mine did.

Cairns in the balancing rock-style are very popular here in ann arbor. I grew up with the huge-pile-of-stones-to-mark-the-route-in-the-lake-district style. I find it interesting that they are both called cairns given their completely different styles and functions.

I hiked a lot as a kid, and was always taught to add a stone to a cairn as I passed.

When in Hawaii a few years ago we hiked to a "hidden pool" It was absolutely hell to get there, but when we arrived it was more than worth it. There were balanced rocks on a little island in the middle of this pool. It was amazing. I still cannot imagine how people actually got there to do it.

Did you happen to stop in the pub in st.neot... "the London" ?
It's fallen the fate if so many and closed - must be two years now

I agree. I always knock them down if I see them. I want to see as much of this earth as I can in it's natural state. I don't want to see some guy's personal statement or 'art'.

SPUCK the Destroyer!

I'd never heard of the touchdown Jesus and was checking it out.

Guess what - the church's choir is called - you ready for this? The Fire Choir - Worship on Fire!

I guess they prophesied that one!!

They set up a Facebook page for the rebuild, but it hasn't seen much action.

The church's website has a Jesus Cam, but right now it is off line.

What a shame! I don't remember the name of the pub, but I think there was only the one, right next to the church. They were the hub of the village, gave me directions to find the B&B and I had a nice Sunday Roast there.

That was the London and yes it's a shame ( I'd hate to be driving those lanes after a couple of pints at the next nearest local )

I know parents can't watch their children every second.
I do get that now I work in a school.

But I would hope most parents would try to instill a "look don't touch" for unusual objects seen in nature. They might be sculpture, religious totems or dangerously balanced rocks. Not to mention nests, hives, actual animals etc.

Sad the kid got a broken foot (realy nasty if it was multiple bones). Glad it wasn't worse.

Bet that kid learned his lesson though. Tough way to do it. I'm sure he think twice next time.

Having been a parent to two very active and challenging boys for 12 years (and one mellow girl, thank the heavens), and having been the type of parent to take the little ones to museums in an attempt to instill something in them, I have noticed/learned that:

A) Some parents believe in free range parenting. Not only do they loosely watch their children, they don't seem to see anything wrong with touching works of art.

More than once, I have had to physically restrain my dear hubby while children-who-are-old-enough-to-know-better are touching the surface of a painting in a museum.

Although, I must admit it was one of mine that almost knocked that sculpture off its pedestal. You would be amazed how the heart beats while watching a pedestal rock to and fro. My goodness, I've just broken a sweat thinking about it!

B) Not all children connect cause with effect.

I remember touching the surface of the iron because I was curious to see what something felt like that could made fabric so flat and smooth.

After my mother finished bandaging my hand, I touched it with my other hand, because I didn't get how heat could make something flat like that. There must be something I missed the first time.

Yes, I do remember actually thinking like that. Some people did say I was a strange child . . .

The worst part is that my mother hoped I would one day get the children I deserved. See Item A. :p: