Souvenirs

by Katie

I go hiking once a week, usually on Wednesdays. Wednesdays have always been my "do-nothing" day, a day where I don't do any housework, errands, socializing, nothing whatsoever related to being a stay-at-home momma. In fact, Wednesdays have been re-named "Adventure Day" and my husband and kids know that I will not text back or call back when I'm out hiking and exploring. The only criteria to Adventure Day is that I make it back by 3:00 to pick up my son from school. But that's the only rule.

I love getting away from my daily routine, to get outside and see this beautiful state that we moved to nine years ago. Before, we lived in the Washington, DC metro area, in northern Virginia actually, and the closest countryside was a good three hour drive west. One way. Once you got past all the townhouses and strip malls, you were really too exhausted to go hiking, and if you did have the energy to hike, you only had about 30 minutes to do so before piling back into the car and driving the three hours back, fighting traffic the closer you got  home.

Not much fun.

But after moving to Arkansas and smack dab in the middle of the Ozark Mountains, there's no excuse not to take advantage of all the hiking trails that are abundant in the area. I keep a list of places I want to explore on our pantry door, and I'm slowly crossing them off.  It's something I look forward to every week.

Something that I do when I'm out hiking is pay close attention to the rocks that lay scattered about. Most of my hikes involve rivers and creeks, so rocks and pebbles are plentiful. Arkansas rocks are very smooth, smooth from being washed over by the waters of the Buffalo River, the War Eagle River, Lee's Creek, the White River. And they're very round and mostly flat. They make great skipping rocks; in fact, I make it a point to skip a rock for each of my children when I find a good spot along the water's edge. This little rock above is from my latest hike to War Eagle River, just 30 minutes east of where we live.

When I find unique rocks, unique in that they have beautiful colors or just feel really nice in my hand, I bring them home as souvenirs from that day's hike. These rocks are from the King's River (top), the Buffalo River (middle) and the White River. The last one was actually given to me by one of my daughter's friends because he knew I liked rocks and keep them scattered about my office. It's one of my favorites because it's in the shape of a heart.

My son found this one from the King's River hike that we all went on last month. It sits on my desk next to my monitor.

I don't bring every rock home with me. Other hikers before me leave tower-like formations behind for others to enjoy, maybe even add more rocks to the the structure. But the beauty of Arkansas rocks just speak to me, I don't know what it is, but they somehow bring back my childhood and a sense of comfort.

And they make great paperweights.

So tell me, what do you like to collect? What do you bring back from your adventures?

(and don't worry: i always tell my husband where it is i plan to hike, text him once i get to my destination and once again before i leave for home and i always, always take my phone with me.)