Last weekend my cousin came down for a visit. She wanted to spend Saturday rockhounding. Honestly, I have never heard of such a thing but if it involves hiking, I’m all in! Rockhounding is looking for rocks and fossils in creeks and rivers. My cousin was particularly interested in finding geodes.
That’s us scanning the floor of a creek by Shanty Hollow Waterfall. She taught me that a rock with a geode inside would be round or oblong and maybe a little irregular. She has the equipment to crack them open and from what she’s learned, Kentucky is a hotbed for such rocks.
I could hear the waterfall as we approached! I was excited to finally reach our destination. We did not find geodes here but were in awe of the beauty that Shanty Hollow offered. This video shows the trickle of water and the reflections on the rock…before…
Then it happened. Out of nowhere, suddenly, a freak storm, a strong one at that. There was no clue. On the drive up before the hike, there was not a cloud in the sky. But God had a plan. He hid us in the hollow of the rock and we were safe and sound. This spot was the safest to be, on the whole trail. And at that very moment, He placed us there. I am thankful for that. We sat for about 30 minutes and watched the show.
Someone left this interesting cairn near the water. What a poetic image in the rain.
We also went to a river to explore what it had to offer. We were surprised to find many fossils!
The two on the right are fossils. They almost look manmade. We found several like them in all colors and sizes.
I truly felt like a child again with my cousin, exploring nature. It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. With work and school, I have been knee-deep in work and can’t seem to break free. I’m glad I agreed to put everything aside.
Get out there and have fun like a child again!
Blessings,
Christine
Let's Paint Nature! 