Cairn about Stone
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       Stone: Enduring by nature and beautiful of form. For centuries stone has been used for a variety of purposes. One of which is known as a Cairn.

       One definition of a Cairn is “A pyramid of rough stones, raised for a memorial or mark of some kind, usually over a burial but also as a landmark or monument”. I find this definition (as well as several others) misleading; regardless of its partial accuracy. There are several types of Cairns with regards to building technique; piled stones, mortared and Dry Stone built. I personally find those built using the Dry Stone technique as stunning collages of beauty and skill. The Royal Ashburn Golf Course in the Durham Region of Ontario is the proud owner of just such a structure.

       Having the opportunity to work with John again on such an exciting project was exceptionally rewarding and, of course, fun! Each time we work on a project or seminar I am amazed at how some people look at stone. Prefab and manmade products are so prevalent in today’s world that the beauty natural stone exudes and possibilities it holds are glanced over.

       When working on projects, you can almost see the “What can you possibly build with that?” look on the faces around you. As a project progresses, barriers in their mind usually begin to fall. The creativity squashed by our prefab society breaks free and, by the end, their way of thinking has changed. That is one of my favorite reasons for being a Dry Stone Waller and instructor. When we finished the Cairn, the workers we had were truly impressed and stunned at how beautiful it was. Their minds were racing with other ideas and the eagerness to be back at a new project. The creativity that the craft instills and enforces us to utilize become so prevalent that you really do look at the world around you differently. If I can give that to someone, even if for a brief moment, I feel like I have helped liberate a mind from the quagmire our rushed one-tracked society has ingrained on the person.

       It is a pleasing thought knowing that there stands our Cairn; a testament to the natural beauty of stone and the craftsmanship of the Dry Stone Technique. A monument to creativity and the possibilities it nurtures.

Submitted by Matthew Ring