I found my first decorated rock in Beer, Devon a few years ago. Since then, I’ve enjoyed following the community of people who paint and hide stones for others to find, marvelling at the creativity and skill of many of the artists who give away their work. Other pieces are made by children, a way to keep them occupied on a rainy afternoon, allow them to get creative, or get them out into the fresh air to distribute rocks around local landmarks. Regardless of who does the decorating, finding one on my travels always brings a smile to my face.
The rules of this little game are simple: finders can keep or re-hide the stones, but they should first post a photo to the group’s social media page so the painter can see that it has been found and where it’s ended up (group names are usually on the rock’s reverse). Some stones manage to travel great distances from where they start out, and it’s fun to plan where to hide one for the next person to discover.
However, sometimes things don’t quite go according to plan. Take, for example, this pair of well-travelled rabbits, who have several trips across the Atlantic under their belts.
Our story begins just before Easter in April 2019. My father was visiting from the US, and found them hanging out in a stone at Avebury. He brought them back to the US with him, intending to hide them in Florida. He forgot.
So he brought them back with him during another visit to the UK in November 2019, intending to hide them here. He forgot. Off they hopped in his luggage, returning to Florida to spend the winter.
During my recent visit to the US, I thought they should get out and see more of the county. So I took them along on a tour of the Vero Beach Mural Trail. I think they enjoyed it — I certainly did!
After all their travelling back and forth, I decided it was time to return them to the UK where I hope they have a better chance of being found and posted by someone else. Of course I left them in a tea room, and I look forward to seeing if they continue their journey!
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