Building a Labyrinth #2: The Boulder Field

So, I’ve begun the process of trying to build a labyrinth in the woods behind my home. If you missed my first post about this, check it out here.

I got back out in the woods today, and continued the work of ripping rocks out of the ground. It was very pleasant weather while I was out there, not too hot or humid. Yet, I was dripping with sweat. I guess this must be hard work. It’s fun, though, and rather cathartic. Here’s a picture of the pile of stones I’ve accrued so far.

These are all rocks that I’ve dug out of the ground in the area I’ve cleared for the labyrinth. I don’t want to have to step on them or trip on them as I walk it. Plus, I plan to use these rocks to eventually create the labyrinth itself. It’s a wonderful system, and perhaps a metaphor for life – by working hard on something that’s in your way, something that is a stumbling block, you find a new resource for going forward. Sounds like therapy.

Anyway, these are big rocks, most of them bigger than my head. And you can see in the bottom left of the picture some of the holes that are left behind. I’m going to have to fill them in with something eventually.

As I was working on this today, I noticed just how many rocks there were, and how many of those rocks were wedged in among other rocks. I got the sense that these woods are really nothing but a boulder field, with a sprinkling of soil on top. I started to wonder if you could somehow see through the soil, this is what you’d see:

But then it occurred to me: that’s stupid, because there are trees all over the place. Lots of trees, tall trees. So there must be a decent amount of soil here, or the trees wouldn’t have enough nutrients.

But then it occurred to me: I’m building this labyrinth here, because this is a spot in the woods without a lot of trees. This is a mini-clearing. So…umm…maybe the boulder field analogy isn’t far off. Sheesh. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. And I’m totally going to break my shovel.