Inukshuk from Nova Scotia by Josette d'Entremont

Josette d'Entremont sent this image of an "Inukshuk" from Nova Scotia. This one is from near Cape Fouchu Lighthouse, Yarmouth, NS. She is a true lover of the beach, claims she has every stone and shell represented in my two books, Beach Stones and Seashells and gains sustenance from beachcombing the way we all gain sustenance from bok choy. I understand so completely.

She writes:

I am a native of a small Acadian fishing village called 'Pubnico' (means "cleared land for farming"), which is located at the SW part of Nova Scotia, Canada on the Lighthouse Route. I live in Halifax (capital of NS) and am an amature photographer, historian, geologist and lover of the seashore (a beachcomber all my life!) and a preservationist for lighthouses. Our Nova Scotia shores have billions of years-old fossils, stones and shells.

"INUKSHUK" means "likeliness of a person" in the Inuit language. It is the symbol of the Human Spirit. For centuries, stone figures, built in the shape of men by the Inuits, have guided lonely travelers in North America and the Artic along the right paths to food, water and shelter. 'Inukshuks' represents strength, leadership and motivation. Some people even say that it represents "I was here". I love making these stone figures as I walk the shoreline, it's fun, inventive --you can build them in any shape or form, using whatever rocks you find) and very meaningful. I also cannot stroll along the beach without picking up a shell, waiting to be admired and wondering what stories it could tell me; where it came from, what did it see?

There is so much to see by the sea!

Thank you, Josette

Gaspe Canada Heart Stone from Gert Cote

Gert Cote, from Massachusetts, is a fellow lover of heart stones and other treasure. She found this stone in Gaspe and writes:



"My husband and I were searching for treasures in the "Baie de Chaleure" in the Gaspe region of Canada...New Brunswick can be seen on the other side. I spotted what looked like a heart stone, but could only see the light green moss just underneath the waters edge. Stepping on different rocks to retrieve it, it layed almost all submerged in the water and mud,( notice the outer dark edge of the stone,) it was one inch in mud, full of slime...but I could see a definite heart, just needed to rinse it off and to my amazement, a perfect "HEART" lay in my hand. My heart was racing and I called to my husband to come and see. To continue on my search for more stones, I placed this stone on a piece of drift wood that had washed up shore from the wood mining mills across the bay in New Brunswick. Even this wood had been weathered from years of being idle on the beach. It had been stripped of all its bark from the harsh winter that Canada has to offer. We continued to pick many stones after that one and have given most of them away to friends and family."



Gert, Thank you for sharing your treasure and initiating the ROCKSWAP that this blog will feature.



Feel free to send me your treasures with their stories and I will post. Lets grow a community based on heart stones!



Dont forget: www.josieiselin.com

Finding Love

A recently married couple I didn't know very well came over to pick up this print which was commissioned as a wedding gift by a mutual and very dear friend. We were hanging around chatting and I couldn't believe they were only just beginning this journey called marriage. We joked a bit and then they said that yes they were so happy and were also pregnant. Wow, starting another huge journey...I put my hands in my pockets(I happened to still have my jacket on)...and there was a heart stone--dark and smooth, left there from the last roam on the beach--and I just couldn't not give it to them right there. So they left with their lovely print titled: Love is Where You Find It and a lovely heart stone. Happy Journeys!

Point Reyes

Happy New Year,

We went for a magnificent hike last Friday, down from the youth hostile, past a most magnificent, solitary Eucalyptus tree and onto the far southern end of Limantour Beach. Once on the beach, the rivulets coming out to the ocean were spectacular. Deedee (My middle daughter) was intent on getting as far as "Sculpture Beach" so she kept far ahead of us urging us on. Ken (my husband) found two complete crab shells with intensely purple insides. Along with a rib from some sea creature (probably a seal) and various other bits of seaweed, he made a very funny face on a log. Always more wondrous treasure to stick in the pockets.

We timed the waves right to scooch around from cove to cove where the rocks have eroded into keyholes and secret caves. Quite amazing and we felt so alone in our secret spots.

The sun emerged for our hike home, where, exhausted, we set out our treasures--stones with stripes, gnarled driftwood and assorted other items--on the counter to see. A fantastic exhibit of a magical day.

This bit of dried squiggly seaweed was found by Deedee...I thought it looked like an R. Crumb eyeball