Eden Prairie Local News
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Thursday, March 30
    • About
      • About EPLN
      • Team
      • EPLN in the News
      • Policies
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Subscribe
    Eden Prairie Local News
    • Home
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Public Safety
    • City
    • Calendar
    • Donate
    • Subscribe
    • More
      • Construction
      • Outdoors
      • Politics
      • Health
      • Spirituality
      • Community Service
      • Legacy
      • Obituaries
      • Arts
      • Family
      • Holidays
      • Letter to Editor
      • Listen
      • Jobs
    Eden Prairie Local News
    Home»Arts»The trail of The Rock Tree brings walkers hope
    Arts

    The trail of The Rock Tree brings walkers hope

    By Jim BayerDecember 11, 2020Updated:December 11, 20203 Mins Read

    When my wife and I first started our walks on the beautiful trails of Eden Prairie back in March, the trees were barren and winter wind cold.

    Snow seemed to disappear as quickly as bad news appeared.

    A mysterious disease making people sick.

    Schools closing.

    Advertisement
    Ad for Washburn-McReavy

    Family members that we could no longer hug, or even visit. Walking was our escape, our moment of quiet, and our moment of sanity.

    We changed up our routes in order to explore the many trails Eden Prairie has to offer. But one became my favorite – a chunk of blacktop, four feet wide, little more than a tenth of a mile long, connecting two streets along the trail.

    And in the middle was The Rock Tree. A sign saying so was attached at eye level, just in case you didn’t recognize it.

    The path to the The Rock Tree runs between Kerry Lane and Sand Ridge Road.

    Sometime early in the spring, at the base of the tree, appeared a menagerie of stones. Small, hand-painted rocks graced with simple greetings dotted the ground.

    I imagined a mom giving birth to this idea after a couple of weeks of no school with her kids trapped indoors. “Go find some rocks and make them pretty for the people walking by,” she said with a smile.

    And so she bought them some paint and brushes and sent them off.

    Little did she know the light those brightly colored messages would bring to walkers weary from winter and the added scourge of COVID-19.

    They provided a brief respite from the conversation of corona virus, toilet paper and hybrid models.

    It made you stop when normally you would keep going.

    “Hey handsome,” one read, “hey” in artful cursive and “handsome” in tall block letters with a red heart to top if off. Instinctively, I looked around to see who was watching. Then I caught myself. It wasn’t meant for me. Or was it? Nah. But it didn’t matter.

    “Stay positive!” implored another, the words emblazoned on a sea foam blue background and adorned with a small rainbow and shining red sun. Ok, I will try, I thought.

    One rock that I make a point of looking at every time I walk by is wedged in the gnarled bark of The Rock Tree. It’s tiny and it’s bright pink.

    And it says, simply, “Peace.”

    When we began our walks the branches were bare. The sun shone through them, its rays creating a dappled pattern on the path. As spring became summer, the leaves were so thick that you needed to remove your sunglasses to see.

    Now the leaves are gone again, carpeting the ground around The Rock Tree. There is a palpable anticipation that when the leaves turn green on this path once again, there will be a breath of hope in the air; hope that our lives will return to some kind of glorious normal.

    I hope The Rock Tree is still there to remind us of just how wonderful that can be.

    Be Informed
    Sign up for the FREE email newsletter from EPLN
    Subscribe

    Comments

    Comments aren’t allowed on our site, but we do offer several ways to provide feedback, and have your voice heard. If you believe the story has an error, or would like to get in touch with the author, please contact us. If you would like to respond directly to this article, we welcome and encourage Letters To the Editor. You can find details on how to submit a letter on our contact page.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticlePROP: $25k matching donation, top five needs listed
    Next Article City’s “hybrid” workshop with lawmakers considers pandemic, Southwest Transit, 5G and evictions

    More to READ

    3 Mins Read

    EP-based running club stays active all year long

    March 27, 2023
    6 Mins Read

    The state of comedy outstate

    March 23, 2023
    3 Mins Read

    Snow way! ‘Mount Eden Prairie’ becomes a viral sensation

    March 22, 2023
    Subscribe to get EPLN in your inbox for FREE!
    Recent Articles

    EP bucks trend as pothole problems persist in other metro cities

    March 30, 2023

    Martial arts instructor convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct

    March 29, 2023

    EP man charged with stealing gun, other items from 2 cars parked near Scheels on different days over the weekend

    March 29, 2023

    EP residents invited to join Park Clean-Up Day

    March 28, 2023

    Staring Lake Park opens off-leash dog exercise area

    March 28, 2023
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    Eden Prairie Local News is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 85-4248265 | Copyright © 2020-2023
    • About
    • Policies
    • Jobs
    • Contact
    • Advertising
    • Subscribe
    • Donate

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.