We had spent the afternoon exploring the Wood of Cree Nature Reserve, near Newton Stewart. It is the largest ancient oak woodland in southern Scotland, a majestic sanctuary owned and beautifully managed by the RSPB. They are doing such an incredible job preserving it. Before we stumbled upon the main event, we were just winding down our day, soaking in the peace of a small water area nearby. It was a complete playground for us. We were standing by the river’s edge, laughing like kids, playing a game to see who could throw the last stone into the water. We were just enjoying the river flowing, watching the ripples catch the late winter light, and I’m guessing that very water is connected to what we found next.

Even when we finally headed back to the car, our little game wasn't over. I had quietly slipped a few small stones inside my clothes, completely determined to get the final throw. As my partner started driving away, he threw one last stone out of his window, thinking he’d won the game. I threw mine excitedly, celebrating my victory, but he had secretly packed an extra one too! The moment he tossed his real final stone, I sneakily cracked my door open, scooped up a few more pebbles from the gravel, and the game kept going down the road until he threw his absolute last one. I let him drive for just a little bit, feeling smug, and then I flipped my final stone into the fresh air. I won. It’s small, silly moments like that, just clicking and laughing together in the fresh air, that make us appreciate sharing a deep love for nature. Someone asked me again recently why I love going out into the wild so much. I have a long, beautiful answer for that, and I promise I’ll write a whole separate post to express it fully so you can understand my perspective. But for now, all I can say is that nature is incredibly healing, an absolute gift, and a place we should always respect.