(12.3.09) The Rock Locusts

No one knows when the rock locusts will come. If they descend, beware. The fortunate stones will be sufficiently buried underneath the dirt or hidden beneath a bush. For the rest of us, there is no rock too large or too small to feel the effects of the khaki clad hordes. The locusts come in waves, snatching up each rock along their path. The bigger rocks know to fear the "kiss of death", the nosing of a boot against the stone to test the weight of the rock. If you escape the ravages of one sweep, do not become overconfident. As many as ten sweeps have been known to occur in some areas, leaving the landscape bare of all but the tiniest of pebbles.

Where do the captured go? There are many theories. Some suggest that the locusts consume stone prior to mating rituals. Other, less supported hypotheses propose that the imprisoned are harnessed in the construction of the various structures that appear across our landscape. These structures appear to be composed of another material, so it is unknown how the prisoners may be abused.

Legend has it that the rock locusts are a new species upon this land. Our wisestones speak of the days when the strata lived in peace, moving slowly with the flow of the land. Those times are behind us now. Our foundations are shaken by sporadic bursts of machinery, flash floods, and the rock locusts. We used to be a peaceful rock stratum, but now we are propelled to violence by forces beyond our control. With each member of ranks that disappears, our stability erodes. Peaceful periods are relished with apprehension. No one knows if the rock locusts are gone or if they will come again soon.

Note: We use rocks, gathered from the landscape along the fence line, to set the fence posts. Depending on the area, our scourges can have a radius up to a 500 feet. Sometimes I grow concerned about the environmental impact we have as we build this protective boundary. Forgive the anthropomorphizing, but an apocalyptic warning from the point of view of a rock is just too much fun.