The Walking Sticks

From our woods, for your wandering.

A NOTE FROM THE RIVER ROCK VILLA HOSTS

Michael is a fisherman and a woodman, and truthfully, he is the driving force behind much of our love for the natural world at River Rock.

He has been making walking sticks for years—long before River Rock became a Villa.

The first walking stick he made was given to our young nephew decades ago. Now, a whole generation later, he is making them for the nephew’s nephews again.

We love finding the right piece of wood and seeing what it wants to become.

Some are engraved with a little message from a wise man. Others carry a thought worth considering. And some are simply beautiful in their natural form.

Lately, Rebecca has become a regular walking-stick carrier, taking them down to the river and back again.

They are surprisingly useful.

They help with balance. They give you a little boost on the hills. And when a spider has thoughtfully placed a web across the trail, a walking stick makes an excellent web remover.

This summer, we began leaving walking sticks for our guests to enjoy on their trail walks.

They are complimentary and can usually be found on the side porch, tucked beside the umbrellas or near the front door.

Guests seem to love them.

And, truthfully, so do we.

There is something about holding a walking stick that makes you feel just a little wiser.

Perhaps it is the connection to the woods. Perhaps it is knowing that the very stick in your hand came from this land.

For us, they are also part of stewardship.

When trees or branches need trimming, Michael saves pieces that might otherwise be discarded. They are cut, peeled, sanded, sometimes stained or painted, and eventually become something useful and beautiful.

A little piece of the land.

Made by hand.

Waiting for you at the trailhead.

— Rebecca & Michael