My 14 year old grandson Ezra, who was, before he developed other interests, a reliable hiking companion, decided recently that he'd like to get back onto the trails—particularly if he could have a hand in creating them. Well, it just so happened that I had an opportunity for him, given the fact that the Avalonia Land Conservancy—the local conservation organization I lead walks for—had recently taken a new refuge under its wings, and we needed to work on developing a hiking path. Ez took the school bus to our place this afternoon and we drove up to the Benedict Benson Preserve and its 92-plus-wooded acres of possible discoveries. It was great to have a new set of eyes to help me get a better idea for crafting an easier-to-follow trail, and Ez quickly fell in love with the place, particularly its resident stream, Lantern Hill Brook, which at one point tumbles over a series of glacial boulders and creates a gorgeous tableaux of mini-waterfalls. My grandson is also, I discovered, fascinated by rocks, and spent considerable time searching for quartz. Rocks are not, alas, my forte, I told him. No problem, he replied, we can learn them together.