Sheriff Leeper finds a “Back the Blue” painted rock by the U.S. Post Office on Centre Street in Fernandina Beach

Sheriff Bill Leeper finds a “Back the Blue” painted rock by the U.S. Post Office on Centre Street in Fernandina Beach.  Last year, the Pokemon Go craze made headlines for a brief spurt, but the latest treasure hunt trend to sweep the nation involves a lot less technology – in fact, it inspires a return to the basics.  Painting, hiding and finding rocks has become a huge activity across the country, even right here in Nassau County, combining artistic creativity with the simple premise of a scavenger hunt.  Some people choose only to paint and hide rocks, while others opt to paint, hide and find, and in many cases, re-hide their findings.  The creative rock project initially began in Memphis, Tennessee.  While the process of painting the rocks as well as finding the rocks can be an introspective process, the goal was simply to inspire others – both through the art on the rock and through the random act of kindness.  Anyone who finds a rock is encouraged to share a picture on Facebook, then keep it or hide it again.