Forager

CrinoidNecklace

Crinoid necklace from one season of foraging

July on Lake Michigan: tranquil, sparkling days, the full lull before August when the typical increase of rip currents in the southeast make the lake a force to be weary of. On dappled days we play in Caribbean blue water. I snorkel, foraging for crinoids, fossils and geodes—what a bounty of natural treasures! We carry on like pirates in an unspoken competition to find the best loot—from crinoids still in stalklike segments with banded stripes, to highly desirable star-shaped centers, and clusters of crinoids embedded in limestone we call graveyards. I covet the ones with center holes. Like the Native Americans I appreciate nature lending a hand in creating my adornments!

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dappled days begin like this…

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…and end like this.