Lost our Marbles … over Sea Marbles

A marble?  A perfect black and cobalt-blue marble somehow had made its way to our beach. 

Huh! I asked Mr. Goggle and discovered that there appears to be a number of theories as to how marbles arrive on beaches.

First of all, there is the obvious reason - kids playing with them. However, we have not actually seen any kids on this island playing with marbles, and marbles in general seem to have lost out to other more sophisticated toys in the middle to later 60’s.

The second possible reason is that house painters have been known to toss a handful of marbles into a paint can to help stir the ingredients while they were working. Back in the “old days” it was acceptable to dispose of empty cans in the ocean, thereby allowing the ocean currents to work the marbles out of the remaining paint and eventually deposit them on the beach.

The third possible reason is the one that really fascinates me - they were used as ballast in ships’ holds. Cool! Maybe there is a sunken treasure ship just waiting to be discovered.

1983, Rusty Duck Antiques on Bowen Island BC

In one of our previous incarnations, when we were still working for a living, Lawrie and I owned an antique store on Bowen Island in British Columbia Canada. (My apologies, for using that four-letter word - work.) 

We have always been interested in things antique, or classic.  

Lawrie had an enormously varied collection of classic English and American cars, and a 1959 mahogany Continental Chris Craft speedboat. 

When we travel we enjoy researching our Irish, Scottish, French, and Canadian genealogies. 

Lawrie fixing my Overlander delivery truck

Before moving to Mexico we owned a collection of antique furniture, toys, and hand tools. When our friend and nearby neighbour, Marcy Watt, loaned me a book “Pure Sea Glass” by Richard LaMotte, I was hooked.  I started sorting through all the bits and pieces that I have collected from the beach along this side of the island and have found a few really interesting shapes, colours, and patterns. 



One large fragment had an embossed design. Unfortunately that photo is hiding somewhere in my vast collections of photographs. 

(I searched my photos again this morning and found the image! I still have no idea what the letters or design mean.) 

The marble that I found is in much too perfect a condition to have survived a number of decades, grinding its way from the deeper parts of the ocean, across the reef in front of our house, and onto the beach. 

Interesting book about sea glass

But the romance of a sunken ship somewhere in the deep waters east of our island ….well, that’s just too good to let go without a struggle.

Hasta Luego

Lynda, Lawrie & Sparky

~

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