For all the years I've hunted beneath the waves, I've hoped to find an imbossed, hand-painted stoneware crock, intact. The best I'd done is the occasional shard or two, until now. This day, I'd used my scooter to travel far downriver, to look in areas I hadn't searched before; as sometimes happens, I was just about to turn the dive, when peripheral vision spied a change in bottom material appearance on my right. As I approached, I could immediately see that beautiful, deep blue colour that Potters use for their designs. The crock was 3/4's buried in the soft sediment, which gave me hope that it might be intact. The deeper I excavated, the faster my heart pounded, as my hands relayed to my brain a complete piece! After gentle cleaning & a thorough inspection, I found several cracks existed ( likely why it was float-tested ); it seemed pretty solid & I prayed it would hold together for the long journey back. Scooters are designed to be operated with two hands, but I had only one available; there commenced a herculean effort to return to my point of entry, in my unbalanced, directionally challenged & periodically weed-infested trail home...
...but I made it! Amazing how effective determination & sheer terror can be!
