While digging a trench for the downspout pipe in Studio Gardens, I found treasure! My shovel hit something hard as I got to the end of the trench which is by the lake. At first, I thought it was just a rock or chunk of concrete or a brick because I had been finding them all around already. But then I couldn’t pry it up with the shovel. Just a few weeks ago, I was upstairs digging out a troublesome bush and accidentally chopped through the satellite cable, so this time, I was more delicate about digging this trench.

Digging-a-trench-for-downspout

I found this “rock” to be big and my mind started working in overdrive. We don’t have big rocks like that just under the surface like some places do. Sometimes I wish we did, I have to buy pretty rock like that! Anyway, I began to think about what it was. Like I said, I figured it was a concrete chunk so I started to just dig around it for the pipe then I swept off the dirt with my hand and thought it was too smooth for that. So my imagination went from 0 to 60 in about a nano second. Is it a human skull?! Oh cool, what if it’s a grave?! Am I desecrating someone’s grave? Surely we would have been told if there was a family graveyard on the property! Wouldn’t we? Maybe it’s a dog, no… (as I continued digging) is it a large femur bone? What if it’s a dinosaur bone! Then I imagined the “bone police” coming and digging up our property to find more. Do we own the mineral rights?

You see how this is going. I tend to get a little excited quickly. My son doesn’t get his flair for the dramatics from his father you know!

digging-out-the-treasure-found-in-yardAs I dug and brushed away dirt with my hand, I see curves and form. Wait. Is that a butt? Are those cheeks? Yes! It’s a woman, looks kinda like The Venus de Milo. Could it be a grave marker? I pulled her out, headless and limbless.

Found-treasure-of-torsoI started poking around and found another stone… I excitedly dig but carefully… It was looking like a base… or a marker! Turned out to just be a round stepping stone. Dang.

Apparently, the place has got a lot of “junk” buried. But you know what they say… one man’s junk is another artist’s treasure! I have more to show you that I’ve found on the property, too. This was just so exciting I had to share the story right away. But really, isn’t she cool?! She will soon have a proper spot in my Studio Gardens.

Another thing that is kinda funny, I think the round stepping stone is actually mine. I used to have a garden down here about ten years ago but tore it all down, I think it must’ve got left over without being found by the mower. It’s pretty amazing that this statue was only a couple inches away and I never found it before. Then a few years ago when we built the koi pond, we just missed digging her up with the backhoe by a couple feet. I think it’s serendipity that I find her now as I’m developing Studio Gardens and take it as a good omen.

Treasure-found-in-yard-Statue-of-woman-torsoNow, if you’re wondering why I got so excited about the grave thing, I just can’t help myself. Must be the paranormal junkie in me. In fact, I love graveyards. They are so peaceful and gorgeous. I love to walk or just drive through them and I have many photographs that I’ve taken of different cemeteries that I’ve visited. I love to read the markers and see the beautiful statues and gravestones. I’d love to see some of the famous ones like in New Orleans and Europe. Maybe someday.

 

 

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