Mouths, Necks, Bottoms and everything in between

Got your attention?  Well, let me start by saying this is not an "adult content" kind of post! 

While we were in Bimini, one of the activities we/I did a few times was walk along the beach.  It was so peaceful and quiet, not to mention beautiful!

I'm not a huge fan of collecting shells. Yes, they are pretty, but they are the past, present, future homes of/for something. And if they aren't being used as homes, they are being crushed to smithereens and added to the bottom of the ocean or the shore, which we all know is important.



But what I did enjoy collecting was glass!  I was completely amazed how much glass was mixed in with the sand and shells along the shore line and the beach. 

As I looked for and collected these shiny, jagged pieces, I got to thinking and wondering.

What was this piece's original purpose?  Was it part of a bottle that was used to hold beverages, condiments, spices or medicine?  Was it part of a vase, bowl or plate?  Had it been a window in a car or building?  Was it part of a picture frame?  Was this the mouth of a soda bottle or beer bottle?  Certainly this one had to be the neck of a wine bottle.  And that one had to be the bottom of a medicine bottle.

That begs the question...from where did it originate?  I was in Bimini but was it "born" in the U.S. or some foreign land?  How far had it traveled before I found it?

And how did it end up in the ocean?  Was it something that went out with the trash?  Was it thrown overboard by a passing cruise ship?  Did a storm demolish somebody's home and empty the contents into the sea?  Was it a message in a bottle sent by someone stranded on an island or a kid as part of a school project?

So many questions!  And no answers.

After 3 short trips along the beach in Bimini, I collected two quart-sized bags full of colorful glass pieces, all in varying degrees of "aging".

Laid out to dry after being rinsed of salt water and sand.

There were pieces of all different sizes, textures, shapes.  Some were relatively new while others had been weathered a bit.  It was easy to see which pieces had been tossed about by the waves with the sand and shells for quite some time.  But in spite of each piece being broken and jagged, the sides and ends were pretty smooth.

Collection organized by color. 

Blue seems to be the rarest. And who knew there were so many shades of green!  (I thought brown would be the most prolific.)  But I also found two pieces of china.

Some interesting finds!  (Click on picture to enlarge.)

From the top left: the bottom of a Coke bottle, a piece of a Coke bottle, interesting markings on the next two and a small teal piece.  Bottom of a small brown bottle, green piece with writing on it, trademark/copyright symbols on the others.

Can you find the heart?

For now I'll add them to containers and use as decoration.  One man's trash is another woman's treasure. 

So the next time you're at the beach, see what pieces of glass you can find!