Page 8 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q3

Top; One of the thousands of I shifted my snorkeling agenda from admiring fish, As yet I have not determined with any predictive cer-
natural Penjing islands within lures, and interesting aquatic features to an intense tainty were best to look for these stones; deceptively,
the Lake Huron area.
search for green algae- and Zebra mussel-studded what’s above the surface does not necessarily indicate
stones of unusual shape. At first the harvesting of what’s below.
these stones was a novelty but very quickly evolved When an area is deemed to have potential, which is
into an obsession. As my vision became more refined often based solely on intuition, then a well-organized
(we tend to see what we’re looking for,) the number surface plan is implemented with all conscripted fam-
and quality of candidate stones increased. ily divers, the lead being my son David, being assigned
Owing to the popularity of this area as a vacation to their respective underwater responsibilities. Once
destination, the number of cottages has increased as in the water, however, our best intentions and strat-
well as localized pollution. This has forced us further egy vanish as we scatter, like freed minnows, inde-
from shore into open water in search of clarity just to pendently scanning and following the contours of the
see the bottom. Our rudimentary equipment, which bottom in search of stones. On occasion, we will be-
includes a fourteen-foot aluminum boat meant for come disoriented by the monochromatic bottom and
sheltered waters, is being deployed miles into open circle back into a previously viewed area, as evidenced
water in search of boulder fields around shoals and by the tell tale signs of examined rocks.
islands. Actually, this is part of the adventure, albeit a When an interesting shape is spotted, it is studied
dangerous one. for complexity, size and feasibility to move. We’ve ad-
I referred to these stones as being “dropped” by the mired many large sculpted boulders that were far be-
receding glacier only because they always seem to be yond our capability to transport, leaving us to merely
located on top of or leaning against other rounded swim around these sentinels in awe. If the rock is
and worn glacial rocks and boulders, and could not considered manageable, it will then be manually lifted
have otherwise survived the crushing effects of the ice. and cradled by hand while holding one’s breath and

6 | BCI | July/August/September 2014