Summer of 2024 I discovered within a 30 minute drive of where I am there is a beautiful public beach on Lake Erie. I went down there several times that summer to pick up rocks, float around in the water, and just have so much fun. I usually went in the very early morning to see the sunrise and enjoy the beach before many people arrived since I am very self-conscious and enjoy nature while alone. I did not have too much time in 2025 to go to the beach, too many funerals, visits to family, and other commitments.

One of my pleasures while on the beach is collecting ‘pretty rocks’. I know very little about rocks, geology, and the like. In this one aspect of my hobbies, I have decided to remain oblivious. I can usually recognize quartz and sea glass, the rest are simply pretty rocks. Someone did tell me that the red rocks are likely pieces of brick from structures that have deteriorated. Some of these rocks have been added as decoration to my front garden and others have been sitting in bags on my front porch. I did some tumbling in 2024, however I then let my tumbler sit with sludge and rocks for about a year.

Recently I decided to take a look at the tumbler barrels to see if they were salvageable. After dumping the contents out, I was able to put a couple of spoons of borax in the barrels with water and the stones that had been in there. After running the barrels for 2 weeks I emptied everything out and the stones are ready for stage 1. It is possible that I had them on stage 2-3 last time, however I am setting everything back to stage 1 for this next go. I added in some new rocks, made sure that the barrels are quite full to prevent bruising, 3 teaspoons of 60-90 Silicone Carbide from the Rock Shed, and they are ready to go for a week. This is a tumbler from Harbor Freight, I have not had any problems with it yet.

Remember to Live Life a Little More Abstract!