the sweet sound of nature

Hakea Laurina or Francisiosa on stem

So, I don't think a lot of people are going to find this "cute," and the photo doesn't really do it justice, and of course I can't produce for you the little tinkly noise they make, but I saw these windchimes in a pricey little boutique in Catalina during my company retreat last week and I really kind of liked them. My coworker actually shelled out the $40 for one, but I refrained because I'm saving my cash for useless things on a different coast. Still, I found them oddly charming, and I wouldn't mind one for the porch of my future vacation cabin. They're called Obsidian Windchimes, created by a couple from Oregon, and they're made from natural found objects. There are some models which are made from those hole-y seedpod things that Jana and I find so creepy, which might be a turnoff to her, but the one pictured is the one I would get. The sound they produce is remarkably lovely, and kind of strange because the shards look so much like rocks.

"As the name suggests, these chimes are made of obsidian, a naturally occurring, volcanic rock.. They produce a wide range of lovely, melodic sounds dependent on thickness, lengths and number of pieces. Chimes are hung from various found objects of nature: seedpods, cones branches and driftwood. Because of the variances Nature brings, each chime is distinct, both visually and tonally."