'Who doesn’t get a little thrill out of being able to go find a treasure somewhere?' Pandemic boredom, meet marble hunting
On a drizzly December morning, Damien and Michaela Beauchemin trudge along a redwood trail with their Portuguese water dog, Maui, scanning the duff and listening intently for the sound of a creek. Maui whines and attempts to race ahead, but Michaela holds the dog back. If they move too quickly, they might miss something.
For the Beauchemins and others in Northern California and beyond, it has become a way of life. They have been hiding and hunting marbles for about six years, and with the pandemic they’ve become obsessed. Both work with vulnerable populations: Damien as a clinical psychologist and a supported-living aide, Michaela at a nonprofit serving families with preschoolers. On their off-time, marble hunting offers a relatively safe and intriguing reason to leave the house.
Some are designed to look like dragons’ eyeballs. Others have gold or silver fumes trapped inside—or tiny opals—and appear to contain galaxies. Some have flower patterns or little bubbles called air traps. Shine a UV light on certain marbles and they’ll glow neon. “I love the idea of giving a little gift to somebody, without knowing who it's going to or what they'll do with it,” he says.website, inviting anyone to message him with ideas for hiding spots. Each month, he sends someone two marble planets: one to hide, one to keep. Photos show thousands of Simpson’s planets getting “lost” all over the world: at Everest Base Camp, in a Panama Canal lock, under Antarctic ice.
Many groups require those who find marbles to then hide another of similar value, which keeps the game going and the artists busy. “People here like the idea of paying it forward,” Reynolds says.Lori Logan, a mother of two, works as a fire apparatus engineer and a personal trainer. As a way to share her passion for fitness and outdoor challenges, Logan often hides marbles in difficult-to-reach places, like mountain tops.
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