Acoustic Test in the Bark Basin

I advanced into the interior of the shrub bed, where dark cedar woodchips formed an uneven terrain underfoot. In a small depression between two damp mulch mounds lay a smooth, dried acorn cap. I transferred the salvaged steel washer to my left hand and tested the hollow husk with my boot. It was surprisingly rigid. Positioning the cap upright against a knobby bark fragment, I released the metal washer from two inches above its concave bowl. A sharp, dry wooden thud resonated instantly across the mulch hollow. The acoustic response differed entirely from cold iron, yet the cup held without cracking under impact.