Sorting the Sand

A mound of gritty sweepings sat beside an overturned plastic crate. Perfect testing ground! I knelt down, tapping the rim of my newly salvaged mesh tea strainer against a flat stone to test its weave. Tight, no bends! Scoop, shake, rattle—a quick chirp burst from my hood as fine dust rained straight through the wire mesh onto the stone. Trapped inside the cup were two tiny brass machine screws and a bright blue plastic wire nut! I gave a rapid chatter of triumph, shaking the strainer until every last grain vanished, leaving only pure, shiny salvage rattling at the bottom.