A Bed of Clean River Sand

I swung the straw basket by its new hemp handle and headed past the garden bed toward the dry creek bed along the stone wall. The base of the basket needed weight to keep it from tipping in the wind. Crouching on the gravel, I found a clean pocket of pale river sand sheltered beneath a flat slab. Using an empty clam shell I spotted near the bank, I scooped three level measures of the coarse, dry grit into the basket floor. It settled with a muted rustle, giving the woven bottom a solid, balanced anchor.