Today is the day....

Wow, that did not take that long.
The fountain that Carrie made me, and delivered ten day's ago for the "Captain Outrageous" Acoustic guitar trade, found a new home.
I'm very exited to tell you that I traded the fountain for a real Mel Fisher treasure.
Shawn is a treasure hunter by heart, and one of Mel Fishers diving partners.
Mel Fisher, a Key West legend, found with his team of divers the Spanish shipwreck the Nuresta Senora de Atocha.
Shawn wanted the water sculpture for his garden not only for it's beauty, but also for tons of other reasons.
Read this beautiful letter he wrought me.

Hi Theo,

What a great day!

Adele and I share the admiration, as I know you and many others do, for Carrie and this fountain. From the moment she started this piece we new it was going to be special. She creates with such love and tenderness. This piece signifies all the beauty that she is.

As you know shipwrecks and treasure are a big part of what I do. I started diving for Mel Fisher about 15 years ago and have been in the business ever since. As a diver we were paid in treasure and this coin is one I have held close for many years.
It is quite rare, being that it is from the wreck of the Nuresta Senora de Atocha, it is a grade one, and has a partial date. This eight reale was assayed by Juan Munoz in Potosi Peru in the year 1617. It sank with the Atocha in a fierce hurricane here off of Key West in 1622.
Less the 5% of the coins we have found on the Atocha site show a date. We are still finding treasure along the trail of the Atocha but have not found a coin of this caliber in quite some time.

My girlfriend Adele and I consider Carrie to be one of our closest friends and In some ways I think that our home could sometimes be mistaken for her gallery. She has helped Adele and I, transform our house into a place of serenity with all of the renovation and tile work she has done. She takes pride in her work and it shows.
From the start of this fountain the three of us thought that it would be a wonderful addition to our home.

This Trade today with you for Carries fountain has lifted my spirits.
In a time when there is so much trouble and discontent in the world this experience has made me feel wonderfully refreshed and rejuvenated. I cant put my finger on it. Maybe it was just the sincerity and mutual appreciation for two beautiful pieces, a handshake, and a simple trade. Maybe it was the realization that things don't have to be so complicated and that the world could be a better place if we all adopted this philosophy of fair trade without a hidden agenda. Whatever the case thank you for brightening my day!

What a great quest you are on. I am honored to play a part in the adventure and trade my treasure for yours.

May all your ship's come in!

Shawn Cowles

Now that is a great trade... a real Mel Fisher coin from the Atocha...
That is a trade with some real Key West history.
I would love to keep this one....