Compact

Compact: closely packed or knit together

Another treasure discovered at the Lighthouse Avenue Goodwill today: the entire Oxford English Dictionary plus supplement and bibliography condensed into two volumes. It’s practically travel sized. The type is like ant footprints. For the word doctor alone there are thirteen explanations. And with that fetching little drawer for the magnifying glass, how could I resist? I lugged it to the counter only to discover it was unmarked.

“Flora!” the cashier hollered. I wondered how much I would be willing to pay.

Flora peered at the set through librarian glasses on the end of her nose. She opened and closed the drawer, rapped the box with her knuckles like a melon and declared, “$10.25.”

Sold. 

Treasure

Found at the Lighthouse Avenue Goodwill: 1962 Golden Nature Series book Seashells of the World. In addition to the brilliant illustrations typical of the Golden Nature Guides, this book is a treasure chest of fantastic words. 

Author R. Tucker Abbott, PhD is listed as Du Pont Chair of Molocology at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Molocology doesn't appear in any of my dictionaries, but malacology is the study of mollusks, likely the synonym, though I like the look of all the Os in molocology.

A few great shell words from the California Province:

Purple Dwarf Olive, Kelp-weed Scallop, Cooper's Nutmeg, Haliotis Abalone, Chiton, and my favorite: Frilled Dogwinkle. If I find a dogwinkle on the beach, I will post a picture.