Dumpster Diver's Divers Delights!

So today, it was starting to rain as I trotted out to the dumpster with the morning garbage from HPcare and the kitties, and I noticed in the middle of the dumpster, a doll's foot sticking up, pulled on it and found I was holding a perfectly clean, unplayed with collectible doll 14 inches tall, in Native American costume, complete with dreamcatcher, beaded jewelry and headdress. Whose face bears an amazing resemblance to Rachael Ray, but I digress. I thought I would leave her out in plain sight, so someone could take her, but the rain deterred that idea.

So I took another look and staggered back when I realized that right next to her, also upside down, in a bunch of dishes and boxes, is an eight inch porcelain doll, fully jointed, missing one leg, but with silk dress, complete wig, and hat,and kid boots. Under her a doll of the kind that just stands on a single stand, in a foofy pink dress and a petulantly gormless expression.

And undaunted, I ran back to the house for my hooky thing that I use to retrieve stuff from the dumpster, usually my own stuff that wasn't meant to go in (!), and fished out the two small dolls, and noticed the leg of the porcelain doll, both parts, including the kid boot, resting further down in a dish....not to be left there.

Back home, neighbors must think I'm dotty, to get a stepstool and a soup ladle climbed on the one, scooped with the other and came home with the complete leg. This is the only damage to the doll, no cracks, chips, nothing. I just need to figure out how to put her back together again.

Also in the course of fishing her leg out, I found a lead crystal candlestick chucked in there, too. These were all in plain sight, not accidental throwouts, I think. Somebody probably moving.

So the candlestick will be given first option to HS, the big doll will be freecycled, along with the pink foofy one, maybe to the thrift store, maybe via Freecycle, and the porcelain lady will stay with me to keep my other little porcelain doll company.

I set up my haul on the bookcase for their portrait, which you see here.
So the universe brought me a nice surprise in return for the early morning work.