holey bowl

[Randy McCreight]

I am back, seeking opinions. I have a dilemma over a hole in an 11 inch bowl that I intended to be a salad bowl. Photo attached. It's about half of an inch wide, two inches from the bottom, and goes deeper than my planned wall thickness. I have sanded the outside; I am ready to turn the inside.
Should I leave it be? Should I patch it with epoxy that closely matches the dominant color? Or should I drill the bowl and insert a wood plug, turned from similar wood?
I am in Arizona, but I refuse to apply turquoise.
It's an above average piece of wood that my arborist cut from an old stump on his storage lot.

It might become a fruit bowl or a dust collector.
I apologize for the mediocre photo.

[John Keeton]

Randy, it is certainly a nice piece of wood. My favorite “patch” that would be perfect for this is dried coffee grounds mixed with a bit of Titebond glue. Tamp it in with the blunt end of a skewer and build it slightly proud of the surface. Sanded and finished it should blend perfectly with the bark inclusion/void in your bowl and look far more natural than the options you mentioned.

[Randy McCreight]

I might try that. Thanks. It would match well and would retain the shape.