For those of you who know Gary well, you know that he has a deep love of paleontology. He was very involved in high school, winning science fair with his presentation, and he even went on a dig out west with his high school science teacher. He planned on studying paleontology in college, but music won his heart. While we were homeschooling, he took the boys on many expeditions, and they all have quite a collection. We even made a trip to Cheyenne Wyoming and did a fish fossil dig years ago as a family. Well, one of Gary’s top secret locations to find ocean fossils is close to the area where I spoke, so today, he took me there. OMG- we are driving up to the area and Gary turns to me and gives me instructions. (Like we are going to break into a nuclear facility or something) lol ( as we arrive) Gary: Jod- We are going to park over here, and I hope no one notices that we don’t belong here. (In my bright blue car, no less) Gary: Jod- I was just going to show you where this was, but I have a bucket and a hammer in the trunk- so maybe we will look around a little. (like I don’t know he brought that along, and I’m in new jeans and top) (How dirty are we planning on getting? I am thinking…) Gary: When we pull in, we’ll get out quick, and we’ll book it across the road and into the woods over there. Jody: I don’t see any path or anything- how do we know where this is? Gary: Trust me, Jod, I know where it is. Jody: (approaching the woods) OMG- you want me to go down that very, very, very steep hill and up that huge hill while navigating through woods that are so thick I don’t think and animal the size of a chipmunk could get through? (laughing) Gary: Jod- you can do it! You’ve hiked through the woods and in places most people would never try….Just don’t make too much noise… Jody: Why? Will I wake the fossils? (Laughing) So we make it through the woods (I have scratches on my arms, and thistles on my jeans, and who knows what in my hair, (and I feel totally one with wild animals now) when Gary informs me- I dont know, Jod- this is not how it used to look... But I know it is here, somewhere! Finally ( after searching for a way into this most secret place, we find it. He begins his hunt, and shares with me the best way to find things. I found a few small trilobites, and brachiopods, but he is finding ones that are larger and in much better shape. (These fossils are millions of years old)! Then all of a sudden I felt guided to go to a different spot. Something caught my eye. It looked like gold! I picked it up, and called Gary over. He took one look and yelled out Yes! It was a really nice brachiopod with covered with pyrite (which looks like gold). One after another, I pulled things from the earth, or by using his rock hammer, I would crack a rock open and find a fossil! Gary decided to stay right where I was! Then, I reached into an area I was digging in and found something that looked really cool. I turned to Gary to show him, and his eyes lit up and he had a smile from ear to ear. I knew it was pretty amazing by the look on his face. Gary: Jod! Do you know what this is? Do you know what this is? (As he is brushing the dirt off the surface of the fossil). This is the largest Trilobite ever found on any of our digs! It is in perfect shape and it is curled up, and has two eyes! (I had just discovered something that meant the world to Gary, and it is over 400 million years old)! He was so excited, just like a kid! When we got home, he cleaned everything we found, and he can’t stop talking about that Trilobite! I know if I need him to do anything for the next month, all I have to do is remind him that I found that precious trilobite, and I can get him to do just about anything…lol
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 01:41:26 +0000
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