24 June 2011
We are less than 24 hours from departure for this summer's fossil prospecting. Laurel and I are staying one week in Buffalo, South Dakota, to help on the Tyrannosaurus rex site and collect for ourselves. We have been somewhat apprehensive about the weather, since reports of rain and flooding in the mid-west have dominated the news. So far those disasters are not effecting the part of the state we will be visiting. Current forecasts from our friends Dana and Gary, are for increasing temperatures and slight chance of rain. I am leaving the long underwear home. Rain coat packed.
We take most of our own food, and this year since I did not plan ahead and send the supplies to the motel,(my mistake),the luggage is reaching the weight limit because of the oatmeal, rice, trail mix, vitamins, tea and dishes and cutlery. Then there is the bayonet blade and two knives for fossil digging, Optivisor for close up viewing of the many tiny fossils (teeth and claws) I hope to find, gloves, hat, cooling vest, hiking shoes, etc.
The computer and two phones, food for travel day, book, noise cancelling headphones, CDs for drive to Buffalo, sunglasses, reading glasses, and notebook are crammed into the backpack. I will look like a Sherpa walking through the airport. Not the first time Laurel and I have attracted some attention. We just look out of place somehow when we board the tiny plane for Rapid City from whatever layover city we find ourselves in.
I have spent many hours this year scraping and picking away at the Triceratops horn that I found last season. Though it is in terrible shape due to the exposure to the elements, it has provided some practice in fossil cleaning. My tools are limited which has certainly slowed my progress. Photos are included to give you the big picture and some detailed shots of the better quality bone (chocolate bone).
I had hoped to have it completed by this year's field season, but other distractions took advantage of my time. One of those projects was the removal of the last of our lawn, a small section in the back yard. My goal is to continue converting our landscape to native plants. In fact, I may take it a step further and plant Orange County native plants. It would be wonderful to provide a habitat for our native butterflies and birds.
So one of the tasks concerning lawn removal, was to take out all the rocks in this section. Days and days, for weeks, found me on my knees or bent over, or digging, rocks and pebbles of varying size. I kept assuring myself this was good practice for the fossil digging season ahead. It was shocking to find out later from a native plant expert, that the rocks should be left in place! OMG. Suffice to say, I did not replace the 10 or 12 large buckets of rocks that I had dug up, and paid to have removed. Another lesson learned, the hard way.
In this entry I am also including photos of a beautiful baby T.rex toe bone and a Nanotyrannus tooth. Since I figured out how to take photos with a digital micro setting, they appear much larger than reality. The toe bone is about 5/8" square, and the tooth is 7/8'long. Small and fabulous. Hope to find such marvelous treasures this year.
You will also see a photo of the parts of Triceratops frill that Laurel found. It has been fun and exasperating trying to assemble the pieces. Sometimes they click right together and other pieces, like any challenging puzzle, just don't quite fit. For now, some of the pieces are just balanced on each other until I determine that is the best fit and the pieces do not go somewhere else. No guidebook and no guarantees. But then who is here to say I did it wrong.
Hope you enjoy the adventures this year, as I will do my best to write often and with as much detail and enthusiasm as ever. It is fun for me to describe the sites, sounds, joys and frustrations of fossil prospecting. Perhaps some day you will join me in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota, and you will discover for yourself the beauty of the country and the wonder of discovery.
Cheers,
Christine aka Momasaurus
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