Adventures with a Paddle

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Ancient Hunters

15 August 2010 -

Posted by JohnJ

June 5, 2010

Barry held his camera barely two feet away from the back of an Agkistrodon piscivorus. Although a small snake, it was still very dangerous and he positioned his camera based on years of experience with these reptiles. Known more commonly as a Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin, the twelve inch juvenile...

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Tags: dart point, artifact, cottonmouth, femur, mammoth, alligator gar, water moccasin 15 Comments

Sidetracked

03 July 2010 -

Posted by JohnJ

April 3, 2010

Adrenalin pumped through me like it usually does on the way to a new location. While on the road, I enjoyed ‘working out’ the geology I traveled over. The sunny spring morning framed the entire outdoors in vivid color, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed some fresh excavation in the distance. Like...

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Tags: tusk, mammoth, ammonite, macraster, gar 12 Comments

Persistence In The Field

31 March 2010 -

Posted by JohnJ

March 6, 2010

It was time to paddle one of my favorite places. The water had finally receded from recent rains to make the trip manageable. It was also a test for a shoulder injury that I had been working back into shape. So I waved to my wife and slipped the boat into the cold water.

As I negotiated the twisted...

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Tags: knife, artifact, mosasaur, Xiphactinus, Pachyrhizodus, arrowhead, dart point 15 Comments

Tracking The Glen Rose

01 January 2010 -

Posted by JohnJ

January 2, 2010

The Lower Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation (Kgr) of Central Texas is roughly 110 million years old. Its classic exposures look like man-made steps or solid blocks that are occasionally interrupted with softer rock or marl. The...

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Tags: loriolia, phyllacanthus, echinoid, sea urchin, salenia, glen rose, Central Texas 9 Comments

Treasures Of The Marl

14 December 2009 -

Posted by JohnJ

December 7, 2009

Damp cool bordering on cold, breezy overcast was the atmosphere Bob and I charged with anticipation. A day off and a few hours from Central Texas found us in a Lower Cretaceous quarry. Here, the Albian aged Washita Group formations could offer up some uncommon echinoids and other marine fauna. Bob...

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Tags: washita, goniopygus, tylocidaris, echinoid, paleo 7 Comments

A Matter Of Perspective

05 November 2009 -

Posted by JohnJ

October 4, 2009

The Central Texas weather forecast for the day was a wet one. However, a quick check of the radar revealed I had a few hours before dealing with any storms. My wife just smiled as I mentioned going out for a few hours. I told her that maybe all the recent rain had washed out some tiny jewels at my best...

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Tags: sea urchin, echinoid, bathysalenia, ammonite, Eagle Ford formation 5 Comments

A Burning Road And The Dead Cow

06 October 2009 -

Posted by JohnJ

October 3, 2009

We have all had those mornings when it seems that our timing is off just a little. This day started that way. Usually, I adjust by trying to focus more on what I'm doing than other things. Dan and I were teamed up for a return to one of our most productive jungle...

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Tags: knife, mosasaur, artifact, Xiphactinus, hoof core 5 Comments

A Little Flint

28 September 2009 -

Posted by JohnJ

September 20th, 2009

In the search for fossils and other treasure, rain can be friend or foe. However, given the historic drought that is affecting most of Texas, you cannot complain about the rain these days. A friend and I decided to see if we could leverage the rain's recent effects on a...

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Tags: artifact, points, knife, arrowhead, Texas 6 Comments

The Unexpected

14 September 2009 -

Posted by JohnJ

September 6, 2009

It happens in all areas of life. Yet, sometimes the unexpected is manifested in remarkable circumstances. Last January, Dan and I were scrambling across a rocky bar in a Texas stream. To help keep our focus during a cold downpour and intermittent showers, we joked with various...

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Tags: mosasaur, tetrameryx, antelope, Texas 7 Comments

A Humerus Trip

03 September 2009 -

Posted by JohnJ

August 15, 2009

It all started on a small, secluded Texas waterway in the Jungle of Gigantism (you know better than to ask), we watched a log submerge with purpose... but, it was no log. Big reptiles were only a hint of the giant to come. Shortly afterward, we pulled into the bank and my...

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