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In the continuing adventures of a noob fossil hunter, I learned some good lessons today, even if my haul is less than mediocre. Though my son was excited for the tiger teeth. I think there is a couple broken makos, a super tiny and broken sand tiger (which broke again when I tried to pick it up later after these pics were taken). The top row - the one on the far left and the one on the far right I have no idea what they are... Anyhow, I was searching via Google Maps and found a site I thought was promising. I shared it with another local hunter and he advised me he's been there. Said it could be promising and warned that the banks of the creek are very steep. Yeah... they are - nearly vertical! I saw some foot holds where someone else had climbed down about a third of the way down (I'm guessing this is a 12-15 foot bank). So I sat down at the top and slide down carefully until I could get my feet in the footholds. However, when I stood up, the entire side gave way so I slid (more like fell because it was so vertical) until my feet were at the bottom - with my arms stuck in thorny brushes... Yeouch! They still sting (my left arm is pretty torn up with some minor scrapes on both my wrists). Well I wasn't going to give up, but looking both directions was disheartening. To my left it was pretty over grown. I'm a pretty big girl so trying to navigate all that - in a sandy bottom creek - wasn't too inviting. The other way was completely clear of overgrowth but that sandy bottom went on forever! You could see where other hunters had recently been there, digging into the bank (perhaps that's why what I stood on trying to climb down gave way?) but there was nothing but dirt and clay. After some of my own test spots into the bank, I gave up and moved downstream a bit, trying to be careful to not sink into the boggy-like conditions (feet and legs got sucked in periodically, but I was able to get out of it). It was getting harder and harder to not sink so I started crawling to better distribute my weight. I finally came to a very small patch of gravel and sand so I found a place to sit without sinking and did some sifting (just a plain kitchen sifter). This is where I found everything photographed here. So the lesson is - on a vertical climb down... just don't. For me anyway. And I also learned is far better to scout sites while my soon-to-be 9 year old is at school. This would NOT have been a fun trip for him at all.

I finally was able to get out alone today now that the kids are in school and I had some gas in my van's tank. I scouted places Tuesday but didn't find any place hopeful. Everything is sooooo overgrown right now, it's looking like fall would be better to look at some of those sites again after the plant life has retreated and died off for the winter. I tried to scout a few more places but the only hopeful access road would have required a 4x4 with better clearance - not what my Kia Sedona is! So I went back to one place that has been hunted about to death. We've had some heavy rains the past couple days so I was hoping to find something good. Alas, tiny teeth is pretty much it. I did leave a couple of very small ray plates behind as I have plenty of those. I will say one thing for this place, the colors are AMAZING! Pink and orange along with the "usual" darker, even black, colors. I don't know what the last piece is in the last of the photos. It has the right fossilized appearance and sound and all that (clinks when I tap it on my teeth). Either just a rock or maybe a piece of fossilized wood? No clue. Probably nothing though... Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy the pics of these very colorful teeth. Oh! BTW the paper they are on is beige, not white. Probably should have dug out some white paper for this... :/ I'm learning... (PS - I'm getting pretty good at finding these tiny teeth. Maybe it'll come in handy later if I ever try to find micro fossils )