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RandyB

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Fossil Forum members were well represented at the Illinois Canal Corridor Association's Mazon Creek collecting event this weekend. My wife and I were able to make the 11 hour drive out Friday to join them and we enjoyed a productive afternoon in the creek Saturday gathering several buckets of concretions to take our first crack at freeze thaw.  We also found a number of already opened specimens to wet our whistle while we do our best to be patient.

 

Here are some of our better finds even if some are a little water worn. New to us, so the trip is already a success regardless of what the unopened concretions may be hiding. 

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A few

close ups:

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No clue about these last 2, the 2nd may just be worn and isn't the center plane so I will probably try to freeze/thaw it.

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It was nice being able to get out and chat with others while collecting and learning about a new to me location.  Special thanks to @connorp for putting up with all our questions.

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I was just considering creating a trip report from this weekend when I stumbled onto Randy's topic.  I too was able to attend the event hosted by a wonderful couple who are raising money for the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Area. A great time was had by all. I spent the afternoon running up and down the river looking for nodules and was tired and sore from lugging multiple heavy 5 gallon buckets around. The whole time that  I was WORKING HARD, I noticed  this couple sitting in the stream enjoying the cool waters as they picked around methodically in the bed of the stream.  It was a hot day but this hare, in spite of the weather,  was not going to stoop to the turtle's level. Well, the turtle beat the hare AGAIN!!!!!! Great finds guys. Oh by the way, here is a picture of the two turtles!  

 

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@minnbuckeye @RandyB It was great meeting you both finally, and @deutscheben @stats @flipper559 it was nice seeing you all again. If there were any other TFF members there I missed, my apologies, please say hi here. I had a great time, pulled about 16 gallons over two days. I tapped some and had a couple nice splits already, I'll post some pics later. I hope everyone finds some nice stuff during freeze thaw over the coming months, and please post some pictures as your finds open!

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1 hour ago, connorp said:

@minnbuckeye @RandyB It was great meeting you both finally, and @deutscheben @stats @flipper559 it was nice seeing you all again. If there were any other TFF members there I missed, my apologies, please say hi here. I had a great time, pulled about 16 gallons over two days. I tapped some and had a couple nice splits already, I'll post some pics later. I hope everyone finds some nice stuff during freeze thaw over the coming months, and please post some pictures as your finds open!

 

 As long as @connorp has mentioned the other members in attendance, I will show a few more pictures. If you didn't figure it out, the two pictures above are @RandyB and his lovely wife, who is so tolerant of his obsession.

 

 @deutschebenbelow:

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@flipper559 with a millipede and a horseshoe crab!!!!!!DSC_0479.thumb.JPG.c27a07cedbef310f35069c14a0d6a778.JPG

 

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 Deutsheben and @connorp 

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The same two discussing Connor's find.

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Edited by minnbuckeye
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It was good to meet everyone on this trip as well, unfortunately I had to leave early due to an evening commitment, but I did manage to fill one 5 gallon bucket to the brim. As @minnbuckeye said, the hosts were truly welcoming and generous- they even made me a to-go platter since I was leaving before the refreshments were served!

 

Since this was my only Mazon-area trip of the year, I am very excited to start freezing and thawing to see what I found and I can't wait to see everyone else's finds too. For a start, that horseshoe crab is outstanding, @flipper559! And there are definitely nice ferns in that mix too, @RandyB

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It was another productive weekend.  Like @connorp, I did both days.  I'm a little sore, but not too bad.  I have a couple buckets of nuts to freeze/thaw over the next year.  Hopefully, there will be some good specimens...  

 

I spoke to @minnbuckeye and @randyb without realizing who you are... sorry, I didn't recognize as you were out from behind your FF user names.  I collect with @flipper559 pretty often, although, I hadn't seen him for a few months.  @connorp, it was nice to have dinner with you, too. 

 

I'll post a few open specimens and potentials soon.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

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Calamites

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Several ferns species here

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Here's a large Calamites I found. A bit water worn unfortunately, but it looks like there are perhaps two specimens compressed on top of each other.

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Looks like the water level was perfect for the occasion. Congrats to everyone. 

 

P.S.-- To those who also like fishing, there are some mighty nice smallies in that creek.

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Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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19 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

Looks like the water level was perfect for the occasion. Congrats to everyone. 

 

P.S.-- To those who also like fishing, there are some mighty nice smallies in that creek.

 

I had a few nice ones swimming at my feet!!!

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Here's a syncarid shrimp (Acanthotelson stimpsoni) that opened up a few weeks ago.  I was processing the last of my concretions from last year's trip.  This only took about a week (3 cycles) to open.  Sometimes, the river rocks are a little softer than Pit 11 and Braceville and open quicker.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

 

 

1a. Rich Holm, syncarid shrimp, Mazon River 2021.JPG

2a. Rich Holm, syncarid shrimp, Mazon River 2021.JPG

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I'm glad that such things are still possible in that area. That horseshoe crab is :yay-smiley-1:

I see at least one matching pair in Randy's lot - not right next to each other so I'm not sure if it was unnoticed, or are they not a match even tho they look extremely similar?

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Here's a nice big one that opened today.

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A tip for those who haven't hunted the creek before - a lot of nodules will have many (often 10+) well defined but thin layers that can all be split.

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Often times when these nodules first split, there is either no fossil present or just some small fragments. Keep splitting the thin layers and you might end up finding something nice.

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That is a beautiful fern @connorp

 

I have a couple that have hairline cracks down the midline after 2 cycles but they didn't open when I tapped them, so they are back in the freezer.  The only one with a big laminate layer that split off was blank. Its an outer layer, so the rest is back in the freezer. Maybe tomorrow...

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On 9/3/2021 at 7:56 PM, RandyB said:

That is a beautiful fern @connorp

 

I have a couple that have hairline cracks down the midline after 2 cycles but they didn't open when I tapped them, so they are back in the freezer.  The only one with a big laminate layer that split off was blank. Its an outer layer, so the rest is back in the freezer. Maybe tomorrow...

Make sure that each concretion is soaked ALL the way through, or you'll just keep cracking off outer layers on some of them. Sometimes that outer layer comes off in two pieces, like the shell of a walnut, and the "nut" can be reinserted either permanently by gluing it in or temporarily in half a shell to make an interesting display.

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Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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Great report! Beautiful specimens! Sorry I missed it!  Next year!  Gearing up for the return to Catlin, though. 

Finding my way through life; one fossil at a time.

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A couple new finds from today.

 

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A cute little Macroneuropteris pinnule

 

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Not sure on this one. It's quite fragmentary whatever it is. Perhaps part of a cone?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Here's a few newly opened ones from this trip.

 

Cheers,

Rich

 

Laveiniopteris rarinervis

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Partial Macroneuropteris scheuchzerii

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Diplazites unita

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On 9/10/2021 at 2:16 PM, connorp said:

A couple new finds from today.

 

IMG_1434.thumb.jpg.a7bf0ac003b3507ae1e74d6b114dbc0c.jpg

A cute little Macroneuropteris pinnule

 

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Not sure on this one. It's quite fragmentary whatever it is. Perhaps part of a cone?

This might be a section of a large millipede.

it is not well preserved but I think I can see some of the spines.

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1 hour ago, RCFossils said:

This might be a section of a large millipede.

it is not well preserved but I think I can see some of the spines.

Interesting thought. I'll get some more pictures when I'm home in a couple days.

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