fossilized6s Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Wow Ken! You guys dug some good ones! You're bound to have good stuff now. I love your already popped ones! Im crossing my fingers for really anything at this point. Hahaha...im still sore. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Russell Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I know where I'm digging the rest of the season. Finding my way through life; one fossil at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stocksdale Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Which would make it a Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri. I agree - nice find. Regards, Yes, that's right. I have a bad habit of forgetting to include the 'Macro' part. Thanks, Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.–Carl Sagan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Wow Ken! You guys dug some good ones! You're bound to have good stuff now. I love your already popped ones! Im crossing my fingers for really anything at this point. Hahaha...im still sore. I've got nearly nothing from this many nodules before but many of these seem to look better than my last batch. The few I've already found give me hope this batch will produce some additional nice finds. Surprisingly, I'm not too sore from my burrowing.activities and may be ready for a second round (I'm a glutton for punishment--and nodules). Many of the nodules have dried out after their washing and are already peeling away outer skins like a bunch of hard boiled eggs. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 I've got nearly nothing from this many nodules before but many of these seem to look better than my last batch. The few I've already found give me hope this batch will produce some additional nice finds. Surprisingly, I'm not too sore from my burrowing.activities and may be ready for a second round (I'm a glutton for punishment--and nodules). Many of the nodules have dried out after their washing and are already peeling away outer skins like a bunch of hard boiled eggs. -Ken Yeah, i'd love to join you guys! But my ol' lady said "no way".....ugh. Maybe I'll wear her down through the week and come out and play. It's definitely harder work then the Peace, but the "just one more scoop" still digs it's claws into your psyche and spreads the addiction. But I'm brainstorming a roller-bucket. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 (edited) Great pics and good luck cracking them all open Edited June 10, 2014 by jcbshark Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stocksdale Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I'm getting tempted to join the next foray. Is it this saturday? Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.–Carl Sagan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 I'm getting tempted to join the next foray. Is it this saturday? June 28th work ya? ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Being the glutton for punishment that I am (and having an indulgent wife) we headed back to Mazon Creek nodule hunting for a second helping. Both Andrew and Jenica and Joey from last weekend showed up as well. I continued to dig my hole for a while deepening and widening it. It was interesting to see how many nodules were hiding in the walls just inches away from where I had stopped digging my "mine shaft" the weekend before. The nodules seemed to come in clumps with lots of digging of clay and shale between clusters of finds. After a while it started to get rather difficult to see in the hole as it was getting rather dark (and I didn't bring a miner's headlight). I decided to abandon my pit and prospect some new areas. I wandered over to where Andrew was having some good luck and we took over the adjoining hole that was started by Tom the weekend before. After a bit of digging some smaller nodules started appearing in the clay and before long I hit a seam of shale with some larger nodules. The largest nodules were in the 4-5 pound range and nicely elongated. Hoping these are not duds as they will take up a significant portion of our baggage allotment on our return flight to South Florida. Between micro-matrix from the Peace River and Mazon Creek nodules I'll have buckets of goodness in my garage to keep me busy till my next fossil outing. Some of the larger and nicely elongated nodules from my return trip: Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 This thread has been a good read. Before I read "Richardson's Guide..." last year, I had known Mazon Creek only from specimens seen at shows and from a few books (first saw specimens in Case's "A Pictorial Guide to Fossils"). I once had a chance to look at a nicely-preserved spider. It's interesting to see collectors still finding lots of nodules and how they find them now. A few years ago, I was under the impression that few nodules were still being found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stocksdale Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Hi Ken, I was at your location yesterday ( Saturday) for awhile. I dug at about three spots but didn't find anything all that great. Maybe I didn't dig deep enough Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.–Carl Sagan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 This thread has been a good read. Before I read "Richardson's Guide..." last year, I had known Mazon Creek only from specimens seen at shows and from a few books (first saw specimens in Case's "A Pictorial Guide to Fossils"). I once had a chance to look at a nicely-preserved spider. It's interesting to see collectors still finding lots of nodules and how they find them now. A few years ago, I was under the impression that few nodules were still being found. I grew up in Chicago and was blissfully unaware of Mazon Creek fossils while I lived here. On a return trip to the Windy City my wife and I took our nieces out to the Field Museum of Natural History and came across the exhibit they have there detailing the formation and showing some examples of the biota that could be found there. After some Internet research I learned about Mazonia but my trips there were less than successful. It turns out the best places to find nodules at the Mazonia Braidwood State Fish & Wildlife Area are off the trails in the underbrush where nobody has been but the ticks. Since no digging is allowed in the Braidwood "park" you have to look for places where the nodules are eroding out of the clay/slate matrix (usually on slopes and uneven terrain). With a little more knowledge I did manage to find more nodules there but many were weathered and split apart--great if they expose fossils but many nodules were in poor shape. Rob Russell and the other TFF members (and ESCONI members) who have provided the insight into where to go and how to dig into the overburden ridge piles to uncover whole nodules that haven't already been weathered has been an immeasurable boon to my goal of a nice (self-collected) fern fossil as well as anything else that turns up. Fossil hunting is much more fun when you are in the zone where hard work can pay off with results. It's also much more fun when you share the experience with other like-minded fossil hunters as it is good to see what they find. On my return visit Andrew found a really nice Annularia nodule (half) that had weathered and popped open. He rinsed it off and you could plainly see a nice row of leaf whorls. He wondered if it would be possible to find the other half and after a little more digging and against all odds he did pull the matching half from the clay of the hole he was excavating. It's stories like that that will remain long after the soreness from the dig has been forgotten. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Hi Ken, I was at your location yesterday ( Saturday) for awhile. I dug at about three spots but didn't find anything all that great. Maybe I didn't dig deep enough From my "vast" experience (2 days of digging--5 hours each) it seems that the nodules are not evenly disbursed within the clay and shale overburden material. While working on my own private "Deep Tunnel" project at the site I noticed that there would be breaks between finding clusters of nodules. It seemed a good idea to go deep as that lessened the odds that we were digging in someone's spoil pile. There were lots of other craters in the area and the top foot or two of material could easily be a layer that had slid down the slope after having been picked clean of nodules. My plan was digging deep (as can be seen by the absurdly deep hole I generated) and then to widen it in areas which looked like they had nice seams of nodule material. I'm glad I finally abandoned my pit (backfilling it a bit at the end with material from the walls while widening the whole). The second spot I dug was the area started by Tom last weekend and next to where Andrew was working (that boy sure did move a lot of material as well). In the limited time I dug at this second spot (probably little more than an hour) I managed to get into a cache of larger nodules which, if they are not duds, might prove to be really interesting. There are probably methods that work well for finding and exploiting productive spots at the site but I'm betting there is a whole lot of luck involved as well. Like blackjack, I think the combination of skill and luck are what make fossil hunting addictive--pitting your knowledge and skills against the random flukes of fate. Good luck on your next trip out there--I know persistence (and a lot of hard work) will pay off in the end. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stocksdale Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 (edited) Thanks, Ken. It was the second stop of the day and I had to be home before noon so I didn't have a lot of time. Next trip, I'll be sure to bring more time and maybe a pick ax to more easily get through the hard-packed shale. Edited June 16, 2014 by Stocksdale Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.–Carl Sagan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySRT8 Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 It was great meeting everyone, I can't wait to get back out there. I'll have to post some pictures of some I already had crack. Good times!!! Joey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 My wife showed her friend some of the pictures of our exploits up in Chicago last week. Her friend replied that most people she knows go on vacation for a little R&R (Rest & Relaxation) but that she seems to go on vacations prominently featuring D&D (Digging & Discovering). I liked the phrase so much that I'm stealing it. I can now say I'm an avid D&D fan though I don't use character sheets, small metal figurines, and multi-sided dice. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Well, you were well into creating a dungeon complex... "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 It would explain the Orcs and Kobolds.... Surprisingly knowledgeable comment since I've never played the game (I swear). -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 I try and base my vacations around fossiling and exploring also. Plus if you find some good stuff you can pay for the whole vacation by selling some of it. Being lazy and soaking up sun doesn't pay very well... ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 (edited) Well, several of my nods have popped! The first one that popped looks like a blob, but i still have to clean off the Calcite to see if it really is nothing. But on my third freeze/thaw, SUCCESS! Please correct me if i have misidentified any of these, as i am still a Mazon noob. Also i know these arent the best of the best, but they're my first nod finds ever and i tried to make them look as good as they can. So i cleaned the Calcite off as best as i could, prepped them a bit with a pin and cleared them to bring out more details and to add a nice contrast to the dull finish of the matrix. This is just a single pinnule of a fern. Bark from a unknown tree Pecopteris Strongii Another Pecopteris Strongii ....and i dont count this little guy yet....because it just flaked off of a larger nodule and im not even sure if it's anything. So if anyone can help with an ID it would be greatly appreciated! Its about a 1/2" x 1/2" I kind of see an equal spacing of legs maybe on either side?? Idk it's poorly preserved what ever the case may be. Well im 4/5 with my nods so far. But i know my success ratio is going to drop dramatically...unfortunately..... Here's a close up of the bark if anyone can ID it please. Edited June 23, 2014 by fossilized6s ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Good on ya--sweet ferns! Stop now while you are ahead (just kidding). Gives me hope for some of my elongate nodules. Been soaking in buckets in the garage to get them good and saturated. First batch sitting in the freezer now--I'll pull it out this morning and let them thaw. ....and i dont count this little guy yet....because it just flaked off of a larger nodule and im not even sure if it's anything. So if anyone can help with an ID it would be greatly appreciated!Its about a 1/2" x 1/2" I kind of see an equal spacing of legs maybe on either side?? Idk it's poorly preserved what ever the case may be.IMG_20140622_224959.jpg That one certainly looks like Rorschach ink blot #8 (IMHO). Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Nice shooting! You're top-weighting the curve for everyone else at 4-for-5... The 'bark' might be stigmaria. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 Good on ya--sweet ferns! Stop now while you are ahead (just kidding). Gives me hope for some of my elongate nodules. Been soaking in buckets in the garage to get them good and saturated. First batch sitting in the freezer now--I'll pull it out this morning and let them thaw. That one certainly looks like Rorschach ink blot #8 (IMHO). Cheers. -Ken Yeah im thinking it's just wishful seeing. Oh well. I still have about 60-70 nods to crack. And i wouldn't let them thaw in that hot Florida sun, I've been told that thawing them too quickly may cause them to crack into pieces, because i guess the nods that we collected are the more delicate ones. Nice shooting! You're top-weighting the curve for everyone else at 4-for-5... The 'bark' might be stigmaria. Thanks for looking. It does resemble a stigmaria. Im just pumped i got anything! I said before i went, "all i want is a fern and a shrimp". One down and one to go. Plus im going back down this weekend with the girlfriend to dig more! I know it's blasphemy, but what do you guys think of the clear coat? Too fake? Would you have done it? ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stocksdale Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 And i wouldn't let them thaw in that hot Florida sun, I've been told that thawing them too quickly may cause them to crack into pieces, because i guess the nods that we collected are the more delicate ones. I don't know if you need to be that cautious about thawing them too fast. I usually run hot water over mine to thaw them quickly. I think I read RC Fossils doing something similarly (PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong). Of course, I've had many break and flake in all sorts of ways. Don't know if they would have flaked less if I'd let them gradually thaw or not. Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.–Carl Sagan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 All the work of parting the nodule on the fossil plane should be done in the freeze cycle, or risk making gravel. Saving inter-cycle time by thawing with warm water is no real risk, but one should avoid the "shock-the-rock" mindset. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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