Member of the Month - October 2017 - Nimravis

[Kane]

It is harvest season as the corn rows are heavy with their bounty, the autumnal colours are entering into their most vibrant display, festive seasonal gourds begin mysteriously sprouting in people's home-front decor.  As we bite into crisp apples in a crisp season, it is October, but it is also time for announcing our new Member of the Month!

 

By unanimous staff vote, we are happy to declare that October's Member of the Month is ...

 

 

          NIMRAVIS!!!           

Ralph has been with us since July of last year, and is known around here for kickstarting some very memorable and exciting auctions in support of the forum, and in being exceptionally generous with fossils - in terms of knowledge and actual fossils themselves. 

 

An avid rock-climber and hiker, we find Ralph has scaled to the pinnacle of the TFF mountain to join the ranks of our Members of the Month!  His interests in fossils is as varied as the kinds of terrain he hikes through.

 

Nimravis -  Thanks for all you do and contribute here on the Forum!

Congratulations Sir ! Wear this Crown with joy as you earned it!

 

Care to tell us about your journey here to the Fossil Forum, Ralph ??  This is you opportunity to tell us about your fossil journey.

 

On behalf of the staff here on TFF, congratulations! 

[FossilDAWG]

Congratulations Ralph .  Thanks for all you bring to our community.

Don

[jcbshark]

Thanks for all you do and congrats

[ynot]

Congratulations @Nimravis!!

[old bones]

Congratulations, Ralph!

[aerogrower]

Congratulations Ralph! Thanks for making my collection that much better and for all you do for the forum!!  

[sixgill pete]

Congratulations Ralph. A very well deserved honor!!

[Nimravis]

Wow- never expected this and it is much appreciated.

 

I started collecting rocks about 46 years ago when I was 10 years old. When my family would go on vacation I would always pick up a rock or 2 for memory sake. It wasn’t until we headed out to Arizona did my love of fossils begin. We can across a small stand on the side of the road and my dad bought me a piece of petrified wood, that I still have to this day- thus started my love of fossils.

 

Flash forward a number of years and I had heard about fossils in Illinois found in rocks. I would go down to different branches of the Chicago River and break open regular rocks looking for fossils- of course none were found.

 

i had asked people at work if they new of a place in Illinois where fossils could be found. One person told me about the now closed “Fossil Rock Campground”. I called the operator (before internet) and she gave me the wrong number- she gave me the number to the Fossil Ridge Library in Braidwood. When I called, I apologized for the wrong number and I told her what I was looking for and she gave me the number to a man who became my Mazon Creek mentor. My young son and I would drive 1 1/2 hours each way, every Saturday and Sunday to his house and go out collecting fossils at the famed Pit 11, taking groups out and learning and teaching  about Mazon Creek fossils and all fossils in general.

 

i also have a real love for White River Oligocene mammals and have many. And I know that the spelling of my avatar “Nimravis” is wrong and it should be “Nimravus”, but when I joined the Forum I say the mistake after I made it and did not know how to change it- go figure.

 

As far as the Forum goes, I came across it last year and I can never get enough of it. As a matter of fact I told a friend that I was backing with last month in the Sierra Nevada mountains that I could not wait to finish the trip because I was having Fossil Forum withdrawals.

 

As Kane stated, In addition to my fossil collecting, I am also a rock climber and backpacker. I also just celebrated my 35 anniversary with my wife, we have one 34 year old son and a 4 year old grandson, who is more interested in Thomas Trains than fossils.

 

I enjoy Perpetuating the hobby and often give fossils away to kids of co-workers who have an interest or school projects.

 

And lastly, I really enjoy helping the Forum and other FF members by putting on auctions or just sending fossils to members who have a interest in something I collect.

 

Thanks again for this honor and it is really appreciated and thanks to all on the Forum for having such a great venue to meet, share, learn and brag about our love of fossils.

[gavialboy]

congrats @Nimravis

[Pagurus]

[Nimravis]

@Pagurus , @gavialboy , @sixgill pete , @aerogrower , @old bones , @ynot , @jcbshark , @FossilDAWG and @Kane - thanks for the congrats and comments.

[Bobby Rico]

Wow how really nice. It could not have gone to a more generous and knowledgeable person than Nimravis  . Congratulations and I enjoyed reading a bit about your history. 

 

Cheers Bobby 

[Nimravis]

1 hour ago, Bobby Rico said:

Wow how really nice. It could not have gone to a more generous and knowledgeable person than Nimravis  . Congratulations and I enjoyed reading a bit about of your history. 

 

Cheers Bobby 

Thanks Bobby

[Ludwigia]

Yay, Ralph!!

[Miocene_Mason]

Congrats @Nimravis, well deserved!

[Nimravis]

@Ludwigia and @WhodamanHD thanks much.

[abyssunder]

Congratulations Ralph! Well deserved!

[Coco]

Hi,

 

Congrats Ralph ! A good thing !

 

Coco

[Nimravis]

@abyssunder and @Coco thank you.

[Monica]

Congratulations, Ralph!  I look forward to continuing to read your contributions to the forum's discussion boards!

 

Monica

[Malcolmt]

Well done.....

[Nimravis]

Thank you @Monica and @Malcolmt .

[Fossildude19]

Ralph,

Congratulations - you are more than deserving of this award.  

 

Thank you for helping and enriching the Forum, with your support, partcipation, outreach, and knowledge.

I'm glad you found us!

Best regards,

 

[Fossil-Hound]

Congratulations @Nimravis Well deserved my friend.

[Nimravis]

14 minutes ago, Fossil-Hound said:

Congratulations @Nimravis Well deserved my friend.

Thank you F-H, I appreciate it very much.