I took my camera along again

[Darktooth]

Ok, I am in love with that 3 ammo specimen! Great Work Roger!

[Monica]

24 minutes ago, Darktooth said:

Ok, I am in love with that 3 ammo specimen! Great Work Roger!

Me too!!! 

[Jeffrey P]

Thanks Roger for allowing us to join you on your adventures. The effort involved in pulling out those slabs does look onerous, but those ammonites are definitely a big reward. Congratulations on your great finds.

[Ludwigia]

31 minutes ago, Darktooth said:

Ok, I am in love with that 3 ammo specimen! Great Work Roger!

 

5 minutes ago, Monica said:

Me too!!! 

Me too

 

2 minutes ago, Jeffrey P said:

Thanks Roger for allowing us to join you on your adventures. The effort involved in pulling out those slabs does look onerous, but those ammonites are definitely a big reward. Congratulations on your great finds.

I must say that it's well worth the effort, although in future I'll let the crowbar do the work and not my back. The next ones are going to be quite nice as well by the looks of things.

 

[Wrangellian]

16 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Thanks Franz. I guess you could say that this is my personal spot, since no one else at all seems to visit it, even though I've informed a few of my friends about it.

I guess there aren't many people willing to put this kind of 'backbreaking' work into digging fossils... You have to be a rare kind of nut to engage in this sort of chain gang activity. (I've had my share of back problems too, and frustrations with the unforgiving shale over here)

[Ludwigia]

Just now, Wrangellian said:

I guess there aren't many people willing to put this kind of 'backbreaking' work into digging fossils... You have to be a rare kind of nut to engage in this sort of chain gang activity. (I've had my share of back problems too, and frustrations with the unforgiving shale)

Yes, I agree. I sometimes get some funny looks when I tell people what I do. And you're right, some of my colleagues just can't be bothered to make the effort.

[Kane]

Being in the outdoors, putting in some physical effort which is good for one's health, working at your own pace, and taking home the rewards from those efforts seems a lot better than a sedentary office job, hands down. It makes the cuts, bruises, and soreness worthwhile.  

[Ludwigia]

5 minutes ago, Kane said:

Being in the outdoors, putting in some physical effort which is good for one's health, working at your own pace, and taking home the rewards from those efforts seems a lot better than a sedentary office job, hands down. It makes the cuts, bruises, and soreness worthwhile.  

Hear, hear! Let's make some benches!

[6ix]

Wow, just incredible.    How old are those?

[ynot]

No surprise here, they look great!

That is a nice place You got.

[Ludwigia]

19 hours ago, 6ix said:

Wow, just incredible.    How old are those?

The Upper Aalenian was ca. 170 million years ago.

 

17 hours ago, ynot said:

No surprise here, they look great!

That is a nice place You got.

It's proven to be productive over the years.

[Ludwigia]

So here's the next one. As I had prophecied, it took quite a bit longer to finish as the former ones, but it was well worth the effort in my opinion. A multiblock measuring 22x11x3 cm. with 8 Ancolioceras opalinoides specimens on it (2 small ones are on the back).

 

 

 

The next one I have lined up will probably even take longer, but it looks like it could be worth it. Maybe I'll post a prep report on it...

 

[belemniten]

On Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 11:52 PM, Ludwigia said:

I was prying away with my heavy duty bar, when suddenly something went "pop", and it wasn't the rock! I think I popped a vert! Ouch!

This makes me wonder if you can find bones in the layers you hunt?  Or did you ever find one?

 

On Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 11:52 PM, Ludwigia said:

Then I could sit back in my recliner and enjoy the German football League Cup semi-final game between Bayern München and Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern won 6-2. All's well that ends well.

That was a good game ! But Leverkusen wasnt that bad

 

As always great finds, lovely pictures and outstanding prep work !!!

[Ludwigia]

1 minute ago, belemniten said:

This makes me wonder if you can find bones in the layers you hunt?  Or did you ever find one?

As a matter of fact I did find one Elasmosaurus vert a few years ago. But that was a one in a million find. I never found any other bones before or after.

 

[MeargleSchmeargl]

On 4/18/2018 at 6:10 PM, Wrangellian said:

I guess there aren't many people willing to put this kind of 'backbreaking' work into digging fossils... You have to be a rare kind of nut to engage in this sort of chain gang activity. (I've had my share of back problems too, and frustrations with the unforgiving shale over here)

Well, I braved cold water creeks in December for my whale vert. I may very well be your nut!

[Ludwigia]

1 hour ago, MeargleSchmeargl said:

Well, I braved cold water creeks in December for my whale vert. I may very well be your nut!

Let's face it. We fossil collectors are a bag of mixed nuts.

[Pilobolus]

On 4/17/2018 at 3:52 PM, Ludwigia said:

 

 

 

The condition of your Estwing makes it clear I'm not working hard enough....

 

 

[Ludwigia]

48 minutes ago, Pilobolus said:

The condition of your Estwing makes it clear I'm not working hard enough....

 

 

I think I explained a while ago that I've converted this hammer into a stone pick, placing it in the cracks and crevices and driving it in with a club hammer. I have to grind down the beard after each outing, otherwise the metal chips will fly.

[Ludwigia]

As mentioned above, I've opened up a thread here to describe my work on the next block.          

[Malone]

2 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

I think I explained a while ago that I've converted this hammer into a stone pick, placing it in the cracks and crevices and driving it in with a club hammer. I have to grind down the beard after each outing, otherwise the metal chips will fly.

Awesome design!

[Ludwigia]

2 minutes ago, Malone said:

Awesome design!

It doesn't look very pretty, but it sure does do the job.

[Ludwigia]

Here's the next one finished. Check out the thread linked above for the details.

 

 

[Bobby Rico]

13 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

Here's the next one finished. Check out the thread linked above for the details.

 

 

Beautiful work 

[Ludwigia]

3 hours ago, Bobby Rico said:

Beautiful work 

[nala]

great finds and prep Roger!