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Sudden Excursion to Penn


Malcolmt

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This year has not had the volume of fossil outings that I would like to see. The weather here in Southern Ontario, Canada has been horrible. Rain, heat and unbearable humidity. Some of my fossil buddies have a big excursion and BBQ to follow planned for today but I could not join in due to plans from "The One Who Must Be Obeyed" otherwise known as "The Wife". 

 

So on the spur of the moment since the weather Sunday is going to be awesome I am going to Penn Dixie tomorrow Sunday July 8th with my buddy Jim. Jim is another Canadian Human Backhoe like Kane.  If any of you forum people are in the vicinity and want to join in you are more than welcome. Devonian Digger Cannot make it as he is off doing family stuff so my limited expertise will have to suffice. I have been known to have reasonable success at the site ...lol

 

Seriously though if you can join us what I can guarantee you is that you will work hard but you will go home with complete trilobites perhaps even multiples. It makes a world of difference to go with someone that sort of knows what they are doing and that brings the right equipment. Better yet if you find something really special (not a Brach Kane) and treat me nice I might even prep it for you. 

 

Hope to see some of you there.. I will be the Homeless looking old geezer in the fossil forum Tee Shirt and Jurassic Park hat struggling to move blocks that are far too big for me....

 

Regardless I will try to post some pics in this thread of the excursion.

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I’ll be the scary looking kid watching this thread with a bucket of popcorn while simultaneously looking through a seperate bucket of gravel for microfossils, and trying not to mix them up. Sounds like it’ll be a good time up there! Good luck!

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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I wish I could come, Malcolm, but the kids have their swimming lessons tomorrow and my in-laws are coming for their weekly visit.  Perhaps another time...

 

Best of luck - I hope you find a complete Bellacartwrightia!!! :fingerscrossed:

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Monica... someday I will be at Penn or Arkona when you are

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Have a great outing, Malcolm. :) You deserve to get a nice haul for all the work you put in, and given our less than perfect weather this year. Deb and I probably won't get back down there until maybe near the end of the summer, but you're always welcome to come dig at our spot in search of more Greenies. I can't promise I won't sneak more brachs in your bucket. :P 

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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I'm going to start planning the annual TFF back-breaking, slab-hauling, trilobite-stealing extravaganza at Penn Dixie if anyone has any thoughts about dates. Since I'm teaching now, I can't do the normal weekday times, but I was thinking something like the first weekend of September? We can't rock the power tools until after 5 because the site will technically still be open to the public, but we can do plenty of damage as a group! @ischua, @Kane, @Malcolmt, @fossilcrazy and any others care to weigh in? Maybe even a @Fossildude19 or a @Darktooth, or even a @Jeffrey P?

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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1 hour ago, DevonianDigger said:

I'm going to start planning the annual TFF back-breaking, slab-hauling, trilobite-stealing extravaganza at Penn Dixie if anyone has any thoughts about dates. Since I'm teaching now, I can't do the normal weekday times, but I was thinking something like the first weekend of September? We can't rick the power tools until after 5 because the site will technically still be open to the public, but we can do plenty of damage as a group! @ischua, @Kane, @Malcolmt, @fossilcrazy and any others care to weigh in? Maybe even a @Fossildude19 or a @Darktooth, or even a @Jeffrey P?

Sounds like fun. Not sure about scheduling at the moment. But a TFF group dig would be awesome.

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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September or October are good weather months for Penn . IS that a long weekend could be horrible to cross the Border for us Canucks

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It is, it's Labor Day weekend here. Another alternative is October 6-8 which is Columbus Day. Not a major holiday, but I have off from school on that Monday in observance. Also I think the site is closed that day because we're only open weekends at that point, so it would be a good big toys day. We could really do any weekend. I just figured that a three-day weekend would give everyone time for travel and fun.

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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5 minutes ago, DevonianDigger said:

It is, it's Labor Day weekend here. Another alternative is October 6-8 which is Columbus Day. Not a major holiday, but I have off from school on that Monday in observance. Also I think the site is closed that day because we're only open weekends at that point, so it would be a good big toys day. We could really do any weekend. I just figured that a three-day weekend would give everyone time for travel and fun.

That's our Thanksgiving weekend up here. But, yeah, I think we can make something work. What kind of big toys were you thinking? The big digger last time was awesome.

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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The excavator might be a little bigger than I was thinking, lol! I was thinking more along the lines of gas saws and the like. I can check into the idea of a small excavator. We'd probably all have to throw in to make it doable, but I can look into it if enough people are interested.

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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4 minutes ago, DevonianDigger said:

The excavator might be a little bigger than I was thinking, lol! I was thinking more along the lines of gas saws and the like. I can check into the idea of a small excavator. We'd probably all have to throw in to make it doable, but I can look into it if enough people are interested.

So I'm gathering dynamite is out, too. :P 

 

Given that the site has got a really decent scraping this year, it may not be necessary, but we'll have to see the state of the site as we get closer. As long as we have fresh strata to pull from, we'll be golden.

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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14 hours ago, ischua said:

I don't know what I will be able to do   But I will be there!

 

You'll keep up our spirits, and we'll hand off some fresh stuff for you to split. :) Once I get into a slabbing groove, I end up with too much to split on my own. :P 

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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16 hours ago, Kane said:

So I'm gathering dynamite is out, too. :P 

From the stories I hear about you, dynamite is not necessary. 

You are "The Human Earthmover".

 

 

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@Malcolmt I would of liked to hunt with you at PD today, but I am in Ocean City MD. with my family on vacation. @DevonianDigger I am definitely open to meeting up with you and other forum members at PD. Unfortunately the October dates you mentioned wouldn't work for me as my son Dylan just joined marching band and that weekend he has a trip to New Jersey. But I would come another weekend as I have never been there and I want to check it out. 

Dipleurawhisperer5.jpg

I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie.

 

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11 hours ago, Kane said:

You'll keep up our spirits, and we'll hand off some fresh stuff for you to split. :) Once I get into a slabbing groove, I end up with too much to split on my own. :P 

Today is about as bad as it has gotten. My left hand/arm is shaking so bad its hard to control. My right arm is almost useless the pain is so bad I cant even wipe my face. :( I need to call the doctor in the morning. Appointment with surgeon on Friday I'm running out options

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7 hours ago, ischua said:

Today is about as bad as it has gotten. My left hand/arm is shaking so bad its hard to control. My right arm is almost useless the pain is so bad I cant even wipe my face. :( I need to call the doctor in the morning. Appointment with surgeon on Friday I'm running out options

Oh Mike, that's terrible - I hope your appointment with the surgeon on Friday is a success.

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On ‎7‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 6:25 PM, Malcolmt said:

September or October are good weather months for Penn . IS that a long weekend could be horrible to cross the Border for us Canucks

Yes it is!

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9 hours ago, ischua said:

Today is about as bad as it has gotten. My left hand/arm is shaking so bad its hard to control. My right arm is almost useless the pain is so bad I cant even wipe my face. :( I need to call the doctor in the morning. Appointment with surgeon on Friday I'm running out options

Really sorry to hear that, Mike. :( My fingers are crossed for you. It's been a very long, rough go. Let us be the ones to lift your spirits, however much, with some good field camaraderie. 

...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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Sadly only one other fossil forum member was able to join us on Sunday. Unfortunately you guys really missed out.

 

We had an amazing day at Penn on Sunday. One of the better days in many years. You could not have asked for better weather. We did not have Kane with us but Jim and I were splitting out blocks at Penn a long time before our friend Kane, Devoniandigger and Darktooth ever got in the game . We did not bring Ksne the  back hoe or ave the other Crazt Cannuck but with  three giant pry bars, a crowbar, 6 large chisels and a couple of sledges you can reallly make a dent in the floor of the site.

 

We got our tools over to the area about 9:30 and as is my standard mode of operation we did nothing but break out blocks till 2:00.NOt a single split was attempted till then. We then split the blocks till we left at 6:45

 

 Here is Jim and myself with our haul of blocks before we started splitting this represents the best trilobite bearing strata from an area about 12 feet long by 5 to 6 feet wide. We had to clear of about 2 feet of junk overburden with our shovel before we started to break out blocks. I'm the old homeless looking guy in the fossil forum tee shirt and Jurassic park hat.

 

5b4375e7901a3_Blockscropped.thumb.jpg.88bdbd1261e066c95f7b564e1f977e6c.jpg

 

We made a new friend Tony from Belgium came and we showed him the ropes and set him up in a productspot of his ow. We lent him some heavy duty tools and he had a great day taking home one of the nicest pristine 100% greenops that I have ever seen come out of Penn and several pristine prone  E. rana. 

 

Here is Tony ( KROTBIKER )enjoying the day, sitting in his little bench. Our bench was maybe ten times that size. 

 

5b43776794cbc_TonyBelgiumcropped.thumb.jpg.b6c2da2e5883f978478c2a31b4b7919b.jpg

 

 

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