Sara: The World Traveling Ceratopsian

[Darktooth]

Just a heads up, Sara arrived at her new destination on Monday. 

[minnbuckeye]

Yes she arrived, but a bit tired from all the activity in New York. So I am resting her until this weekend, when we will travel to Iowa to look for fun things in the rocks.

[Darktooth]

Not rushing you Mike. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Me neither. 

[minnbuckeye]

After all of that popcorn, I need to go floss. Then maybe, if @Darktooth and @Tidgy's Dad are good, I will post a picture of Sara just to prove she made it to Minnesota.

Edited May 14, 2022 by minnbuckeye

[minnbuckeye]

Yesterday was one of those picture perfect days weather-wise. So Sara and I strolled through our valley enjoying the carpet of bluebells that highlight the awakening of nature in this frozen land known as Minnesota.

Edited May 14, 2022 by minnbuckeye

[Tidgy's Dad]

[Darktooth]

7 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

After all of that popcorn, I need to go floss. Then maybe, if @Darktooth and @Tidgy's Dad are good, I will post a picture of Sara just to prove she made it to Minnesota.

I can only speak for myself, but of course I am good Mike! Adam on the other hand...........well..........

[minnbuckeye]

Can anyone help me determine who will be the recipient of Sara next. I looked but was confused.

[Ludwigia]

1 hour ago, minnbuckeye said:

Can anyone help me determine who will be the recipient of Sara next. I looked but was confused.

By the looks of it, @jpc is next on the list. As I understand it, the other 3 before you passed for one reason or another, right @Darktooth ?

[Darktooth]

1 minute ago, Ludwigia said:

By the looks of it, @jpc is next on the list. As I understand it, the other 3 before you passed for one reason or another, right @Darktooth ?

That was my understanding, Roger.

[Scylla]

To clarify for everyone: some of the bypassed members on Sara's list were too busy to host Sara at the time they were contacted. Others were bypassed due to concerns for Sara's safety. Active wars and sweeping sanctions could have ended up with Sara impounded in customs or damaged. Let's hope these concerns disappear soon.

[jpc]

wow... I am next.  I had to go back and look at the OP here to see what I signed up for.  Send her my way.  

 

[minnbuckeye]

Sara has been enjoying her stay in Minnesota, finding that the State is, as the sign says, welcoming .............truly Minnesota Nice!!

 

 

I explained to her that many long lost relatives of hers actually live in this wonderful state so we decided to locate some of them. Our first stop, unfortunately, found no one at home.

 

 

Stop #2 was more successful. In fact, the dino descendants seemed as interested in her as she in them! Here are a few shots of the group playing hide and go seek.

 

 

 

Because Sara was having such a good time frolicking's with the flock, I put off telling Sara that we had a special friend to go visit. But eventually I did. After hearing it was a fellow Fossil Forum member, @Bev, her reluctance to leave waned. So south we headed to the town of Spring Valley, smack in the middle of our local Ordovician rock outcrops. But we came not to hunt fossils like this one located in Bev's massive gardens full of flowers and fossils, 

 

 

but to visit with Bev's friends in the garden.

 

 

Sara enjoyed her stay with Bev and her friends, but again, I had to be the bearer of bad news and explain we were running late and must return home. Our travels will continue in the next day or two. 

 

Mike 

 

 

 

 

[Bev]

Love it Mike! Thank you for stopping by, enjoyed visiting with you. I am looking forward to more installments! Sara is such a cutie and so easy to get along with. I wonder if she would like to go with us on a discovery hunt of new sites that we talked about???   LOL   :-D

 

There are two descendants of the avian dinosaurs in the upper center of this picture taken from my private Dog Park. The crow is tormenting the Bald Eagle, who is looking at the ducks (Muscovys sure remind me of Hadrosaurs!) as potential lunch! I think Sara is an herbivore, if I remember right.  :-D  Good seeing you again!  :-D

[minnbuckeye]

Sara and I had the opportunity to visit my barn yesterday. My fossil finds are stashed within these walls!!

 

 

Sara found the inside to be a bit unwelcoming. It had to be explained that my shelving needed to be plastic covered to prevent bird and mostly bat poop from covering my finds. 

 

 

After I pulled back the plastic, Sara enjoyed the contents. Each shelf contains a certain fossil. Here are my crinoids and blastoids.

 

 

My cephalopods.

 

 

My trilobites.

 

 

Here is my work station. I clean and prep my fossils at the house. When I fill a 5 gallon bucket, it is brought to the barn and dumped on the table to identify and find a spot in the barn for them.

 

 

99% of my fossils are self collected. And yes my wife calls me a hoarder. But the reality is, many of the fossils stored in my barn will continue to be moved to school districts and nature centers in my area. However, I must admit, when there is an empty shelf from fossil distribution, my urge to resupply the shelf comes on strong!! Three sides of the barn are lined with shelving purchased at local garage sales. It is the only times I have bought someone's hand me downs, thus the "furniture" does not match well. The fourth wall of the barn is saved for one of my favorite type of fossils, HASH PLATES!!!!!!! Where ever I fossil hunt, I try to bring home a representative hash plate. The wall is only 75% full, so I need to visit some new sites.

 

 

Sara took particular interest in my trilobites. So we took a few outside and let her play awhile.

 

 

 

 

In the next few days, Sara's trip report from Iowa will be shown. But first I must clean up a few of the finds. 

 

Mike

 

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Love the shot of your barn through the blossoms. 

The photo after that looks a bit like a Kill Room from Dexter. 

But I really enjoyed a walk around your specimens, I'm sure Sara did too! 

Amazing. 

[JohnJ]

2 hours ago, minnbuckeye said:

It had to be explained that my shelving needed to be plastic covered to prevent bird and mostly bat poop from covering my finds. 

 

What kind of bats in the barn... inquiring minds 'guano'?  

[minnbuckeye]

@JohnJ,  the little brown myotis (mouse-eared) bat is my best guess. They fly around the house in the evening. 

[Caverat]

I can see why Sara "took particular interest in your trilobites"! Very nice.

[Top Trilo]

Awesome fossils! I think you have too many trilobites. Can't have too many trilobites, I think you have enough to send some to Colorado. 

What's the person thing in the hash-plate photo?

[minnbuckeye]

@Top Trilo, Didn;t even notice it was there. It is a Halloween skeleton without a head. A pumpkin is put on top during holiday season. Until needed , I use a large colonial coral for the head instead of the pumpkin.

[Tidgy's Dad]

17 hours ago, Top Trilo said:

Awesome fossils! I think you have too many trilobites. Can't have too many trilobites, 

Alex, you have corrected yourself once, so clearly are a confused individual.

I am certain that you meant to say, "Can't have too many brachiopods." 

There is no need to apologize, all in a days work. 

[Top Trilo]

44 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Alex, you have corrected yourself once, so clearly are a confused individual.

I am certain that you meant to say, "Can't have too many brachiopods." 

There is no need to apologize, all in a days work. 

I don't think you can have too many of any fossil invertebrate.

You could definitely have too many sauropods, who has the room for 100 sauropods? But with 100 brachiopods AND 100 trilobites I'm sure I could find the space. 

[minnbuckeye]

On Sunday, Sara and I took  part in an excursion with  the Cedar Valley Rock and Mineral Club of Iowa. We met up with "Marv", our club's commander in chief, early that morning and listened to the extensive instructions on safety protocol that needed to be followed to hunt in this area. Marv explained hardhats and steel toed shoes are a must to join in the fun. Sara looked so sad when she heard this, knowing she failed on both accounts. As can be seen, Marv and Sara had a long discussion about the issue.

 

 

And as can be seen from the smiles on Marv's and Sara's faces, Sara was allowed in. It was determined her hoofs were as tough as steel toed shoes and her boney frill will deflect any falling rocks as well as a hard hat, if not better.

 

The fossils present at this site include brachiopods, Atrypa very common. Sara wanted this picture taken to show @Tidgy's Dad that she enjoys brachiopods too. I explained to her, we will fair better on brachiopods in the afternoon. But I relented and took these pictures for her (and Adam).

 

 

Large spirifers are what brachiopod loves come for. My best samples are needing to be prepped. But here is Sara frolicking through some loose partials.

 

 

Many Devonian fish pieces were discovered on this trip. This one is of particular interest. If someone recognizes what bone this is, feel free to tell!!! Maybe after some prep work, the identification will become more likely.

 

 

Next up is a gastropod that I have yet to identify in the Devonian Cedar Valley Formation. I had posted one of these in the ID section a year or two ago and recieved no valid responses. So........... if anyone knows the genus or species of this, I would be thrilled!!!

 

 

Trilobites are always everyone's favorite. Sara enjoys them too.

 

 

 

Sara made many friends that morning and requested a group photo be taken. Sara is in there somewhere, but I can't find her.

 

 

Unfortunately, we only could hunt for 3 hours since the club was to change locations and spend the afternoon collecting agates. Sara was not interested in this. In addition, I had to stop on the way home, at a group of Mennonite greenhouses that we frequent, and select plants for the garden. Coincidently, the Rockford Fossil and Prairie Park was only a few (25) miles out of the way. Guess what, Sara wanted to detour to the park. And she didn't need to twist my arm! The park visually is much like the badlands in states such as South Dakota or Nebraska.

 

 

I was disappointed in Sara when we arrived at the park. She forgot all of the safety instructions learned at our first stop. Here she is dangerously close to the cliff's edge.

 

 

After a refresher course on safety, we were off to hunt fossils in the Devonian Cerro Gordo Formation. Brachiopods erode out of the hill sides and are in such great shape. Sara can be seen showing off her finds in this picture.

 

 

Sunday was a long day for us and we were a bit tardy arriving home. But had we not been late, we would have never taken in this fabulous moonrise on our way home.

 

 

Unfortunately, Sara's time in Minnesota is coming to a close. I did want to share one more fossil piece with Sara that is very special. It was given to me by a Fossil Forum member the first year I joined the group. It represents the special friendships that can develop with members of this forum. But it also brings tears to my eyes knowing the sender was no other than Doren, better known as caldigger.  Rest in peace!!

 

 

So tomorrow, Sara will be on her way to visit a special person in a special location. I have not told Sara where she is going so that it will be a suprise for her. But here is a hint.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by minnbuckeye