GMR Greenville, NC December 18 2016
Sunday, 12/18/2016, will be a day documented with great detail in my personal memory bank. As you read this, keep in mind, I am one of those people who remain in constant awe of the world around me; curiously exploring every little detail, often finding excitement in the things most would consider average or common. Every Trip I’ve made to Greens Mill Run these past three years has been one of such joy, excitement and inspiration – regardless of what treasures (and junk) I had found or imagined to find.
12/18/16 9:15 AM – I arrive to my usual parking spot, which I frequent most weekends and week day evenings through the spring summer months that the sun lasts long enough to get a few screens in after getting off work at 5pm. I am seriously addicted and will never be ashamed to admit it! ( of course, I miss the occasional weekend to go on fossil trips with groups in other places OR because of lil pesky hurricanes, like Matthew, flooding me out). Rain, cold, heat nor physical discomfort can keep me from going at least one day out of a weekend to get my dig on, and most of all – to find my peace of mind within the tiny spot of nature found near the heart of a small city.
I meet up with my favorite digging friend, Rick – who was in shock of the damage the city did along GMR to clear out the fallen trees within the creek. They had been clearing a wide road to fit a back hoe an extensive distance deep into the woods, just beside the stream, to remove the multitude of fallen trees left behind by Matthew. While they may have destroyed the beauty and protection of the banks – I do owe them some thanks for breaking up a couple banks in the process, releasing treasures!
We poked around and walked up stream slowly, heading towards I place we both wanted to hit up, a spot I didn’t have time to get into last weekend. I knew there were still things to be found - I had spent about 20 hours total there two weekends ago and still kept finding stuff. Within the week days since the weekend prior, they removed the fallen tree I wanted to dig by, pulling it up out of the stream. As I walked up, looking over the damaged bank and released potential, I look to my right (at 10:00 am) and cannot post here the exact words that came out of my mouth – but I will elude to it .. “Holy…” and Rick, right behind me, immediately sees what I’m looking at, exclaiming “I .... hate you” jokingly.
I wouldn’t have believed it and neither would he had one of us came upon this discovery alone. Laying there in the clear water, glistening in the sun as it rested on hardened clay, was my very first complete, serrated and large Megladon tooth. She is a true beauty. We snapped photos in the water, where she lay, and then in hand – texting them to a couple people, bragging etc – it being quite "the find". It only took about 3 years of consistent trips to finally find my very own GMR meg in remarkable condition of such size!!
I kept digging. I found an AMAZING great white two hours later and a few smaller GW, Mako, Crow, tiger etc that are common for GMR (but still exciting to me each and every time I see one in my screen!).
Leaving around 2 pm, the love story of Mr. Ash and his first remarkable Meg followed.
We went home, I had a shower and my Meg had a bubble bath (I’m mildly OCD and have to disinfect everything I bring home).
Then, we went out for dinner, my Meg and I (oh and the GF) to celebrate! I wanted steak – we went to Ribeyes (AMAZING STEAK FYI). I got us a salad, but Meg said she doesn’t eat rabbit food and would wait for the main course.
Meg was a bit testy with the cook when they informed her that they do not serve Whale, but we settled on a nice medium ribeye.
Julie, my lovely lady with such kind heart-ed tolerance for my fossil obsession, drove us into the sunset, my meg and I – hand in..tooth…holding it..erm – to get a milk shake from Arbys.
We ordered some chocolate shake goodness and we headed home!
True love. (my GF getting slightly jealous at this point as I never share my shakes with her)
And finally, after such a long exciting day – we got tucked in for a good night’s rest before meeting all of my coworkers the following morning.
Any fossil lover can relate to the pure excitement and euphoria of their first meg find. I hope you can appreciate the visual representation of what loving a Meg, found after searching for so long, would be like J
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