2020 Secret Santa Extravaganza.

[gieserguy]

It seems to be a fairly common trend that none of us are patient, and I’m certainly not here to go against the flow! I received my package a few days ago and it was open by the time I got it on the table 

Do YOU think you guess who these beautiful fossils are from????

 

 

 

A little taste of home with these lovely Mazon Creek fossils 

 

 

 

And this huge Turritella duo is my favorite of the bunch! They’re just so pretty 

 

Thank you to [redacted] for sending these! :))

[Notidanodon]

I’m gonna go @thelivingdead531 because of the red crag shells

[gieserguy]

Just now, will stevenson said:

I’m gonna go @thelivingdead531 because of the red crag shells

Daaaaaaang I’ll consider that a bullseye! First try and you got it!

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, gieserguy said:

It seems to be a fairly common trend that none of us are patient, and I’m certainly not here to go against the flow! I received my package a few days ago and it was open by the time I got it on the table 

Do YOU think you guess who these beautiful fossils are from????

A little taste of home with these lovely Mazon Creek fossils 

 

And this huge Turritella duo is my favorite of the bunch! They’re just so pretty 

 

Thank you to [redacted] for sending these! :))

Nice! 

Yes, those Turritella are worth the price of admission on their own! 

Thank you, Candace! @thelivingdead531

Nice Santa.

[Kasia]

58 minutes ago, Bobby Rico said:

Wow nice stuff .  Will’s turn this year to send you something nice.  

Indeed

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, will stevenson said:

I’m gonna go @thelivingdead531 because of the red crag shells

Very quick! 

The Santas are on the ball today.

[thelivingdead531]

@gieserguy It looks like one of the ferns broke during transport . I’m sorry, I thought I had wrapped it enough. 
 

I’m glad you like the Turritella duo! They are pretty neat. Happy holidays to everyone!

[Kasia]

29 minutes ago, will stevenson said:

Yup thought I’d return the favour,

 

@Kasia  hope you enjoy it, the meg comes from a river site in South

Carolina sorry it didn’t come with more precise data

 

@will stevenson I do - that's exactly the kind of variety of fossils I like Thanks again!

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, thelivingdead531 said:

@gieserguy It looks like one of the ferns broke during transport . I’m sorry, I thought I had wrapped it enough. 
 

I’m glad you like the Turritella duo! They are pretty neat. Happy holidays to everyone!

And to you, Candace!

[Coco]

2 hours ago, will stevenson said:

@Coco how did you guess it was me, maybe it was my bad writing

I assumed it was from Europe, and it seemed to me that you had done quite a bit of exchanges with the members of TFF, which might explain the diversity of the origins.

 

Congrats Will, you were faster than me, but it’s not the nickname I would have given

Coco

[gieserguy]

4 hours ago, thelivingdead531 said:

@gieserguy It looks like one of the ferns broke during transport . I’m sorry, I thought I had wrapped it enough. 
 

I’m glad you like the Turritella duo! They are pretty neat. Happy holidays to everyone!

The Turritella was also busted in transit (one of the box corners was smushed!) but it’s all back together now (:

Thank you again @thelivingdead531! This is such a fun TFF tradition. 

[snolly50]

Naughty vs Nice!?!?! Yet another false dichotomy exposed! The old Christmas saw - "naughty" folks get nothing while the "nice" are rewarded with largess. Balderdash! The undisputable empirical evidence, you ask? Ha! This very day snolly, yes that snolly, received a heavy package delivered by a cheerful postal gnome. Inside? Wonders! See! Anyone, no matter their less than unblemished soul, can receive the bounty bestowed by the spirit of Christmas. Indeed, if snolly were not so avaricious; he might one day grasp the truth - the joy of giving a gift is the greatest gift one may receive. 

 

So today, snolly received a bounty. Some may judge undeserved, but there lies the Magic. It is not the worthiness of the recipient, but the Grace bestowed by the giver that is the Heart of Christmas.

 

A Merry Christmas, to us all.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, snolly50 said:

Naughty vs Nice!?!?! Yet another false dichotomy exposed! The old Christmas saw - "naughty" folks get nothing while the "nice" are rewarded with largess. Balderdash! The undisputable empirical evidence, you ask? Ha! This very day snolly, yes that snolly, received a heavy package delivered by a cheerful postal gnome. Inside? Wonders! See! Anyone, no matter their less than unblemished soul, can receive the bounty bestowed by the spirit of Christmas. Indeed, if snolly were not so avaricious; he might one day grasp the truth - the joy of giving a gift is the greatest gift one may receive. 

 

So today, snolly received a bounty. Some may judge undeserved, but there lies the Magic. It is not the worthiness of the recipient, but the Grace bestowed by the giver that is the Heart of Christmas.

 

A Merry Christmas, to us all.

 

Or at least to me, at any rate. 

Generally I concur with your slightly seditious seasonal sentiment. 

I'm very glad your enormous gift has arrived.  

[Dimitris]

I was not a good boy this year, yet Santa spoiled me way too much!

I received the parcel this Thursday and I managed to keep my hands off it until today.

First guy I see is this lovely echinoid.

Then I feel something bigger in the package. When I pull it out, I can't believe my eyes!

One of the largest trilo species, this one is 4", must have been around 5" complete. So far I have seen only pictures of this bug.

I say, it can't be better. Then I see this strange guy. For some time I try to understand what is it.

Why someone applied resin on those two small spots and on the surrounding area? Maybe it is a fossil for me to prepare?

Then my mind starts working. Its a cephalon of an Eurypterus, one of the coolest fossils ever!

Man the parcel was a bug party! An excellently prepared pigdium. Amazing!

This one was on top of the box, inside a plastic cylindrical container with foam for protection.

Excited by the bugs, I did not pay enough attention as it was super tiny. I saw on the label "Walnut" and thought how cool, a fossilised nut!

A little later, I check it better to find out it is another echinoid, super tiny, less than a cm. Love it 

 

Another amazing bug, almost complete.

Some amber from Burma. I tried to zoom on the insect. It is close to the centre of the amber.

Lovely brachiopods. I can be very greedy when I find brachiopods. I can collect every single specimen I will lay my eyes upon!

They don't take much space and each one is unique.

Horn corals. Not need to say much. I was always  whenever I saw posts with people collecting buckets of these, but there are no paleozoic outcrops around me.

I always wanted. Santa was very generous, not only supplied some, but some of them are complete! I am so grateful.

More paleozoic material. I am not sure about the second picture IDs.

Here I may also tell wrong identification.

Again not sure about the ID of this.

And here comes some very very serious stuff. My jaw dropped, then a whole smile covered my face.

A perfect rolled bug. What's best?

 

But of course the same species bug, again rolled but on matrix! Amazing preparation, perfect sample. I really love it!

I notice another fossil on the matrix which I cannot tell what is it. Looks like a section of a coral?

Last part of the box, an unprepped trilo for me to try. Sadly, I have not bought yet the equipment, but will do around January-February.

 

 

Can anyone guess who is my Santa?!!

I will definitely gift back some heteromorphs, soon as I start hunting again in March and find them! I feel at least obliged to send something AMAZING!

A huge THANK YOU, you made my day! Wish you all the best!

 

[TOM BUCKLEY]

 

Malcolm T.

[Notidanodon]

Yup definitely @Malcolmt I may have received a similar package 

[Malcolmt]

Seeing all these goodies is making me not want to wait till Xmas.........getting tougher by the day to hold out......

[Bobby Rico]

Looking though this thread already I think it is astonishing how generous our Santa’s are. Really wonderful stuff been gifted.  

[Malcolmt]

"Sadly, I have not bought yet the equipment, but will do around January-February."

 

The matrix around that trilo is quite soft and you can do a very good job with a pin vice, sewing machine needles, sharp exacto knife and magnifier of some type. If you take your time (many many hours) you can get amazing results on these bugs with no specialized equipment.Just always try to flake away from the bug after making a bit of a channel around the bug.

 

[Dimitris]

8 minutes ago, Malcolmt said:

"Sadly, I have not bought yet the equipment, but will do around January-February."

 

The matrix around that trilo is quite soft and you can do a very good job with a pin vice, sewing machine needles, sharp exacto knife and magnifier of some type. If you take your time (many many hours) you can get amazing results on these bugs with no specialized equipment.Just always try to flake away from the bug after making a bit of a channel around the bug.

 

I don't even have these tools. I have only some knives for wood working but don't do well with matrix. I have no idea about this one, I will try on the edge to see how it fairs.

Some screw drivers and that's all. I am only a year back into the hobby so I am pretty much newbie! I guess I could do some work with dental picks, but I prefer to buy air compressor and the proper pens. 

Thanks a lot again both for the advice and the gift, it was awesome! 

[TOM BUCKLEY]

32 minutes ago, Malcolmt said:

Seeing all these goodies is making me not want to wait till Xmas.........getting tougher by the day to hold out......

 

Malcolm,

Give into your darker side. Open it! 

 

Tom

[TOM BUCKLEY]

1 hour ago, TOM BUCKLEY said:

 

Malcolm T.

 

Adam,

How many points do I get for being the first correct guess? Huh? I wanna know. Pretty please? Make it lots. I deserve it. Just ask anyone......I'm a really nice guy. Honestly, I don't want much. A few hundred will do nicely. Besides, I am adorable. 

 

Tom

[fifbrindacier]

21 hours ago, Kasia said:

 

 

 

 

Partial Meg - no ID card

 

 

Labradorite

 

That's all - thank you Santa very much!!

 

My Santa is ....... ?

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous fossils Kasia !

[fifbrindacier]

On 27/11/2020 at 9:29 PM, gieserguy said:

It seems to be a fairly common trend that none of us are patient, and I’m certainly not here to go against the flow! I received my package a few days ago and it was open by the time I got it on the table 

Do YOU think you guess who these beautiful fossils are from????

 

 

 

A little taste of home with these lovely Mazon Creek fossils 

 

 

 

And this huge Turritella duo is my favorite of the bunch! They’re just so pretty 

 

Thank you to [redacted] for sending these! :))

That's a big Turitella (terebralis ?)you have here !

[fifbrindacier]

2 hours ago, Dimitris said:

I was not a good boy this year, yet Santa spoiled me way too much!

I received the parcel this Thursday and I managed to keep my hands off it until today.

First guy I see is this lovely echinoid.

Then I feel something bigger in the package. When I pull it out, I can't believe my eyes!

One of the largest trilo species, this one is 4", must have been around 5" complete. So far I have seen only pictures of this bug.

I say, it can't be better. Then I see this strange guy. For some time I try to understand what is it.

Why someone applied resin on those two small spots and on the surrounding area? Maybe it is a fossil for me to prepare?

Then my mind starts working. Its a cephalon of an Eurypterus, one of the coolest fossils ever!

Man the parcel was a bug party! An excellently prepared pigdium. Amazing!

This one was on top of the box, inside a plastic cylindrical container with foam for protection.

Excited by the bugs, I did not pay enough attention as it was super tiny. I saw on the label "Walnut" and thought how cool, a fossilised nut!

A little later, I check it better to find out it is another echinoid, super tiny, less than a cm. Love it 

 

Another amazing bug, almost complete.

Some amber from Burma. I tried to zoom on the insect. It is close to the centre of the amber.

Lovely brachiopods. I can be very greedy when I find brachiopods. I can collect every single specimen I will lay my eyes upon!

They don't take much space and each one is unique.

Horn corals. Not need to say much. I was always  whenever I saw posts with people collecting buckets of these, but there are no paleozoic outcrops around me.

I always wanted. Santa was very generous, not only supplied some, but some of them are complete! I am so grateful.

More paleozoic material. I am not sure about the second picture IDs.

Here I may also tell wrong identification.

Again not sure about the ID of this.

And here comes some very very serious stuff. My jaw dropped, then a whole smile covered my face.

A perfect rolled bug. What's best?

 

But of course the same species bug, again rolled but on matrix! Amazing preparation, perfect sample. I really love it!

I notice another fossil on the matrix which I cannot tell what is it. Looks like a section of a coral?

Last part of the box, an unprepped trilo for me to try. Sadly, I have not bought yet the equipment, but will do around January-February.

 

 

Can anyone guess who is my Santa?!!

I will definitely gift back some heteromorphs, soon as I start hunting again in March and find them! I feel at least obliged to send something AMAZING!

A huge THANK YOU, you made my day! Wish you all the best!

 

Definitely Malcolmt. The trilos are superbs !