Diamonds In The Rough

[brachiomyback]

Expedition date: April 9, 2010

With a 4:30 a.m. wake up call and a 1½ hour drive to the Raleigh Durham Airport, I was on my way to the great state of Tennessee because of a much welcomed project from the boss man. After a short flight, I soon was driving through Nashville to my job site. I got goose bumps seeing the familiar area road cuts especially when I passed the mile marker where I historically exited to collect fossils.

I was beat from a long 16 hour work day, but relieved knowing I would finish up early the following morning. A new day dawned and in no time I started the 3 hour trek back to Nashville. The return drive was pure torture. It has been over a year since I collected at this Upper Ordovician Period, Leipers Formation (Maysville Group) that was deposited approximately 445 million years ago. This was my fourth time back and had a good five hours to hunt before my evening flight back.

(Chattanooga Shale formation upper right)

I wondered what Ordovician finds I would discover that became weather out of the strata since my prior visit. After I hurriedly purchased a small mattock hand pick from an area Home Depot, I finally arrived at my destination. I floated down the secluded road and greeted the site with a smile. Soon I was maneuvering about the cliff faces like a billy goat searching for my favorite finds here, geodized brachiopods.

I picked out some geodized Platystrophia specimens in addition to the normal complete ones and two Streptelasma (coral). One specimen even had a Rafinesquina attached to it, an extra bonus. In no time it was time to rehydrate myself from the effects of the super heated surfaces of the formation in the blistering sun.

I then decided to hunt along the gravel piles of the cliff faces. Comparable weathered out finds were to be found also. They were hidden among the tumbled rocks, just waiting to be discovered and picked up.

The sun above me was getting brutal during the mid day as I took the last gulp from the fourth water bottle. I kept an extra eye on the surrounding terrain expecting to come across a sunning reptilian friend with a rattled end. I think it was too hot and luckily none were located. If they did, they would have most likely have become my sun baked lunch of snake jerky.

I could feel my arms were getting burnt and reluctantly I put on my jacket to cover up. With one water bottle remaining I decide to finish up among the gravel piles under sapling trees with their small spring leaves providing minimal cover. The heat, sun and wearing the jacket soon became too much and I decided to conclude my expedition early.

These are some of my oldest fossils in my collection. I have to say it’s pretty neat when you once again turn the heads of airport security by explaining that those are “just” 445 million year old Ordovician fossils (after my bag, as expected, is further inspected after being X-Rayed).

FYI.

My thoughts go out to any “area” Nashville paleo friends who were affected by the recent rains.

As most of you know, Nashville was hit very hard from some record flooding.

At least Hank William’s Squirrel Band went unscathed at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

...enjoy

[worthy 55]

Great report and some cool finds. I really like the squirrel band.

[barefootgirl]

Nice finds. I wonder if the squirrel band ever gets together with the toad mariachi band and play sometime?

[JimB88]

Where did you have to go? If you were in eastern Tennessee I could have directed you to some good spots!

[Taxman56]

WOW nice crystals.

But the question we all want to know, what happen to the new pick?

[Terry Dactyll]

brachio......Great report and nice finds......

[MikeD]

Great brachs. My bag gets looked into every time on the way home. Those rocks freak them out.