Adventures in Balance. A Peace River fossil journal.

[Balance]

@Fin Lover that’s link’s explanation seems simple enough. Thank you! 
 

Thanks Harry and Jack!!

[Harry Pristis]

Everyone who collects fossils in Florida rivers should keep in mind that the bottom of any non-navigable stream belongs to the land-owner of the adjacent banks.  That is, if it is usually too shallow to navigate or is otherwise obstructed by land features, it is probably private property.  The bottom of a navigable stream, like the Peace River, belongs to the state.

[FossilDAWG]

@Harry Pristis, out of curiosity how does Florida define navigable streams?  Every state does it their own way.  In Georgia, the definition is able to support transportation by barge, so there are no navigable streams (in the legal sense) upstream from the fall line, so about the level of Macon GA.  All those mountain streams that people use for canoeing and kayaking are in fact owned by whoever owns the river banks.  In other states it might be any waterway that can support any sort of boat or raft, or in other cases it falls back to historical precedent of what waterways were used for commerce at the time the state was founded.

 

Don

[Harry Pristis]

 

 

Posted July 8, 2015

The rules are very clear if you go and look up The Florida Public Trust Doctrine it very clearly states if the creek was navigable with a dugout canoe when Florida became a state then it is considered a navigable stream and therefore its public domain up to the high-water mark and the landowners do not own to the middle of the creek even though their deed says so. The phosphate company that tried to close Fisheating Creek found out in court that their deed was meaningless when it came to Florida law. The problem with Josua, Horse, Charlie, etc. is that no one so has had the money to take it to court.  The landowners are defiant and will tell you to take your papers that prove your right and shove them because they have a deed that says they own to the center of the creek.  The Doctrine says its public land preserved for the people of Florida just like the Peace River and the doctrine even mentions the Peace River and the fact it was navigable almost all the way to its beginning.

[Balance]

I did not know that. 
 

To be fair, I don’t go into any other side creeks except Joshua and Charlie. I always assumed this creek to be apart of pioneer park. There are no “no trespassing” signs. Just clean up your trash signs. All the other creeks I’m aware of are barb wired off too. With the super highway leading to this one and the 10-15 people in there every weekend I never even suspected it to be private. 
 

I was taught that the high water mark determines the depth of a waterway. So if the little creek is empty it’s no different than if Charlie creek is empty. It’s navigable up to the high water mark. So I’ve always stayed well below the high water mark. To be safe. 
 

(I was taught by my grandfather. Not a law book. So I imagine I’m the one in the wrong.  )
 

Thanks!

 

Jp

[Shellseeker]

1 hour ago, Harry Pristis said:

The problem with Joshua, Horse, Charlie, etc. is that no one so has had the money to take it to court.  The landowners are defiant and will tell you to take your papers that prove your right and shove them because they have a deed that says they own to the center of the creek. 

Harry, 

You are correct in all aspects. As you well know, you can not be a fossil hunter in Bone Valley without dealing with this issue. I have had multiple encounters with landowners who believe that it is their right to throw trespassers off their property. Given the easy availability of handguns in the State of Florida,  I choose to cooperate.

However, I contact the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) which controls the exact definition of which creeks and rivers in the State of Florida meet the definition of "navigable" and are therefore owned by the public, not the landowner.  I request a letter that states the creek in question is "owned by the DEP Board of Trustees, and that there are no existing permits banning access. ".  I leave that letter on the dashboard of my vehicle as I park next to the Stream I intend to hunt. I report any aggressive actions by the landowner on the day of occurrence to the local County Sherriff Dept.  I have discussed this with numerous Sherriff deputies and they understand the law and communicate it to the landowners. This seems to have resolve any issues I had.

[Harry Pristis]

My goodness, Jack!  I've never had an encounter like that.  Probably because I didn't do much exploring of the tributaries.  Another hazard to consider when fossil-collecting.

[Balance]

I’m so excited to read this thread in a few years   

 

All info Heard, Chef! 

[Balance]

Entry III:  A great Day! Almost. Maybe. I think. 
 

What an absolutely perfect morning. Should start with that. Temperature perfect, river level excellent, the equipment in smooth operation, and I got to wear my vest most of the time. As a Floridian you treasure vest weather. It’s a slight step up from cotton sweater weather. 

Millie ran a muck and found some fresh cow pie to roll in. I found a great spot to spend a couple hours digging a really big hole, and while the going was slow today it just didn’t seem to matter. 

As usual we got going at first light. Today was the maiden voyage of the all electric power system on the boat. Left the 2stroke at home and ran almost 8 miles round trip on batteries. Pretty good clip too. Two 12V deep cycles totaling 220amp hours in parallel. Checked the voltage at the truck and barely made a dent. That project is almost finished. Now that I’ve done a test run the final parts can be added and I’ll post an update. 

 

First couple of sieves and I got a monster! First thought was “my first full bison tooth!!” - then the doubt started. Cow?? Or Bison??

 

 

Millie was not as impressed as I was. 

 

My goal was to stay put. So long as the hole wasn’t barren, my job was to get as deep as I could today. Aside from fossil hunting, I wanted to learn as much as possible about the layers making up the riverbed in this section. Things changed since last spring and I’ve got some learning to do. At 2.5-3’ down I stalled out. Seemed the hole filled in as much as I took out. Eventually I got the hole wide enough to get some more depth. Added a ramp into it so I could stop collapsing it too. At about 4’ down I had to call it for the day. Literally had to give myself a stern talking to and pack up to go home. I’d have stayed all day. 

 

Here are the layers as presented today. I hope to one day understand what this translates to as for when to stop digging or when to move. When to only dig 2’ and not waste the time but when to dig for the bottom too… etc. 
 

1-3” Thin chunky gravel layer - small teeth, turtle shell frags, mammal molar

3-24”Sand gravel mix - small teeth, turtle shell

 

24”-36/42” Sand - almost 1.5’ of barren material. Occasional small sharks tooth but minimal gravel in a huge shovel load. Surprisingly no shortage of turtle parts. 

 

36-45” Extremely dense gravel layer- 3” thick  and found Hemi Serra teeth, broken Meg, tortoise spur, and old alligator/croc/fish teeth. Lemon shark teeth here too!! 
 

40-48” - sand again!  had to fill it in and go home

 

I expect if I could get deeper through the next sand layer I’ll hit another layer of packed gravel.  I think the weight of the sand layer above is what packs it. Eventually I think you’ll find limestone or clay. No idea yet. Maybe this section has too many mixing layers to reach the bottom? Maybe the deeper you get the thinner the layers due to age and compression? 

 

Millie took a nap while I worked. She was very pleased with the cooler weather. 
 

 

Truthfully I took her today because of the temperatures but these two were way bigger than I like to have around. The lower picture is just the darn things tail. That’s Too much crows!

9-10’ upper and no idea on the lower. It’s big though. Bigger than Balance. 

 

Luckily, they were cold. Didn’t move the entire morning. So we packed up. Enjoyed the view and the quiet ride back to our the truck. 100% noticed a massive increase in birds and wildlife without the gas motor. I wanna see a panther. Can’t do that hauling butt everywhere making a racket. 
 

 

Definitely wish I could have shirked work this afternoon and stayed out. I wanna dig another hole “over there”. And , “over there”.  

 

Oh well. Next week. 
 

Now to learn about the finds, finish some upgrades and equipment mods. Always things to do. 
 

 

 

Here are the detailed shots of today’s discoveries:

 

Bison or Cow M2? (Learned today uppers are capitalized)
Another damage alligator vert

small Hemi Serra mix

Peace river mixed teeth 

unkown vert frag (120mmx40mmx30mm) 

2/3 of a meg (that’s the most Meg I’ve found so I’m apparently 2/3 worth of a full size. In time…)

Tortoise spur, twig fossil? 

old teeth 

50mmx30mmx18mm

Im wanting bison. Because that’s way cooler but also because I found another feed post on TFF with a Harry P certified bison tooth that’s identical-ish. I’ve also found an Harry P post with a blurry image of an Bos tooth that also looks like mine??? Open to discussion. Definitely my first full mammal tooth regardless.  (It’s a dead ringer for the middle aged Bos Molar but I’m holding out for the Hail Mary)

The bison tooth below is the example on TFF. Not the one I found. Wish we had color like this though. It’s beautiful! 
link to thread and quick reference photo’s below: 

 

 

Reference as Bos. it’s blurry on the thread. Can’t find it clear. 

 

 

Not sure is this would be a spur or one of the many leg bones. Would have been a big spur on this tortoise! 

 

Today’s Hemi Serra
 

 

super old gator tooth I think? 25mmx12mmx13mm

 

croc tooth I wish. 28mmx10mm probably a nasty big fish?!

 

fossil Twig or maybe coral? I can see some small barnacle like impressions. Found in the deep gravel. 

 

 

I shall say goodnight with a story. 

Today I found a fragment of dugong bone along with many broken chunked pieces. What was notable about it was I finally realized that the little river rocks that kinda look like off and teeth-ish are just smaller pieces of broken dugong. 
 

That’s not the story but it reminded of a story and I found this old dugong rib point in the bucket tonight so I could feel the chuckle. 
 

On my first or second attempt at hunting I found this dugong rib tip in the photo. At the time I didn’t know anything. Including what dugong were. Excited for my discovery I asked an ol timer at the Gardner boat ramp if he’d seen anything like it before. 
 

“young man, you take care of that! That’s a tip of a mammoth tusk!” - he held it and looked at it. I was amazed. He was straight faced and dead serious. 
 

This piece and a good deal of others from that first few hunts came home as priceless treasure. Just a bunch of rib bones.
 

Only thing priceless that day was the laugh he had on the way to his own hunting spot.  
 

Keep the faith and try to do good!! 
 

Balance and Equipment modification updates this weekend! 
 

Jp

 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Balance
Double photos

[Fin Lover]

Nice post!  I will say that, although he may have been pulling your leg about the mammoth tusk, I have learned that there are a lot of people out hunting who have no idea what they are talking about.  Like the guy who has been creek hunting in Summerville for 10 years and was telling me about the tons of "dinosaur" bones he's found there. 

[Shellseeker]

 

 

What were you thinking, you know I love you but there better some filet in this for me,

 

On the finds, 

Differentiating Cow from bison is based primarily on size and "robustness"

It is really Giant Tortoise spur/ osteoderm and I have found much larger

Those Hemis are Miocene teeth , more than 3 mya and in great shape.  Must have been hidden from the currents,

Not Gator tooth,  texture says bone... tip of a rib

Deer tine

A piece of branching coral ,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corallite

 

I like your idea of digging out the layers.. I have an 8 foot steel tipped surveyors pole. I know that there can be gravel layers under the sand. After digging to the bottom of the hole , I probe a foot or so down. If there are fossils below, they can be impressive... The pole has other uses .. anchor in the current for my kayak or sieve... or when I spot large gators , pushed into the mud, within reach

 

Take care my friend. You are correct Those gators will not attack at these temperatures. But there are decades ahead and you must be prepared when/if the day comes. Millie is depending on you.

[Balance]

@Fin Lover you may very well be correct. I’m suspicious natured to start with due to my own behavior.

 

In my early 20’s I worked summers/fall at a ranch in New Mexico. I had a bit I would pull on new guys/gals that started working with us. I’d wait till they picked up some rock out of the arena or pasture and interrupt them with the same seriousness the guy at the boat ramp had.

I say, “be careful! That’s a Clovis love stone!” 

“Really!?” They would change they way they hold it and start running fingers over it. if the gig stayed on, and they were into it they’d collect a pocket full. 
 

Eventually they figured out they had a pocket of  rocks and we’d all get a laugh. - come to think of it one of those gag recipients zip tied me in a hammock. I was there for the entire afternoon. So maybe they deserved their love stones! Or I deserved the hammock?!  
 

Jp

 

 

[Balance]

@Shellseeker 

 

Thanks, Jack! 
 

Millers was less pleased about her bath/s that afternoon. Getting fresh cow patty paste out of Aussie fur is “fun”. So was riding home with her smelling so wonderful. River water gets rid of the gunk but not the funk!   - she’s around poop of all kinds at the farms. No interest in horse, goat, chicken or hog. Now, give that dog some fresh cow poo and it’s like a magnet.  - Part of the adventure….  
 

I’ve noticed in the last 5 years that the gators are changing. Don’t have facts or info to back it up but all of them are getting more assertive. I don’t wanna say aggressive because they aren’t looking for trouble but instead of just going under I get territorial tail splashes, front facing posture, or no fear response at all. I’m hopeful my experience with them will keep us a step ahead but I fear an accident is coming on the Peace. Maybe the myakka gators have swum up river and are mixing with the peace rivers regularly elusive crew? Last time I was at nocatee I saw over 100 sets of eyes around the airboat base. 
 

If you look behind Millie in the photo you copied you’ll see my blue pool pole. I call it the manual power pole.  For those unfamiliar. Power poles are hydraulic jack anchors that stick into the seabed to anchor the boat. I use it much like your survey pole to anchor, reach out and touch stuff,  and to test the bottom while underway. It’s also the primary propulsion method under 4.5’ water on the gauge. 

 

Forrest through the trees… you are absolutely right about the deer tines. I even have others exactly like it in the box. Maybe since fossil finds were slower yesterday my imagination was going faster in return.  
 

 yesterday I completely forgot about my probe one I started digging. Used it to find where to dig and anchor my sieve. After that, just forgot about it. Definitely will get my head out of my rear end next time. 
 

Thank you for the links. Already got distracted in the gallery.  Need to try and figure out the Hemi difference between the two epochs. 
 

Jp. 

[Shellseeker]

31 minutes ago, Balance said:

 yesterday I completely forgot about my probe one I started digging. Used it to find where to dig and anchor my sieve. After that, just forgot about it. Definitely will get my head out of my rear end next time. 

I like gators and I realize that it their home I am invading.  I do not wish to hurt them, but then I prepare for the day... Useful probe tool.. tip sharpened

[Balance]

Finished one project, missed on the other. 
 

Good weekend around the shop. Nice mix of family and free time. Everyone else here is busy busy on Saturday so it provided some tinker time too. 
 

First thing to address were the new batteries and the various wires, post, and whatever else there is to dislike about exposed battery connections. With the dog, kids and it being a boat, definitely needed a cover.  In the photo series the upper left is from this past weekend. Definitely did not feel comfortable. 

Here is the math for the system. 

2batteries - 12v system in parallel

122 amp hour per battery = 244Amp/hour 

trolling motor on max draw pulls 40amps/hour and 24 amps/hour on standard running draw. 
 

6.1 hours run on max draw - 10.1 hours on standard draw.
 

The real run time will be less and depends on temperature, battery age, number of charges etc… but!! I can rest easy using it for a few hours of run time each week on a full charge without issues. The secret to extending battery life is to keep the amp draw as low as possible. By parallel connecting the batteries you split the total amp draw between all of the batteries in parallel and in turn each runs a lower amp draw requirement.  A 40 amp draw will kill a single battery pretty quickly while a 20 amp draw will run all day. So you gotta learn to tweak the system. 

 

In the river, the test run shows you could use this system for an entire weekend running downstream and using the lower two settings to help steer. Going upstream required 32amp/hour minimum to meet acceptable progress and full 40amp draw getting through a few faster sections. So gonna need to plan accordingly. 
 

 

 

Balance looks heavy! People are regularly in shock when I throw it into the bed of the truck. The secret is, with exception to the nose cover(teak), everything is cedar. As such, everything is ultra lightweight. The model style is rated for 750lb and a 5hp motor. So it’s a stout boat for its weight! I’ve added stiffening rails, transom riser, and runners to the bottom too. Not that I need the weight load addition but to help with the kids and dog moving around. 
 

New battery area in place and everything got oiled. I think it’s neat to see the different ages of the wood. Different years and projects. I got it in 2013. Skill sets gotten better too.  
 

If the “Greener Balance” falls short, there’s always the trusty but polluting 2stroke. 

 

 

Sneak peek at something I’m working on. This is soooooooo frustrating because it was a first attempt and it was so close. Gonna redraw the cutout and cut another one without the giant holes in the bottom of the collection area.  
 

oh well, easy fix to close it up in the drawing, and  cut a new one. I’ll break the shape again this week and hope to have a finished design ready to test this weekend! 
 

In flat form it looks like a crazy shovel alien, 4 eyed monster. Lol. Friendly of course. 
 

Keep the faith and try to do good!

Jp
 

 

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

I really enjoy reading your posts and the photos are fantastic! Thanks for the link and glad you enjoy the colors of the teeth. 

[automech]

Love the design of that shovel! I can see where those two areas at the base of the handle could let material fall out. What size holes are you drilling into it? 

 

As far as the gators, I remember reading a post awhile back that another Florida hunter started playing loud music to repel the gators. It might have been hardrock music.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Great thread.

Thanks.

[Balance]

@johnnyvaldez7.jv @automech @Tidgy's Dad

 

Thank you!! I appreciate it! 
 

3/8” holes and 1/4” slots. I did the shovel with a drill bit but made the fence frame on the plasma  table. 

[Balance]

No hunting this week…

 

Planned on a Sunday trip all week but to no avail! Hoping for enough time this coming weekend. Maybe.  The Mrs. Will be expecting Christmas lights soon…. 
 

Water’s perfect, depths great, and weather is actually hot again so being wet would feel good!  None of that matters unfortunately. As much as I want them to matter what does is if I’m in “balance”.  A trip to the river out of balance won’t feel right. For me, the river is my escape. Not just from developed society but from the constant pressure of life’s many different layers. If I go against the feeling that my attentions should be elsewhere. That feeling will persist throughout the trip and I’ll end up feeling guilty instead of relieved. The opposite effect I’m going for. Coming in to the ramp with a fully loaded boat of responsibility makes the packing up really heavy. Even sharing the finds afterward looses its luster. 
 

I write this because I imagine I’m not the only one who’s with an addictive personality that’s addicted to the hunt. Addicted to the adventure and the challenges that come with it.  Even addicted to learning about the finds and planning new attempts.  In my past I’ve had hobbies that consumed me negatively. Even learning my farrier trade once used up so much time I let it create troubles. I started a second business 10 years ago and I worked so much that it almost cost me my marriage!  Add in kids and life and I needed help! Luckily, folks helped me understand finding the balance. That has made all the difference. 
 

Learning from these past mistakes helped me understand my limitations in stretching myself out. Helped me appreciate others need of my presence. Helped me see shortfalls and misses that I didn’t want to do again. Weekends like these and the choices they require will always test my decision making abilities. This time around I’ve got lots of experience with navigating through my wants versus needs.
 

Even so, Lordy today was perfect! 
 

Till we float onward! 
 

Jp
 

 

 

[Balance]

The Forum hath been reborn!! 
 

Oh yah, the shovel fence totally works!! 
 

Full report on last Sunday coming soon.

 

Thanks and Thanks for all the integration work!

 

Jp

 

 

[Balance]

“Sunday Sifting”  or maybe, “Rodents of Unusual Size”?? You choose the title. 
 

This past weekend I had a chance to hit the river for a few hours later in the afternoon. Short trip, but that’s okay! I’ll gladly and gratefully take the moment. 
 

To start we need to go back. Back to a previous discussion on river layers, shifting sands, and finding the best places to attempt a search.  
 

We had discussed how the riverbed  from last season was gone and the new sand blanket had recreated the underwater structures.  Old holes were now shallow and places that I could easily walk across are now crossed with webs of deep channels.
 

This prompted a study of basic river flow dynamics. Which is basically divided into two categories, fast and slow.  Fast erodes the bottom faster, slow erodes the bank faster.  Peace river is in the extreme slow category.  There’s plenty to learn if you wish to. For me it comes down to this simple illustration. For this trip, I found a spot in my hunting area that matched the flow dynamics of the “A ——-B” example and set up shop on the opposite side of the channel from the current. In theory this puts me in a place where deposits are likely and in turn better concentrated for hunting.  The other examples shown should also yield better concentrations. This is general to show the example easily but any variations in river direction can be applied if wanted. I suppose it should also be noted you don’t need them in consecutive orders. These represent individual examples. 
 

Considering I dug one hole and only hunted for a couple hours I’m willing to test this theory again! 
 

 

I know we have some members who primarily walk the waters edge. This flood deposit diagram seems like it could be useful in learning what to look for in good areas of buildup. 
 

 

Time for the hunt:

 

Afternoon departures are not the norm but Millie and I took advantage of the high sun and found our way into the water. She greatly appreciated the new poop deck over the batteries. Today was too hot for free range Millie activities so she was limited to the boat. Before you give her too much sympathy, she’d be happy in a cardboard box as long as I’m there too. She watches the process with anticipation of the shovel dump and resulting water splash. Then tries to bite it.
 

When you don’t see gators on the banks. They are in the water. In the water means Millie is in the boat. 

 

I found a location that should produce the effects of the A——B area on the diagram and it was time to get wet. It was also time to test the new gravel fence on my mud shovel.  Had to add flotation to my cedar sifter in anticipation of the bigger loads. That proved wise. 

Water was pretty deep. About a meter to the river bottom. Then another half meter down until the shovel handle ran out. This was the lowest the deposit side of the flow channel went. So I figured start here and work over. Didn’t get enough time to move but we’ll be back!

 

(One mystery for the ones with experience??? -

 

when I probe there are obvious feelings and sounds for different materials. Sand, sand/gravel, large or dense gravel etc. my question is what the heck is going on when all of a sudden the probe shoots through like it’s hollow? One second you’re pushing through a gravel layer and the next you shoot 2 feet down (or more!) with absolutely no resistance! Are there air pockets? Water pockets? What’s happening in these voids?!? )

 

I digress. Back to the hunt. 

 

The new shovel concept:

 

Before I rebuilt the prototype shovel it seemed wise to test it. So I made a bracket to fill the gaps in the first design. The results are obvious. There’s an obvious overwhelming positive but also overwhelming negative. 
 

This thing pulls up a dump truck load of gravel! That’s the obvious positive. Lifting that dump truck out of the bottom of the hole in this deeper water was hard to navigate. Shallow water was no problem. As you may be able to see by the photo , My reach is maxed at 2.5’ down into the riverbed.  
I have to lift from the base of the handle to control the weight. That means you gotta reach all the way down there to get it! There’s your negative.

 

My plan is to add a top lift handle. That will assist leveraging but will also help keep orientation. You can’t see it that far down. So you easily lose reference of what’s the top or bottom.  If you’d like to see it in action the previous post has a short slow motion video.  Next step will be to cut a new fence with the changes but I’m gonna run it as is a few more trips and see if there are any other tweaks it needs. 
 

 

Time flew by! It was getting dark before I knew it. Ask any proper Floridian when not to go swimming in gator filled water. The answer will be a resounding dusk and at night. 
 

This was ok. I was able to apply new techniques and knowledge with success, and I came out of the hole with some great treasures for the collection.  Nose cone well decorated, we headed back to the truck. 
 

 

In film and photography there’s a special period of light about an hour before darkness comes. It’s called “magic hour”. The lighting softens because of the sun’s low angle and it’s hard to take a bad picture in this light. We were gifted the entire ride home in the golden rays. 
 

(the movie “Bad Company” was filmed entirely in magic hour in order to cohesively make the western prairie the same in every scene shot outside. Terrible movie. Beautiful though)
 

Blue Heron (take off number 1 , Jack  ) 

 

Another half of a half a second on the trigger and the shot would have double the ibis in frame. Just missed it. Birds flying in flock formations are fascinating. 

 

Till next time, Peace River 

 

 

 

What’s interesting about joining this forum is it created an entire other treasure hunt. For “after the hunt”. Searching out the mystery is such a thrill.  I’ve also noticed an increase in my ability to see things of importance in the sieve.  
 

So here’s the haul for a hour or so in the water. I’ll be back. Just got the hole started. 
 

The turtle shell (“pond turtle”  so obviously ponds were a little bigger then) is my biggest and most complete section so far. Nice to find a bigger fossil. Unbroken too. 

 

I’m dedicating these Extinct Sand shark beauties to all the Hemi Serra lowers that fooled me before this trip.  First of these in the box! Tiny barbs verified!

Few nice Hemi examples and a more colorful than usual peace river mix. 

 

Below:

 

top left:  I get to add another fish plate and two more partial giant beaver teeth into the box. 
 

top right:  are two more giant tortoise spurs. The larger is my biggest yet!

 

Lower left:is what happens when you get jealous of the color these Texas hunters are finding.  The capybara plate is a single flake from a large tooth. Kinda similar to a mammoth tooth the way it layers together. I’ve only found individual flakes so far. It and a piece of blue coral have that JohnnyV color though!! - Now, I know you can’t keep native artifacts but this pottery shard from the mid century Zolfoian peoples had enough detail I thought maybe my grandmother could ID it.  

 

bottom right has a beautiful alligator scute and a couple shells. One of which is a complete cast of the small Fibonacci shells I only have the heard of. Very cool. 

 

 

 

Since we are looking at shells. This piece blew me away. Found it in the same hole. Is this Tamiami formation or would this be Caloosahatchee formation? 
 

There’s literally to many things to ID in this matrix hash. 

 

Between the giant beaver, and capybara found this trip the Peace River is starting to sound more like the Fire Swamp.  ID for this is currently at capybara incisor. I’ll edit later with measurements. Apologies for cropping the rule out of the pic. If you need immediate reference for scale it’s in the group shot. The square shape, single exterior grove and size fit capybara or beaver well.  Without the chewing surface I guess it’s best we got. 
 

 

So back to what I said about seeing stuff clearer in the sieve. I’ve been working on an articulation project of a Plio/Pleistocene Equus limb. I guess looking at those phalanx bones stuck because I see a proximal  or medial phalanx of a smaller animal. Heck maybe it’s a capybara and the rodent experience will be full circle!   As you wish.  

Since it’s similar to an Equus P2 I’ll maybe start looking at smaller mammals like deer or camels. If you want a hard time finding IDs  take the forum offline for a few days! 
 

 

 

Before we get too far looking into this. Is this just turtle or tortoise? Because that’s fine but still nuts. It’s different in internals, Massive, and its color is unique. If it’s turtle the shell would be almost 2 inches thick! Could it be from a large mammal scapula or something else?

For the grand finale we have something insanely good (or another cow bone). I’ve put in a bit of ID effort and I think I found the patella/kneecap of a Teleoceras! It’s a slightly smaller size than the Museum example but I’m feeling confident.  

 

 

This is what it’s all about! Learn stuff, apply learning, have fun and find treasure. Yes! 
 

 

 

This week I’ll leave you with these. In the US we have a holiday of Thanksgiving. These days, at least for our family, we focus on giving thanks and being grateful for family and our lives around us instead of on the whole pilgrims and Indians story. The kids (myself included) don’t connect with that theme but they do understand that you can be grateful for anything and everything you want to be. They understand it’s important to recognize when you’re grateful and that it’s ok to just stop and be so. 
 

Last night my youngest daughter and I drove back from my brothers house in Naples, Florida. That drive runs you up backroads right along the Peace. Lori Anne is a river kid through and through and she’s always ready for an adventure. Since I had to pass River rd in Gardner, figured we’d run down there and check the “night”  river out.  She loves to ride in the back of the truck when we are on slow back roads, and with it being a bright moon and cold it seemed an easy delay for massive enjoyment for her. 
 

To say we stumbled upon the spot at the exact right moment would be an understatement. The  bright moon, white sand , freshly washed sky (cold front earlier) and lack of light pollution created a totally magical atmosphere. We played on the dunes and explored for an hour. We both acknowledged our gratitude. It was an unforgettable experience. I don’t get opportunities to shoot pics at night very often but we got the blessing last night.  

Thankful for finding the forum and IT’s community. Grateful for the opportunity it provides me for becoming better at this hobby. 
 

Keep the faith and try to do good!

Jp

 

 

 

[automech]

That's one heck of an excavator you made there! Just spit balling here. What if you attached the handle you're talking about where your hand is in this picture. Maybe use the bolt that holds the shovel handle in place, also.

 

On your last few paragraphs of this post, I whole heartedly agree! Well said.  We have some tin signs hanging in the kitchen, and, one says "Gratitude is being Thankful for what you have". Another says "Attitude is everything. Pick a good one". 

[Shellseeker]

Great Report, jp...

On 11/24/2023 at 11:00 AM, Balance said:

Last night my youngest daughter and I drove back from my brothers house in Naples, Florida. That drive runs you up backroads right along the Peace. Lori Anne is a river kid through and through and she’s always ready for an adventure. Since I had to pass River rd in Gardner, figured we’d run down there and check the “night”  river out.  She loves to ride in the back of the truck when we are on slow back roads, and with it being a bright moon and cold it seemed an easy delay for massive enjoyment for her.

These are the memories that will last beyond forever...  Lori Anne is fortunate to have you.

 

On the topic of Rhino and random bones in the Peace River...

I found this one in December 2014, above Heard Bridge.. I could not identify it and ended up taking it to my 2016 local club Fossil show to donate it for the spin for fossils game. Richard Hulbert was there identifying fossils and IDed it as a Proterum Astragalus.  I still have it. The only Rhino bone I have ever found in the Peace River.  You are ahead of me.  I had been hunting the Peace River for 5 years before I found this one.

 

Like your Rhino patella,  there is nothing like finding a bone that has no obvious breaks and tracking it down...  I manage to ID a Mammoth Lunar,  with the help of TFF,  back in April...

NICE of the Rhino and also congratulations on those sand tigers. All you have to do is focus on a fossil and almost magically it shows up in your sieve... 

[Balance]

7 hours ago, automech said:What if you attached the handle you're talking about where your hand is in this picture. Maybe use the bolt that holds the shovel handle in place, also.

 

Exactly!! Great idea! 
 

Definitely need to get the handle attached as close to or under the back of the shovel. I completely agree about using the existing bolt hole to start. 
 

Question?: Should the position of the handle be stationary or should I use washers and make the handle where it can pivot freely to any position? —- these are times I wish I new an actual engineer Or trig expert to help with load versus the angle of the handle. Could be really nice for it to kinda articulate like a backhoe arm but might also take away any lift advantages if it’s not fixed solid??? 
 

Here’s a drawing of the bracket that would go on each side. Basically use a longer bolt and put two sets of nuts. Tighten the inner to lock the shovel collar around the handle and the put big diameter washers with the brackets in between the outer nut. Use the second nut to tighten the washer and bracket group. Snug but still enough to swivel between the washers. Use lock washers and thread lock on the outler nuts.  -  the handle itself will probably wedge the bracket apart nicely but I could break angles on the sheet metal break if needed. Shame I’m out of dugong drill bits or I could make a rib bone the handle.  
 

“Keep the faith and try to do good” is what we like to say around here. Appreciate your feedback and input. 
 

Thanks

 

Jp