Quick After Work Upper Britton Trip

[vertman]

Hello everyone!

It has been more than half a year since I posted any of my fossil finds. I have been busy. But at least I have been able to collect some. I will post another post at some point to highlight some of my favorite finds over the last 6-8 months. There have been some good ones. Today in Dallas we had temps in the 60s with light winds. Combine that with spring break, almost all the execs on vacation meaning low expectations at work, and light traffic and that meant only one thing...time for an after work fossil hunt!

I have started my yearly visitation of all the "old" sites. I started with my favorite, an Upper Britton formation site from the Upper Cretaceous. It sets in the heart of the Desmoceras scotti Zone and has produced hundreds of ammonites and crabs over the past several years. They scraped off a huge piece of land just before the bottom fell out of the housing market and the fields just sat there literally for years. Unfortunately the economy is now better (just kidding...I know we need those homes to get built!) and houses are coming up fast. Still, in the one area remaining I did quite well today.

As I walked through the lots I found myself musing about fossil collecting and life in general. My oldest daughter is playing in the National Christian Home School Basketball Championships for the last time next week, in Springfield, MO. In a few months she graduates high school and moves on to pursue her life's calling. I guess her growing up got me to thinking...

The first time we found this site my girls were much much younger. They literally ran up and down the ditches picking up complete ammonite after complete ammonite and just giggling with delight. It was probably my favorite day collecting fossils, ever! I remembered my oldest, about 12 at the time, stuck in mud up to her waist in one of the ditches and me having a devil of a time pulling her out, minus her shoes which we never recovered.

Then I smiled to myself as I contemplated just how much trouble fossil collecting has kept me out of over the years. When I had friends out doing things they shouldn't be doing, I collected fossils. Many times I have come home muddy, often from head to toe, smelling like sweat and mud. It is always great to see the look on my wife's face at just how dirty an old boy can get when out collecting. But coming in dirty with a baggie of treasures has always been a sign to her that she knows exactly where I am and what I have been doing.

So, thank you, fossil gods. I have been very lucky indeed to have had this hobby to share with my family and others and to also keep me on the straight and narrow.

Yes. I did do fairly well today, finding about 15 complete ammonites, several crab parts, and misc other pieces. I thought I would show a variety of images of the fossils as I found them.

Thanks for looking!

First I will start off with a couple images of partial fossil crabs, the largest being a 3" by 2" chunk of a Cenomanocarcinus.

[vertman]

There are still a lot of ammonites to be had at this site. They are mostly of 2 genera and species: Desmoceras scotti and Metiococeras geslinalium. Here are some images of some of the ones I found today. I also threw in an image of a clam, Inoceramus labiatus. The site still has quite a number of those present as well.

[vertman]

I couldn't resist. I actually found the images of my daughter getting stuck in the mud at this site. I hope she does not look at the Forum. Enjoy!

[sward]

Glad to see you're getting out again and posting again. It's therapy for the soul. I hate it when life gets in the way of living.

It looks like you had a pretty good outing.

I notice your daughter is smiling while she's stuck. That's a sign of a real fossil-hunter.

Edited March 13, 2013 by sward

[Uncle Siphuncle]

looks like a good time for richard & co. my son still likes my orders as we step onto fossil grounds.... "get as muddy as you want"

[Boneman007]

Reminds me of the the time on the North Sulpher River. Vertman and I were going along the north side of the river, when I stepped in a muck hole and sunk one leg all the way up to my thigh! After fighting to get out. I realized that Vertman hadnt noticed my plight. So I covered up the hole, and went downstream a little ways to wait for the fun.

Vertman managed to get BOTH legs up to his thighs in this mess!

Needless to say, I could hardly get him out of the hole without laughing my butt off!

I don't remember him smiling like his daughter at the time!

[jpc]

Nice fossils, nice tale.... great picture of the daughter being rescued.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

agreed, vertman....a productive day afield provides superb matrimonial insurance...coming home empty handed may require AFLAC....MUA HA HA! my wife knows what "hitting the bars" means for me...

[vertman]

Glad to see you're getting out again and posting again. It's therapy for the soul. I hate it when life gets in the way of living.

It looks like you had a pretty good outing.

I notice your daughter is smiling while she's stuck. That's a sign of a real fossil-hunter.

Thank you! I have actually managed to collect on a fairly regular basis. I will try to share some images soon of the things I have found in the last several months. A few of them were actually very good.