Wednesday, August 01, 2007

August 1, 2007

Today's Mother's Day Site (MDS) temperature: 96 degrees

Back in the field for a full day at the quarry. I did make it out, though decided to come back to the YBRA this evening (hot meals, soft bed and warm showers...who could blame me?). We awoke in Red Lodge to temperatures in the mid-50's, and evidently, it got pretty cold out at the camp site as well. While the temperatures did rise into the mid-90's, a constant breeze (and our new shade tents) made it fairly comfortable. Everyone is making excellent progress on their fossils, with some excellent new discoveries today including a fairly nice skin impression found by Bill and Kim.

Back at the YBRA, after an all-you-can-eat ice cream sundae dessert, John, Tom, Kim and Bill took part in a hotly contested game of horseshoes. After nearly two hours, John & Tom came out on top by a score of 20-19 (we think), though Bill and Kim were making a bit of a run at the end.

Prospecting was pretty productive. Mackenzie found some rather large pieces of what appears to be a long limb bone (species unknown), and another nice stash of petrified wood. The crew also found some trace fossils from a small animal or perhaps an insect crawling in the mud and leaving a trail behind. More turtle pieces were also recovered.

Angela and Gary have been working on some pretty interesting bones which, in the Mother's Day Site tradition, are overlapping one another making for slow progress. Sara and Sam are working in and among some somewhat complex areas but are making nice progress. Mike has been working a few nice pieces but has really stepped in to help the DFS participants with some tips and pointers. I continue to move from one area to another, trying to expose the starts of bones for others to work on, though I would like to at least get one out of the ground myself before the week is over. Glenn is working on the large block of cervical vertebrae that we started working over a week ago, although the new air compressor and tools is making that move a little easier now.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very good to read that Bill and Kim are digging up cool stuff! Loved the pictures!

Anonymous said...

Guys, I would not be in any hurry to get back. The humidity hits you like a brick wall. Since I've been back my hair has gotten all frizzy and I don't know what to do with it now.