Feeling older than dirt??

Hey, the sun was shining when I got up today!  That's a good thing.  After checking in at the office and getting a different vehicle (other than the 15 person van),  I headed out on foot to do a bird survey of the  Post Oak Creek Trail  close to headquarters.  Lots of yellow rumped warblers and cardinals are in the area, but nothing unexpected yet.

After lunch, I was the laminator queen once again and did some other office type stuff.  Along about 2:30, both Peggy and I were fed up with indoor work, so we headed out down the Post Oak Creek Trail  to play in the creek.  ;)  Actually, Rob wanted us to find some fresh water clam and snail shells.  The beautiful, sunny day was beckoning us, so off we went.

Along one of the switchbacks of the creek I found the mother load of clam shells, and Peggy found a large deposit of tiny snail shells. 

All of these shells are less than a half inch long, but that's what Rob wanted.  Searching out these shells was so much better than doing office work!

As I was making my way through the brambles along the shore of the creek, a rock called out to me.  I picked it up, and it reminded me of oyster shells that I have found along ocean beaches.  I put it in my pocket and continued my search for clam shells.

After we filled a lunch baggy with snail and clam shells, we headed back to headquarters.  We showed my oyster like rock/shell to Chuck, the biologist, and he was excited.  It turns out that it was a fossil!

Early in the Cretaceous Period, about 110 million years ago, oysters lived in this area along with dinosaurs

The fossil that I found is on the right.

It is the bottom shell of the oyster.  The refuge has several specimens of the top shell of these ancient oysters, but I think this is their first specimen of the bottom portion of an oyster shell.  How cool is that?  I almost feel like a paleontologist.  ;)  It's much more exciting than finding a feral hog skull!  So, if you're feeling  "older than dirt", just think about someone finding your remains 110 million years from now......Cool Beans!!

After enjoying such a scientifically uplifting day, I returned to the rig and Emma and I enjoyed the sun outside for the late afternoon. 

As I sat in my rocker, Emma approached and I took this picture of her face.  If you double click on it, I hope you will see the refection of me taking her picture in her left eye.

I thought I might get a picture of her with her deer antler "treasure", but every time I brought it up to the rug outside the rig, she picked it up and took off with it....

as if to say "this is my treasure, not yours."  She has tried to bury it, but those points just keep sticking up out of the ground.  :)  We all have our challenges!

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy