Well, CRAP!!!

Or maybe I shouted something that started with an "f".

We've all been there:

paddling up to our honey hole only to discover that someone else has come along and dug it out.

I've been quietly working a site for over 2 years and no one else has discovered it.  It helps that it's not in an area known for great fossil hauls, so my heart sank and I cursed a bit to see that someone had finally horned in on my spot.

The reality, of course, is that it's not MY spot.  The river doesn't belong to me or anyone else; it's here for everyone to enjoy.  

All well and good, but I must ask this phantom fossil hunter,

"Why did you have to make such a mess?!"

He left visible piles of gravel slung all along the bank and gouged holes in the bank above the water line which is a big No-No.  There's no better way to invite every passing digger to your spot as well as rile up the ill will of those who would like to put an end to fossil hunting in Florida's rivers.

I wished I'd had a small board and a wax pencil.  I would've left a note saying,

"A little discretion, please!"

But then, I don't suppose he'll be back.  It takes moving a ton of gravel here to find a tiger shark tooth; not a great payout for the effort.
There ARE lots of oddities in this one tiny area, including more eyeglasses and eyeglass lens than I've found TOTAL in all other places I've dug.

This is just one day's sampling, which is kinda creepy.  I didn't start keeping track until I realized it was a trend so I don't have an exact number but it's a couple of eyeglass parts every time I'm there.

Other treasures sure to discourage:

one of the thinnest pennies ever found.

And how about this?

Clay containers for homemade candles used during the Indian festival of Diwali.

I just came back from a trip to India so I knew exactly what these were the moment I saw them.

And there's always a HUGE load of this:

I did some housekeeping that day,

filling in holes, dispersing gravel, and splashing everything with water to smooth it out.  I've been back a few times and the fossil slob has not yet returned but if he does, I hope he gets the message:

You're more than welcome to dig here, but keep it clean.