Show and tell

     I attended my first meeting of the Fossil Club of Lee County on October 18, 2012.  Going to FCOLC meetings is no small feat for me.  It's a 4-5 hour drive, depending on traffic and how many stops I make, and since the meetings are on the 3rd Thursday of every month, I have to miss most of a day of work and I always get a cheap hotel room since it's too late for me to drive home afterwards.
     I was, of course, nervous to attend my first meeting.  I had my meg tooth and whale vertebra with me since the club president, Bill, had suggested I participate in show and tell.  I'm not much for public speaking and the fossil club doesn't serve wine or cocktails to help me overcome stage fright.
     My main goal was to network, get to know the fossil crowd, and gain information regarding the Peace River.  What I didn't know then was how jealously guarded people are about their digging sites.

      I understand now, after a season of digging, how much work goes into the hobby and how rare it is to make great finds these days especially for a part-time digger like myself who can only dig about once a week.
     But there I was, a stranger to everyone, a complete newbie, hoping someone would spoon feed me this precious info.
     I listened to the guest speaker, I stood up and showed off my whale vertebra, I asked Bill where to go on the Peace River, I helped put away chairs, I asked again, I stood around like a buffoon (a PERSISTENT buffoon) while people filed out to go home, and I asked yet again.  That was when the only 3 people remaining, 3 of my "old guys" (more on that nickname in a minute) stood there looking at each other in silence trying to decide if I was worthy of their trust and information.  To their everlasting credit, they told me of a location, a good location and offered to let me tag along with them the next time our schedules coincided.
     In regards to my fondly referring to these men as "my old guys", well, none of them act old, that's for sure.  They kayak for miles, dig in water and gravel for hours, sometimes several times a week, maintain all manner of responsibilities, have families, etc, but they ARE in the upper half of the average  life span for members of our species residing in the USA.  Almost every Friday during the fossiling season, I spent the day with these men in their 60's or older and since I am an odd bird, I felt comfortable in this role.  Jack once pointed out that there are very few women who fossil the Peace River and even fewer who will spend the whole day on the river and fewer still who will dig all day with the guys.  That's me!  And remember that competitiveness I mentioned?  I hate being left out!