'Tis the season...
The water level in the Peace River has dropped so I pointed the old Ranger south and started driving. Even though my truck was made in 1995, gadgets are still being produced that allow people like me to enjoy all the modern conveniences without the convenience of a modern car.
These cassette deck adapters are easy to find and enable me to listen to iTunes, Pandora, audio books, etc. through my car speakers. Makes those hours driving back and forth to the river fly by.
And since I planned to start my season with 2 full days of frenzied digging, I invested in this sweet little number...
I can plug it in to a power converter that is, in turn, plugged in to the cigarette lighter. I've had hamstring issues (whatever that means) for years and the heating pad minimized the stabbing pains I get after fossiling all day. Now if I can find a way to plug this thing in to my kayak.
My weekend began with a visit to the Fossil Club of Lee County which was great because one of the members fed us loads of Italian food and regaled us with amazing stories of sneaking into the phosphate mines pre-9/11. Security is a bit tighter these days.
When I drive to Ft. Myers for a fossil club meeting, I get a cheap hotel room for the night and set out before dawn the next morning towards the Peace River. Unfortunately, I spilled my instant oatmeal this time and it made a horrendous mess that closely resembled vomit except that it smelled deliciously of cinnamon and brown sugar.
Karma is a bitch, right? So I tried to set things straight by cleaning what I could and leaving a tip for the housekeeper who had to deal with the rest.
I met up with Pam and towed her to the honey hole from last season. The returns had diminished sharply in proportion to the difficulty in getting to the spot.
I took this picture just as we started out but an hour later, dealing with an underpowered trolling motor battery, my smile turned upside down. Shoulda listened to the guy at Batteries Plus. I'll be visiting him sometime this week.
After an uneventful day, we headed over to Highland Hammocks State Park for the night. I love this campground! I've never been to any other campground where my campfires are so routinely praised. This time it was a 6 year old girl on a pink scooter ("Great fire!!!") and later, an older woman walking her little dog.
I considered this campfire adulation and surmised that since this campground caters mostly to RV's, the campers don't usually have fires and when they do, don't spend much time gazing at them before they hightail it back inside to watch satellite TV.
Pam and I both clocked 10 solid hours of sleep then headed to Arcadia to do it again. On the way, we stopped at a diner for a "town meal."
Yes, I ordered the peanut butter pie for breakfast but I'm not a fan. Maybe it's a southern thing? The bacon and eggs were yummy, though! I didn't realize this product still existed...
The location we went to for our fossiling on Saturday is always referred to as a "walk-in" site. After wading for a mile through black water, feeling around in front of me with my shovel, I think the only reason it's called that is because there's no boat ramp. If I go back, I will lower my 8' kayak down on a rope and haul it back up with my truck when I'm done.
Wow. Could this get any more unattractive, lol? At least Pam, on the right, keeps its sporty with the slacks. I routinely covered my hair in that buff all last season but for some reason, on this day, my hair was one big frightful dreadlock when I took the buff off at the end of the day.
Slim pickin's for 2 full days of digging. My standards are a lot higher than when I started out last year. I also found several fragments of things that aren't in the photo. The best fossils I found this weekend are a very nice tooth from a 3-toed horse and a perfect little mako.
Friday can't get here soon enough! I want to try again!
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