Back Up In Them Thar Hills!

Back to northwest Georgia

to spend a couple more hours digging through the hills of an old coal mine.

Don't be afraid of the Georgia gnomes

who created these little cairns; they're harmless.

This is actually a photo I took at Hogg Mine in Lagrange, Georgia as we passed through on our southern adventure.  If you are ever in the area, give these guys a call and go dig for quartz, beryl, aquamarine, etc.  You'll not meet a nicer group of people and they are just as obsessed with their rocks as we are with ours.

You do not have to dress like this

to hunt fossils in Georgia,

but it helps.

Don't be hating on my ensemble; it's what all the hippest fossilers are wearing these days.

We stopped to buy drinks during our long drive north,

and I couldn't help but think this was a sign of good fossil things to come.

Perfect weather for digging.

Tom demonstrates how it was cool enough to actually approach our fire, unlike in Florida where we have to sit about 20 back to avoid heat stroke.

Durham, Georgia and the Fossil Site

As far as fossil sites go, this one is really easy to find.  If you want directions, leave me a comment.

Yes, Tom is holding a fireplace poker.

For some inexplicable reason, we drove our own truck all the way from our own home to the northwest corner of Georgia and we didn't pack a single rock tool.  We gathered what we could from the cabin we were renting and luckily, along the way to the site, we found a cheap tool store that has Harbor Freight beat, hands down.

Once you get to the fossil site,

engage in the normal behavior and

DIG.

Look at that shiny new, cheap shovel.

We got'er good 'n dirty by the time we were done.

This is the terrain.

Bubble wrap: the fabric of my life.

I buy a lot of bubble wrap when I'm on the road but luckily, I reuse it all when I get home.  These plant fossils are so fragile, there's no other way to transport them.

And the moment you've been reading for...

Beautiful Pennsylvanian Period plant fossils.

Older than the dinosaurs.

Such a variety.

It's a 9 hour trip and the next time I'm within striking distance, I'm going to spend at least one night so I can really take my time.  If you love plant fossils, this place is a must!