Chillin Like a Villain

We pulled into my driveway after the long ride home from Aurora last Sunday night. As soon as we got there, I saw a terraced look to my front yard caused by a torrential downpour, the kind that makes collecting fossils fun and easy if you know where to look. I knew then that I would be collecting the Yellow Ditch first thing Monday morning despite all the work waiting for me from a long weekend of neglect.

Monday was frigid for SC. The high was only in the upper 30s to low 40s and there was a constant breeze that made it feel even colder. I could tell from the first step in the creek that the water level was very high the day before, and I knew it would be good for collecting. Out of habit, I almost grabbed my shovel, but the reality of getting pinched by the man made me pick up my rake instead. I do NOT need a ticket for collecting. No matter, I didn't need to dig anyway. There should be teeth everywhere.

I was right - the teeth were everywhere. I had a handful of busted angustidens within 10 minutes. My first good find was a killer little double rooted squalodon whale tooth. I remembered my camera and snapped ground shots of everything that looked good, only to be disappointed time and again by a missing cusp, dinged root, or smashed tip. About halfway through the ditch, I saw someone else's footprints! With the amount of teeth I was finding in the creek, my first thought was that someone who knew about the felony excavation of recent weeks went to examine the holes to see if anything washed out. When I got to the holes, the same boot prints were all over the banks. I wonder what they found? I always wonder what other people find - that's why I started this site ;-)

I reached the end of the creek without a superhero in my pockets but I was satisfied that I had picked up enough to make it worth the 10 minute walk from my house. My hands were numb from reaching into the glacial run-off and I was ready to start heading home. I walked slowly back down the creek towards home, still looking down in case I missed something. Back where I had found the double rooted squalodon tooth earlier is a deep spot, and with the sun moving higher it was easier to see deep than it was when I arrived. Then I saw the root of a big tooth sticking out of the bottom at the deepest area. I had to take a picture because it looked so awesome, even if it turned out to be a junker. I clenched my fist a few times to warm up my fingers enough to survive one more plunge into the frigid water. I reached down - it was deeper than it looked. The water came up to my elbow when I finally touched the tooth. I grabbed it and rubbed the dirt off it while my hand was still in the water. I could feel the full blade, serrated all the way to the tip. My thumb brushed both cusps as I smiled... and shivered. It was complete and glorious! I can't believe I walked past it earlier without finding it, but I sure am glad I always look down even on the way out.