Spring 2004 Fossil Hunt at Lee Creek, Aurora NC

The Aurora Fossil Festival was today, and it was great seeing so many people out and about. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello. Anyway, after the fossil auction, a few of us volunteers went to Golden Corral. They had tacos on buffet, so technically its not blasphemy. Anyway, m⁴ was with me, and while he was up filling his plate again, George Powell walks into the room. I waved at him and he started walking my way. "How are you", I said as he rounded the table to sit in front of me. As he went to sit down, his glass of tea slid off his tray and crashed on the table. I tried to scoot out of the way of the impending drenching, but it still got all over my left side on my shirt and shorts. The only thing I could think of to say was "I've been caffinated" as he stood there in dumfounded horror. There were people all around looking over laughing at George as he scrambled to figure out how to get napkins out of the dispenser. I was on fire with the jokes, so I just kept letting them fly until the moment was over. It was a great meal!

Now about the hunt. The volunteers from the Fossil Festival went into the mine on Sunday to do a little hunting. Our first stop was at a pit car area, but the group quickly tired of the lack of fossils. On the way back to the bus to hit another spot, my pal Scubapaul scored a sweet little parotodus. I struck out. No biggie, because we were going to another spot. I've been on this ridge time and time again, but I knew where the Yorktown deposits were and I was determined to find a megalodon tooth if I had to dig a tunnel to the bottom of the pile. It took me two and a half hours, but I finally found a decent little one. The tip was dinged and some serrations were missing, but it was mostly complete. Its a megalodon, though, so it counts. I was thrilled. I found a few other things there like a little mako and a porpoise periotic bone, but I finally gave up and did the pungo crawl until the end of the day so I could find a cow shark tooth. I ran into Scubapaul again, and this time he had better news. His wife scored a killer 4 incher her first time in the mine! She said the root and part of the bourlette were exposed when she found it. I couldn't believe it. Weeks without rain, and there was still a megalodon tooth found by walking. Amazing.