Let's Get Crackin'!

Our great Kemmerer friends made arrangements for us to experience a real fossil quarry. "Paleontologist Pete", who owns the quarry was so good to us. He taught us all the rules of the quarry as one must be very careful not to damage anything that could potentially hold a fossil. And we were on top of a very steep butte and didn't want anyone to get hurt. He also helped us learn how to be patient and careful when chizeling a rock to reveal the treasure inside. He was able to identify and name the fish that were fossilized. It is a very, very, dusty dirty process, but actually quite addicting. It is such a thrill to break open a rock and be the first human to ever see what is inside. I did find part of an Arowan fish. It is a rare find. Unfortunately it was missing the head. Pete kept it in hopes of finding a head one day and gluing the pieces together. Otherwise,we mostly found small fish fossils. Allen found one with 3 fish side by side, like little sardines. However, everyone left the quarry with a treasure of their own finding. Some of them we will frame or display in other ways. This is definiteley an experience we would recommend to anyone! I understand a 92 year old man found a complete sting ray fossil a few weeks ago. They are currently uncovering 2 crocodile fossils at this quarry. I found a very strange looking fossil that Pete explained was a fish that had actually exploded prior to being covered by dirt. The gasses from decomposing can cause a dead fish to explode and leaves a very interesting fossil! If you are ever in Southwest Wyoming, it would be worth your time to visit Fossil Butte and look into a little rock cracking for yourself!

Fossil Butte National Monument

This is a classic example that there are hidden treasures to be found just about anywhere. Today we ventured to Kemmerer, Wyoming where some of the best preserved fossils can be found in the flat-topped ridges that otherwise look like a sage brush desert. This is part of the Green River Formation, an ancient sub-tropical landscape that was home to an abundance of fish, reptiles, insects, plants, birds and mammals in the Tertiary period of history, or around 37-54 million years ago. Most of the region is now a national monument and is protected to help preserve the amazing "gold mine" of fossils lying in layers under the soil.
At Fossil Butte we all participated in the Jr. Ranger program. We answered questions in a workbook as we toured the museum and watched a short video. We were excited to learn about fossils as we were planning later to visit a quarry and try fossil hunting for ourselves. The museum housed amazing examples of the variety of fossils found in the area, including a 13 foot crocodile. The end of our visit included each of us reciting a pledge to help preserve the fossils and to teach others what we had learned. We practiced cleaning a fossil and felt ready to experience a dig ourselves!

Sweet Summertime

Wow! Time flies in the summer! I really can't believe how absolutely chaotic life has been. We've had my mom here, my nephew, G's mom, and our awesome friends from Calif. We also had a surprise party for my mom with nearly 30 guests and oodles of great food. There's 2 new baby geese and 8 new ducks living here now. Its all good. We have had some great times, but really no lazy days of summer, yet. I am hoping for that to happen soon. When asked what they've been doing all summer, my kids reply, "cleaning the house". Its true~ there's been lots of cleaning with so many house guests. I will try to catch up on posting soon, but until then we'll just continue to run from one thing to the next!!!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

Today we were privileged to attend the Open House of our newest temple. It was so beautiful and a great experience for the kids to walk through and see what they have to look forward to someday when they attend the temple. I loved that you can see 2 other temples from the grounds of Oquirrh Mtn., the Draper and Jordan River temples. I was surprised to learn that the new Angel Moroni atop this temple had recently been struck by lightning and still has a black arm and trumpet. I understand a new statue will be brought in to replace this one.

Independence Day

We enjoyed celebrating the nation's birthday with our great friends the Hogans. There were lots of friends, great food, and a fabulous view of the fireworks. One of the highlights for the kids was having their own turn to drive Aunt Kathy's "spare" electric chair. Weeeee!