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Here are two links to posts dealing with how to post pictures on Black River Fossils forums.
1. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by ditchweezil
2. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by Daryl
Say, can anyone tell me how one gets to become a guide at Lee Creek. I'm not necessarily interested in becoming one, but when I went into the mine collecting on day two a couple weeks ago and I had someone ask me this question, and since I had never really thought about before, I told them that maybe you had to be picked by the AFM board or something. But afterwards I realized that the guides are probably employees of the mine? In any event, I'm just curious to know how one gets to be a guide. It would be neat if a "guide" position was awarded each year to someone either by means of a raffle (like the 6" tooth raffle during the festival), or as a reward to the biggest contributor (time, donations, projects, etc...).
Daryl.
I will search out Yoda or Obi-Wan to start my training immediately. Perhaps on Tatooine I can learn how to search the surface similar to that of the PCS mine. I have heard others say that the mine looks like the surface of the moon, so training on a remote planet seems essential....you got me started with Star Wars!
Now that you mention it I remember George Powell talking about some sort of training, not sure if it included light saber training or not though. I'd like to know how to use the force to just bring the teeth right out of the ground and into my pocket! Perhaps the next time I bump into someone in the mine who has found a huge tooth, I'll try a jedi mind trick on them like "here, take this large tooth, it's too heavy for me to carry".
DW, your water spraying brought back an idea I had a few years ago...but first, let me say that I'm surprised that no one out there, inlcuding the guides that read this forum, have commented on my original question. Hmm, must be a secret society, more secret than the Jedi training. I saw a young gal that looked new to me with a white hat on in the mine a few weeks ago, I should have asked her.
About the water spraying...A few years ago I asked the Friends club president if it was ok to bring a manual water pump with some hose so I could draw out some water and use it to sift through some dirt. The obvious answer was no but I thought it never hurts to ask. It would be awesome if we had access to a little water for this reason. I do a lot of sifting at the beach and in cricks around here. Of course to have a little water pressure to actual hose down a Yorktown hill would be even better, but I knew not to ask for that.
Congrats to all you folks that found some prety awesome stuff so far!
Daryl,
I could tell you but your midi-chlorian count is much too low...
Guides are selected by PCS based on recommendations from several sources. Ultimately Curtis Ormond has the final say in the selection process. We go through annual MSHA training provided by PCS. All other expenses are out of pocket. Our main responsibility is enforcing the rules and providing support for collectors. It's not that we don't collect, but if your main goal is to be in the mine more than 2x per year you won't get selected to be a guide.
I have no say so in the scheduling process but my feelings are that if a guide could only work one or two days (living farther than being a convienient trip) it does the rest of the guides no good. It means we have to work more often and cannot do other things during the collecting seasons.
We do learn the collecting areas more intimately because we're there more often than the day's collectors but the odds are still in favor of the collector finding the "big one" rather than one of us.
I wouldn't want to haul any kind of pump into the collecting area... unless it was going to be a permanent addition and not necessary to haul back out! Some rain would be nice though...
Hey BWD,
You forgot to mention that it is strictly voluntary on our part (we don't get paid), and we are expected to be out there whether it's 100 degrees in the shade or snowing. I've been there during both.
I try to forget those days...
I contacted Mr. Curtis Ormond, head of Public Affairs at PCS Phosphate to inquire about the subject of being a fossil collecting guide at Lee Creek. If you're serious and ready for committment, Mr. Ormond is willing to hear from you. With Mr. Ormond's permission, here's what he replied to my email:
Thanks for your note, we are always looking for new guides, some age out,some just get tired, and I would like to have enough to assure none of themhave to come in every weekend. I hate to report the guides do not getpaid, and it is expected of them to actually work as a guide to assure anynew hunters have a safe and quality time here at PCS a lot to ask for freelabor. But most of the ones who volunteer really enjoy their time here andare more than willing to assist new interested fossil hunters.The guides are required to go through MSHA training, we normally schedulethat it Feb. just before the Spring season. We pay the cost of the class,and furnish lunch that day. It is a eight hour course, even those thatguided this year have to take it each year. We also need guides that canbe flexible as some may get sick, take a sudden vacation or have a familyemergency that keeps them from being able to work their shift and we haveto call in back up.If anyone is willing to consider it under those terms, have him or hercontact me and we will see what we can work out. ThanksCurtis OrmondPublic AffairsPCS Phosphate252-322-8296email: cormond@pcsphosphate.com
As one of the original PCS guides, I can say it is an extremely rewarding (if unpaid) job. I have met many knowlegeable people and made many new friends, had access to fresh air and sunshine every weekend in spring and fall and enjoyed the companionship of my guide-mates. I have also frozen my butt off when I'd rather have been warm at home, given away all my water to those who foolishly used theirs to pour over their heads, donated all my food to those who "forgot"to bring any and got stuck all day teaching others about the fossil fauna in Aurora and how to find fossils. Two weekends ago we had to cancel the fossil trips for both days. Us guides were the ones who had to stand in the parking lot in pouring rain to "greet" each visitor that day and deliver the sad news--even tho they had come from Maryland, Ohio, and Asheville, NC, they would have to go home. It is not always pleasant. Some were nice about it--and some were nasty. This season, I havent yet taken away enough fossils to fill a dinner plate...and yes, I have an intimate kicking relationship with every single rock in the mine!! Someone has to be the last in the mine, someone has to go the far side, someone has to stay close to the ramp. Others are needed to roam. But it's all for safety (to insure our continued access) and the always important PR. Through the years, we guides have developed a working relationship where one rarely needs to be told where they are needed. If you arent very experienced with the overburden of PCS mine in every weather condition, you are dangerous to us. If you dont have a good working knowledge of the geologic formations and fossil fauna of Lee Creek, you are worthless to our visitors. If you cant commit to at least every other weekend, we cant depend on you. Yes, PCS pays for our MSHA training, but they expect something of us in return. Every single current PCS guide has commited 6 months out of the year to this endeavor. We are given a schedule at the start of each season and expected to work it like a paying job. None of us complains because we enjoy what we do. It is a sometimes rigorous routine. But in the backs of our minds, we always say the next person we meet might have that special sea urchin or shark tooth we want to trade for.
PCS guides are in the mine to enforce Safety rules and assist visitors--anything else is a bonus. We are not a hand-picked elite group who are give special fossil collecting priveleges because someone deemed us worthy of it.
Yeah, I'll soon age-out, but it will be with regret. I'd be just as happy to sit on the ramp and wait for ya'll to reurn at the end of the day--just to enjoy your finds with you. Pat