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January 9, 2009

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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

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How does Ditchw...

How does Ditchweezel get into Lee Creek on first weekend?

3/8/2005 7:33:50 PM

legacyForum

725 posts

How does Ditchweezel get into Lee Creek on first weekend?

I have been trying to get into that place for three years and will finally be going in early April. Do you get some kind of preferental treatment or is it just luck?

3/9/2005 2:05:12 AM

xiphodan

19 posts

RE: How does Ditchweezel get into Lee Creek on first weekend?

My first trip to Aurora was on May 2nd of last year by obtaining one of the 10 spots allotted to the NJ Paleontological Society. That was for weekend number 9. On that day, our group collected in the pit-car areas, one of which hadn’t been touched by collectors until that day. Upon returning home I wrote a letter of appreciation for the work of the volunteers, along with my application for “The Friends of th Museum”. This past September I received a call indicating that my slot into the mine (as part of "The Friends") would be on October 2nd: the second Saturday into the mine. Unfortunately that was the day of my brother’s wedding and I couldn’t make it (typical). Anyway my point - I was not associated with Black River Fossils at that time and I, by luck?, received a slot on the second Saturday. The same slot which myself and Ditchweezil received this season, which happens to be this coming weekend. (It was Rivrdigger’s post from last Sunday).
Slots into the mine as part of “The Friends of the Museum” are now granted based on volunteer time devoted by each member. All members devoting time, are given higher priority (ie slots earlier in the season) than those who have not provided volunteer time. It could not be a much fairer system.
Unless you go in on the first weekend, any other weekend is a crap-shoot depending on weather and the collection areas themselves, which do change during the season. That said, my suggestion to anyone visiting the mine should be to pray for lots of rain during the week and go in with the mind-set that they could be the first ones to collect in an untouched area, even in the middle of the season. It happened to me on weekend 9 last spring. Some seasons may be good, others not so good. But then that’s the nature of our hobby, and odds are that at Aurora the good days will out-number the bad and persistance in returning year after year, regardless of the weekend #, will pay off.

3/10/2005 3:12:47 AM

ditchweezil

347 posts

RE: How does Ditchweezel get into Lee Creek on first weekend?

Man, getting into Lee Creek on the first day is an honor. I've been in on the first day of the season once in my life, and it was a few years ago. It was fantastic! I'll never forget it. It was after the couple of years when the mine was closed to collecting, when the groups were hunting the spoil piles, NCPC and Block-26. For the first hour, we found teeth everywhere. I couldn't take a step without seeing 3 or 4 shark teeth of some kind just lying out in the open on pedestals. I've hoped and hoped since then to get in on the first day again, but I haven't been able to do it since. I was hopeful this year because I did some stuff for the museum last year, but by no means do I feel like I missed out by not getting in on the first day. There are still plenty of fossils in that pit. No matter what anyone says, they didn't wipe it out. No one can do that. Plus I thoroughy enjoy helping out up there, the people are fantastic, and best of all its a great cause! Where else do we have a museum that gives such a spotlight to fossil shark's teeth?? nowhere! That museum is the reason we get to go into the mine at all to collect. All the South Carolina mines are closing their gaping, muddy holes to collectors, and the fossils are just getting buried and lost forever. But not there. not that mine. Only by supporting the museum can we the amateur collectors have a proponent with enough influence to sway the opinions of the operators of the best place to collect anywhere. So sure, I want to get in on the first day just like everyone else, but there are a lot of people who help out at the museum a lot more than me, and they are the ones who should go first. After all, it is they who bear the onus that allows me the opportunity to collect in that amazing location.

If you want to find out more about the Aurora Fossil Museum, go to http://www.aurorafossilmuseum.com/

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