500,000,000 (five hundred million) years ago the Cambrian Period marked an important point in the history of life on earth; it was the time when most of the major groups of animals first appeared in the fossil record. This event is sometimes called the "Cambrian Explosion", because of the relatively short time over which this diversity of forms appeared.
Today an intrepid group of amateur fossil hunters went in search of the remnants of that ancient time in the Latham Shale, near the almost Ghost Town of Chambless, California.
UPHILL (Ti FJ), VOLHOO (Col Mustard FJ) and friends James (Jeep Wrangler) & Mike (Ford Bronco) -- with families-- trekked back into the dim and distant past through their explorations on "Black Friday" when most of the people in SoCal were crowding into shopping malls in a mad panic to spend their hard-earned money.
VOLHOO stops by a road sign to find the way to the fossil shale. The confusion is enough to drive a species extinct.
Mike recruited the best spotters he could find!
UPHILL discussing "the line" with James.
Sometimes an old mining road will turn into a trail making the turn-around interesting. (note turn-around carnage on rear bumper)
EXPLORATION
VOLHOO directs a team of crack paleontologist at his "dig".
Emilie (MISSUPHILL) examines shale for fossils. She found some ancient coral and another example of petrified algae between slabs of shale.
Éamon scores a big find!
Heavily ladened with fossils, a handy hatchet and a water bottle, a notorious desert rat makes her way back toward the Jeep.
The truth is out there...I know it is.
AFTER FOSSIL HUNTING, it's time for firearms instruction and target practice:
Another successful desert run with fossils and spent cartridge casings to show for it!
__________________
There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unaltered, to find the ways that you have changed.
Thank you. From your screen name, I take it that the duck hunting there is very good!
Quote:
felonious previously said:
now that you have that second battery your ready for the lowrance gps upgrade.
The Lowrence GPS's should be shipping out next week to distributors and then they'll hit the market in time for the Holidays. SHADOW WARRIOR and I have talked about placement issues and he's fabbing a mod for each of us to mount them uniquely.
And you're right. I needed the second battery in before I put in the fuse block(s) and relays for the lights, GPS, etc.
I don't plan on installing a cold air intake so the fuse blocks will go in the empty space on the fender piece directly in front of the battery. The relays for the front and back overhead lights will run high along the firewall.
I decided on the Acro X970 as the principal overhead driving lights (3 forward) and PIAA floods on each quarter forward and back.
__________________
There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unaltered, to find the ways that you have changed.
That's a FELONY here on the mainland. It may even be a felony to THINK of running over a turtle here. No joke. If you obtain a permit to drive in the wilderness area, you have to LITERALLY swear that if there is a turtle in your path, you'll wait until the turtle crosses before you proceed. Simply picking up the turtle and moving it out of danger is a CRIME. Penalty: Civil: up to $25,000 Criminal: up to $50,000 or up to one year year in jail or both. Federal law also precludes transport of desert tortoises across state lines.
That's a FELONY here on the mainland. It may even be a felony to THINK of running over a turtle here. .....
Bust me! Bust me! I thought of it years ago...
A long time ago I was coming back down from Calico Peak and some other folks were ahead of me in a 4x4 dually pick up. It was night time and my headlights showed something jammed between the right rear tire set. I soon realized it was just a big rock but I couldn't resist and picked up the radio:
Jim to Ron. "No s**t, you've got a tortise jammed in your rear wheels!"
Ron, disbelieving "Aw heck! Are you sure?!"
Jim in a serious voice "Yup. It is whirling around each time your tire rotates"
Ron slides to a halt in a storm of desert dust and jumps out with a little bitty flashlight. He catches sight of the top of the dark colored rock poking out and I add a little fuel to the fire, mentioniong that he just violated a whole bunch of laws. It wasn't until he took a prybar to the rock that he realized that he had been snookered big time.
That's a FELONY here on the mainland. It may even be a felony to THINK of running over a turtle here. No joke. If you obtain a permit to drive in the wilderness area, you have to LITERALLY swear that if there is a turtle in your path, you'll wait until the turtle crosses before you proceed. Simply picking up the turtle and moving it out of danger is a CRIME. Penalty: Civil: up to $25,000 Criminal: up to $50,000 or up to one year year in jail or both. Federal law also precludes transport of desert tortoises across state lines.
so...no, I don't think that it looks like a dead turtle. Honest, judge, it looks like an FJ in need of modification. 
And I thought we were the only ones with such laws. In fact, native Hawaiians cannot even use the "part of our cultural cuisine" excuse. 
Linear Mode
