Category: Clue of the week
Posted on July 15, 2016
Making Mosasaurs
Sunlight gleamed off the dark, smooth surface of the object, revealing a depth of color that dramatically contrasted the light colored dirt it sat on. It was a familiar, fascinating fossil . . . a mosasaur tooth. Exploring …
Updated on July 2, 2016
Purple Poppy Mallow
Captivated by the vibrant magenta color dotting the patchy grass, I gently plucked one of the roadside wildflowers by the Kansas state sign. I had been admiring those colorful, cup-shaped flowers out the car window for at least …
Updated on June 25, 2016
Fossils in the Field
A snappy breeze broke the intense heat of the mid-afternoon summer sunshine. Rolls of thunder sounded in the distance, now a little closer than before. Looking up at the growing storm clouds, I knew it was time to …
Updated on June 18, 2016
Magnificent Minerals – Part 2
“Is this a fossil? Or petrified wood?”, I was asked during a fossil dig in Kansas last week. After looking at the item of interest, I explained that the find was not a fossil, but the mineral, gypsum. …
Updated on May 28, 2016
Magnificent Minerals – Part 1
Captivated by the wonder of the rows upon rows of colorful minerals, I enjoyed slowly looking over each one. It was like slowly eating a favorite dessert, savoring one bite at a time. After several days of busily …
Posted on May 20, 2016
Glorious, Glistening Geodes
Late in the afternoon, the sun finally began to break through clouds that chilly February day in Tucson, Arizona. Sunlight glistened off the many rows of purple crystals lining the giant shells. These enormous crystal-lined geodes were large …
Updated on May 14, 2016
Brilliant Blue
Kneeling on the floor with bated breath and camera in hand, I waited for the butterfly to move. The large, stubborn Blue Morpho butterfly kept its wings tightly shut as it stood on the plant. While the butterfly …
Posted on May 6, 2016
Where the Buffalo Roam
Crunch . . . Crunch . . .“Huhhhgh” – a loud sigh followed the heavy noises, close to a tent where the energetic girl and her mother were sleeping. Over breakfast, stories were told of strange noises heard …
Posted on April 29, 2016
Crab Eyes, Fruit, and Rocks
From far away, the two short stacks of rocks, sitting precariously on top of the mountain, looked like they had been put there by someone. As we hiked closer to the “Crab Eyes” rock formation, I started to …
Updated on April 21, 2016
Oklahoma’s Wichita Mountains
Inching my way across the steeply tilted rock, I grabbed the top edge to keep myself steady. The rock felt very rough and sharp. By the end of the day, I had sore, red palms and scratched, bloody …
