great story milo--i have gone on fossil hunting trips (to the slag heaps of deep earth coal mines in pennsylvian)and unearhted mostly ferns and small leaves and stems..
Still, it is miraculous to pick up a rock and slip along the cracks, and split the rock --and find encase a perfect small fern.. waiting there, for me!

i liked going to the dolomite outcrop in Herkimer NY to find 'diamonds' too-- realy just quartz crystalls. but free formed ones, not locked into a geode matrix, but double ended crystals.

Yes, please continue your story.. (I hope your granddaughter now realizes you are the smartes paw-paw on earth!)


my other obsession