2010 in Review
Well, what can I say about 2010? Hmmmm.... well.... I spent more time sheet-rocking, painting, and waterproofing our new building than digging bones!!! LOL!
2010 was an amazing, but often frustrating summer. Changing over from the motel to the new facility and trying to build the Dinosaur Field Station from scratch, with limited time and no finances was complex, challenging, and difficult. WE had difficulty with the land developer, the neighbors, the county, the rural elecric company, and the contractors. Before the summer was out, we nearly (note I said nearly, primariliy because my dear wife had much better sence than I) had a string of plumbers, and plumbing inspectors hanging from the trees of our property! I won't elaborate much further than that. Suffice to say, a good many of the above lied to me during our 6 months of planning and preparation. What should have been a fun and creative experience was turned into a nasty WWF wrestling match where the rules of the game changed at my opponents whim. The economy in 2010 didn't help much either.
Thankfully, by the end of August however, we had passed through the storm and are now set for smooth sailing for 2011. The facility is not 100% operational and isn't expected to be for some time, but its a great start.
In the end, I think the effort was worth it, because the property (and please go the facebook to see the photos) is absolutely gorgeous. If you are looking for that remote, real SD feel, a place to camp under the big blue sky, our little mountain hideaway is perfect. The sunsets are incredible and the peace and quiet is to die for.
I would like to thank the director, board of directors and folks at the Tri-State Museum in Belle Fourche for allowing us to set up our displays and do our orientations there this year. They were great and very supportive and we are very appreciative.
Also, another thanks to our wonderful land owners who have been steadfast and supportive all this time. We could not do what we do without you.
As far as the digging is concerned... we managed to spend a good deal of time at our main tour quarry Tooth Draw and wound up finding a lot of really good material. Lots of nice T. rex and Nannotyrannus teeth as always. We also managed to extract most of our giant sea turtle from the Pierre Formation. This puppy is going to have a shell that is somewhere between 6 and 8 feet across. It's in pieces like our Plesiosaur, so it will be quite the challenge to put back together, but hopefully, it will be worth it in the end. Right now, certain experts have suggested that it is a new species, but it is really too soon to tell. WE also began excavating at our new Jurassic age, Morrison quarry below the Dinosaur Field Station, and found a handful of "little" brontosaur things. We expect there will be more if we can adequately develop the property, but it will take time. Time and Patience... two things a paleontologist understands.