S.R.R. Colvin's Blog, page 3
January 15, 2011
Dinosaurs in Castle Dale, UT!
Maddy here! I found several dinosaurs just down the street from where I'm staying in Utah.
The Museum of the San Rafael is home to several dinosaur skeletons including an Allosaurus.
"Allosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic Period around 140 million years ago. It is one of the largest and most fearsome predators to have ever lived on land.
Allosaurus had short arms, ending in sharp 10 long dagger-like claws, which it could use to tear into the flesh of its victims.
Sharp four inch long teeth were also used to tear apart the dead and dying victims that were unfortunate enough to have been hunted by Allosaurus.
Fossils found in Utah, North America suggest that Allosaurus may have lived and hunted in groups or packs."
Source: http://www.kidsdinos.com
While at the museum I also learned about the area's early culture. People of the Fremont Culture lived in the San Rafael area of Utah about a thousand years ago, then vanished. Besides implements of their daily life, they left behind rock art.
I went out to see their petroglyphs carved and chipped into a massive rock face a few miles outside of town. No one can be sure what the images mean since the artists are long gone.There are also ancient pictographs from a previous culture painted onto the same bluff. It's an awesome sight that should be viewed when the rock face is shaded, as the painted images will seemingly disappear in direct sun and you can't see the details.
I'm off to explore the canyon lands. My next post will be on my favorite subject—GEOLOGY!
That's all for now,
Maddy
October 10, 2010
Caves and Crystals!
Maddy here!
It's been a busy summer for me. I haven't even had time to blog about my favorite subject - caves. But now, National Geographic is airing a television special called "Into the Lost Crystal Caves." It will be on today (October 10th) at 8 PM. I - can't - wait!
Geologist Juan Manuel García-Ruiz said it's "the Sistine Chapel of crystals." He was talking about Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) that was found a thousand feet beneath Naica Mountain in Mexico. The Cave of Crystals contains some of the largest naturally occuring crystals known in the world. Some are as long as 36 feet!
It's been said entering Mexico's Cave of Crystals is like walking inside a giant geode. Really? Well, I did that when I was in Krybos. Of course, the crystal cavern I was in didn't have the oppressive heat that this one in Mexico has. It is said that 30 minutes in that heat can kill a human. I think I'll stick with the looking at pictures of it. I know my best friend, Onyx, would be first in line to go inside. She's just a bit more adventurous than me.
Here is a web site with awesome pictures of the massive crystals: http://www.thatcrystalsite.com/caves.php
Here's something I want to try: Nat Geo's "rock candy" recipe.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/into-the-lost-crystal-caves-4636/Overview39#tab-rock-candy
That's all for now!
Maddy
It's been a busy summer for me. I haven't even had time to blog about my favorite subject - caves. But now, National Geographic is airing a television special called "Into the Lost Crystal Caves." It will be on today (October 10th) at 8 PM. I - can't - wait!
Geologist Juan Manuel García-Ruiz said it's "the Sistine Chapel of crystals." He was talking about Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) that was found a thousand feet beneath Naica Mountain in Mexico. The Cave of Crystals contains some of the largest naturally occuring crystals known in the world. Some are as long as 36 feet!
It's been said entering Mexico's Cave of Crystals is like walking inside a giant geode. Really? Well, I did that when I was in Krybos. Of course, the crystal cavern I was in didn't have the oppressive heat that this one in Mexico has. It is said that 30 minutes in that heat can kill a human. I think I'll stick with the looking at pictures of it. I know my best friend, Onyx, would be first in line to go inside. She's just a bit more adventurous than me.
Here is a web site with awesome pictures of the massive crystals: http://www.thatcrystalsite.com/caves.php
Here's something I want to try: Nat Geo's "rock candy" recipe.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/into-the-lost-crystal-caves-4636/Overview39#tab-rock-candy
That's all for now!
Maddy
Caves and crystals!
Maddy here!
It's been a busy summer for me. I haven't even had time to blog about my favorite subject - caves. But now, National Geographic is airing a television special called "Into the Lost Crystal Caves." It will be on today (October 10th) at 8 PM. I - can't - wait!
Geologist Juan Manuel García-Ruiz said it's "the Sistine Chapel of crystals." He was talking about Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) that was found a thousand feet beneath Naica Mountain in Mexico. The Cave of Crystals contains some of the largest naturally occuring crystals known in the world. Some are as long as 36 feet!
It's been said entering Mexico's Cave of Crystals is like walking inside a giant geode. Really? Well, I did that when I was in Krybos. Of course, the crystal cavern I was in didn't have the oppressive heat that this one in Mexico has. It is said that 30 minutes in that heat can kill a human. I think I'll stick with the looking at pictures of it. I know my best friend, Onyx, would be first in line to go inside. She's just a bit more adventurous than me.
Here is a web site with awesome pictures of the massive crystals: http://www.thatcrystalsite.com/caves.php
Here's something I want to try: Nat Geo's "rock candy" recipe.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/into-the-lost-crystal-caves-4636/Overview39#tab-rock-candy
That's all for now!
Maddy
It's been a busy summer for me. I haven't even had time to blog about my favorite subject - caves. But now, National Geographic is airing a television special called "Into the Lost Crystal Caves." It will be on today (October 10th) at 8 PM. I - can't - wait!
Geologist Juan Manuel García-Ruiz said it's "the Sistine Chapel of crystals." He was talking about Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) that was found a thousand feet beneath Naica Mountain in Mexico. The Cave of Crystals contains some of the largest naturally occuring crystals known in the world. Some are as long as 36 feet!
It's been said entering Mexico's Cave of Crystals is like walking inside a giant geode. Really? Well, I did that when I was in Krybos. Of course, the crystal cavern I was in didn't have the oppressive heat that this one in Mexico has. It is said that 30 minutes in that heat can kill a human. I think I'll stick with the looking at pictures of it. I know my best friend, Onyx, would be first in line to go inside. She's just a bit more adventurous than me.
Here is a web site with awesome pictures of the massive crystals: http://www.thatcrystalsite.com/caves.php
Here's something I want to try: Nat Geo's "rock candy" recipe.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/into-the-lost-crystal-caves-4636/Overview39#tab-rock-candy
That's all for now!
Maddy
July 27, 2010
June 16, 2010
May 24, 2010
Book Recommendations
Maddy here!
Everyone who knows me knows that I love to read. Naturally, I spend a lot of time reading and researching geology topics because I teach geology classes at the university here in Cavern City. I have to stay current in my field. I even keep a rock and mineral guide on my bedside table. Weird, I know, but it helps me sleep better.
I also read quite a bit of fiction. I've found a web site that brilliantly categorizes and recommends both fiction and non-fiction books. It makes the searc...
Everyone who knows me knows that I love to read. Naturally, I spend a lot of time reading and researching geology topics because I teach geology classes at the university here in Cavern City. I have to stay current in my field. I even keep a rock and mineral guide on my bedside table. Weird, I know, but it helps me sleep better.
I also read quite a bit of fiction. I've found a web site that brilliantly categorizes and recommends both fiction and non-fiction books. It makes the searc...
May 19, 2010
May Apples in Spring!
Maddy here!It's the time of year for May Apples, being May and all. This year the mountains of Virginia are thick with them. Here are two pictures I took yesterday of what I call a May Apple Meadow, sheltered beneath a forest canopy not far from my house (Douthat State Park).
These May Apples (Podophyllum peltatum) erupted from the forest floor in April, bloomed their single white flower in May, and now their tiny fruit (see bottom picture) will steadily grow and ripen through the summer.
You...
May 16, 2010
April 5, 2010
Warm Weather, Finally
Maddy here.
Wow! It was warm outside today. I slathered on my 70+ sunscreen with Helioplex, donned my Serengeti shades, then went outside to read a new book. Bliss!!
I love to feel the warmth of the sun radiating across the surface of my skin and down to my very core. If I close my eyes, I can almost hear the soothing sounds of Caribbean steel drums not far off, and the cool waves lapping at the hot sandy beach. I can feel the . . . what? . . . rain?
Of course, the islanders had pirates to deal ...
Wow! It was warm outside today. I slathered on my 70+ sunscreen with Helioplex, donned my Serengeti shades, then went outside to read a new book. Bliss!!
I love to feel the warmth of the sun radiating across the surface of my skin and down to my very core. If I close my eyes, I can almost hear the soothing sounds of Caribbean steel drums not far off, and the cool waves lapping at the hot sandy beach. I can feel the . . . what? . . . rain?
Of course, the islanders had pirates to deal ...
