At work, we have a new parking lot. Less than a year old. It’s gravel, and had to be put in to keep us from parking where a big damn truck might hit our precious car. I park in it every damn day, because I’m the later shift and get there after everyone else.
I also sit out there for my lunch break, weather permitting. There is a raggedy chair that sits inside the back door. It seems to have no proper home in the, so I wheel it out and park it next to an air-conditioner that I use as a table. Classy! But private, for the most part, and I get the sunshine.
I see this stretch of gravel every day: sometimes four times a day, sometimes just twice. But definitely 10 times a week at the minimum.
Today when I went out for lunch, I saw something that caught my eye instantly. Can you see it?
Weeds – yes. Boring grey rocks – yes. Occasional cigarette butt – yes. There is something else there. Something amazing. Look again if you can’t spot it!
…
…
No, not my stupid damn finger in the shot! The one special rock. The one with a perfect fossil.
Would you look at that! The most beautiful things can be right in front of you. You only have to really see when you look around. This seems to me a theme with me lately! I’m getting quite visual of late, since I let my meds run out (a tale of complaint for another day). No matter: I’m glad I was the one, the only one of the many many people who have walked on, driven over, spread, transported, and quarried this load of gravel that spotted and now cherishes this bit of beauty that was there all along.
Okay, confession time – I licked it to make it shiny for the last pic. I’m disgusting like that. Do you feel I’ve let the post down by showing off my blurry finger and my spit?
Meh, it had been in my pocket for a few hours, sure it was clean enough…
heretherebespiders 
I spotted the spiral design — as it happened I had been researching and discussing Brythonic spiral symbolism this morning — but didn’t imagine it was a fossil!
Whooeee!
I have a slab of what’s called Turitella, spiral shells in rock of about the same shade and texture.
I have a pretty good rock collection. I think because I’m clumsy I’m always looking down and spot them.
Is that it!?!? I can trip over a chalk line on the sidewalk and I have never been able to ride a bike, but I have these baskets of great rocks.
Could be! I always was barefoot as a kid – in a land of fire ants, cacti and sandspurs – so watching my feet was a good habit!
Well spotted! We have a friend who’s mad about fossils – she’d have taken half our drive back to Denmark if it had been possible 😉
Oh how exciting I love fossils…rocks stones….lucky we live on a rock ridge in an old gold mining town! quartz and shale everywhere…fun to garden….not…good for you and yes it’s amazing! hugs Fozziemum xx
Yikes, yes I’d be collecting a tonne!
Gotta dig the mongrels up…with dynamite…I kid you not..we have no dirt hahahahahah 🙂
Ugh, no thanks then! I’m more of a dig in the dirt/sand kinda gal 🙂
Awww you le me down girl 😉
Pretty darn cool! What good I you have and how neat that you now have it!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife@wordpress.com
Hahahahaa I would have licked it too. But I didn’t see the fossil in the first pic– in one of the weeds, I saw a flower. New life. Hope. Beginnings.
Guess it’s all in what you notice, huh?
Super cool fossil! Thank you for sharing it!
This is true! Maybe I’m more into the old and overlooked than new life! Or I feel that way at work, anyhow!
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That is so neat! I also must admit that I really enjoyed the “Where’s Waldo?” game in this post. I was determined to find it without scrolling down, but after a few moments I gave up. Also, licking the rock is cool in my book, and I hope that it was at least a little bit tasty.
I even put it in the centre of the shot! Oh well 🙂
Nah, it just tasted of pocket lint by then.
Ah! Very cool! At least, it was until I realized that was your saliva! lol
Have you researched what it could be? I couldn’t live without knowing.
A friend of mine have recently found something interesting in a pot in which she had been keeping a few rocks for years. She noticed after I showed her a very particular video, and then showed me the rock. It appears it’s the fossil of some coral. I wouldn’t try to identify the particular coral just yet (I’m really just beginning to learn about these), but I could see what appears to be multiple polyps and mouths. Nah, I didn’t take a picture, but I’ll try to have one and sent it to you.