Some photos of one of the best coral holes w/great quality

[jamesp]

This is a ledge on the side of the Withlacoochee River on the Florida Georgia line. This is the Florida side.

This ledge contains about a 30' pool. It is full of cold water. So a spring. It drys out during hot season. The winter floods scallop the bottom and unearth about 20 wheel burrows of coral every year.

Leaving them washed clean and makes for easy pickins. They are all 1/2 fist to 2 fist in size. All superb honey and bluish grey colored silica. They look similar. But they change to a very diverse
array of colors when heat treated.

The pool, the over flow is the spring water(center of pic)
:


About 15 feet further down stream still looking at the pool, the limestone in the fore ground is the old ocean bottom that the coral sits on:



And yet another view further down stream



Here is a typical 5 gallon bucket full. Some chipped to see the guts. Headed for 600 degrees.



And here is the variety from these and a few more from this hole:

[Deleted]

dood that is totally tripendicular!

[Deleted]

totally!

[Pat]

Pretty, pretty stuff --- colors and patterns. You are lucky!

[jamesp]

Dec 31, 2013 16:14:15 GMT -5 @shotgunner said:

dood that is totally tripendicular![/quote

One day i hope to get to quadendiculer status.

I cooked Lavic,Texas mosses and jaspers, wood, and quite a bit of others. The most of them turn a not pretty brown color.

I am puzzled by the cool colors the coral and our(coastal plain) chert turns. But specifically the coral. It seems to never stop.

Be careful and have a safe New Year.

[jamesp]

Dec 31, 2013 16:20:52 GMT -5 Pat said:

Pretty, pretty stuff --- colors and patterns. You are lucky!

I wonder why us southern folks are not so active rock hunters Pat. There is plenty of nice stuff around Georgia.
I would love to take a bunch of western rock hounds to where i go to see their reactions. Seems like i have so much to myself. A shame.

[Deleted]

Well, they really are quad-tacular! HA!

[Deleted]

maybe even pentirific!

[grayfingers]

Dec 31, 2013 16:33:07 GMT -5 jamesp said:

I would love to take a bunch of western rock hounds to where i go to see their reactions. Seems like i have so much to myself. A shame.[/quote]




Never tire of seeing that country and those corals.

[Fossilman]

Hey James,is that another body in that bag,on your boat-thought you were done with that job!!!!LOL Nice area buddy...........

[jamesp]

Dec 31, 2013 16:40:30 GMT -5 @shotgunner said:

maybe even pentirific!

Scott is maxamillion

[jamesp]

Dec 31, 2013 17:23:57 GMT -5 Fossilman said:

Hey James,is that another body in that bag,on your boat-thought you were done with that job!!!!LOL Nice area buddy...........

Told them suckas to stay out of my coral hole. Funny. There was a wild hog stuck in the tree roots and a couple of little gators were gnawing on it. Or at least i an telling you that it was a wild hog.

The gators do not seem to discriminate Micheal. But i do hate to see animals in the river. During the summer when i was snorkeling i swam up on a cow-yuk.

[jamesp]

Dec 31, 2013 17:13:53 GMT -5 grayfingers said:

Dec 31, 2013 16:33:07 GMT -5 jamesp said:

I would love to take a bunch of western rock hounds to where i go to see their reactions. Seems like i have so much to myself. A shame.

Never tire of seeing that country and those corals.
[/quote]

I wish i took photos of the 1 man kayak loaded with coral and the only thing sticking out of the water was the skirt flange. I kept my legs on the deck
so that if it decided to sink it would drop like a bomb and leave me floating. The problem on the river is that so many of the best specimens are to
heavy to get back in a kayak. So you are tempted to make a go at it. The pools between the shoals can be 8-10 feet deep so kayak rescue can get interesting
if it has 300 pounds of rock stuffed all the way to the ends.

Happy New Year Bill. I dare ask how could it is.

[grayfingers]

Happy New Year to you as well, James. Actually, we have had a Chinook come through. It broke 40 above today. Colder air supposed to be moving in to drop enough to snow a little for the new year..

Sounds like you might have to consider engineering a pontoon pallet to float out some Coralius Maximus.

[jamesp]

And a 30 inch saw Bill. Oh, and a helicopter. Glad you got a puff of warmth. Send it to me and i will bask-in the chinook. Our warm air comes from the south west off the gulf. And storms from the west.

Thank you Alabama.

A submarine could do too.

[quartz]

I know were you to take us out rocking, we would have to wear safety glasses; to keep our eyes from falling out. Nice scenery too, thanks for the show. Maybe a heavy lift drone. Larry

[jamesp]

It is refreshing to see photos of the tropical river in the midst of winter-LOL. It is cold in Atlanta. Cold enough that the wood stove has not stopped in 4 weeks! And wetter than Oregon. Rain rain rain

[nowyo]

James, your corals are always amazing. But that looks like some wet, humid country. All that green stuff in the background makes me nervous. Wood stove has been running 4 weeks? Ours has been going since September.

Russ

[jamesp]

I am soft. 4 weeks is nothing. Burning since September, wow. I am going to guess nowyo has something to do w/Wyoming. Which is about all high country.

Oh that makes you nervous? Believe me the bugs and poison ivy is the biggest concern. The rest is doable.

Happy New Year Russ

[pghram]

Incredibl scenery & coral. Thanks!

Rich