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

[Deleted]

sorta. Can't much talk about it in public for a couple weeks.

[panamark]

Y'all are sissies. The temperature at Hebgen Lake near our house about 5 days ago was:


Now that is COLD!
You realize I am writing this from sunny Panama, so that might tell you something

[jamesp]

I will bow before any one that can take that kind of cold. Oh, i read the bottom. You are slick Mark. Stay warm, in Panama. Are you on the west or east coast.
I spent time in the SW corner of Costa Rica. Palmar Norte. Cowboy town. Play hard work hard folks.

[jcinpc]

nice haul James, you notice that dude on the river, all his gear was brand new. wonder what he is hiding from?

[jamesp]

Hi jc. He was a prison guard. From close by. So he said. He was curious. I never stopped picking up coral when he stopped to talk.
I wondered if he was the law. He had a lot of what i would call jail house tattoos. And he asked pointed questions.
I also wondered if he was an informant. I think he smoked herb while he was talking to me. So i figured he was not
a parole. He brought up the subject of artifacts. A good bit. I was totally collecting coral. He said a lot actually.
I asked him where he started and where he parked his take out car. I found a prison permit from the one he said
he worked at on a car at the take out. He said he had been on the river for 3 days. He looked tired. Seemed like
he knew a lot about the river. I asked him if lots were available. He named a local real estate company and i got
a price on a lot from that company for curiosity sake. Final thoughts were he was just cruising the river.

[panamark]

Feb 12, 2014 0:23:58 GMT -5 jamesp said:

I will bow before any one that can take that kind of cold. Oh, i read the bottom. You are slick Mark. Stay warm, in Panama. Are you on the west or east coast.
I spent time in the SW corner of Costa Rica. Palmar Norte. Cowboy town. Play hard work hard folks.

I am on the Caribbean (west end and north side actually. Despite what they taught us in grade school, Panama now is aligned west to east. Maybe the US gov't did that,ha). Costa Rica is too expensive now. Really really expensive and I find they aren't too nice to gringos any more.

Yeah, nice and warm down here now, but the humidity (about 95% or more) takes some getting used to versus our other dry mountain air.

Regarding your travelling the river, didn't you get a bit nervous that the guy was there to protect a pot farm? The all new gear must have set off your alarm a bit. I think I would have just kept drifting downstream, coral or not.

[jamesp]

I am on the Caribbean (west end and north side actually. Despite what they taught us in grade school, Panama now is aligned west to east. Maybe the US gov't did that,ha). Costa Rica is too expensive now. Really really expensive and I find they aren't too nice to gringos any more.

Yeah, nice and warm down here now, but the humidity (about 95% or more) takes some getting used to versus our other dry mountain air.

Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/63553/photos-coral-holes-great-quality?page=4#ixzz2t84hcwDD

I am bitterly jealous Mark. I would love to have that humidity and heat. You got it going on. You do have an extreme contrast in your homes.
Is the sand black on the beach? Can you find cool rocks there?
As far as Costa Rica, i found them to be happy staying away from you unless you were shelling out greenbacks. Out in the country they were friendlier.

My camp in the Ocala National Forest is packed w/felons in hiding. I stay in the woods and the rivers and bump into interesting people. Central
Florida is a bit notorious. That guy was in his canoe and crossed the river to talk. He had an old canoe. It could not see his "new' cargo. jc noticed
that from the photo. Close to that area was a huge sting operation on artifact diggers and me and jc knew some of them. Hey, if it is your time then
so be it. I had a short shovel a foot away. He stayed in his canoe. I never felt very threatened. He seemed peaceful. But had me aware.

[panamark]

Yeah, there was a book I read "Butterfly something or other.." and it took place in Ocala NF. Lots of sketchy characters there.

>"As far as Costa Rica, i found them to be happy staying away from you unless you were shelling out greenbacks"

Exactly. Getting that way in Panama too. Many see gringos as their ATM.

PM also sent.

[jamesp]

Well we are visitors. If we are visiting we should probably speak their language and be humble.
The black folks on the Caribbean side were english speaking and came to Costa Rica to help with
the building of the rail road in the late 40's. They were from Jamaica.

[panamark]

yeah, it is important to realize we are visitors and it really bothers me to see what is called "ugly Americans" that thoughtlessly display their wealth, and want things their way. That is bad. Also many visitors want to change things fast so it is "more like home". This is also not good. But what I am referring to is that many here are so poor (really poor, less than $500 income per year) relative to people from the US. Therefore some (not all!) think we are all very rich or as my friend says "they think we crap money and never work hard ourselves". And this makes me very uncomfortable. Should I feel guilty? I have to double think everything I say or do to consider the ramifications. For example to be nice sometimes I tip our workers extra for a good day's work. But I've found they immediately came to expect it every time.

Now to be clear not everyone down here is like this. I have made it a point to mix with the locals (my Spanish is not great, but passable, usually). After all a major reason I come down here is to experience something different. I learn a LOT and also it makes me appreciate how blessed I am. And some of my Indian friends down here are precious friends. Anyway, enough of my pontificating. Sorry. America has its problems, but I think it is still the best place on earth to live. Most of us live lifes of relative luxury. Be grateful.

[The Dad_Ohs]

there have been a large number of artifact stings in florida in the last year or so.... you need a permit from Tallahassee, gov't gave ownership of all artifact/fossils to the college, and they give out permits. Anything of interest that is found must be reported to the college forst and if they think it is worth while, they come to you, take it, bag it & tag it, and if you're lucky say thank you for your donation to the school!!
Sometimes you can get it back, after a long time, usually you don't so people have taken to keeping what they find and taking more than is reasonable so they can sell it on ebay or through other venues... hence the sting operation.... shortest sentence I've seen yet in 10 years w/good behavior, average is closer to 15 no parole!!

[jamesp]

Feb 12, 2014 20:10:32 GMT -5 The Dad_Ohs said:

there have been a large number of artifact stings in florida in the last year or so.... you need a permit from Tallahassee, gov't gave ownership of all artifact/fossils to the college, and they give out permits. Anything of interest that is found must be reported to the college forst and if they think it is worth while, they come to you, take it, bag it & tag it, and if you're lucky say thank you for your donation to the school!!
Sometimes you can get it back, after a long time, usually you don't so people have taken to keeping what they find and taking more than is reasonable so they can sell it on ebay or through other venues... hence the sting operation.... shortest sentence I've seen yet in 10 years w/good behavior, average is closer to 15 no parole!!

They will kick your but for digging and making commerce of artifacts.

They are about always lenient of fossils.

And invertebrates require no permit.

They will be hard on you for collecting anything in a State Park.

They may or may not ticket you for collecting fossils in a Water Management District.

Many Wardens are variable. Many do not care about fossil collectors. About all will get you for artifacts.

Do not dig the banks out and limit collecting to the river channels. Not supposed to dig any where. DO NOT DIG IN FL.
Except the Peace River, the beach and private lands.

Dynamite is not mentioned......

You are good to be cautious in Florida Mario. Georgia is amazingly lenient.

[jamesp]

Feb 12, 2014 19:57:32 GMT -5 panamark said:

yeah, it is important to realize we are visitors and it really bothers me to see what is called "ugly Americans" that thoughtlessly display their wealth, and want things their way. That is bad. Also many visitors want to change things fast so it is "more like home". This is also not good. But what I am referring to is that many here are so poor (really poor, less than $500 income per year) relative to people from the US. Therefore some (not all!) think we are all very rich or as my friend says "they think we crap money and never work hard ourselves". And this makes me very uncomfortable. Should I feel guilty? I have to double think everything I say or do to consider the ramifications. For example to be nice sometimes I tip our workers extra for a good day's work. But I've found they immediately came to expect it every time.

Now to be clear not everyone down here is like this. I have made it a point to mix with the locals (my Spanish is not great, but passable, usually). After all a major reason I come down here is to experience something different. I learn a LOT and also it makes me appreciate how blessed I am. And some of my Indian friends down here are precious friends. Anyway, enough of my pontificating. Sorry. America has its problems, but I think it is still the best place on earth to live. Most of us live lifes of relative luxury. Be grateful.

Ha. We unknowingly have a 'fat cat' demeanor. Foreigners do not take a likening to it et al. Best to be humble and friendly. It's that simple.
The things we take for granted are not usually taken for granted on their turf. A sensitive outlook will get you a long way. Heck, if they do expect
generosity and you can afford it let it happen. I have a seasoned traveller buddy and like to travel w/him cause he knows and respects these situations.
We are too fortunate.

[The Dad_Ohs]

They will kick your but for digging and making commerce of artifacts.

They are about always lenient of fossils.

And invertebrates require no permit.

They will be hard on you for collecting anything in a State Park.

They may or may not ticket you for collecting fossils in a Water Management District.

Many Wardens are variable. Many do not care about fossil collectors. About all will get you for artifacts.

Do not dig the banks out and limit collecting to the river channels. Not supposed to dig any where. DO NOT DIG IN FL.
Except the Peace River, the beach and private lands.

Dynamite is not mentioned......

You are good to be cautious in Florida Mario. Georgia is amazingly lenient.

Yeah, I went and looked into a permit and it was rather disgusting the amount of power they gave to the university in regards to what they can do should you find anything interesting.