jamesp
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2022 9:43:12 GMT -5
Consider this wood being collected on high/dry ground and in the permanent water table. Check out the difference in dry conditions verses wet conditions: Wouldn't the "dry" find difference only be a surface treatment ?
It would make sense to me that the air exposed rock would have the weathered look, where the submerged ones wouldn't.
But inside they'd be similar .
Looks like a nice creek to explore, and as the heat is coming on to dip your feet in Patty
Yes, it sure seems like a simple dry verses wet situation. What is odd is that the richer colored ones that appear to have been submerged can be found regularly up to 50 feet higher on dry ground with the thin bleached patina. The ones in water never have the white patina which makes sense. It is as if the whole deposit has been heavily mixed by a more recent mass disturbance. Then it is also odd that the there is a well organized level and moist ~12 inch quartzite gravel layer covering a wood layer and all mixed in the volcanic ash rich clay marking the bottom of the 5 to 50 foot deep wood deposit. Under that layer is solid rock like clay with no rocks in it. Odd too that this layered setup is perfect for silicification. The dead level 12" layer of quartzite pebbles underlays the entire 50 mile stretch in this area exactly at the old shore elevation as if it were the beach pebbles of the old ocean. Those quartzite pebbles have a story to tell of some sort. Stream worn cobbles are usually flat and oval like, these pebbles are all near round, some perfect spheres. The sands are studied too. Round sand verses sharp sand tells a story too. On another subject it is interesting to collect in an moist environment where conditions are favorable for silicification to be actively in progress. I question just how fast an organic object can be silicified in perfect conditions. 100 years ? 1000 ? It is not easy to do a silicification lab experiment even if it takes 10 years much less 100 or 1000. This is a subject I want to research closely.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2022 9:53:36 GMT -5
lparsons, I struggle to do a tenth of what I used to do. That active lifestyle played a toll on body parts lol. But wouldn't change a thing and am happy to have had an interesting and exciting lifestyle. Sit back and enjoy those grandkids. They are a great reward that I regretfully missed out on. jamesp, I think an active lifestyle, natural curiosity and a passion for hobbies is what keeps a person happy, healthy and well….alive!🤣 From what I’ve read in your posts it sounds like you may have geared down a little but can, (and are) running circles around everyone I know!🤣🤣🤣 I do try to keep active even when battling ailments to stay healthy more so in mind than body. A strong curiosity can drive a person intensely. I consider curiosity and satisfaction of it a great gift. We can be a kid in a creek until we are forced to a wheelchair !
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2022 10:05:04 GMT -5
Wouldn't the "dry" find difference only be a surface treatment ?
It would make sense to me that the air exposed rock would have the weathered look, where the submerged ones wouldn't.
But inside they'd be similar .
Looks like a nice creek to explore, and as the heat is coming on to dip your feet in Patty
liveoak It looks like I’m not the only one thinking about those creeks.🤣 Where I grew up there was a huge creek for my siblings and I to play in. I still miss it. I told my kids I spent so much time in it I still have creek water running through my veins. 🤣 Of course, things would have been much different if there had been eels involved, such as the ones jamesp mentioned he had encountered.🤣🤣🤣 Those little eels were in a ball wiggling fervantly. My guess is that they were breeding. I tried to splash one up on the bank but they were fast and elusive. I was curious if they were like salt water eels with an angry mouth full of sharp teeth. I'll bring the minnow net next time ! I observed Native Peruvians jumping in the river and reaching into deep underwater holes in the river bank to catch algae eater fish (Plectostomus) along with their softball sized egg balls. They boiled them for soup broth. They said that on occasion an electric eel would be nesting in those holes and knock a fellow out cold.
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Post by liveoak on May 15, 2022 10:12:25 GMT -5
I was going to joke that there is room for writing a dissertation on the subject. But they I thought, seriously , Auburn University is relatively close by, I wonder if you could interest the geology dept to study your find ? Of course, that's after you get all you want. ( and maybe share GPS coordinates with me , I mean with others )
Patty
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Post by 1dave on May 15, 2022 10:16:09 GMT -5
To me this is superior to AZ wood! What will we name it? Price Wood? Jamesp Wood? Start a POLL!
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Post by liveoak on May 15, 2022 10:29:12 GMT -5
So does that mean all the stuff that he has not picked up yet,would be called "Price-less Wood" ?
On the eel front, Tom did not think they were really eels and looked it up.
They attach themselves to other creatures, mostly fish & suck their blood.
So, maybe don't spend too much time sitting in the creek, after all.
Patty
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2022 10:35:37 GMT -5
I was going to joke that there is room for writing a dissertation on the subject. But they I thought, seriously , Auburn University is relatively close by, I wonder if you could interest the geology dept to study your find ? Of course, that's after you get all you want. ( and maybe share GPS coordinates with me , I mean with others ) Patty
I have homework for you Patty. Auburn is close by but the University of South Alabama seems to have a very capable geology department. I can almost guarantee you that this wood has Tallahatta sandstone(with mica flecks) in it(the grey sections). This rock is a thick vein that is under most of south Alabama and Mississippi. A dominate structure of that area. The silicified sandstone veins in the wood has been a mystery to me until I read this article about fossilization/silicification of sand without heat of metamorphosis that formed the super dense Tallahatta sandstone. It was actually ground shattering for me. Look under the Sedimentology category to find the mentions of the pet wood. www.geoarchaeology.southalabama.edu/tal-sand_home.htmlI did send them pre-tumbled photos of the wood. Have not heard back. I won't tell them where it was found.
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lparsons
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Post by lparsons on May 15, 2022 10:58:24 GMT -5
Of course, things would have been much different if there had been eels involved, such as the ones jamesp mentioned he had encountered.🤣🤣🤣 But the unpredictability is what makes it an adventure
Patty
I agree , and I’m all about adventure with the exception of eels and gators! 🤣🤣🤣
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lparsons
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Post by lparsons on May 15, 2022 11:03:59 GMT -5
jamesp, I think an active lifestyle, natural curiosity and a passion for hobbies is what keeps a person happy, healthy and well….alive!🤣 From what I’ve read in your posts it sounds like you may have geared down a little but can, (and are) running circles around everyone I know!🤣🤣🤣 I do try to keep active even when battling ailments to stay healthy more so in mind than body. A strong curiosity can drive a person intensely. I consider curiosity and satisfaction of it a great gift. We can be a kid in a creek until we are forced to a wheelchair ! You are absolutely right, and being outside, (especially around water) is the best medicine for mind and body🤗
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2022 11:07:22 GMT -5
So does that mean all the stuff that he has not picked up yet,would be called "Price-less Wood" ? On the eel front, Tom did not think they were really eels and looked it up.
They attach themselves to other creatures, mostly fish & suck their blood.
So, maybe don't spend too much time sitting in the creek, after all.
Patty
That is exactly what was in the creek. Awesome find, thanks for solving that mystery. And I am in their range in the Tallapoosa drainage. And a small fast flowing rocky creek as the article stated. Now I have to pay attention to having 8 inch leachelikes attaching themselves to me ! There is a small fish in the Amazon that likes to dwell in humans where the sun doesn't shine lol. We'll have none of that ! Interesting, a fresh water lamprey that is probably related to the salt water lamprey that attaches to sharks and other large marine critters. OK, I had another weird critter encounter in a 15 foot wide section of the creek in about 16 inches of flowing clear water. Unfortunately no camera with me... I noticed about 20 - 3 inch long minnows swimming in circles over a tight ball over a pile of obviously neatly piled up 1 inch rocks. Looked as if they too had breeding in mind. The pile of rocks was of pyramid shape. The minnows resembled fat shiners with brilliant red sides as if a tropical aquarium fish. The arrangement totally baffled me, namely because of the obviously intentional pile of 1 inch rocks and their 'tending' of it. I would guess the pile of rocks to be 12" tall and the base of the pile to cover 3 square feet. It seemed unlikely that those little minnows piled those rocks. Rainbow shiner may be the culprit except these are over a depression of rocks and not a pile. Rainbow shiners are egg scatterers and will eat their own eggs. Often egg scattering fish will drop their eggs over gravel where the eggs fall safely in the crevices of the gravel.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2022 12:13:54 GMT -5
To me this is superior to AZ wood! What will we name it? Price Wood? Jamesp Wood? Start a POLL! Be careful Dave, that title may implicate me in a falsely imagined porno flick ! I am proud to have found this even if I may not the first person to find it. I did discover a variegated wetland rush in my outdoor travels. It is now sold as an ornamental water garden plant all over the world. It's name is 'Goldstrike'. I think I named it Goldstrike, or my competitor Charleston Aquatics named it. It is a variegated form of one of the most common rushes known named Juncus Effusus. I probably dug/grew/sold several million non-variegated Juncus Effusus plants over my 25 years in the wetland mitigation business. I found it digging stock in the wild close to my home go figure. It was commonly called for as a mitigation plant on landscape architects plant list for mitigations. I often had to dig these rushes within 50 miles of the job to maintain similar natural hybrid genes, they varied from 2 feet tall in north Georgia to 6 feet tall in Florida. I did make a mistake, I should have registered the plant with the Federal Ag Dept to get my name on it. The name to such a discovered sub-variety often ends in the discoverer's last name. It would have read like this in the botany books: Juncus Effusus var. Priceii, my last name being Price. The 'ii' is added for some latin notation. I did manage to grow about 3000 of them in pots so I could sell them as a new introduction at an elevated price since patent costs are so high. That way you get a patent commision every time someone sells one but enforcement to get payment is difficult. Variegated Juncus Effusus "Goldstrike': A native non-variegated Juncus in seed, common across the US: Growing in the wild:
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lparsons
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Post by lparsons on May 15, 2022 12:18:16 GMT -5
So does that mean all the stuff that he has not picked up yet,would be called "Price-less Wood" ? On the eel front, Tom did not think they were really eels and looked it up.
They attach themselves to other creatures, mostly fish & suck their blood.
So, maybe don't spend too much time sitting in the creek, after all.
Patty
That is exactly what was in the creek. Awesome find, thanks for solving that mystery. And I am in their range in the Tallapoosa drainage. And a small fast flowing rocky creek as the article stated. Now I have to pay attention to having 8 inch leachelikes attaching themselves to me ! There is a small fish in the Amazon that likes to dwell in humans where the sun doesn't shine lol. We'll have none of that ! Interesting, a fresh water lamprey that is probably related to the salt water lamprey that attaches to sharks and other large marine critters. OK, I had another weird critter encounter in a 15 foot wide section of the creek in about 16 inches of flowing clear water. Unfortunately no camera with me... I noticed about 20 - 3 inch long minnows swimming in circles over a tight ball over a pile of obviously neatly piled up 1 inch rocks. Looked as if they too had breeding in mind. The pile of rocks was of pyramid shape. The minnows resembled fat shiners with brilliant red sides as if a tropical aquarium fish. The arrangement totally baffled me, namely because of the obviously intentional pile of 1 inch rocks and their 'tending' of it. I would guess the pile of rocks to be 12" tall and the base of the pile to cover 3 square feet. It seemed unlikely that those little minnows piled those rocks. Rainbow shiner may be the culprit except these are over a depression of rocks and not a pile. Rainbow shiners are egg scatterers and will eat their own eggs. Often egg scattering fish will drop their eggs over gravel where the eggs fall safely in the crevices of the gravel. [br I guess I’ve watched too many episodes of River Monsters with Jeremy Wade to not fear eels/lampreys. 🤣 As far as those little nasties in the Amazon that invade, “where the son doesn’t shine” regions, well unless I have an airplane crash that drops me into their turf against my will, NEVER would I go anywhere near them.
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lparsons
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Member since April 2020
Posts: 276
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Post by lparsons on May 15, 2022 12:46:37 GMT -5
So does that mean all the stuff that he has not picked up yet,would be called "Price-less Wood" ? On the eel front, Tom did not think they were really eels and looked it up.
They attach themselves to other creatures, mostly fish & suck their blood.
So, maybe don't spend too much time sitting in the creek, after all.
Patty
That is exactly what was in the creek. Awesome find, thanks for solving that mystery. And I am in their range in the Tallapoosa drainage. And a small fast flowing rocky creek as the article stated. Now I have to pay attention to having 8 inch leachelikes attaching themselves to me ! There is a small fish in the Amazon that likes to dwell in humans where the sun doesn't shine lol. We'll have none of that ! Interesting, a fresh water lamprey that is probably related to the salt water lamprey that attaches to sharks and other large marine critters. OK, I had another weird critter encounter in a 15 foot wide section of the creek in about 16 inches of flowing clear water. Unfortunately no camera with me... I noticed about 20 - 3 inch long minnows swimming in circles over a tight ball over a pile of obviously neatly piled up 1 inch rocks. Looked as if they too had breeding in mind. The pile of rocks was of pyramid shape. The minnows resembled fat shiners with brilliant red sides as if a tropical aquarium fish. The arrangement totally baffled me, namely because of the obviously intentional pile of 1 inch rocks and their 'tending' of it. I would guess the pile of rocks to be 12" tall and the base of the pile to cover 3 square feet. It seemed unlikely that those little minnows piled those rocks. Rainbow shiner may be the culprit except these are over a depression of rocks and not a pile. Rainbow shiners are egg scatterers and will eat their own eggs. Often egg scattering fish will drop their eggs over gravel where the eggs fall safely in the crevices of the gravel. [br I guess I’ve watched too many episodes of River Monsters with Jeremy Wade to not fear eels/lampreys. 🤣 As far as those little nasties in the Amazon that invade, “where the son doesn’t shine” regions, well unless I have an airplane crash that drops me into their turf against my will, NEVER would I go anywhere near them.
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Post by 1dave on May 15, 2022 13:48:17 GMT -5
I had the same question Mel. The Rio and George wood is beautifully silicified. The Rio area may be imported ash related silicification but the George West wood must be formed by silica skeletons as is other local Texas pet wood north of the Rio. Limestone bedrock exposures in south Texas were covered with monocultures of similarly silicified pet wood depending on which limestone exposure you were collecting on. A shame about the large crop of calcite replacements. Darwin Dillon moved to Beeville TX next to George West for good reason. The gravel roads there are loaded with fine palm and wood. In addition to this Alabama wood is massive plates of banded chert base rock(death plate ?) that vary from a few inches thick to two feet thick. Most of it is in the creek bottom but also mixed with the wood on higher ground. But when broken the face glitters as if compressed sand bonded by silica similar to Tallahatta quartzite. But the bottom of the wood and chert rich creek is underlaid by crystalline quartz bedrock and no limestone. Here is a 4 inch thick hammer broken sample of this chert bed plate wetted. It can be quite attractive and takes a fine tumble polish.: But this hammer broken face glitters as if pure quartzite. This dry photo does not do the full coverage glitter justice. It is as if this is quartzite bonded together with dissolved silica like Tallahatta yet some of it is nicely translucent. Colors range in the iron spectrum including crazy dark purples.: I sure wish you could go to this site. Your vast experience with silicified materials would sure be helpful. I was going to ask if I could send you an MFRB for your to analyze. I have a few tumble polished pieces to add to the samples if that helps. All this petrified wood discussion while I am convalescing has gotten me thinking that I need to follow thru on a couple of search areas I have access to. In Texas "access" is everything, without it one is at considerable risk. Besides that searching during Summer months here is not the best idea., maybe in my 20's and 30's, not at 70!! Have never charted the wood in Texas but if you look at the geologic map, the formations run in arcs parallel to the coast and I have always thought that a particular wood found at one location in the arc, has a possibility of being elsewhere on the arc. Not so foolish to think it's that simple as so many additional factors enter into the picture. Then there's the whole river deposit activity that have gone back and forth over time moving stuff. A distant memory from over 50 years ago, one guy we new had collected some exceptional wood down near Moulton, the wood, although small pieces was exceptional. He told us where, but never checked it out. Of course his memory of where he was and my memory of his relating the info could be magnifying the error!! jamesp I would like to see the wood you are finding face polishes across the grain and with the grain. Great to have YOU BACK HENRY!
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2022 14:29:18 GMT -5
That is exactly what was in the creek. Awesome find, thanks for solving that mystery. And I am in their range in the Tallapoosa drainage. And a small fast flowing rocky creek as the article stated. Now I have to pay attention to having 8 inch leachelikes attaching themselves to me ! There is a small fish in the Amazon that likes to dwell in humans where the sun doesn't shine lol. We'll have none of that ! Interesting, a fresh water lamprey that is probably related to the salt water lamprey that attaches to sharks and other large marine critters. OK, I had another weird critter encounter in a 15 foot wide section of the creek in about 16 inches of flowing clear water. Unfortunately no camera with me... I noticed about 20 - 3 inch long minnows swimming in circles over a tight ball over a pile of obviously neatly piled up 1 inch rocks. Looked as if they too had breeding in mind. The pile of rocks was of pyramid shape. The minnows resembled fat shiners with brilliant red sides as if a tropical aquarium fish. The arrangement totally baffled me, namely because of the obviously intentional pile of 1 inch rocks and their 'tending' of it. I would guess the pile of rocks to be 12" tall and the base of the pile to cover 3 square feet. It seemed unlikely that those little minnows piled those rocks. Rainbow shiner may be the culprit except these are over a depression of rocks and not a pile. Rainbow shiners are egg scatterers and will eat their own eggs. Often egg scattering fish will drop their eggs over gravel where the eggs fall safely in the crevices of the gravel. [br I guess I’ve watched too many episodes of River Monsters with Jeremy Wade to not fear eels/lampreys. 🤣 As far as those little nasties in the Amazon that invade, “where the son doesn’t shine” regions, well unless I have an airplane crash that drops me into their turf against my will, NEVER would I go anywhere near them. There is something about a bodily host connected to your bloodstream that should make any human very uncomfortable lol. The lampreys will make you think twice about sticking your hands in the water. The other sucker that can be very uncomfortable to enjoy your blood is common leaches. You can give a ride to 100's of them and never know it till you get out of the water. After they have injected anti-coagulant into your flesh the worst known case of itching begins.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2022 14:31:47 GMT -5
All this petrified wood discussion while I am convalescing has gotten me thinking that I need to follow thru on a couple of search areas I have access to. In Texas "access" is everything, without it one is at considerable risk. Besides that searching during Summer months here is not the best idea., maybe in my 20's and 30's, not at 70!! Have never charted the wood in Texas but if you look at the geologic map, the formations run in arcs parallel to the coast and I have always thought that a particular wood found at one location in the arc, has a possibility of being elsewhere on the arc. Not so foolish to think it's that simple as so many additional factors enter into the picture. Then there's the whole river deposit activity that have gone back and forth over time moving stuff. A distant memory from over 50 years ago, one guy we new had collected some exceptional wood down near Moulton, the wood, although small pieces was exceptional. He told us where, but never checked it out. Of course his memory of where he was and my memory of his relating the info could be magnifying the error!! jamesp I would like to see the wood you are finding face polishes across the grain and with the grain. Great to have YOU BACK! Who, me ? I'm always here Dave. Just more active at times. This is the RTH !
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Post by 1dave on May 15, 2022 14:55:19 GMT -5
Who, me ? I'm always here Dave. Just more active at times. This is the RTH ! I was trying to communicate with HankRocks - getting more befuddled in the time stream.
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Post by mohs on May 15, 2022 15:13:33 GMT -5
quid in nomine, james pricii ? ...plerumque
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Post by liveoak on May 15, 2022 16:39:27 GMT -5
OK Jim, I'll have to read up -- thought you'd fill me & all in with the highlights . You caught me
I learned as a kid- bring salt , tackles leeches.
Not sure if it works with lamprey's
Patty
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lparsons
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Member since April 2020
Posts: 276
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Post by lparsons on May 15, 2022 18:42:21 GMT -5
[br I guess I’ve watched too many episodes of River Monsters with Jeremy Wade to not fear eels/lampreys. 🤣 As far as those little nasties in the Amazon that invade, “where the son doesn’t shine” regions, well unless I have an airplane crash that drops me into their turf against my will, NEVER would I go anywhere near them. There is something about a bodily host connected to your bloodstream that should make any human very uncomfortable lol. The lampreys will make you think twice about sticking your hands in the water. The other sucker that can be very uncomfortable to enjoy your blood is common leaches. You can give a ride to 100's of them and never know it till you get out of the water. After they have injected anti-coagulant into your flesh the worst known case of itching begins. Omgggg, I haven’t thought of leeches in years. They give me chills!!!😳It makes me think of the movie Stand by Me when those boys get out of the water, and one of them looked in his shorts and fainted! (Not that I blame him, I would have slipped into a coma)🤣🤣🤣
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