Trilobites

It seems you'd be hard pressed to find a person who isn't fascinated by trilobites. Strange looking, abundant creatures which emerged during the Cambrian Explosion, they dominated the sea floor invertebrate fauna for millions of years.

I've always loved looking for fossils. My grandparents have plenty hidden in the gravel of their driveway, so when family festivities get tiresome, I'll be out there digging up crinoid stems and brachiopods. Yes, I still do, just like when I was 7. I could never find a trilobite though! I think I might have a piece of one in my fossil collection somewhere, but I cannot seem to find it.
I recently went to visit my boyfriend, who also has a gravel driveway. The rocks were trucked in from somewhere else in the Catskills; this whole area of NY is full of fossils.

I found a chunk of slate which was cracked into a series of plates, and after separating them, I found a Cambrian trilobite! Only a portion of the body was sticking out of the rock, mostly the middle lobe. On the left is the imprint.
I wish I could reveal the whole fossil, but I'm not sure how I could do that without accidentally destroying it.

I've been inspired to make some more fossil plushies - none of which are in the shop yet, as I'm trying to build up some craft show inventory. Here's an example.
First show of the summer is this weekend, at Lakeside Farms in Ballston Lake, NY! Just a few minutes off of exit 11 on the Northway (I-87).
Click HERE for directions