Sally Serpent's-tongue

[melannen]

Mom and Dad and I went daown the aocean in Calvert County today. Take that, stellar_dust, with your walking-distance library! found another couple tablespoons of shark's teeth, discussed geomorphology with Dad, and got sand in places I'd rather not have sand. So all in all, a productive day.

Dad and I hiked out into the water and went way down the beach. Mom didn't even get her knees wet (but seeing as at those beaches, at low tide, you can be three hundred feet out and have waves lapping at your ankles, that's not bad). The big tree finally fell off the cliff this winter. And I think I managed not to get sunburned. The bottoms of my feet are all sliced up, though, as usual. Caught several dozen minnows in a bucket.

What we really go to those beaches for, of course, are the shark's teeth. Miocene fossils. Carcharodon megalodon. At Chesapeake beach you don't generally find very big ones; half an inch or so at best, most days; but you get *quantity*. I have about a quarter-cup now, and it's really fun to run them through your fingers.

Fossil shark's teeth, as I'm sure you know, were known to Rennaissance science as Glossopetra: Snake's Tongues. (So the title is actually relevant! Bwaha!) Used, according to the Aristotelian doctrine of sympathies, like unicorn horn or bezoars, to protect against poison. I really need to get going on making some snake-tongue jewelery like I keep saying I'm going to.

I wore, as a bathing suit, an old t-shirt of Mom's from the seventies over a granny-style bathing suit, and a big straw hat. Did not seem to deter spectators. Got comments on the shirt; apparently there are natives of Troy, Ohio, *everywhere*. Also, I have decided it is the height of silliness to refuse to shave my legs out of principle, then refuse to show my legs in public out of embarrassment. Thus, am being less careful about revealing ankles this summer (you didn't think I'd be *immodest*, did you?), in the secure belief that nobody looks at my legs anyway. Whaddayaknow, they do. So far comments have been on the order of those I get about my cloak: "Why?" and "*How* old are you?", quickly deterred when I actually have an answer.

And happy birthday (a day late) to zodiaccat. I meant to post yesterday, really I did, but after the VBS closing, I fell asleep, and only woke up for dinner, whereupon I went right back to sleep, after reading about a chapter of Ovid. At least I am now well-rested.

EDIT: Somebody nag me to write a proper Beach node for e2!

Comments

[elspethdixon.livejournal.com]

Calvert? Wow! Y'all were right in my backyard today. (I'm over in St. Mary's, south of the military base).

My sister and I used to collect fossils at Calvert Cliff and down at the St. Mary's river when we were little. We have a couple sharks' teeth plus an entire mason jar full of little turatella fossils (you know, the unicorn horn-shaped shells) lying around somewhere.

[melannen.livejournal.com]

Of course, you were out at ocean city at the time!

Dad took a couple of paleo course in college, and fossil-finding's been sort of a family hobby; we have several boxes full in the attic, everything from pertified wood to ecphora, and don't really need any more, but it's an excuse to go to the beach. :)

[speakerender.livejournal.com]

shark's teeth
What kinds of sharks? Whenever I think of sharks I always get the image of great white sharks (yeah yeah, I know there are others but come on, jaws! )

comments have been on the order of those I get about my cloak: "Why?" and "*How* old are you?

*grin* Okay, so I know the answer to the how old, so Why? (question about both). And further what's so odd about wearing a cloak?

And write a proper Beach node for e2! (even though I don't use that or understand how e2 works)

[(Anonymous)]

E2 is a first-line (not first-rate, mind you) reference tool for those of us who live on the internet. Especially good for memes. Just put a search bar into your browser, and throw terms into that instead of your dictionary. Easy.

--C

[speakerender.livejournal.com]

yes yes, I've been to the site, but for example I can't find stuff that you/katy/sally have posted, I keep getting links to other links to other links to even more links. Very odd site *nod me*

[(Anonymous)]

http://everything2.org/index.pl?node=transhumance

click on my username, then click on the '34' under number of writeups/experience. voila! a list of all the worthless bits I've contributed. somewhere on that page should also be a link to kate's homepage. sally's too!

see, links are useful.

--C

Shark!

[stellar-dust.livejournal.com]

Sharks like CARCHARODON MEGALODON (http://www.sharksteeth.com/Megalodon.htm)!

(http://everything2.net/index.pl?lastnode_id=746270&node_id=523773)

Rar!

[zodiaccat.livejournal.com]

The bottoms of my feet are all sliced up, though, as usual.

You should think about picking up a pair of flip-flops for next time. Not only do they not weigh your feet down as bad as regular shoes would, but they keep your feet from getting cut up too bad.

then refuse to show my legs in public out of embarrassment

Embarassment? For what?

So far comments have been on the order of those I get about my cloak

You mean that green one you had during high school? That thing was awesome.

and got sand in places I'd rather not have sand.

Got sand in my eye yesterday. Somehow, it got right under my eyelid. That is *definitely* a place you don't want sand.

[zodiaccat.livejournal.com]

P.S.: Is there a set place that meme's are usually posted? I really like those things, but tend to miss out on them, not knowing the details of them.