[meteorite-list] Rocks from Space Picture of the Day - March 26, 2008 / Story

[Thetoprok at aol.com]

Hello List,

I'd like to share the story of this meteorite's  recovery.

A few weeks after the fall I had returned to the strewn field  to hunt the 
wooded park area more thoroughly, I was confident I would find  something 
despite the fact I had already been skunked there in the weeks  previous. After two 
days of tromping through the woods, poking my metal detector  into all cracks 
and crevices, looking for skinned, dented, or otherwise damaged  trees, I 
found nothing! Something came up and I had to go home, (another story)  about a 
4.5 hour drive, spend the night with plans to come right back the  following 
morning. 
When I returned it was with the intention of making  contact with some of the 
residents in the neighborhoods, I was finished with the  woods! Upon arriving 
at the first neighborhood I encountered two men with a big  motorcycle down 
in a deep ditch, they were struggling with it and could not get  it out. 
Forgetting meteorites for the moment, I pulled over and offered up the  service of 
my 4 wheel drive Tahoe. Of course they accepted my offer and I broke  out the 
tow strap, pulling them out. The bike was not drivable so the one guy  called 
his cousin Simon, who lived down the street and was the owner of the  
motorcycle. Simon walked down, not realizing he couldn't drive the bike home,  and when 
he realized it couldn't be driven he asked me for a ride to his house.  I 
obliged and as we headed for his house he asked me what I was doing in his  
neighborhood, having seen my Michigan plates. Suddenly, coming to my meteoritic  
senses I remembered why I was there. 
"Oh I'm looking for those meteorites  that fell a few weeks ago." I said.
"I've got one." He says, like it's  no big deal.
"Really?" I asked. 
"I'll show you when we get to my  house." 
When we got to his house he brings out this unbelievably fresh Park  Forest 
meteorite! I held it to my nose and could smell sulphur. I tried to  maintain 
my composure, not wanting to look too eager. I asked him to tell me how  he 
came about this meteorite and he told me that on the night of the fall he had  
just gone to bed. He was not yet asleep when he experienced the bright light  
illuminating his bedroom and the tremendous explosions that followed. A couple  
minutes later he heard a disturbance outside, he said it sounded like 
something  hit his house. He got up out of bed, walked downstairs and opened his front 
 door. When he looked down he saw this meteorite setting on his door mat! 
This  stone was picked up and brought into the house less than a minute after it 
hit  his maple tree and landed on his porch, incredible!
I was nearly broke and  had only a one hundred dollar bill in my pocket. I 
thought, there's no way he'll  take $100.00, is there? As I pulled the $100.00 
bill from my pocket I offered to  trade it for the meteorite. He was reaching 
for the money and asking his wife if  it was ok at the same time! Hilarious, 
she said "Hell yes! take the money!" My  heart was racing and I couldn't believe 
they made the trade. The funny thing is  that had I had $500.00 in my pocket 
I probably would have offered that!
 I hung out with Simon, his cousin and his uncle, drinking beer out in  the 
garage 'till the wee hours, slept in my truck, then drove home the next  day.

It almost killed me but I sold this meteorite as soon as I got home.  I 
needed the money.
I'd like to take a moment and publicly thank Ryan  Pawelski for giving me the 
opportunity to buy this meteorite back from him when  he was ready to sell. 
It now resides in my collection and is one of my favorite  meteorite's and one 
of my fondest memories of meteorite hunting. Thanks  Ryan!

Best Regards,
Larry Atkins

In a message dated 3/26/2008  7:52:19 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
SPACEROCKSINC at aol.com  writes:
http://www.spacerocksinc.com/March_26_2008.html   




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