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

[JKGwilliam]

I've always maintained that even though the meteorites themselves are 
really cool, the stories and memories are what it's really all 
about.  Thanks Larry.

Best,
John Gwilliam

At 07:42 AM 3/26/2008, Thetoprok at aol.com wrote:

>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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