There is something surreal about holding something that is hundreds of millions of years old. Somehow it puts my tiny life into perspective.

My fascination with fossils is relatively new. A few years ago I was like most people, not giving them a second thought. But then I started finding them along the shores of Lake Erie while sea glassing. What are these odd little rocks with the strange patterns? What were these petrified creatures? How did they end up here?

My collection fills a small mason jar and I’m just beginning to research the history of these fascinating stones. Here are a few of my favourites:

These are brachiopods. Hundreds of millions of years old. My daughter thinks they look like bats (she’s got Halloween on the brain these days.)

Sea coral. Very old sea coral. This has tiny, glitter-like crystals inside each honeycomb. Gorgeous in the sunlight.

I don’t know what this is yet. It reminds me of a rattlesnake.

Did someone leave a belly button on the beach? Ew.  Any ideas what this is?

I have started to collect heart stones. This one was found on Lake Superior in Agawa. It resembles ground meat.  Appropriate, since that’s how the heart feels sometimes. Ground up. Raw. Thankfully mine hasn’t felt that way in a long time.

I shot this on the garage floor.