Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Tag: fossils

  • The Spill: Revolt, Solo Zines, Collabs, and moving vol 9

    The Spill: Revolt, Solo Zines, Collabs, and moving vol 9

    This is Volume 9 of The Spill, the newsletter where I gather up recent Poeaxtry_ news. What I have been pouring into lately: the projects, the gear, the hikes, the collabs, and the small but steady steps toward building something lasting.

    Twitch Possibilities

    The Twitch space is opening wide with possibilities. Think gaming sessions, live rock slicing, witchy streams with tarot readings, pendulum work, spell crafting, foraging rituals, and even virtual rockhounding trips. Poetry readings will land here too. This is a place where all the threads of Poeaxtry_ can weave into something more interactive.

    Revolt & Multi-Platform Mission

    The Revolt server (think Discord, but different) is live, and it’s part of the bigger mission: being present in multiple places so no one in the community is locked into an app they don’t like or use. Our hub is meant to be open and accessible wherever you feel most comfortable, not confined by corporate walls.

    Discord Makeover

    The Discord itself is getting a proper refresh: clearer names, straightforward descriptions, and more sections to come. No fluff, just an easier way to find what you need and connect with who you want.

    Gear Upgrade

    Content creation just got an upgrade with a new tripod that’s going to make stream and recordings cleaner across the board. It doubles as a SELFIE STICK! A “gym bag” I found has transitioned into my field pack. It is loaded with pockets, clip-on options, and even an expandable section. Add an inflatable camping mat to the list (a masons type resell bin score, green and sustainable), and yes shoes! I got new Chuck Taylors that’ll sneak their way into a hike or twenty.

    Fossils & Rockhounding

    Lately I’ve gotten fossils from Sylvia’s Fossil Park and in Richmond, Indiana. So I’ve been cleaning whole plates and full pieces. The finds out there are incredible: brachiopods, trilobites, corals, and other ancient remnants that remind me why rockhounding is so much more than collecting. It’s connection to time itself.

    Collabs & Publishing

    Both of my current collabs are still open! Kelso Volume 1 has officially been published! On top of that, I’m already working on another solo zine. The momentum doesn’t pause here.

    Adventures & Trips

    Last week had been packed: Blacklick Sky Canopy, Millikan Falls, and the Columbus Rose Garden all got their share of footsteps in the same day. This week, I’ll be heading to Conkle’s Hollow in Hocking Hills on Thursday, September 25 for another stretch of trail time and inspiration.

    The Spill is always about what’s moving, what’s being built, and what’s on the horizon. Volume 9 marks another turn in the path, with community spaces growing, creative work expanding, and small joys. fossils to new gear… carrying forward.

    Poeaxtry’s links

    Ko-fi

    Wattpad

  • Fossils, Falls, and Full Bags – An Evening in Richmond, Indiana

    Fossils, Falls, and Full Bags – An Evening in Richmond, Indiana

    Overlooking thistlewaite falls from the stairs
    Thistlewaite falls

    Yesterday’s “hike” wasn’t really a hike. Not the kind with switchbacks and summits, anyway. This was slow, head-down wandering… moving from one patch of rock to another, eyes scanning for anything that didn’t quite match the rest.I first saw Thistlethwaite Falls on TikTok just yesterday morning, in fact. I’d just woken up, still half tangled in my blankets, when this video popped up showing this cute fall you could get right in. The next video showed the fossils. You know I was SOLD! It was one of those moments where the phone goes down and you just know you’re going. Within hours, we were in the car, snacks packed, bags ready, heading toward Richmond with no real plan except “play in a waterfall and find as many fossils as possible.”

    Front view of thistlewaite falls in Richmond Indiana
    Thistlewaite Falls

    It was me, my home slice Sky, and the baby, out on a late-summer day at Thistlethwaite Falls in Richmond, Indiana. The water spilled wide over its limestone ledge, humming in that steady, drum-like way waterfalls do. The spray caught in the warm air, carrying the smell of wet stone. And right there, underfoot, was where the real action was… fossils embedded in the rock like the past had been gift-wrapped for us to find.

    We started small, a crinoid here, a shell impression there but things escalated quickly. Before long, I was hauling multiple bags of fossils back up from the falls to the car. And then back down again. And then up again. The baby, apparently inspired by all this rock action, decided to test her throwing arm. At one point, I took a direct hit to the head and felt it rattle around my skull like a maraca. Sky caught a rock to the face not long after. Adventures are never without their battle scars.

    Rock haul from Thistlewaite in my floorboard
    Rock haul featuring a baby cup

    Next stop was Richmond’s Fossil Park, which felt like a fossil hunter’s open-air market . A broad gravel bed scattered with chunks of rock, each one a possible time capsule. This is where I found some of my favorites: a few pieces with shimmering quartz inclusions, and a whole brachiopod! The dude has both valves, hinge and all . It was like it had been waiting all this time just to be found. The creek bed here and the gravel is also just basically nothing but fossils and stuff. That’s actually where I found one quartz piece.

    Mural at the fossil park in Richmond Indiana
    Mural at fossil park

    The front floorboard of my car became a rock bed of its own, layered with crinoids, coral pieces, and other prehistoric odds and ends. Along with two bags in the back seat full… well overflowing if I am being honest. The sun was dropping toward the horizon by the time we finally looked up around 7:30 p.m. and the baby’s rock-throwing streak had given way to full on running baby.

    We never made it to our planned third stop. Time just slipped through our fingers, as it tends to do when the hunt takes over. I’m not mad about it. That place will still be there. And now, I have more than enough reason to go back . Let’s pretend as if the fossils alone weren’t reason enough.

    Rockhounding isn’t fast, and it isn’t clean. It’s slow, deliberate, and sometimes chaotic. It’s a mix of patience, luck, and a little chaos courtesy of the smallest member of the crew. But it’s always worth it. Because in the end, you walk away with more than just rocks. You walk away with pieces of the earth’s history and the stories you’ll tell about how you found them.