I met Kyle outside of what is turning into my normal conversation spot, Loosys. He was walking up with another well-known local Adam aka @dumpster_meds Not only that, he came bearing a gift for me. A fossil.

Kyle is a Gainesville Transplant. Originally he is from Michigan. When he was a young teenager, he moved with his dad to the deep south in Georgia where he experienced a good amount of culture shock. While there, he started finding himself musically, going from punk rock, to acoustic, and now folk music. Eventually, he made his way to Gainesville back in 2016 with music being one of the main reasons for the move.

I was actually first introduced to Kyle through Instagram. He had this amazing shot of blue water in a quarry. Later I learned that while one half of his life is focused on his love of music, his other half of is treasure hunting. Rock and fossil hunting to be specific. One thing I can say I love about these conversations is meeting with people, and listening to them talk about their passions. Kyle is no diffrient here. At the age of 17 he started doing Guided fossil hunting tous in south Florida with a man who has written books on it, Mark Renz.

I wanted to know what his personal holy-grail would be. He told me its practically impossible for him to find it in Florida but he would love to find a dinosaur tooth or bone on a dig. This would most likely be in Hell Creek Formation in Wyoming. In the Gainesville area finding old history is what gives him a sense of connection. He found several Coca-cola bottles from pre-1915, when they were made here locally with Gainesville stamped on them.

Now, that fossil he gave me? A clam shell with the shell being replaced with calcite crystals over time due to the calcium-rich sediments. He told me he estimates its about one and a half to two million years old. That's one hell of a gift.