In September of 2005 Susan and I made our second hike that year in Point Mugu State Park. The first time a few months previous we explored the expansive grasslands of its La Jolla Valley, but this second time we hiked to Mugu Peak (about 1,300 feet).
About a third or so of the way up on the eastern, landward side of the mountain we passed this imprint of what had been a fossilized shell embedded in the rock from waaaaay back in the Cretaceous day when a majority of California was underwater and marine reptiles like plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs swam in what’s now the air over our heads. Unfortunately since this remnant from that time is situated directly on the hiking path it’s been subject to vandalism as people have pried off the remains of the actual shell from its resting place, leaving only fragments and its impression:
I wonder how many millions of years did it remain unspoiled until some jerkball hominid had to come along and break it trying to take it as a souvenir?
Anyway, I just happened to be scrolling through the archives when I landed on this image and it reminded me not only that humans suck but that no matter much things seem to stay the same, they don’t.