Good Morning, Ryan!
I’ve Got a Surprise for you Today!

What Kind of Surprise, Daddy?
It is an Adventure, Ryan.

Well– then I will Put On my Explorer’s Outfit.
These are my Favorite Clothes to Wear for an Adventure!

Oh– Dad!  It’s a Book about BUGS! And it has a 3-D Cover!!
Bugs are One of my Very Favorite Subjects to Explore!

Did you Know that Bugs have been around for over 4oo Million Years?
Even before Dinosaurs, there were Bugs.
This is Interesting–.
Bugs Arouse my Curiosity because there are So Many Types of Them.

Well– Do you Remember when we Went on on Vacation Out West this Summer, Ryan?

We went to the Small Town of Florissant, Colorado, where there is a Unique Quarry in the Hillside.
The Stone in that Quarry is Fine-Grained Shale that is Very Special.

Yes, Dad.  I Remember that we Visited a Quarry in Florissant, Colorado.

And I Remember the Quarry in the Hillside, Dad.

I Remember that they Had Trucks to Play with…

Do you Remember us Looking at the Shale Stone while we were There?

Remember How they Gave you Tools to Split the Fine-Grained Shale into Thin Pieces?

Yes.  I Remember that I Found Pieces of Tree…

…and Leaves That Looked Very Real…

Yes.  Those were Fossilized Tree Leaves that Were Preserved in Perfect Shape
from When they Fell onto the Damp Ground 400 Million Years Ago…

Plus, I Remember we Found small Branches from Trees and Stems of Plants…

Do you Remember What Else we Found at the Florissant Quarry, Ryan?
Remember Using your Magnifying Glass That I Gave you?
Was it Insects, Daddy?
Yes. Very Tiny Bugs!

Here, Ryan.
Let’s Look into our Microscope and we can See
the Very Tiny Bugs that were Fossilized 400 Million Years ago.

Wow!  These Ancient Bugs Look Just Like
the Bugs I See Around us Every Day!

This is Really Incredible!
It is Amazing that these Bugs were Around  Over 300 Million Years
Before the Dinosaurs Even Existed.

I Can Really See the Fossilized Bugs Quite Well with our Microscope.
Bugs Have Not Really Changed Much Over a Very, Very Long Time, –have they, Dad?

No, they Haven’t, Ryan.

I Love Exploring and Learning New Things, Dad!
I’m Happy that you Love to Explore and Learn about Many Things, Ryan.
Have Fun Using our Microscope to Study about Ancient, Fossilized Bugs!
When you are Finished, Please Call  for me and I’ll Help you Put our Microscope Away.
O.K. I Will Call for you When I’m Done, Dad!