[Texascavers] Caving Video of the Month

[David]

May 2019 winner goes to Aquachigger
( a.k.a. Beau Ouimette of Maryland )

Skip to 9:40 in the video:

https://youtu.be/FVeCBM90494
___
Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/
http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers

Re: [Texascavers] a quasi-caver's perspective

[Lyndon Tiu]

"While You Were Sleeping"

Starring Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock.



On Monday, May 13, 2019, Mallory  wrote:

> Haha! So much for focusing on living.
>
> I used to be one of those people who flipped out at David’s wacky emails
> but (ironically) since my head injury in 2013, I mellowed out on these
> emails. I think they're just David’s way of standing out and filling some
> sort of obscure niche in our community. But I agree that life is too short.
> You never know when your time is up and I think the best way to honor our
> fallen comrades is simply to live each day to our fullest and seize the
> opportunities that come our way. I think both Bills, Lee Jay and all of the
> friends we’ve recently lost would agree 💯.
>
> Funny somewhat-related story - One of my best friends “Pat” who was with
> me the night I was injured, made a funny confession to me when he visited
> me in inpatient rehab. I’m going to keep this PG-13, but he had a physical
> encounter with one of the hospital residents who put me in an induced coma
> about 3 weeks after said coma began. They ran into each other, recognized
> each other from the hospital, started chatting it up and wound up leaving
> the bar together. My friend was telling me how he felt so guilty, because I
> wasn’t awake yet and might never be and here he was hooking up with this
> hot doctor. He was basically asking for my forgiveness - but there was
> nothing to forgive! I didn’t have the opportunity to have fun at the
> moment, so I sure didn’t begrudge anyone a good time. I never laughed so
> hard in that horrible rehab as I did when he was telling me the story of
> this rendezvous. Life is for living, whether it’s an epic caving trip or a
> weekend fling. 😂
>
> Mallory
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On May 13, 2019, at 12:59 PM, David  wrote:
> >
> > Someone recently advised me to focus on the living, and not to pay much
> attention to the other option.
> >
> > I noticed shortly after getting into organized caving that some cavers
> that I knew or had become acquaintances wiith would occasuonally pass away.
> >
> > I can not name them all here, but the list is around 30 people, of just
> the ones that I actually went on a caving trip with, or had frequent
> encounters with at caving events.
> >
> > Sadly, I can not remember all the names, just the faces.
> >
> > But in a manner of showing some respect,
> >
> > Here is a partial list:
> >
> > A.Richard Smith, Jon Everage, Alejandro Villagomez, Pat Copeland, Mason
> Estes, Michael Moore, Oren Tranbarger, Jim McLane, Harry Walker, Charles
> Haskett, Joe Ivy, Ed Alexander, Brian Burton, Eugene Ebell, Rod Goke, Doc
> Harding, Donna Mosesmann, Carl Ponebshek, Nobel Stidham, Bob Cowell, and
> Rolf Adams.
> >
> > Not listing the recent ones out of courtesy to the mourners.
> >
> > It would be nice to have something very fancy at the TSC to honor them
> all.
> >
> > I propose:  an 40 foot tall cylinder 8 feet in diameter - that a visitor
> crawls into, at the bottom.  Inside is dark room, with a cold dripping
> water cascade over a metallic surface resembling flowstone with a statue of
> a caver ( with functioning headlamp ) who is climbing at the top of a dome
> 35 feet above, shining his or her light upwards at helectites and soda
> straws.
> >
> > And on the outside on the roof - a large bat-house.
> >
> >
> > On a personal note,
> >
> > I never believed when I was 19,  that I would live to see the year,
> 2019.   I never imagined I would have such a fancy tv ( which I almost
> never watch ).   I hope to make it to 2064, but it sure seems unrealistic.
> >
> > D.L.
> > ___
> > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
> > Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/
> texascavers@texascavers.com/
> > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
> ___
> Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
> Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/
> texascavers@texascavers.com/
> http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
>


-- 
Lyndon Tiu
___
Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/
http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers

[Texascavers] Bat Crossing ?

[David]

Bat Crossing sign in Houston.

Is this a legitimate traffic-sign, or just somebodies yard decoration ?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gzb5o1trfc0dy8m/Bat-Xing.jpg?dl=0

I took this photo today near Bob Booth's old house.
___
Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/
http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers

Re: [Texascavers] a quasi-caver's perspective

[Mallory]

Haha! So much for focusing on living. 

I used to be one of those people who flipped out at David’s wacky emails but 
(ironically) since my head injury in 2013, I mellowed out on these emails. I 
think they're just David’s way of standing out and filling some sort of obscure 
niche in our community. But I agree that life is too short. You never know when 
your time is up and I think the best way to honor our fallen comrades is simply 
to live each day to our fullest and seize the opportunities that come our way. 
I think both Bills, Lee Jay and all of the friends we’ve recently lost would 
agree 💯. 

Funny somewhat-related story - One of my best friends “Pat” who was with me the 
night I was injured, made a funny confession to me when he visited me in 
inpatient rehab. I’m going to keep this PG-13, but he had a physical encounter 
with one of the hospital residents who put me in an induced coma about 3 weeks 
after said coma began. They ran into each other, recognized each other from the 
hospital, started chatting it up and wound up leaving the bar together. My 
friend was telling me how he felt so guilty, because I wasn’t awake yet and 
might never be and here he was hooking up with this hot doctor. He was 
basically asking for my forgiveness - but there was nothing to forgive! I 
didn’t have the opportunity to have fun at the moment, so I sure didn’t 
begrudge anyone a good time. I never laughed so hard in that horrible rehab as 
I did when he was telling me the story of this rendezvous. Life is for living, 
whether it’s an epic caving trip or a weekend fling. 😂

Mallory 

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 13, 2019, at 12:59 PM, David  wrote:
> 
> Someone recently advised me to focus on the living, and not to pay much 
> attention to the other option.
> 
> I noticed shortly after getting into organized caving that some cavers that I 
> knew or had become acquaintances wiith would occasuonally pass away.
> 
> I can not name them all here, but the list is around 30 people, of just the 
> ones that I actually went on a caving trip with, or had frequent encounters 
> with at caving events. 
> 
> Sadly, I can not remember all the names, just the faces.
> 
> But in a manner of showing some respect,
> 
> Here is a partial list:
> 
> A.Richard Smith, Jon Everage, Alejandro Villagomez, Pat Copeland, Mason 
> Estes, Michael Moore, Oren Tranbarger, Jim McLane, Harry Walker, Charles 
> Haskett, Joe Ivy, Ed Alexander, Brian Burton, Eugene Ebell, Rod Goke, Doc 
> Harding, Donna Mosesmann, Carl Ponebshek, Nobel Stidham, Bob Cowell, and Rolf 
> Adams.
> 
> Not listing the recent ones out of courtesy to the mourners.
> 
> It would be nice to have something very fancy at the TSC to honor them all.  
> 
> I propose:  an 40 foot tall cylinder 8 feet in diameter - that a visitor 
> crawls into, at the bottom.  Inside is dark room, with a cold dripping water 
> cascade over a metallic surface resembling flowstone with a statue of a caver 
> ( with functioning headlamp ) who is climbing at the top of a dome 35 feet 
> above, shining his or her light upwards at helectites and soda straws.
> 
> And on the outside on the roof - a large bat-house.
> 
> 
> On a personal note, 
> 
> I never believed when I was 19,  that I would live to see the year, 2019.   I 
> never imagined I would have such a fancy tv ( which I almost never watch ).   
> I hope to make it to 2064, but it sure seems unrealistic.
> 
> D.L.
> ___
> Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
> Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: 
> http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/
> http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
___
Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/
http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers

[Texascavers] a quasi-caver's perspective

[David]

Someone recently advised me to focus on the living, and not to pay much
attention to the other option.

I noticed shortly after getting into organized caving that some cavers that
I knew or had become acquaintances wiith would occasuonally pass away.

I can not name them all here, but the list is around 30 people, of just the
ones that I actually went on a caving trip with, or had frequent encounters
with at caving events.

Sadly, I can not remember all the names, just the faces.

But in a manner of showing some respect,

Here is a partial list:

A.Richard Smith, Jon Everage, Alejandro Villagomez, Pat Copeland, Mason
Estes, Michael Moore, Oren Tranbarger, Jim McLane, Harry Walker, Charles
Haskett, Joe Ivy, Ed Alexander, Brian Burton, Eugene Ebell, Rod Goke, Doc
Harding, Donna Mosesmann, Carl Ponebshek, Nobel Stidham, Bob Cowell, and
Rolf Adams.

Not listing the recent ones out of courtesy to the mourners.

It would be nice to have something very fancy at the TSC to honor them
all.

I propose:  an 40 foot tall cylinder 8 feet in diameter - that a visitor
crawls into, at the bottom.  Inside is dark room, with a cold dripping
water cascade over a metallic surface resembling flowstone with a statue of
a caver ( with functioning headlamp ) who is climbing at the top of a dome
35 feet above, shining his or her light upwards at helectites and soda
straws.

And on the outside on the roof - a large bat-house.


On a personal note,

I never believed when I was 19,  that I would live to see the year, 2019.
 I never imagined I would have such a fancy tv ( which I almost never watch
).   I hope to make it to 2064, but it sure seems unrealistic.

D.L.
___
Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/
http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers

[Texascavers] Rane Curl Passed Away

[Geary Schindel]

Some of you may have known Rane. He is one of the NSS Luminary Speakers and can 
see his talk from a few years ago on the NSS Web Page.

Geary



Sad Morning,

Rane Curl's daughter announced this morning on Facebook that her father had 
passed away. Many of you knew Rane well, but here's his bio from the 2013 
Luminary talks:

In 1952, while laboring away in the Charleston, WV area on graduate work in 
chemical engineering at MIT, and dating a local lady, Rane had occasion to meet 
her brother—none other than the legendary WV caver John "Bud" Rutherford. Rane 
began caving with Rutherford and a teammate named Bob Handley. After returning 
to school in Cambridge, MA, Rane continued pursuing his new interest in caves 
with members of the Boston Grotto. After graduating in 1955, he moved to the 
bay area of California and—along with Bill Halliday, George Moore, and Howard 
Shugart—formed the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the NSS. In 1960, Rane and two 
co-authors penned the "NSS Policy for Cave Conservation." The next winter, he 
attended the 3rd ICS in Vienna, and then accepted a research appointment in 
London. While overseas, Rane embarked on a 12,000 kilometer motorcycle tour of 
Europe. Applying a chemical engineer's perspective to speleology, Dr. Curl has 
published on topics such as a statistical theory of cave entrance evolution; 
the relationship between cave scallop geometry and water flow velocity; the 
aragonite-calcite problem; and speleothem dating and growth. Among many other 
things, Rane chaired the 8th ICS, edited the first 4 issues of American Caving 
Accidents, and served as President of the NSS. Download a 
copy (48:57, 79 MB)

Rane will be dearly missed.

--
Nathan Farrar
<>___
Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com
Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: 
http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/
http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers

Re: [Texascavers] My "Review" of Bill Mixon

[John Brooks]

Perhaps someone should start an “OPT OUT” list for Locklearian obituary reviews 
.

There could be ONE opt out list for caver obituary reviews 

AND a opt out list for those who prefer to pass in peace WITHOUT being reviewed.

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 12, 2019, at 10:57 AM, Don Cooper  wrote:
> 
> Katie - 
> 
> From our discussions about David's posts - I'm reminded that there are FANS 
> also, of very very poorly performed music
> His evaluation of Bill Mixon absolutely TEARS IT!  His output is no longer 
> welcome -  in my computer's input.
> Happy that I didn't see him blab about William!
> Hope all is well.  I think of you almost daily.
> 
> -Don C.
> From: Texascavers  on behalf of 
> Katherine Arens 
> Sent: Thursday, May 9, 2019 7:38 PM
> To: texascavers@texascavers.com
> Subject: Re: [Texascavers] My "Review" of Bill Mixon
>  
> Nice remembrance,  — but the dogs were Salukis, not greyhounds (short-haired 
> afghan hounds).  With memorable names like Silly and Sally.  Sally could open 
> tight-shut coolers to steal cheese . . . 
> 
>> On May 9, 2019, at 6:25 PM, David  wrote:
>> 
>> I can only give Bill Mixon an 8.1 out of 10 stars.
>> 
>> Bill was a male, slightly bald, about 5'-9", light complected, almost skinny.
>> 
>> Bill was somewhat of a curmudgeon - but only when he was not with his 
>> beloved greyhounds.   He was especially saddened after he had to start 
>> living without his last dog.
>> 
>> He presented himself around me, as a passive person, content to sit in one 
>> spot at camp for a good part of the weekend and talk to anyone willing to 
>> start an interesting conversation.
>> 
>> I deducted the first star, because he did not like Rock and Roll, nor maybe 
>> not any noisy music at all.
>> 
>> And the second deduction, goes to his frugalness or thriftyness.   Did he 
>> ever upgrade from DOS to Windows ?   Or get a 64-bit computer ?  I would be 
>> tempted to put an AMD Threadripper in has ashes, just so he can tell Oztotl 
>> that he got one as a going away present, as a warm token of admiration.
>> 
>> Anyways, I hope there are greyhounds and a giant dog-park in the afterlife, 
>> so that he can enjoy eternity on his terms.
>> 
>> 
>> Below is a story that I have told many times:
>> 
>> I first met Bill Mixon in October of 1984 while on a weekend excursion as a 
>> sophomore student at Texas A&M University ( College Station campus ).
>> 
>> 
>> Bill was standing at the bottom of a large sinkhole in a remote ranch in 
>> west Texas.  I had no idea why.
>> 
>> 
>> Myself, ( an Aggie ), and another new young newbie caver from Univ. of Texas 
>> at Austin, Ed Sevcik, were staring down at him.   The two of us had missed 
>> the group going into the cave, and we both were standing at the edge of the 
>> sinkhole peering down into it.
>> 
>> 
>> ( UT cavers had hauled out tons of rusted rubble the day before or trip 
>> before, so we had a clean safe view of the sinkhole )
>> 
>> 
>> We both were unsure what to do.  There was no ladder or rope, and a fall 
>> would be potentially bad.   There was nothing to see, but Bill, and an ugly 
>> hackberry tree, which oddly, was the only tree for 50 miles.
>> 
>> 
>> We had no idea who Bill was, or where everybody had disappeared to.
>> 
>> 
>> Bill yelled up to us on how to use the tree limbs and tree trunk in the 
>> sinkhole to descend the sharp drop-off and climb down using the tree as a 
>> hand-hold.
>> 
>> 
>> To our surprise, the actual cave entrance at the bottom of the sinkhole was 
>> just a tiny intimidating belly crawl.
>> 
>> 
>> That was my introduction to a first real Texas cave.
>> 
>> 
>> We learned the cave was known as "Big Tree Cave," but its official name was 
>> "Langtry Lead Cave."   Cavers were deep inside, allegedly pushing a lead and 
>> maybe re-surveying.
>> 
>> 
>> I chose to sit there in the sinkhole, as did my new found friend, Ed. 
>> 
>> 
>> Ed was much bigger than me, so he might have even been more intimdated by 
>> the tiny entrance.
>> 
>> 
>> Bill was almost a generation older than us, and we assumed he was an 
>> experienced caver.  My first impression of Bill was that he seemed like a 
>> pleasant spoken guy.
>> 
>> 
>> Eventually, Bill convinced us to give the entrance a go.
>> 
>> 
>> We three crawled into the tiny entrance, and started some very fun climbs - 
>> going downward into the belly of the cave.
>> 
>> 
>> About the 5th climb down, we chickened-out.Ed and I could not believe 
>> there was no rope or hand-line. It looked like a bottomless pit, but was 
>> actually only 23 feet at the deepest part, which was more of an illusion, as 
>> if you fell, it would have only been 12 feet.  Our cheezy headlamps were not 
>> bright enough to see that the climb was the easiest of all the climbs.  [ I 
>> doubt I had anything more than a cheap flashlight. ]
>> 
>> 
>> We three set there, in the dark and Bill talked to us about caves and caving 
>> for probably an hour.
>> 
>> 
>> Then Bill sho