texascavers Digest 15 May 2014 14:45:01 -0000 Issue 1978
Topics (messages 23827 through 23835):
2014 TSA Spring Convention Visual Arts Salon Awards
23827 by: R D Milhollin
23835 by: R D Milhollin
Opinion, based on observations and not facts
23828 by: dirtdoc.comcast.net
New subterranean catfish found in India
23829 by: Louise Power
Sandstone caves
23830 by: David
expensive book
23831 by: Mixon Bill
Re: an expensive book
23832 by: Joe Ranzau
23833 by: Don Arburn
TSA Convention 2014
23834 by: Carl Kunath
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--- Begin Message ---
At this year's TSA Spring Convention Visual Arts Salon there were many
extraordinary entries in the categories of cartography, photography, and fine
arts.
In the cartography division there were 8 entries by Texas cavers Dale Barnard,
Marvin Miller, David Ochel, Will Quast, and Peter Sprouse. David Ochel won a
merit blue ribbon for "Wildflower Cave, Travis County", and Marvin Miller won
two honorable mention awards for "Government Canyon Blowhole" and "Taylor Bat
Cave". Thanks to judges Don Arburn, Dave "Cave" McClung, and Orien Knox for
spending considerable time making difficult decisions.
The photographic and fine arts divisions were combined for judging. There were
6 photo entries by Bennett Lee, David Ochel, and Will Quast, and three fine art
entries by Evelyn Townsend. The photographic merit award went to David Ochel
for "Follow the Flowstone", and an honorable mention ribbon was awarded to
Bennett Lee for "Translucent Wing". Bennett was also the winner of the TCMA
Merit Award for best entry depicting or representing a Texas conservancy cave
preserve. Evelyn Townsend's "Etched Shell Pendant" earned a merit award for
fine arts. Her entries were donated to the TCMA auction that followed the
presentation of salon awards. Thanks to dedicated judges Jocie Hooper, Jay
Jorden, and Dr. Ann Scott.
Additional thanks to Bill Steele for use of the heavy-duty tent that housed the
salons, and to the several volunteers who helped to set up and disassemble it.
Photos of the salon exhibit will be sent to the Texas Caver editor, and
volunteers to help with next year's salons and ideas for improvement are
needed. Please contact RD Milhollin at this e-mail address.
Now is the time to begin preparing for the 2015 TSA Visual Arts Salon. So get
down and begin taking cave photos, drafting cave maps, and creating
cave-related art, and have those completed projects ready to dazzle attendees
at next year's TSA Spring Convention.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
At this year's TSA Spring Convention Visual Arts Salon there were many
extraordinary entries in the categories of cartography, photography, and fine
arts.
In the cartography division there were 8 entries by Texas cavers Dale Barnard,
Marvin Miller, David Ochel, Will Quast, and Peter Sprouse. David Ochel won a
merit blue ribbon for "Wildflower Cave, Travis County", and Marvin Miller won
two honorable mention awards for "Government Canyon Blowhole" and "Taylor Bat
Cave". Thanks to judges Don Arburn, Dave "Cave" McClung, and Orien Knox for
spending considerable time making difficult decisions.
The photographic and fine arts divisions were combined for judging. There were
6 photo entries by Bennett Lee, David Ochel, and Will Quast, and three fine art
entries by Evelyn Townsend. The photographic merit award went to David Ochel
for "Follow the Flowstone", and an honorable mention ribbon was awarded to
Bennett Lee for "Translucent Wing". Bennett was also the winner of the TCMA
Merit Award for best entry depicting or representing a Texas conservancy cave
preserve. Evelyn Townsend's "Etched Shell Pendant" earned a merit award for
fine arts. Her entries were donated to the TCMA auction that followed the
presentation of salon awards. Thanks to dedicated judges Jocie Hooper, Jay
Jorden, and Dr. Ann Scott.
Additional thanks to Bill Steele for use of the heavy-duty tent that housed the
salons, and to the several volunteers who helped to set up and disassemble it.
Photos of the salon exhibit will be sent to the Texas Caver editor, and
volunteers to help with next year's salons and ideas for improvement are
needed. Please contact RD Milhollin at this e-mail address.
Now is the time to begin preparing for the 2015 TSA Visual Arts Salon. So get
down and begin taking cave photos, drafting cave maps, and creating
cave-related art, and have those completed projects ready to dazzle attendees
at next year's TSA Spring Convention.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
If you have not read Harvey's comments, do that first (see below) so mine may
make more sense
"Opinion, based on observations and not facts"
Something very similar was once said about the role of hydrogen sulfide in the
origin of some caves.
Well-thought out, Harvey. And written well. Add to your comments my own
observations that not all managers are especially benevolent. They take actions
to benefit their own power base or pathway to advancement within the system.
That said, individuals who really care about caves and karst in these Agencies
do, indeed, find it difficult (if not impossible) to do the "right thing" for
the caves. Cavers, when faced with management obstacles, should keep your
comments in mind.
Caving on public lands in this country has clearly changed in fundamental ways.
This Bat Fungus thing has impinged on cave management decisions in the East as
well as western Federal lands.
You and I are among those whose lives were fundamentally changed by our
exploration of caves. In our lifetime, cavers have successfully brought the
importance of this resource to public attention in ways that far transcend
simple tourism. That has resulted in management awareness of cave- and
karst-related problems and led to sometimes-difficult decisions, not the least
of which have to do with Bat Fungus. When they are not sure what to do,
managers may be well advised to error on the conservative side and shut things
down.
I don't like that, but it could be the best thing for the caves and future
generations of cavers. Caves are not a very renewable resource. Cavers are.
Dwight Deal
----- Original Message -----
From: "DuChene, Harvey" <[email protected]>
Cc: "Cave NM" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 10:51:02 AM
Subject: Re: [SWR] Oklahoma removed from list of suspected bat fungus areas
The following statements are opinion, based on observations and not facts. I
want this understood up-front.
The Federal Agencies that manage caves are strapped for money. This has been
going on for years – things like required raises for employees, cost of doing
business and running an agency, etc. have risen faster than budgets have
increased. BLM, NPS and USDA Forest Service have to pare their spending in
order to meet the budgets allocated to them by Congress. WNS presents these
agencies with a dilemma, and paradoxically, an opportunity. It costs money to
manage caves. Essentially, the National Cave Protection Act was initially an
unfunded mandate. Now it costs Agencies money to inventory and manage cave
resources. It requires people, vehicle use, computers, GPS units, software and
a lot of other things I don’t know about. WNS has give managers in these
agencies an opportunity to “save” money by closing caves, allegedly to
“protect” bats. This could result in reduction everyday management costs. Good
people that all of us know in these Agencies have their hands tied by managers
who know little about cave resources but a lot about politics and money
management. The WNS controversy is as much about Federal Agency Fiscal Policy
as it is about controlling the spread of a fungus that infects bats. The
Agencies are ultimately limited to the funds Congress gives them to run their
business, so they are constantly on the watch for places to save money.
Cavers cannot win this argument. However, they can vote, and if you want to see
the Federal Agencies receive more funding so they can properly operate, then
elect senators and representatives that agree with you. I fear that, for those
of us who are older, our days of caving on public lands in this country are
essentially over. Unwittingly, this is an unanticipated result of pushing
through the National Cave Protection Act 30 or so years ago. The lesson here is
“ Be careful what you wish for … .”
Purely my opinions, but food for thought.
Harvey DuChene
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
http://news.msn.com/science-technology/alien-catfish-baffles-scientists
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
There is a small sandstone cave in Texas worth visiting once if you live
within a 4 hour drive of it. The only reason cavers do not regularly visit
it, is that it is about as remote as some of the caves in far west Texas.
My theory about the cave, is that a natural water flow about that of a
garden hose
found its way upward vertically from the aquifer through the path of least
resistance in the substrate,
which appears to be a compacted mixture of clay and sandstone. Only a wild
guess would say that after a few thousand years, a path was created big
enough for small mammals to enter, and voids developed, as natural erosion
took place.
My guess is that in the early formation of the cave about 10,000 years ago,
the cave was longer, probably 400 feet of stomach-crawling size passage,
with only the exit of the tiny subterrenean stream as a entry point for
small mammals. Then about 5,000 years ago, where the spring entered the
void at the back of the cave, a small room or walking size passage
collapsed creating a 30 foot deep sinkhole ( which can be rappelled into ).
Thereafter, the collapsed material was washed downstream by floods,
eventually forming a through passage, but not walking size passage.
Sometime more recently, the passage became big enough for humans to enter.
But
I bet it was just crawling size passage. Maybe native-Americans entered the
cave 1,000 years ago, as it was the only natural shelter for 100's of
miles. But they had an abundant supply of trees and fur, ( to make better
housing that the wife would have prefered ) So I doubt the early
native-Americans ever lived in it. Maybe 500 years ago, and Indian stumbled
onto it and used it like a hunter's camp, or his private vacation spot.
European and American settlers ( cotton farmers and loggers and later oil
drillers ), may have entered the cave in the mid 1800's and scraped the
walls either for marking they were there, or for curiosity. That digging
and the natural erosional forces from floods ( tropical storms or hurricane
remnants ) had to have enlarged the cave in some capacity.
Some dates from the late 1800's, can be seen in the etchings, but so much
vandalism,
has destroyed most of that. I bet the heyday of caving activity and fun was
in the 1910's. ( My ancestors lived about 23 miles by buggy from the cave
from 1900 to the 1950's. I do not think they ever travelled far from home,
so going here would have been a big road-trip. )
The cave is heavily vandalized with deep etchings, done with wooden or
metal stick. And later spray paint, which actually doesn't stick for very
long, or gets rubbed off by locals spelunking.
I am really surprised the cave has not changed much. I first saw it in
1987, and would have bet it would have washed away by now, but most of it
seems nearly identical.
I think that any cavers who attend SFASU in Nacodoches, should make an
effort to visit it and publish a trip report, or write an article for the
Texas Caver.
I have always wanted to bottle the water into a fancy bottle and sell it at
caving conventions. I doubt the water is drinkable, but I would bet it can
be purified to be as good as some other bottled water products.
There were about 3 bats in the cave in 1987, but I do not ever remember
seeing bats on
other visits. But I think there are scars on the ceiling of bat roost. The
bat history at this cave is limited to the years is had accesible passage
to them, which I think is just
recently on a geologic timescale. So, I am saying for the million years or
so that bats lived in east Texas, they did not have this cave or any others
to permanently shelter in.
The NSS felt the cave was important enough to mention it in Bulletin # 10.
( see post from yesterday )
I do not know who would be the authority on the cave. Caver Roger Moore
knows as much about it as anybody I know of, and may have caving pictures.
The TSS has a pamphlet on the topic, by Gerald Atkinson.
The last I heard, ( about 2 or 3 years ago ) the same owner owns it and
lives up on a small hill near the cave. He would be in his late 70's now, I
would think. I could not
find him anywhere recently on the internet.
Unfortunately, the cave is in the middle of the property, and one would
have to purchase probably 50 acres of prime timber harvesting land in order
to buy it
from him. He uses the water from the cave to maintain a large nasty pond on
his lake.
The cave is marked with a cave-symbol on the USGS topo map, about 7 miles
due south of the town of Center.
David Locklear
NSS # 27639
Ref:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Preserve-Protect-Gunnels-Cave/111719558859888
http://texasspeleologicalsurvey.org/publications/images/EastTexas.jpg
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I bought a second hardbound copy of NSS Bulletn 10, The Caves of
Texas, from Speleobooks at an NSS convention a couple of years ago.
Think it was $40 or less. Tried to sell it at UT Grotto meeting, but
nobody was interested, so I returned it.
--Mixon
----------------------------------------
Work is the curse of the drinking class.
----------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
$200
Joe
> On May 14, 2014, at 9:39 AM, Mark Minton <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Jim,
>
> How much did that copy sell for?
>
> Mark
>
> At 09:11 AM 5/14/2014, Jim Kennedy wrote:
>> You should have bought the excellent copy that sold at the TCMA auction at
>> the this year's TSA Spring Convention.
>>
>> Mobile email from my iPhone
>>
>> > On May 14, 2014, at 12:09 AM, David <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> > Here is a book-seller claiming to have a hard-bound copy of the 1948
>> > Caves of Texas
>> > by the NSS ( Bulletin # 10 )
>> >
>> > http://pictures.abebooks.com/WISTEBOOKS/12094149402.jpg
>> >
>> > He is asking only $ 245.
>> >
>> > Ref.
>> >
>> > http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=12094149402&searchurl=bsi%3D0%26amp%3Bds%3D30%26amp%3Btn%3Dbulletin%2Bnational%2Bspeleological%2Bsociety
>
> Please reply to [email protected]
> Permanent email address is [email protected]
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Do a search on eBay for National Speleological association...
Sent cellularly.
-Don
> On May 14, 2014, at 6:36 PM, Joe Ranzau <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> $200
>
> Joe
>
>> On May 14, 2014, at 9:39 AM, Mark Minton <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Jim,
>>
>> How much did that copy sell for?
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> At 09:11 AM 5/14/2014, Jim Kennedy wrote:
>>> You should have bought the excellent copy that sold at the TCMA auction at
>>> the this year's TSA Spring Convention.
>>>
>>> Mobile email from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On May 14, 2014, at 12:09 AM, David <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Here is a book-seller claiming to have a hard-bound copy of the 1948
>>>> Caves of Texas
>>>> by the NSS ( Bulletin # 10 )
>>>>
>>>> http://pictures.abebooks.com/WISTEBOOKS/12094149402.jpg
>>>>
>>>> He is asking only $ 245.
>>>>
>>>> Ref.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=12094149402&searchurl=bsi%3D0%26amp%3Bds%3D30%26amp%3Btn%3Dbulletin%2Bnational%2Bspeleological%2Bsociety
>>
>> Please reply to [email protected]
>> Permanent email address is [email protected]
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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>> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
>> For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The recent TSA convention was a great success!
Thanks and congratulations to all who worked hard to make it happen.
The TSA members are benefiting enormously from the efforts of the TSA officers
and many others who generally work without a word of thanks.
Special thanks to Tom Summers for his hospitality and generous offering of the
facilities at Cave Without A Name. It’s a great venue.
Finally, thanks to the members of the audience attending the programs within
the cave. The general demeanor was quiet and respectful and that has not
always been the case in some recent years.
Nice job, everyone!
===Carl Kunath
--- End Message ---
