Here's an idea. I like having our Spring and Fall Conventions documented in the Texas Caver. However, they are too big and have too much going on for any single person to write a report.
How about we have a "Remembering TSA Spring Convention 2012" section where people write a few short paragraphs about their favorite parts? It would be nice to hear different perspectives of the event and hear about other parts that we didn't get to attend, but this way it doesn't have to be the burden of a full report, just what you remember or liked the most. And so it's not just lip service, below is my submission. Not everyone has to write one this long, although I'm sure Mark wouldn't mind if you did. And I just posted here as an example-if we want to do this, we should probably submit them directly to Mark Alman at texascav...@yahoo.com instead of CaveTex. However, maybe Mark can post updates as to who has submitted to prod those who haven't yet. Or even better, get a list of attendees and split it into naughty/nice categories of who haven't submitted and those who have. (Just trying to help, Mark.) Consensus people? Is this something you want? And if so, say yes, then write something! --Bennett ======================================== I got to Cascade Caverns for the TSA Spring Convention 2012 on Friday evening. Unfortunately, Marvin Miller's annoying little girls found us almost immediately and whisked my sweet little son away to corrupt him. I found a good camping spot close enough to the main buildings to stumble back to it at night but far enough away to not be too bothered by the noise from the impending party. I made rounds Friday night and saw many caving buddies from around the state, partook from the keg of fine Shiner Bock, and unfortunately found Gregg Williams (a.k.a., Big Daddy Crunkshine) at which point my memory becomes a bit hazy. I do remember that Tom Rogers, who has a habit of stepping in cactus while wearing inadequate shoes or even no shoes, set his camp by the only cactus on the property. I awoke late the next morning, heard something about breakfast that I missed, and then hopped in the car with my son to drive to the Geneva School to see the presentations. Ellie Watson, who was coordinating the weekend activities, was already stressed. Turns out the water was off and we had no bathroom facilities there. I didn't need to go at that time, but there was much griping from people who did. I hung a few photos in the photo salon, including "Two Moons over Punkin" to get a little exposure for the cave calendar (pun intended). Next, I checked out the vendors out front. Gonzo Guano Gear didn't bring a massive PEP Bag (probably because I'm the only one foolish enough to buy a cave pack that big). No one at the TCMA booth could tell me if the Robber Baron t-shirts were the old map or the newer one (I don't want some outdated map on my t-shirt when I get lost...I mean "explore"). At least Lisa Miller had some nice scented oils at her booth. Presentations are the highlight of the Spring Convention for me, but unfortunately Ellie assigned me the task of shooting the group photo. In between that and keeping an eye on Marvin's girls so they didn't do something like teach my son to light a cigarette, I didn't get to see all the presentations I wanted. I missed a supposedly great surveying presentation by Peter Sprouse. Maybe he can do a repeat at a Bexar Grotto meeting (expect a call). However, I did catch one that was far too hydrologically scientific for me, and Ellie's presentation on Logan's (you did great, girl!), the last bit of Allan Cobb's caving in Asia, and Travis Scott's Porcupine Grotto presentation with some great photos. The most significant to me was Travis' comparison of an old photo and a recent photo of the same location/perspective that showed the damage to a wall of formations after extremely limited traffic. A clear visual to emphasize why we have to tread so lightly in caves. Water to the building was restored at some point, and there was much rejoicing. After presentations, I headed back to Cascade Caverns to help with supper. OK, I didn't really help much because I had to keep my son from being corrupted by the plethora of bad kids there now, like Audrey Steele's Sophie, the Scott's Harper, the Mitchell's Kayla, and worst of all, the now-short-haired Journey (you can never trust a short hair). After supper, we had announcements, award presentations for the photo and map salons, and the long-awaited TCMA auction. Shiner donated two awesome gift boxes of Shiner swag--I wanted one but bids quickly soared higher than I was willing to pay. Frankly, I was more interested in my own donation, "Two Moons over Punkin". I waited and waited but it never went up for bid-everything around it did, like the single car rack bar whose mate sold last year, books from prolific cave author and shameless self-promoter Bill Steele, Saj Zappitello's Purple People Eater stuffed doll, which Matt submitted trying to get rid of it but sadly for him the purchaser returned it to Matt's lovely wife. Meanwhile, my lowly photo just sat there. Turns out they were saving it for the grand finale at which point Galen Falgout got up and gave me some great exposure for the cave calendar (again, pun intended), announcing that I need models. Then, my dinky little 8x10 photo sold for way more than I expected, thanks to a bidding war by people who really like Galen's butt. Festivities continued, including lots of fire dancers, starting with Angela Edwards scantily clad in a sparkly outfit that got caught up in one of her fireball's chains. Immediately a dozen guys leap to her rescue. Yes, she's cute-maybe you'll see more of her in the upcoming cave calendar. Order now! The festivities continued with loud music and more fire dancing, but seemed to end relatively soon for a caver party. By about 1am, there were only a handful of us left, and sadly by 3am everyone was in bed. Obviously this new generation of cavers can't party like the old Kirkwood gang. Sunday morning, most of the kids did a tour in Cascade Caverns while the adults returned the campground's chaos to order. Some people planned for a swim in the Guadalupe River that afternoon on the way home. I got a few model offers (only a few! I need more!). Children were rounded up, followed by the usual hugs and farewells as friends returned to their respective corners of the great Republic of Texas. That's how I remember things. --Bennett Lee P.S. -- Did I mention I need models and photos for the cave calendar? ========================================
