It is early Saturday afternoon, and the convention un-officially started 3 hours ago.
So far, operations R surprisingly efficient, considering it does not officially start until Monday. 4 example, the internet room is already functional. Almost all of the vendors are fully open 4 business. There is lots of new gear and books ready to buy. I did not know that Apex has a Pro model of their headlamp. I am hoping to get a new head-lamp at the convention, and was leaning towards the Brunton, until I saw the Apex Pro. I did not know about the new Spandera caving pants by Gonzo Guano Gear ( GGG ). On Rope has a new carabiner where the lock is not on the gate but on a hinge attached to the other side of the carabiner. I haven't seen anything like that B4. The weather was absolutely spectacular last night and this morning. The same is 4casted for the next 3 days. I spent an hour on a beach blanket under a shade tree overlooking the Ohio River. I couldn't relax like that in Houston. The Overlook Restaurant there is similar to the river restaurant in Kerrville, but the Indiana one is much better. A Shelby Cobra Mustang Club met at the restaurant with about 6 of the models from the 1960's. There was also a Ford GT. I explored the gravel back roads around the town Leavenworth. Continental found my duffel bag 9 hours after my plane landed. Last night, I drove back to Louisville to get the bag, explored the town, and did some shopping and made a beer run for a caver who didn't have transportation. Louisville has at least 3 distinct areas of town. Shively is a run down old neighborhood that looks like parts of southern Louisiana. Then there is the college area full of trendy little shops and eateries. And the downtown area on the Ohio River with a Joes Crab Shack on a pier overlooking the river and the boats there. There is a large paddle boat on the river for tourist. I don't know yet whether it is a restaurant. There are various caving groups and projects to donate money to here. and various exhibits. The NCKRI has a very nice display. I have already seen several familiar faces. Jessica Snider from Albuqurque. Gary Napper from Texas. Volunteers are still hard at work building elaborate showers and hot tubs. They are still putting up displays for the maps, photos, etc. The newsletter CHUG is already in production. Cavers are arriving now and setting up camp. I have one of the best sites at the campground. 2B continued ... David Locklear --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: texascavers-unsubscr...@texascavers.com For additional commands, e-mail: texascavers-h...@texascavers.com
