Anne & JG Visit + Birthday Bash

This last week my friends Anne and JG and their friends Nick and Karen visited Big Bend. It was so exciting that they really liked the park and said, "I can't believe we live 8 hours away and never visited here before." They are big fans of the silence and solitude Big Bend offers so I will look for them to camp at Castalon on their return visits. No more RGV generators and crowds for them!

JG, Anne, Karen & Nick

EJ and Martha had left a DVD of their photos so I'll also include some of them here.

EJ & Martha at the Hot Springs

Martha and me at the Rio.

Pink Bluebonnets on the way up to the Chisos Mountains

Western Diamond back successfully crosses the road!

And it was a birthday celebration here, too! Mike (Nancy and Mike who are the other, way more experienced backcountry volunteers) had turned 62 in January but had not yet bought his Senior Access card yet. Another volunteer, Mark, had been invited but he had other plans. He turned 62 on February 27. And, of course, I just turned 6 too. So Mike, Nancy and I went to the visitor center where Dennis sold us our cards and took the commemorative photo. Here we are!

Other volunteers and our volunteer coordinator, Jane, attended the party. You may notice some alcohol bottles and, trust me, we are all old enough to drink legally!

Bonnie (visitor center) and her husband, Dean. Dean could not wait until we cut the cake!

Delona and Linda (Maintenance volunteer and Chisos Camp host). Delona also baked an AWESOME chocolate cake. Most people had a slice of the Duncan Hines yellow and Delona's cake plus banana pudding and chocolate ice cream. Everything was so good!

Louise (RGV camp host), Jane (volunteer coordinator) and Joan (archeological volunteer)

Dave (RGV camp host) and Dennis (friend from the Gila and new RGV visitor center volunteer)

Dennis, Nancy and Mike

John (botany volunteer) and Walt (somehow caught not smiling!)(my work partner)

Jane playing some tunes while Bonnie holds the flashlight for her)