VIP Tule Mountain Hike & the 2016 Highland Games!

Last Wednesday Steve & Tina led the big volunteer group to the Tule Mountain area. There were the remains of two old houses and what used to be a very big tank and lake! Everyone who had been to the lake last year asked me if the ducks were still there, but unfortunately the water levels were down drastically from last winter and there were no sign of ducks.

The lintel still in place of this homestead. These were the tallest, most intact walls I've seen on a stone house in the park.

Alas, the dregs of the lake.

Lake inhabitant posing for photographers. I believe it is a Big Bend leopard frog.

This last Saturday was the Highland Games! Here Joan Spalding and Claudia Arnberger with her stuffed dog Spot, demonstrate proper attire for the games. Although the cast of characters has changed from the last time I was here, the spirit of competition and frivolity is the same! Contestants paint their faces with fearsome looking war paint, wear kilts (underwear mandatory!) and compete in timed and distance games such as the "Ghost Rider", "Crotch Rock", "Tree Climb" "Tug of Love",

Daisy Welch instructs Jimmy Duke on the rules of "General Havoc".

Tug of Love contestants prepare to lose!

The winners discuss strategy.

War paint and sunscreen are applied.

Steve Blythe checks out the PVC bow and dowel arrows he and Daisy made following You Tube plans! What an awesome job they did organizing everything!!

And the winners are . . .!

Bill Gorney (left)  from Dispatch, had the most fierce growls and wackiest faces ever!

Katherine uttered something like, "I think this is some sort of mistake."

While Lydia yells, "This is the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!"

Hayden, our youngest (and only!) child competitor this year. Friend, Hazard, was there but didn't compete.

Below is a blast from the past (April 6, 2013) best overall warriors, Raymond Skiles and my good friend who wants to remain anonymous. Whoo hoo!

Real Rain Tonight!

February 21, 2016 - Tonight we have lightning and thunder and real rain hitting the rooftops! Maybe it will be measurable in the morning. First precipitation since 3" of snow in Cottonwood December 27 (nearly 2 months ago)!

Cottonwood Nearby Sights

In the mid-90s today, so the hike was hot but here are some of the sights just down from our trailer park. :-)

Golf ball sized cactus

Hoo Doos & More

Had a most wonderful day hiking with friends Steve, Tina & Jennette exploring some of the best places in Big Bend. It was once again up in the 90's but we took our time and enjoyed shade whenever we could find it.

Hiking up through canyons of tuff (hardened volcanic ash) on our way to the few remaining hoodoos in this part of the park.

It was such a treat hiking with one of the leading park interpreters, Jennette Jurado, who also happens to be in charge of the visitor center where I am volunteering. She would probably be disappointed to know that I forgot the name of this beautiful flower which is endangered.

We do not know whether this ladder with nails is from the ranger or ranching days in Big Bend. Maybe it was used to get to a honeycomb?

The birds, flower, budding cactus and these shells were from the way up to a ranching era tank (an area stacked with rocks or dirt to hold water usually for farm animals). This is just one of hundreds of shells which littered the banks of the tank. Within the last few months the tank had held a lot of water, but now was almost empty. What is remarkable is that Jennette had never seen this type of shell in the park!

The last place we explored was an area known for huge, magnificent blocks of petrified wood. Millions of years ago the Big Bend area was home to dinosaurs and lush vegetation. Under the right conditions when the trees (plus animals) died the minerals took the place of the cell contents and formed these awesome creations.

 The end for today!