The Florida Speleological Society

Let’s Go Cavorting Again

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phil

After two years of waiting, and 4 months of planning: meals, ticket sales, tee-shirt design, band, cave permissions, guide book printing, port-a potty rental, raffle, and area preparation–the March 4-6, 2022 weekend for the Florida Cave Cavort had arrived.

  • Steve with his morning coffee wondering about the days plans, and what is a cavort?

According to the Britannica Dictionary, a Cavort (kəˈvoɚt) is:

1) to jump or move around in a lively manner.     

2) to spend time in an enjoyable and often wild or improper way.

How does one Cavort? Cavorting requires a good mood, lots of energy, and some running room. Children love to cavort, and so do parents when they win the lottery, or get together with other cavers.

The origins of the word are lost to history-as is when the first gathering of Florida Cavers was. Traditionally-the annual gathering of Florida Cavers rotates around to different areas (Tampa, Tallahassee, Gainesville) but in this area-it has always been known as a Florida Cave Cavort, and this year it was AWESOME!

  • Steve does the climb.
  • Steve and Sean at the top.
Screech Owl photos by Brian Hauha.
  • The Lake Room.
  • Passage to the
    Awful Earful.
  • Bat Cave Mouse.
Bat Cave Photos by Karen Lehert, Bat Cave mouse photo by Nicole Marti.
  • The perplexing entrance to Ocala Caverns.
Hang’n in the inner passages.
All Ocala Cavern photos by Kat Newell.
  • Teddy and Jessie have some serious appeal at Catacombs Cave.
  • This Turkey just loves attention.
The Brier Cave Crew-Photo by Teddy Garlock.
  • Step 1: entrance.
  • Step 2: Don’t fall in the hole.
  • Step 3: Avoid the James Bond death room.
  • Step 4: Don’t touch fossils.
  • Step 5: Navigate the ledge.
  • Step 6: Have some good grimy fun.
Brier Photos taken by Teddy Garlock.

Now we’ve seen all these cave photos, lets see some Cavort’n going on.

  • The Vince Phelps Family BBQ did a GREAT job!
  • If you use your head, you don’t have to carry drinks all night.
  • Bats Illuminati.
  • Squeeze Box.
Photos by Nicole Marti.

 

Photo by Nicole Marti.

This was an awesome event! Great Caves, Great People, Great Band, Great Food, Great Raffle…This is just what we all needed. Thanks to everyone that came out. Also, thanks to all the following:

• Jerry and Shirl Johnson for the use of their beautiful farm.

• FSS Board and members for all the hard work.

• Fire Water Tent Revival Band.

• Vince Phelps for cooking a fantastic BBQ.

• OneRope1 and Inner Mountain Outfitters: for raffle items.

 

 

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