For the first time since 2005, Haricot Vert Expeditions members are scattered to the four winds this weekend instead of gathered at Big Bend National Park for the Big Bend 50 Ultra Run.

Alas, the run has been cancelled, and has a “do not resuscitate” order. For whatever reason, there simply were not enough runners to cover expenses, much less have anything to donate to Friends of Big Bend National Park.

Jim is down there with Shanna, Lois and few others, hanging around Rio Grande Campground. The rest of us are more likely to be inside, enjoying the warmth of city living.

So, for those of you out there braving the cold of the desert, enjoy!

Lift a toast to the memory of Big Bend 50.

It was a once-in-lifetime chance for me to do what was, for thousands of men, a last thing in a lifetime event. I took a flight in a B-24 Liberator bomber from World War II, owned by the Collings Foundation. We flew from San Antonio to Austin, Texas.

The chase camera for the video was the B-17. A lot of the video both of us shot ended up in my documentary for KLRN-TV, “World War II: In Our Words”.

It was great, but I’ll fly in about anything, as long as no one expects me to jump out.

We welcome you to the HVE Blog, where you will get some of the wit and wisdom of those who rally around the Haricot Vert Expeditions seal.

We also have our shaman to guide us through our adventures and misadventures.

An HVE expedition can be a week-long sail of the British Virgin Islands, and it has been more than once. It could be kayak trip down a Texas river, and there have been several. For fast-paced adventure, there’s trapping squirrels (alive) for release into the wild (instead of a bedroom). If you like the heat, there were two, week-long runs in a desert (Sahara and Atacama). If you like the cold, how about a bone-chilling bike ride at Big Bend National Park in January? It could be a fun-filled, but disastrous, attempt at wine making, and it was (it was gnarly wine).

At any rate, as HVE folks share their thoughts and adventures here, we hope you enjoy reading about them.

Feel free to comment, and come back often.

HV!